Owner of one of the deepest catalogs in music history,
Motown
/
Universal
allows very few recordings to escape the clutches of its archive. Once they're available, however, they're repackaged in endless permutations; such it was when
was ten years old, and such it was as the company approached its 45th anniversary.
Motown 1*s
, a collection of 24 number one hits enjoyed by the label, ranges through four decades for its material -- from
"Please Mr. Postman"
by
the Marvelettes
to
"I'll Make Love to You"
Boyz II Men
-- and provides the very broadest of hits anthologies. It is an excellent selection, perhaps skimping on
Stevie Wonder
and
Smokey Robinson
, but never spending too much time with any one artist (which allows the disc to survey
Junior Walker
as well as latter-day artists
Thelma Houston
,
the Commodores
, and
DeBarge
).
is presented in chronological order, with a baker's dozen of tracks from the '60s, and 11 from the '70s or later. Unnecessary for
soul
fans much less collectors,
works best for its intended audience -- those with no prior experience who wish to understand why the
conglomeration of singers, songwriters, musicians, and executives comprised the premier
pop
music organization of all time. [The bonus track, a cover of
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
Michael McDonald
, is a fine reminder of how far the label's influence has carried.] ~ John Bush