Customer Reviews

Jr. Walker & The All Stars - Greatest Hits

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Jr. Walker was one the first artists I ever listened to. I'm a young person, but I can remember my father playing him on the record player and he just blew me away. My favorite is Cleo's Mood. He doesn't have lyrics but you know exactly what he is saying. I think Jr. Walker should get more recognition than he does in Motown history.

This is certainly a greatest hits package, but when it first appeared in RECORD stores in June 1969, Mr. Walker was by no means finished his story. The LP also was the last with this cover design, which Motown had previously used, with various color changes, for similar sets by the Vandellas, Marvelettes, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Temptations and Four Tops. This one collected all of Mr. Walker's significant singles up to that point.

Some historic trivia here: As I write this, I'm looking at an original LP version of this set (Soul label No. 718), and for track five the back cover listing is not "What Does It Take," but "Hip City Pt. 1." What had happened was, when Motown was preparing this set for retail in the spring of 1969, "What Does It Take" was pulled from Walker's then-current LP "Home Cookin'" and released as a single at the end of April. It quickly and increasingly showed it was going to be a monster hit - comparable in impact to another "Shotgun." Some hasty changes were clearly in order for the pending "Greatest Hits" LP, which DOES carry "What Does It Take" on the disc itself, but the LP covers must have been printed earlier. And indeed, the song certainly heralded a new, seductive and romantic Jr. Walker sound - I remember it all over the radio that summer I was 15.

There is not a dud among these 12 tracks, but there is more to Junior than one "Greatest Hits" package can fairly cover. For more of the direction Mr. Walker took his music post-"What Does It Take," you'll also want the tracks found on "Ultimate Collection": "Gotta Hold On To This Feeling," "These Eyes," "Do You See My Love For You Growing," and the achingly beautiful nostalgic ode, "Way Back Home."

Mr. Walker took his last farewell of us around Thanksgiving of 1995, but like his music continues to outlive him, it's also going to outlive his first-generation fans like myself. And I'm glad.

Jr.Walker&The All Stars really Groove on this Disc.Shotgun is the jam it still Bangs.Jr.Walker is Rocking on Sax.The Up-Tempo Jams are The Juice.THe Ultimate Collection is Better overall but you can't go wrong here.

These are definitely my grandfather's greatest hits! I love "Shotgun", like everybody else, but I also love "Pucker up Buttercup". I sing this to my son alot. I like to tell him to pucker up buttercup and give mommie a kiss. Too funny! I love "Cleo's Mood" too, when I just want to relax. My grandfather was so talented. There's people who can match his talent, but there will never be another "Jr. Walker"!