kenneth
05-02-2017, 12:07 AM
I'm posting this review on Amazon but thought I'd post it here as well. Sorry it's so long! Didn't seem to be able to even say all I wanted to!
The Ultimate Supremes Album is Released in Glorious Form by Motown/Universal
Although there were many incarnations [[read: lineups) of the Supremes, when a true fan hears “Supremes,” he or she only thinks Diane, Florence and Mary. This then is the ultimate Supremes album. The Supremes at the peak and pinnacle of what made they who they were. Any later lineups, even just a couple years later, coincided with evolutions in their sound which, while still distinctive because of Ross singing lead, lost their unique character and sound as Florence and Mary were increasingly augmented [[or even replaced) in the background by Motown’s super studio backup group, the Andantes.
This is one of the last studio albums with the original lineup of Diane, Mary and Flo. It also contains two of their greatest songs. The first, “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart,” a stomping, floor filling, soul shouter, which was not typical Supremes, and certainly not a typical Ross lead vocal, something more you might associate with Martha and the Vandellas. This may have ultimately confused the fans because it wasn’t as big a hit as it might have been, considering the place it ultimately carved for itself in Supremes history. The second, “You Can’t Hurry Love,” is the much covered, true Supremes “anthem” with a throbbing, pulsating Holland Dozier Holland musical background, during their truly golden period. They used the same beat and rhythms on a few other hits from the era, “All I Need” [[for the Temptations) and “I’m Ready for Love” by Martha and the Vandellas.
Those two tracks alone would make the album a keeper. But to flesh out the singles into an LP, Berry Gordy had the girls cover a host of their stable mates’ originals songs, such as the Isley Bros. “This Old Heart of Mine,” the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself,” and the Temptations’ “Get Ready” as well as having them cover other hit songs of the era such as Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” and the McCoys’ “Hang on Sloopy” [[really!).
The album glitters from start to finish. This actually was never a favorite Supremes album of mine. To me, the covers seemed a little rushed and “rote,” perhaps. But the masters at Motown/Universal have gone all out in recapturing the original magic of this groundbreaking trio. The sounds are fresh, “mod” and exciting, as if you are hearing them for the first time. The Funk Brothers never sounded better and are truly in their element. The legendary James Jamerson on bass, Benny Benjamin on drums, I mean these guys just seem to love these songs. It’s almost as if by covering songs they’d done before [[at least in the case of the Motown artists), the Funk Brothers were able to amp up the musical ante even more the second time, to, as they say “stretch out” in the music. It’s fun and fabulous.
Hard to believe that Diane Ross was barely 21 at the time. One can only appreciate later in life what those times must have been for her. Clearly, whatever you think of the lady, she embraced being a career artist fully, and likely no one ever worked harder to get and stay on top. In a way she was the Joan Crawford of the music industry [[I in no way mean in her personal life, however. What I mean is she worked harder than anyone to be who she was to the public.)
The first of the two discs is the original album in both Monaural and Stereo mixes, followed by a few bonus tracks. Back during these transitional years when the recording industry went from Mono to Stereo, singles were still all produced in Mono only, but albums came out in both Mono and Stereo versions. Many people started buying Stereo albums right around then, so it got to be common that one knew the single sounded somewhat different than the album version. But the differences didn't always mean the Stereo version was better. Berry Gordy was said to make sure his single releases sounded good on a recreated “car radio” in the listening room, so he would know how it would sound to “the kids.” The Mono mixes generally had more punch and immediacy. Anyway, it’s fun to debate it. Some songs seem to leap out of the speakers, the girls' version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," for one. I never liked their arrangement of this; it always seemed insipid and uninspired. Well, the remaster geniuses have amped up the bass and percussion, and the Ross vocal [[I don't even think this one has any backgrounds) truly rivals that of Nancy Sinatra's cynical, tough reading of the lyric. And anyone who claims that Ross could never sing soul [[a belief I long held) should hear her version of the early Motown Barrett Strong classic, "Money [[That's What I Want)." She truly wails the lyric! Again, the Funk Brothers go all out on the instrumentation.
The second of these two glorious discs is made up of outtakes, alternates and a few surprises: one, a combination/mash-up of “Shake Me, Wake Me [[When It’s Over)” which combines the original 4 Tops recording with the Supremes cover, making a very real sounding and fun duet. [[The 70s version of the Supremes, with lead singer Jean Terrell, recorded three albums with the 4 Tops several years later.) Another great surprise is a truly awesome remix of the leadoff single, “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart,” which still has the immediacy, the itch, today that it did when it first came out.
Along with all the excellent surprises of the first and second disc, the producers have enclosed not one, but TWO marvelous booklets. The first has the usual detail of the release, what led to it, and the Supremes Timeline continues from the last release in the Expanded series, "I Hear a Symphony." The second booklet is an especial treat. It is a reproduction of a complete Supremes tour booklet from the era. Lots of rare photos, public relation blurbs, and ads for other Motown albums make you feel you're back at a Supremes concert, which [[who knows?) might have cost all of $5.00 at the time - which would have been a lot to a teenager in the 60s - clutching your souvenir program while hearing all the great music. Everything about the packaging, just like the mastering and song selection, prove that this truly was a labor of love for all concerned.
This then is truly the ultimate Supremes album, and Motown/Universal whose team includes many of the experts who used to produce the releases at Motown Select/Hip-O has truly delivered a glorious gift to the girls’ many fans. If anyone ever asks you who the Supremes were, play the two singles off the “A Go Go” album, or, better yet, play them the entire 2-disc set!
The Ultimate Supremes Album is Released in Glorious Form by Motown/Universal
Although there were many incarnations [[read: lineups) of the Supremes, when a true fan hears “Supremes,” he or she only thinks Diane, Florence and Mary. This then is the ultimate Supremes album. The Supremes at the peak and pinnacle of what made they who they were. Any later lineups, even just a couple years later, coincided with evolutions in their sound which, while still distinctive because of Ross singing lead, lost their unique character and sound as Florence and Mary were increasingly augmented [[or even replaced) in the background by Motown’s super studio backup group, the Andantes.
This is one of the last studio albums with the original lineup of Diane, Mary and Flo. It also contains two of their greatest songs. The first, “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart,” a stomping, floor filling, soul shouter, which was not typical Supremes, and certainly not a typical Ross lead vocal, something more you might associate with Martha and the Vandellas. This may have ultimately confused the fans because it wasn’t as big a hit as it might have been, considering the place it ultimately carved for itself in Supremes history. The second, “You Can’t Hurry Love,” is the much covered, true Supremes “anthem” with a throbbing, pulsating Holland Dozier Holland musical background, during their truly golden period. They used the same beat and rhythms on a few other hits from the era, “All I Need” [[for the Temptations) and “I’m Ready for Love” by Martha and the Vandellas.
Those two tracks alone would make the album a keeper. But to flesh out the singles into an LP, Berry Gordy had the girls cover a host of their stable mates’ originals songs, such as the Isley Bros. “This Old Heart of Mine,” the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself,” and the Temptations’ “Get Ready” as well as having them cover other hit songs of the era such as Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” and the McCoys’ “Hang on Sloopy” [[really!).
The album glitters from start to finish. This actually was never a favorite Supremes album of mine. To me, the covers seemed a little rushed and “rote,” perhaps. But the masters at Motown/Universal have gone all out in recapturing the original magic of this groundbreaking trio. The sounds are fresh, “mod” and exciting, as if you are hearing them for the first time. The Funk Brothers never sounded better and are truly in their element. The legendary James Jamerson on bass, Benny Benjamin on drums, I mean these guys just seem to love these songs. It’s almost as if by covering songs they’d done before [[at least in the case of the Motown artists), the Funk Brothers were able to amp up the musical ante even more the second time, to, as they say “stretch out” in the music. It’s fun and fabulous.
Hard to believe that Diane Ross was barely 21 at the time. One can only appreciate later in life what those times must have been for her. Clearly, whatever you think of the lady, she embraced being a career artist fully, and likely no one ever worked harder to get and stay on top. In a way she was the Joan Crawford of the music industry [[I in no way mean in her personal life, however. What I mean is she worked harder than anyone to be who she was to the public.)
The first of the two discs is the original album in both Monaural and Stereo mixes, followed by a few bonus tracks. Back during these transitional years when the recording industry went from Mono to Stereo, singles were still all produced in Mono only, but albums came out in both Mono and Stereo versions. Many people started buying Stereo albums right around then, so it got to be common that one knew the single sounded somewhat different than the album version. But the differences didn't always mean the Stereo version was better. Berry Gordy was said to make sure his single releases sounded good on a recreated “car radio” in the listening room, so he would know how it would sound to “the kids.” The Mono mixes generally had more punch and immediacy. Anyway, it’s fun to debate it. Some songs seem to leap out of the speakers, the girls' version of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," for one. I never liked their arrangement of this; it always seemed insipid and uninspired. Well, the remaster geniuses have amped up the bass and percussion, and the Ross vocal [[I don't even think this one has any backgrounds) truly rivals that of Nancy Sinatra's cynical, tough reading of the lyric. And anyone who claims that Ross could never sing soul [[a belief I long held) should hear her version of the early Motown Barrett Strong classic, "Money [[That's What I Want)." She truly wails the lyric! Again, the Funk Brothers go all out on the instrumentation.
The second of these two glorious discs is made up of outtakes, alternates and a few surprises: one, a combination/mash-up of “Shake Me, Wake Me [[When It’s Over)” which combines the original 4 Tops recording with the Supremes cover, making a very real sounding and fun duet. [[The 70s version of the Supremes, with lead singer Jean Terrell, recorded three albums with the 4 Tops several years later.) Another great surprise is a truly awesome remix of the leadoff single, “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart,” which still has the immediacy, the itch, today that it did when it first came out.
Along with all the excellent surprises of the first and second disc, the producers have enclosed not one, but TWO marvelous booklets. The first has the usual detail of the release, what led to it, and the Supremes Timeline continues from the last release in the Expanded series, "I Hear a Symphony." The second booklet is an especial treat. It is a reproduction of a complete Supremes tour booklet from the era. Lots of rare photos, public relation blurbs, and ads for other Motown albums make you feel you're back at a Supremes concert, which [[who knows?) might have cost all of $5.00 at the time - which would have been a lot to a teenager in the 60s - clutching your souvenir program while hearing all the great music. Everything about the packaging, just like the mastering and song selection, prove that this truly was a labor of love for all concerned.
This then is truly the ultimate Supremes album, and Motown/Universal whose team includes many of the experts who used to produce the releases at Motown Select/Hip-O has truly delivered a glorious gift to the girls’ many fans. If anyone ever asks you who the Supremes were, play the two singles off the “A Go Go” album, or, better yet, play them the entire 2-disc set!