The Four Tops Album: “Singles+”

Kudos to B.R. Music for their superior Singles + collections. They do a masterful job of collecting virtually all of the singles by various artists, and placing them in one all-encompassing collection. To add to the beauty of their sets, the songs all sound terrific as well.

The Four Tops Singles + collects nearly all of their charting singles through 1982, and presents them in chronological order over 2 discs. Of the 44 Songs that reached Billboard's Hot 100 from 1964-1983, only seven are omitted. These are: "Ain't That Love", "River Deep-Mountain High", "You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart", "Are You Man Enough", "Catfish", "Sad Hearts", and "I Just Can't Walk Away". Of these songs, only "Are You Man Enough" and "River Deep-Mountain High" cracked the Top 40, and their inclusion is missed. One further note: MacArthur Park is presented in it's single "Part 2" version, not it's full-length version.

Every other single is here. For fans looking for songs besides just the hits, you'll have to look into other collections. But for listeners who want the biggest (and not so big) hit singles, this set is hard to beat.

There are dozens of Four Tops compilations, both domestic and foreign running the gamut from budget single disc collections to elaborate box sets. At the more complete end of the spectrum is this piece from BR Music of the Netherlands that presents, basically, the charting singles from this incredibly prolific Motown superstar group. While not totally complete with all the American charting tunes, it does come very close with only about a half dozen singles missing. A few of the tracks that do appear here were singles that did make chart appearances overseas, so this collection is internationally based, not focused on American successes only. Minor omissions aside, this piece does offer all the major hits and is among the better sets done on the Four Tops.

All the versions here are the stereo ones and the sound quality is respectable, if not stunning. Also included is a 16-page liner notes booklet mostly devoted to track listings but does include a brief history and a table of chart positions for several Euro countries beside the U.S.

In the sea of Four Tops comps, this one rises above many of the others and is worthy of consideration for anyone seeking a fairly complete musical tour of the Tops' amazing career.

In this CD, the sound quality breaks it. The Four Tops had wonderful tunes that will be around forever, but this CD sounds like it was recorded in a garage. No, I did not get a used copy...it was brand new! Also, notes on the back said the tunes were all remastered. But, hearing is believing and believe me, you don't want to hear this one! And that's the truth!!

Good Stuff even if your not a Motown fan.