Customer Reviews

Lost And Found: Four Tops "Breaking Through" (1963-1964)

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All Four Tops devotees know about their unreleased first Motown album, "Breaking Through." The cover shot actually was used, redone as a painting, for "The Four Tops Second Album." "The Second Album" was packed with hits; "Breaking Through" was a jazz album, which is why it didn't break through. Finally, nearly 40 years after the fact we get everything recorded for the album and it is fascinating. All four Tops take leads, there's a lot of inventive harmony, some great driving big band arrangements and even a live duet with Billy Eckstine. Puts the Tops in a whole different spin and it's listenable over and over.

just doing a song with Billy Eckstine is a must.the arrangements and vocals are great.Motown was so Hit driven at the early stages that gems like this get over looked.these artists of today would love to have one good album let alone one good song.this group is one of the all-time great vocal groups ever.this disc takes them to another Level and they were already pretty high.

"Breakin Through" is all that a Four Tops fan could hope for. With "young and strong voices" and a sophisicated smooth jazzy arrangement, "Breakin Through" showcases the Tops in a way never heard before!!!! "Maybe Today" is a beautiful beautiful jazz ballad. Gives greater insight into who the Tops are/were as you can actually "hear" all of them on this package. Manhattan Transfer, Take Six, Bobby McFerrin and New York Voices all owe a little to the Tops without even knowing it. Great Album!!!! I love it!!!

At least Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and The Supremes were ALL given a shot a Pop, Standards & MOR (Middle Of The Road) music, and those projects were released! This Four Tops 'Original' album was put on the shelf and went unreleased for over 30 (Thirty) years! Now on this Expanded Edition of the "Breaking Through" album we get ALL the recordings from that landmark 1964 recording session Plus more Pop & MOR recordings from 1965! With the exception of the cut "Nice 'n' Easy" that did see the light of day (In a different Mix) on a 1967 Out Of Print album of standards by The Four Tops entitled "On Broadway" (Yeah, The group was finally given a chance to prove what they could do with standards!). There are 5 (Five) Jewels and Gems to be found on this Compact Disc ("Breaking Through"): "Young And Foolish", "I Left My Heart In San Francisco", "If My Heart Could Speak", "When I'm Alone I Cry", and the killer Bonus Track "I'm Falling For You" featuring Billy Eckstine and recorded 'Live' at the Apollo in 1965! You won't believe your ears when you hear this track. Overall this is a most welcomed addition to have in your collection! If you enjoy this album you might want to invest in a turntable and find a copy of the "On Broadway" vinyl album...Who knows how many we might have to wait for that album to see the light of day on Compact Disc.

The Four Tops formed in 1954 as: Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo "Obie" Benson as the Four Aims. Not wanting to be confused with the Ames Brothers their changed their name to the Four Tops. From 1954 to 1963 the Four Tops recorded for three labels: Rooftop, Chess, and Columbia before signing with Motown Records. During their pre Motown career, the Four Tops established themselves as one of the premie jazz vocal groups in Detroit, and the east coast. Breaking Through was to be their first outing with the label. The album was about to be released when marketing research showed that the jazz market was falling, and the album was shelved. Breaking Through may be the finest examples of the Four Tops harmony on record. The album starts with the Obie Benson lead "This Can't Be Love" and sets the tone for the whole record. Obie gives a great lead on the song. Other stand outs include: "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You, Nice and Easy, Stranger on the Shore, If My Heart Could Sing",and many others. The best track on the record is a unreleased live recording of Billy Eckstine and the Four Tops singing "I'm Falling For You", and it ends the record on a great note. Breaking Through is truly a tremendous record, and a must by for music fans.

BREAKING THROUGH proves the versatility of the Four Tops. Starting out as a jazz quartet, you can hear the tight harmonies in this group. Levi Stubb's voice still grabs at you on these jazz standards. The Tops even switched leads, with Obie Benson on "This Can't Be Love". I hope Motown comes out with lots more of this series!

The best thing they ever did was "a warm solid love nothing can penetrate"....The track was "Indestructible"...The one about "Gloom and Doom", "Bernadette", and "Standing in the Shadows" was OK, but I would buy a Diana Ross or Brian McKnight album instead-the recent ones...