The Four Tops Album: “Ultimate Collection”

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.

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.

Of course the "hits" are here ("Bernadette," "Same Old Song," "Just Walk Away, Renee," "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch," and so many more). However, this is necessary purchase for its inclusion of three songs from the group's last Motown album before "jumping ship" to ABC-Dunhill: "Still Waters (Love"), "That's the Way Nature Planned It," and the pop standard "It's All in the Game." These three tunes should have received better promotion from Motown for they show the group's talent at its best. Thankfully, this compilation allows longtime fans and new converts a chance to experience one of the era's premier vocal groups at their apex.

Buyer beware, both the Supremes and the Four Tops "Ultimate Collections" are difficult to listen to. It seems the remastering process left these CD's sounding slightly distorted and harsh on the ears. It's a huge shame because the song selection here is phenomenally good. The recent Millenium collection is too skimpy, and the Essential Collection from RCA leaves out 7 Rooms of Gloom. Unless one wants to shell out more cash for the 4 disc box set, i would suggest getting the anthology CD, even the old version. The remastering may sound weaker but it beats sounding distorted.

One of Motown's finest groups of the sixties, the Four Tops will be forever remembered for Reach out I'll be there, a timeless classic which opens this set. It was number one in Britain, America and many other countries.

This collection includes many other big hits, including Bernadette, I can't help myself, Standing in the shadows of love and Its the same old song, all huge hits in Britain and America.

Their first success came via Baby I need your loving, which gave them a top 20 American hit, but the song was covered by the Fourmost and it was their version that charted in Britain.

This is not a complete collection, as it omits If I were a carpenter and River deep mountain high, a song they recorded with the Supremes after Diana Ross left that group, but it really requires a double-CD to do full justice to this excellent group. Nevertheless, if you just want a single CD, all the tracks that really matter are here, superbly re-mastered.