A MUST for ANY collection.. ANY genre..

By FAR this cd is one of the BEST compilations I have ever been delighted to add to my collection.. From the first track right on, this cd promises delightful listening.. The first song that really captivated me is the amazingly written and recorded I'll Take Care Of You.. This cd is worth picking up alone for this track.. This song shows full well not only Marvin's genius, but why he is heralded as one.. Lucky Lucky Me is an adrenaline laced tune with a great beat, a Holland/Dozier classic production. A Long Time Coming is SMOOTH to say the least; A beauty it really is.. Stubborn Kinda Fellow is one of those forgotten hits of the day, and really shows how progressive the sound of Motown was versus other genres of the time.. Check out this cd, it's SURE to please.. And by the way, this review is coming from a 22 year old.. So if you're not sure about getting your feet wet with the classic Motown sound, trust me.. This is the first one you should try out!

This has got to be an import...

because it seems that only countries outside of the U.S. release Marvin's lesser known 60's material on CD (whereas here in the good old U.S. of A. the same 5 or 10 songs keep getting put out over and over on various compilation CD's). It's refreshing to see Marvin's 60's work get some love because it is long overlooked by the hip-hop generation of today (it seems young folks can't go back any farther than "What's Going On"). It's also refreshing to see the so-called album "filler" songs get to see the light of day on compact disc. Most of these so-called "fillers" are great songs that will not disappoint. Buy this CD if for no other reason than getting "She's Got To Be Real" on CD (because this song is not released on any other CD anywhere). Come on, kids! Don't be afraid to step back into 60's soul music. You'll be surprised, and you just might like it :o)

Too much of a good thing! Seek out individual albums!!

Perhaps it is a peculiar problem to have, but the problem with this compilation is that it is way too much of a good thing. Granted, there are only 18 tracks on it, but they all sound the same. I hate to say it, but after a while the repetition of format, sound, & composition causes one song to blend into the next until it jangles one's nerves and causes him to change to another album reaching the end. I bought this with the expectation that it would be like another compilation of Mr. Gaye's early songs that I own, only with more tracks. On this latter there were, I suppose what a reviewer below would characterize as 'the usual suspects.' In my mind this is a good thing because the present album suffers for not including the beauty of the beautiful tracks that made Mr. Gaye a soul music superstar. More importantly they showcase the broad range of sound and musical finesse that this fine singer had. As I write this I have one of Al Green's early compilations playing in the background and it is a beautiful experience because the producers chose to mix it up and give us a broad spectrum of that vocal genius's musical oevre. I give Mr. Gaye's 'Early Classics' album just two stars because it is going to be great only for hardcore fans. For those of us who like his music but want to experience more than a unidimensional artist, I recommend buying other albums that showcase his work. Sorry.