7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply the Best, October 17, 2007
This review is from: The Complete Motown Singles: Vol. 6 (Audio CD)
I ordered this Motown Singles collection on blind faith, having heard that it was as good as music box sets can get, and I was not let down at all. First and foremost, as someone who loves music, the songs are all brilliant. Everyone knows the Motown sound, and this is the best way to experience it in all its glory. The songs are all crisp and clear, with everything sounding like it was recorded yesterday (that is, of course, minus the sterility that can come with having been recorded yesterday).
The added bonus, and the real attraction for buying these sets, is all the information inside. Every song, paired up with its b-side(s), has a write up, describing the history of the song's writing, recording, and chart success. These include interviews with the people that were there, and they're all incredibly entertaining. I've been going through, one CD at a time, and reading about each song as I listen to it. It's great fun, especially if you have a real interest in the music industry.
The last thing that has to be said is the packaging is flawless. I've never bought a product that was more perfect in its visual presentation. The book binding (Which is a brilliant move, as I will more than likely be buying the rest of the series so I can fill up my bookshelf) is attractive, as well as incredibly sturdy. I don't worry about it being damaged while I'm reading. The CDs all come in page-sized paper-board inserts in the back, which are also binded. It's really just gorgeous; a brilliant product design all around.
The vinyl copy of "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" is just an incredible bonus.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Motown motor is humming double time:1966 style., February 4, 2009
This review is from: The Complete Motown Singles: Vol. 6 (Audio CD)
1966 was a glorious year for Motown music it was their 5th year of placing successful singles on the Pop Charts, and they had indeed crossed over in their big happy beat sound that simply made you feel good. When I saw the track listing for this collection I knew I had to have it. When I tried to buy it I found it was out of stock, so I turned to a friend and he gave me (the collection of a dear friend who passed away) that was just sitting on his shelf. This is my favoirte of all the sets. It has the actual 45 (as all the sets do) of the 45 "Reach Out I'll Be there" brand spanking new. As others have stated these collections are flawless, with 94 pages of stories and photos of the artists and stories of every single that was recorded in 1966. My favorites many of which I no longer have, I bought most of my singles in that year: For starters songs like The Vandellas "He doesn't Love Her anymore" the flip side of "Ready for Love" "go Ahead and laugh" one of Martha Reeves best vocals inserted on one of their 66 singles, Chris Clark's "Put Yourself in My Place" a jazzier version than the Supremes' version, which I think is better and more soulful than the Sup's version, and speaking of the Supremes they have two version of a fan favorite "Mother You Smother You" a version from the HDH album and another version with Christine Schumacher which I have yet to hear, I am playing these songs in order, and a song I have lusted for for years Shorty Long's "Function at the Juction" forget the fact that it did not do well on the pop charts who cares, it is just a fascinating record and its one of the best dance records Motown ever put out. long lost b sides from the Marvelettes that never made a studio LP "Paper Boy" & "Anything you wanna do" Marvin Gayes's "one More Heartache" and "Take This Heart of Mine" The Temptations gem that I finally have in my collection the underated "Beauty's ONly Skin Deep" the 4x4 double time base beated "Love Is Like an Itching in my heart" backed by the equally illustrious "He's all I got" equally stepping up it's attack Stevie "Nothing Too's good for my Baby" Junior Walker's funky I'm a Road Runner" and notice how both You can't Hurry Love and I'm ready for Love both have the same intro bbb bbbb.
If you are doing a progression on how Motown progressed its music 1966 is one of those years where the progression took notice. The back beat on those songs were something to behold. If the music was sweet and candy coated in 1965, the progression was stepped up with it's double time base beat, and I am absolutely floored to have my favorite year of Motown music in my collection a year in which the genuine sound of the artists were still a part of the artistry, much credit is praised to the Andantes for sweetening lots of the music of the artists here. This sets is worth its weigh in gold and then some. My favorite picture of the Supremes can be found on page 3 that of the Supremes at the piano with the HDH team. Both teams along with The Four Tops madee 1966 one of the contending years in the Motown Story. Most of all you'll love reading about the stories of every song and flip side released that year and seeing the beautiful photos herein.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
HIP-O SELECT NEEDS TO DO ANOTHER RUN OF THESE TO PREVENT GOUGING!!, January 24, 2009
This review is from: The Complete Motown Singles: Vol. 6 (Audio CD)
This entire series is amazing. I believe it will be completed at the publication of the 12th volume, and each volume has 5 or 6 discs. I am up to Volume 9, and I can't really say there has yet been a single weak song. And I have now discovered so many awesome Motown songs I had never even heard before! This truly is a treasure trove. Yes, some songs are better than others, but all the music from this amazing dozen-year Motown era is great. The British Invasion may have brought over the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many others, but our American Motown is of equal or better historic significance. This music is just so consistently CLASSY it defies words. Elegance just pours out from each disc here, it is unprecedented and will never be equaled in the future.
I've been surprised to learn that there are styles of music other than soul on the Motown label. There is some very good country music as well. These discs also have a smattering of interviews and some other holiday-type nonsense which are very fun to hear and which puts the entire era in context.
The packaging for the entire series is the best I've ever seen. It is a little hard to hold the book open so you can pull out or put in the discs, but this is a minor struggle and it is well worth it. The discs are held tightly in place and are well protected, and the historical information about any particular song is readily accessible. The 45 disc which slots into the front cover is really an innovative and clever flourish, and it gives the volume's book a really nice upgrade.
Okay, here is the bummer, and it is a major one. If you are like me, you are going to want the entire series if you buy even a single volume. You will buy the first volume and you will immediately realize that it is a worthwhile investment to obtain the entire series. And who really wants to own only part of a series of anything? The cost of even one volume here is enough that you'll probably want the entire collection. Well, as I write this, in January of 2009, volume 6 is no longer available. Gone. Completely gone, except for some guy trying to sell copies for $2000 as an Amazon-affiliated seller. As good as this music is, I'm not going to spend $2000 on a single volume. Yes, I've searched eBay relentlessly for months, with no luck at all. Yes, I've searched the virtual catacombs of international online sellers, with no luck at all.
So, I'm already over a thousand bucks into this series and yet my collection is missing one of the best volumes (it covers 1966 when a lot of the talent was at their crescendos). I've twice emailed Hip-O Select Records, the publisher, and not heard a word back. I've called their customer service, and they were clueless and indifferent. The girl who answered the phone for them did not know a thing about the series. Basically what has happened, by proclaiming this as a "Limited Edition," is that they have created an inducement for opportunistic sellers to hoard the best volumes and then to gouge Motown fans later when the inventory held by legitimate sellers is gone. They then jack the price up into the stratosphere.
So, one can only hope that Hip-O Select does another run of these amazing Motown volumes. If you are a Motown fan, you will be astonished when you hear all the incredible treasures which this series contains.
******UPDATE (MARCH 6, 2009)*******: Many thanks to all the kind people who gave me leads on where I could possibly locate Vol 6 of this series. Indeed, I did score one off of Amazon's Canadian store (amazon.ca). Amazon is such a classy and ethical business that not only did they not gouge me on the price, but they discounted it just like they do all their stuff. Perhaps President Obama should consider Jeff Bezos for head of the Treasury Dept. or the SEC??? I'm completely serious!! We need someone who knows how to do things and knows how to do them effectively and ethically.
I also received an email from "CD Universe" advising that they now have volume 6 in stock and for about the same price as Amazon.ca was asking. So, the private sellers who are asking for a thousand dollars--or more-- for this set here on Amazon, and the other ebay sellers who are asking for even more,are now fully delusional. Or, perhaps not, since I actually was watching a Vol. 6 on ebay that sold for $1500!!! That's $1400 more than necessary now that the set is again available from mainstream retailers.
By the way: Vol. 6 is awesome, as are all the other sets through 11B (the second half of 1971). I highly recommend acquisition of the entire series if you like Motown. I am curious, though, if the series will continue into the so-called Motown L.A. years. I'm hoping it will not, because the Motown sound totally changed during that transition and was no longer at all appealling. I have the "Hitsville USA" 2nd boxset (a best-of compilation) which covers the L.A. years and I regret to report it is dreadful. The Motown magic was clearly left behind in Detroit. As such, I think I'll end my buying of these sets at the end of the Detroit era.
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