Diana Ross and the Supremes - The Ultimate Collection

Diana Ross, Supremes

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 1997)
• Original Release Date: October 7, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000001ANZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,319 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #47 in	Music > Pop > Oldies > Girl Groups
  #76 in	Music > R&B > Classic R&B

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The title is a bit of a misnomer: The Supremes are anthologized in more comprehensive fashion on Motown's three-volume Greatest Hits series, while this package is denser, and has a higher hit-per-track ratio. But if you'd rather pick up one collection than three, and if you want a good, thorough skimming of cream from the group's catalog, this is the better choice. All of the familiar songs are here, with no major omissions--and they're packed in with a liberal helping of second-magnitude hits. For a collection that samples only the extreme top end of the Supremes' output, there's Every Great No. 1 Hit, also on Motown. It's missing a lot, but it delivers exactly what it promises. --Gavin McNett

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supreme!, October 16, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Lowell, Masachusettes) - See all my reviews

I have seen a negative review on this CD which I don't understand. It complains of this CD's sound quality. This collection is a remastering of the songs as they were released as mono singles (the ORIGINAL hits) . These are the versions, that when current, we heard on the radio. These are the versions that we bought as 45's. The Supremes cuts that we've been listening to for the past 25 plus years have been the album mixes. As is noted in this CD's liner notes, the album mixes were sometimes completely different cuts of the same songs, including the vocals. Yes, the sound quality isn't as great as it is on the album releases but after sooo many years, I'm sooo happy to hear the songs as they sounded when I fell in love with them, oh, so long ago.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supremes get regal compilation, July 27, 2000

By	John Jones "Musician" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The hand claps...the shuffling, 6/8 time signatures...the tamborine played over the snare...the "baby, baby" background vocals...the classic Motown Sound is unmistakable, and still makes for some of the most earnest pop music ever recorded. No bandwagon-chasing, trend-following artists in search of a quick buck...just pure and honest soul sung with unbridled joy. And one of the most beloved and popular examples of it is Diana Ross and the Supremes, the quintessential Girl Group for the ages. "The Ultimate Collection" is exactly that, a generously thorough exploration of their legendary career.

With the possible exception of "Stoned Love," recorded after Diana Ross' departure, every significant Supremes track is included. Every #1 hit is here (with "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," and "Stop! in the Name of Love" still sounding as fresh and sunny as they did three decades ago) as well as some songs that are so well known and loved it's a wonder they didn't top the charts as well (such as the cheerful "When the Lovelight Shines Through His Eyes" and the psychedelic "Reflections"). We're also treated to a healthy helping of their lesser-heard material: some, such as "In and Out of Love" and "Forever Came Today," make for fine listening, but songs like "My World is Empty Without You," "Love is Like an Itching in My Heart," and "The Composer" are particularly strong tracks that were definitely robbed of greater commercial success.

So whereas the Supremes box set goes a bit overboard (post-Ross tracks are fine, but does anyone really need the group's Coca-Cola radio spot on CD?), the single-disc "Ultimate Collection" sums up things nicely. Every Supremes song you've heard on the radio and sung along with is here, not to mention sounding better than ever with gorgeous digital remastering. So stop in the name of love...love of great music, that is...and treat yourself to this fabulous collection.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still better than "The #1s" collection, May 26, 2004

By	kevin m antonio (rumford, ri United States) - See all my reviews

It's called 'The Ultimate Collection' and that ain't braggin'. And it's in glorious mono, not like the thinned out stereo versions on 'The #1s' set (do you get the feeling I really don't care for that ripoff?).
David Lee Roth once described VanHalen's music as being "shot from cannons". Well, I can think of no better way to describe this disc. All 25 tracks are nothing less than explosive. And that's because they're in mono. The sound is so in your face it cannot be denied. This is one of the most thrilling discs you will ever hear.
We all know the songs. My favorite one turned out to be not one of their biggest hits, but I think it's their best, "Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart". This may well be the most out of control Diana Ross has ever been. She sings within an inch of her life, she growls(!), she lives the song. Remarkable.
So, put aside all the Dreamgirl drama you've heard and pick up this set... and skip 'The #1s'!