Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 38
 No question about it....still the best collection available April 21, 2004
Paul Tognetti (Cranston, RI USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Checked out all of the other available offerings on amazon.com and found that this is still the best available collection from one of the pioneer groups at Motown. And the price is right too. Although Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were never on Motown's "A" team in terms of chart success, they were nonetheless a reliable money maker for the label for over a decade. Lead singer Smokey Robinson, who wrote all but three of the selections on this disc, has long been regarded as one of America's greatest tunesmiths. From the first big smash "Shop Around" released in 1960 until their the final #1 hit "Tears of A Clown" in 1970, the Miracles were on the charts almost continuously. You'll find nearly all of their hits on this 25 track disc. Among my personal favorites are 1967's "More Love" and "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" from 1969. It is really quite amazing that the Miracles did not achieve even more chart success then they did. Thanks to the masterful pen of Smokey Robinson, the group had a seemingly endless supply of material to work with. Alas, Smokey left the Miracles and went solo in 1972. The Miracles went on to have a couple of more big hits over the next few years. And Smokey enjoyed some chart success on his own as well. In looking over some of the other reviews here on amazon.com the verdict is virtually unanimous. This is a five star selection!!!
Alluring and Hypnotic music, this is perfect! May 25, 2006
C. Fields (Jackson, MS USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
When I first saw this I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it. I didn't think I was a big fan of The Miracles, but I went ahead and purchased it and wow, I am truly astonished. This is glorious. It is almost completely non-chronological but it is perfectly sequenced. I like when the remastering producers put the songs in order by the way they go together(unless its something like Sam Cooke's "Complete Specialty Recordings" there it shows his progression as a singer)and how they gel with each other. Smokey's smooth irresistable tenor is so seductive and the production is so hypnotic that you will get wrapped up in this world of wonderful music without realizing how long this is(over 70 minutes) and that is great! This is what is called HDCD it is remastered in 20 bit instead of the usual 16 bit(though the best of today is 24 bit) you will need a dvd player with HDCD capability to truly hear it like it is supposed to be heard. This is amazing and I am now a 'Miracles' fan for life. Absolutely Essential :)
The MIRACLES...MOTOWN'S GREATEST GROUP,PERIOD ! May 25, 2006
willgee (ca)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I dont care what others say about The Supremes,Temptations, or other Motown groups,the MIRACLES were the greatest group to ever come out of Motown. PERIOD! Why ? For one thing,they were the FIRST MOTOWN GROUP.It was their success that paved the way for all the others. Had they not been successful, there would have been no MOTOWN,and none of those other groups would have been found fame ,or at least not to the extent which they did.THE MIRACLES put MOTOWN on the map.They also had MOTOWN'S first million selling record,"SHOP AROUND".During the comapny's critical early years,1959-1964, They were BY FAR MOTOWN'S TOP GROUP,(despite what certain rewiewers have written,}with TOP 10 pop hits in 1961,'62',AND '63,the STAR ATTRACTION of the legendary MOTORTOWN REVUES,and the ONLY group that was bringing any serious money into the company. By 1964, the year that the SUPREMES, TEMPTATIONS, and the FOUR TOPS had their 1ST hits, THE MIRACLES were releasing theit 1ST DOUBLE ALBUM of GREATEST HITS !! Yet,while most of the others were inducted ,AS GROUPS, into THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME,The MIRACLES have been ignored. They chose to induct only Smokey. What a shame and insult to Motown's legendary First Group. The TEMPTATIONS ? great singers and dancers to be sure,but what most Temptations fans won't tell you is that 9 of their first 12 hits were actually written by The MIRACLES !! not just Smokey,THE WHOLE GROUP !! Don't believe it ? just look at the writing credits on the Tempts GREATEST HITS album ! ( How many MIRACLES songs did the TEMPTATIONS WRITE ? think about it}. THE SUPREMES ? They wouldn't have even GOTTEN on Motown if not for Smokey !! Stevie Wonder? He was discovered by Miracles member RONNIE WHITE !! THE MARVELETTES,MARVIN GAYE & MARY WELLS ?Yep, they wrote their stuff too.The MIRACLES were responsible,either directly or indirectly, for the success of just about EVERY EARLY ARTIST ON THE MOTOWN LABEL!! In fact ,of the five leading Motown groups ( Supremes, Temptations,4 tops,Miracles,J-5 }The MIRACLES were the ONLY ones that wrote their own material. Hopefully one day ,the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME will induct them ALL-SMOKEY, BOBBY,RONNIE, PETE, MARV & CLAUDETTE ,not just SMOKEY , as they did.Want to know why they deserve it? Just listen to this CD.Then, read the writing credits.It will prove that SMOKEY wasn't the ONLY serious talent in this group. P.S.-Check out the MIRACLES' new "MOTOWN DEFINITIVE" DVD -available elsewhere on this site .... and see MUSICAL HISTORY in the MAKING !!
Pure Pleasure December 8, 2004
Tyler Smith (Denver, CO United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Not all musical collections are "ultimate," but this one comes pretty close to filling the bill. It's a well-selected collection of the finely crafted tunes Smokey and his cohorts produced over their long and productive careers.
The biggest hits, of course, are here, from "Second That Emotion" to "Mickey's Monkey" to "Tears of a Clown," and so on. These great tunes, monster hits in their day, never wear thin, and "Tears of a Clown," in particular, reminds us of Smokey's clever and sophisticated songwriting abilities.
The disc also shows off Smokey's great voice. Far from a belter, Smokey caressed the words and in so doing brought out beautifully the meaning of any tune. The obvious showpiece is "Ooo Baby Baby," on the short list of greatest make-out tunes of all time, but there are great performances on lesser known songs such as "I'll Try Something New," and the marvelous "More Love." The most moving performance, for me, however, is "(You Can) Depend on Me," which brings the musical session to a satisfying conclusion.
The producers also showed great intelligence in the selection of material, culling out some gems of the group that never became full-blown hits. The best example of this is "(Come Round Here) I'm the One You Need." The tune was on the charts around 1966, but never became a hit, although this writer thought then and now it was a great song. It's a dramatic performance, driven by Smokey's urgent delivery (including spoken words) and the Miracles' on-the-money backing.
Hitting on all cylinders, this "Ultimate Collection" takes the listener on a beautiful drive through the musical past.
CLASSIC MOTOWN September 9, 2000
ianphillips@uk.dreamcast.com (BOLTON, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Smokey Robinson is what Bob Dylan described as "the greatest living poet". Whether you agree or disagree, this compilation album easily gives you an understanding of that statement as the vast majority of these tracks remain stunningly unique!Robinsons' vocals are crystal claear throughout and the best of the hits include their first single release, SHOP AROUND, YOU'VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME, I SECOND THAT EMOTION and the two very fine classics that are possibly their very best cuts (certainly amongst their most famous), THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS and THE TEARS OF A CLOWN. The classic sound of Motown was defined by groups like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Robinson was one of the most talented songwriters at Motown. He produced most of Diana Ross and the Supremes early recordings as well as major hits for The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes (their 1972 FLOY JOY album). An excellent compilation from one of Motowns best groups!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 38
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