Ultimate Collection [Original recording remastered]

Smokey Robinson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 10, 1998)
• Original Release Date: February 10, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001AOH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,475 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #33 in Music > R&B > Classic R&B
  • #54 in Music > R&B > Motown
  • #80 in Music > Blues > Electric Blues

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' 25-cut disc is the single most impressive one of Motown's Ultimate Collection series (which features 17 artists). Combining Smokey's endlessly inventive twists on romance (good and bad) with the Miracles' handful of straight-up party hits, it showcases one of American pop's most sure-footed and touching acts. The frontman's prowess as singer, writer, and producer lights up each of these single mixes; less-celebrated tracks like "My Girl Has Gone," "(You Can) Depend on Me," and "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" stand as tall as the many oldies-radio staples featured here. (For much more, including "Mirage's" unstoppable flip side, "Come Spy with Me," check out the four-disc 35th Anniversary box set.) Robinson and his collaborators, both in and out of the group, regularly injected undeniable emotion into their creamy constructions, making for a stack of tracks that remain as relevant as the contemporary creations of fans Lennon-McCartney and Bob Dylan. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

Import collection from the Motown legends, arguably the best single-disc compilation available on the market. Combining Smokey's endlessly inventive twists on romance (good and bad) with the Miracles' handful of straight-up party hits, it showcases one of American pop's most sure-footed and touching acts. The frontman's prowess as singer, writer, and producer lights up each of these single mixes; less-celebrated tracks like "My Girl Has Gone," "(You Can) Depend on Me," and "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" stand as tall as the many oldies-radio staples featured here. While he and The Miracles remain one of the Motown label's most successful acts, Smokey is also known for his top-notch songwriting skills for other label mates as well as his own successful solo career. 25 tracks. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Smokey is great; this is good., October 30, 2000

By 

Eric V. Moye (New York, by way of Dallas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultimate Collection (Audio CD)

Smokey Robinson may have been the greatest songwriter of his era. No one else was coming up with the splendidly clever turs of phrase as Smokey ("Just like Paliacchi did, I tried to keep my feelings hid. Laughing to the world outside, but in my lonely room I cried; the tears of a clown").Certainly, no one was able to combine the writing and the beautiful voice as he did. Back in the day, he was the one to sing the young Sistahs into a swoon! When someone put Smokey's "Ooh, Baby Baby" or "More Love" on the record player, the party was going to get serious! This disc has much of Smokey's best.

However, having grown up with Smokey, there are songs that I think ought to be here, but are missing. There is no way that one disc can hold all the great Smokey Robinson & the Miracles hits (at least, given today's technology). Given that fact, this disc leaves out some of the "must" hits (in my opinion) recorded by the Miracles. Not here are "What's so Good About Goodbye" (which has some of his best lyric writing, in my opinion), "Doggone Right", "Here I Go Again" and a handful of others.

I think the best Smokey Robinson collection is found in the release of the Smokey Robinson Anthology released by Motown. It does not cost too much more, is twoi discs, and is the best compemndium of this great body of work. As far as it goes, thoi

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You won't have to "Shop Around"...., November 10, 2001

By 

The Fancy One "blackprincess" (Westchester County, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ultimate Collection (Audio CD)

This CD covers the career of Smokey Robinson and his Miracles very well. Even though I owned the Miracles' anthology several years ago, I noticed that a lot of songs I enjoyed from that anthology were omitted from this ULTIMATE COLLECTION. But that's okay. If you want the biggest and most popular hit songs that the group made from the beginning to the end, you'll find them here. From "Bad Girl" (one of my all time favorites) to "We've Come Too Far To End It Now", there's not a bad cut in the bunch. I've always loved Smokey's contradictory technique of writing love songs ("Just a minute ago, your love was here...all of a sudden it seemed to disappear...sweetness was only heartaches' camouflage, the love I saw in you was just a mirage") and clever little puns wrapped up into memorable tunes ("I'm a choosey beggar").

Smokey was one of the most amazing songwriters of the 20th century, and his best work was with his group, the Miracles. And we can't forget about Smokey's pristine falsetto voice sailing over the music, with the tight harmonies of Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, Warren "Pete" Moore and Claudette Rogers Robinson holding it down in the background. Take a listen to the angst of songs like "Who's Lovin' You", "(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need", "My Girl Has Gone", "Ooh Baby Baby" and "The Tracks of My Tears". Hear about the joys of being in love with "I'll Try Something New", "More Love" and "I Second That Emotion", and the comforting sounds of "Baby Baby, Don't Cry" and "You Can Depend On Me". Hear some motherly advice via "Shop Around", and just dance and have a good time with fun songs like "Going To A Go Go" and "Mickey's Monkey". Get this CD and you'll realize just why Bob Dylan once dubbed Smokey as "the greatest living poet"! With the exception of the fact that most of these songs are in monophonic sound when stereo recordings are available (which was a slight disappointment), this is a truly "Ultimate" collection!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Alluring and Hypnotic music, this is perfect!, May 24, 2006

By 

C. Fields "Vebrero Muetista" (Jackson, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultimate Collection (Audio CD)

When I first saw this I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it. I didn't think I was a big fan of The Miracles, but I went ahead and purchased it and wow, I am truly astonished. This is glorious. It is almost completely non-chronological but it is perfectly sequenced. I like when the remastering producers put the songs in order by the way they go together(unless its something like Sam Cooke's "Complete Specialty Recordings" there it shows his progression as a singer)and how they gel with each other. Smokey's smooth irresistable tenor is so seductive and the production is so hypnotic that you will get wrapped up in this world of wonderful music without realizing how long this is(over 70 minutes) and that is great! This is what is called HDCD it is remastered in 20 bit instead of the usual 16 bit(though the best of today is 24 bit) you will need a dvd player with HDCD capability to truly hear it like it is supposed to be heard. This is amazing and I am now a 'Miracles' fan for life. Absolutely Essential :)