Originally Posted by
RanRan79
It's a favorite of mine. With a critical ear, I would definitely call it an unusual hodgepodge of sounds. With the exception of "Your Heart" and "17", the Barbara cuts are so raw. "Who's Lovin' You" is an almost awful Diana vocal. Mary wrote about being disappointed that she wasn't given the lead on it and I don't blame her. I'm disappointed too because she would have done a far better job. "I Want a Guy" is hard to listen to, but honestly, IMO, it's not really because of the group. That track is...I don't know how to describe it. Nothing about the song really works. I've always thought if the arrangement was more like the version the Marvelettes did, that would have made for a more interesting song. Both "Who's" and "Guy" are as bad as the album gets for me.
But even the rawer songs showcase the more appealing sides of the group. "Baby Don't Go" has a nice lead from Mary. Not particularly a favorite of mine, but it's evidence to me that Mary was the voice Gordy should have utilized more to appeal to the public. She had a perfect girl group era sound. And the song comes across a bit more slick and sophisticated than "Guy" and "Who's". Contrast that sound with the gutsy, rougher approach of "Buttered Popcorn", a vocal performance neither Mary nor Diana could have pulled off. Even with "Popcorn" sounding like the least Supremes sounding song on the album, Flo's way with it, plus the bop of the track, make it one of my favs.
"Never Again" is a great vocal from Diana. The background harmony is surprisingly tighter than it normally is with Barbara in the mix. But Diana's approach to the song is gorgeous IMO and shows why her voice was appealing enough to warrant joining the group in the first place.
Of those early tunes, I think Mary and Diana could have really been interchangeable on most of them. By that I mean, either one of them would usually have worked. Neither of them could have done justice to "Buttered Popcorn".
The post Barbara tunes are really what shine on the album. Flo and Mary very quickly learned how to compliment each other without Barbara and it makes for my favorite backing combo in music. I love them on "Time Changes Things" and "Play A Sad Song". I love how all three of them can sound so upbeat on "Time" or "Memories", and then sound so sad and mournful on "Sad Song". The album really shows how great the group was at song interpretation even in those early days.
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