I've only heard a couple of songs from this album so I wanted to know what fellow SD members thought of the album.
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I've only heard a couple of songs from this album so I wanted to know what fellow SD members thought of the album.
Well, mr_june, The Marvelettes have always remained one of my all-time favorite Motown groups, especially the Wanda-led group of recordings. Regarding "Return Of The Marvelettes", I’ve always liked the album a lot, but I never quite loved it like I did "In Full Bloom", "Sophisticated Soul", "The Marvelettes" [[Pink), and "Greatest Hits" which came before it. I think the reason is because, for starters, the LP started out with a non-Motown Stax Records track [[The Emotions’ "So I Can Love You") which, to my ears, doesn’t have much melody to it – just the same two chords over and over – chords which I’m not crazy about to start with. And I was a bit turned off that "Return Of...." included two songs from "In Full Bloom" [["That’s How Heartaches Are Made" and "Uptown"). In hindsight, with all of the high-quality unreleased Marvelettes tracks that Motown had in the vaults at the time, why on earth would they feel the need to duplicate two songs from the previous album? Also, I think the fact that the songs were all remakes of previous Motown hits made the overall album less exciting than it would have been, had we been treated to newer compositions. If you’re debating whether or not to purchase the album, I highly recommend it. [[It’s available on The Marvelettes’ CD boxed set "Forever More: The Complete Marvelettes’ Albums [[Vol. 2)." By now, it may even be available as a download.) Smokey’s productions are top-notch and Wanda’s vocals are right on, as always. The album just seemed a bit anti-climactic compared to Wanda's albums before it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr_june
There were some good cuts on that LP but my favorite is Wanda's take of the Emotions' "So I Can Love You." IMO she nailed that song and I prefer it over the Emotions' version.
The LP contains two of my favourite Marvelettes' singles, "A Breathtaking Guy" and a longer version of "Marionette". I found the treatment of the remakes of old Motown songs different enough to be enjoyable. An essential album.
This album is not a fave of mine. Besides THAT'S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE, I don't really care for the rest of it. Wanda doesn't sound good to me, relying too much on falsetto. I much prefer SOPHISTICATED SOUL.
I believe this is the best Marvelettes album, or at least right up there with "Sophisticated Soul," which is fun, light and pop all the way through. Unlike SS, "Return" is a more mature work, and Wanda never sounded better. I think the takes on the Emotions song and the Motown "trunk songs" are outstanding, especially "A Breath Taking Guy", "I'll Be in Trouble," and the raucous version of "Someday We'll Be Together." It wasn't that common for the Motown girl groups to sing each other's tunes back then, though since we've heard a lot of that from what's been released from the vaults. But I love Wanda's take on "Someday," it really becomes a completely different song.
I think Wanda sounded just as good on "In Full Bloom" but to me that album suffers from a sameness of material, which is quite striking considering a lot of the cuts had been in the can for a long time. I was really surprised when the box set showed some of those recordings were several years old, I believe.
I agree with 144man, "Return" is an essential album. And I think it has one of the most beautiful of all Motown covers, even though as well we know now, it wasn't the Marvelettes on the cover!
I'll give you that, regarding Wanda's falsetto. As much as I love her natural singing voice, I equally dislike her falsetto.Quote:
Originally Posted by reese
I'm right there with you, 144man. I'd factor in NO MORE TEARSTAINED MAKEUP, as well. My only qualms with this album is its title and the last-minute decision to go with the name Marvelettes. It didn't do right to The Marvelettes as a group, it didn't do right to Wanda as a soloist, and it didn't do right to The Andantes. And the obscuring of faces on the cover didn't do right by anybody--including the album's buyers.Quote:
Originally Posted by 144man
I suppose the cover art could have been worse.
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This is a good album. My favorite cuts are "Take Me Where You Go", "Our Lips Just Seems To Rhyme Every Time", "Marionette", "Breathtaking Guy", "No More Tear Stained Make Up". "Take Me Where You Go" is a mature sounding version of the same song by The Supremes. Not too fond of this version of "Someday We'll Be Together". Only Diana Ross can sing this song in my opinion.
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* Could that be The Marvelettes behind that wave?
Not one of my favorite Marvelettes' album though I dig "Our Lips" and "No More Tearstained Makeup".
It's unfortunate that wanda had problems because i would've loved to have seen what she could've done as a solo artist,with some backing from motown she could've been a star.
Maybe they're on the back cover!Quote:
Originally Posted by Methuselah2
as a Marvelette fan from the beginning, I loved "Return of...".There had been an article in Billboard that Motown was gonna put a new push on "That's How Heartaches Are Made" when the single had fell off the Hot 100 after a couple weeks, so I assumed that was why it was on the new LP. I never heard "Marionette" on the radio.I thought a good single release would have been "Our Lips ....." . I still enjoy this LP a lot.
The only radio station I ever heard play "Marionette" was Dutch offshore station, Radio Veronica, which could be picked up in the UK. That single really deserved to be a hit.
Methuselah, I agree with your comments in post #8.
As a fan of the group I felt the slap in the face also from the company also. That was way below the belt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Methuselah2