The Ultimate Collection [IMPORT]

The Four Tops

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 1997)
• Original Release Date: October 7, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001ANV
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,534 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #42 in	Music > R&B > Classic R&B
  #50 in	Music > R&B > Motown

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cramming 25 songs onto a single CD, this set captures the Tops during their peak 1960s years, when they rode the pens of Holland, Dozier, and Holland to the top of the charts. Combining the writers' pop melodies, a gentle Motown groove, and Levi Stubbs' earthy lead vocals, the group landed 11 Top 40 singles by 1967, all of which are included on this compilation. Unfortunately, The Ultimate Collection omits later gems such as "Keeper of the Castle," "Ain't No Woman," and "When She Was My Girl," but that leaves room to delve into the unique partnership between the Tops and their songwriting triumvirate. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All the great Motown hits but no longer the best collection, May 8, 2004

By	Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Ultimate Collection , released by Polygram in 1997, contains all the great Motown hits of the Four Tops. The group, formed in Detroit in 1954 remained together for more than forty years until Lawrence Payton passed away in June 1997. Listen again to see what made the Four Tops a major part of the legendary Motown "Sound of Young America" in the mid 1960's. Enjoy again favorites like "Reach Out, I'll Be There", "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and of course their signature song "I Can't Help Myself" from the golden year 1965. In addition, sample other big hits like "Standing In The Shadows of Love", and "Bernadette" as well as some of the lesser known chart hits like "7 Rooms of Gloom" and "Something About You". All in all, there are 25 tracks on this disc and a nice 12 page retrospective of the groups incredible career. But the hits began to dry up in the late sixties and the Four Tops departed Motown in 1972.
The group signed on with Dunhill records in 1972 and over the next 8 months had three Top 20 hits including "Keeper of the Castle" and "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)". But although the group would continue to maintain a very strenuous concert schedule, their chart appearances were much more intermittant after that. In 1981, they scored with "When She Was My Girl" from the motion picture "Grease 2". It was their biggest hit in years. Finally in 1988, they recorded their last charted single "Indestructable" which NBC Sports tapped for their 1988 Summer Olympics coverage.
Why am I telling you all of this? If you are a big fan of the Four Tops I suggest you skip this CD altogether and choose the recently released "Four Tops 50th Anniversary" CD now available from Hip-O records. The remastering job is considerably better and for just $2.00 more that 2 CD package gives you not only all the great Motown hits but all of the groups post 1971 hits on the other labels as well. It is really a better value.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On Top, August 10, 2000

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Levi Stubbs has one of the most powerful voices in music history and it carries this superb compilation of their biggest Motown hits. All the well known songs like "Reach Out, I'll Be There", "I Can't Help Myself", "Standing In The Shadows Of Love", "Baby, I Need Your Loving" & "Bernadette" are here and they sound just as good hearing them for the 1,000th time as they were the first. The album has 25 songs and the pleasure lies in hearing some of the lesser known songs. "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" stands up against any other Tops song and maybe the prettiest they ever done. "7 Rooms Of Gloom" & "Ask The Lonely" are forgotten classics and they do a great version of the Left Banke hit "Walk Away Renee". Obviously when you whittle a large song catalog down to 25, there will be some omissions but if you're a Tops or Motown fan, this is set should be in your collection.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best greatest hits collection of their Motown years, September 26, 2000

By A Customer

For my money, this is the best available and most comprehensive Four Tops "greatest hits" collection from their halcyon years with Motown. Barring one surprising omission - their cover of Tim Hardin's "If I Were Your Carpenter" - all their singles successes (big and small) are included in this compilation. There are even a couple of obscure "B" sides and album tracks (some of dubious quality) which I would have happily gone without for IIWYC. Anyway, though the Four Tops aren't remotely in the same league as the Temptations in the soul stakes - they were always more malleable and willing to lend themselves to Motown's conveyor belt treatment and choice of MOR covers - this is an essential collection for all Motown fans. The classic "Reach Out, I'll Be There" alone is worth the price of the CD.