35th Anniversary Collection: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: Amazon.co.uk: Music

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Disc: 1
1. Got A Job
2. I Cry
3. Bad Girl
4. All I Want Is You
5. It
See all 26 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. You've Really Got A Hold On Me
2. Happy Landing
3. Father Dear
4. A Love She Can Count On
5. Mickey's Monkey
See all 25 tracks on this disc
Disc: 3
1. (Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need
2. My Business, Your Pleasure
3. Save Me
4. It's A Good Feeling
5. The Love I Saw In You Was Just A MIrage
See all 24 tracks on this disc
Disc: 4
1. Point It Out
2. Who's Gonna Take The Blame
3. I Gotta A Thing For You
4. The Tears Of A Clown
5. Promise Me
See all 22 tracks on this disc

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only real Smokey Fix available for CD Users, 20 Feb 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: 35th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

Due to the fact that Motown has made the baffling decision not to reissue Going to A-Go-Go and Away We Go-Go (at the very least), nor any other albums Smokey did in his hey-day with the Miracles, this Boxed Set and The Ultimate Collection is really all there is for enthusasts to litsen to. The selection is decent, done partially by the great Claudette Robinson herself, and contains some interesting rarities to go with the huge hit library that the Miracles amassed.

These include some pre-Tamla singles, including a horribly scratched version of I Cry, and more interestingly the first version of Shop Around, which shows just how much a change in arrangement can do to liven up a song. Intrestingly, it also contains several previously unreleased songs, some of which are of exceptional quality. Claudette's voice on Father Dear is remarkable, almost in class with Smokey's own. Some of the previously unreleased songs succeed more on poetic merit than on musical, showing the extraordinary talent for heart-wrenching poetry from this "America's Greatest Living Poet" (Bob Dylan's words), while somehow failing to meet the musical standards that makes his hits so great.

And they're all here too, at least the essential ones. I can't spot any major omissions in the hit material, except perhaps a few more of Smokey's solo hits. They could well have devoted an entire CD to what happened to Smokey and the Miracles after the split, but this is an area in which both Motown's publication record and the number of CDs available greatly increases, so perhaps this decision was a wise one. It is good to see a few post-split hits here, however, to round off and provide a kind of musical epilogue.

The mastering is generally of good quality, especially on the more crisply arranged tracks (I Second That Emotion, for example), but it lags behind when it comes to creating central feelings in some of the songs, notably Going to A-Go-Go where the bongo drum feels timid by comarison to the recent Ultimate Collection remaster, and Baby, Baby, Don't Cry in which the importance of the central spoken-word sections seems to have been played down distinctly.

Still, a remarkable collection with a good book, a decent selection, relatively many rarities and some fine pictures of the gorgeous Claudette. Five stars!

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Amazon.com: 4.6 out of 5 stars (35 customer reviews)

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sssssmokin', 23 April 2000

By "the-disco-kid" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: 35th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

What can one say about Smokey Robinson & The Miracles that hasn't been said at least 1000 times before? Not much, I'm afraid. Except, perhaps, from my point of view, how important those guys - Smokey in particular, of course - and their music is to me and my personal and spiritual well being. This music is just so spiritual, soul-soaking and timeless that it is difficult to describe it in mere words without it coming across as an unbearable drivel. But while there are and have been many good Smokey compilations out there (the classic double "Anthology" and/or 19992's "Greatest Hits" come highly recommended for those whose budgets are too modest for this 4CD set), this is the ULTIMATE Smokey Robinson & The Miracles collection since it not only contains their very best work as a unit, but also after they went their seperate ways. Then why 'only' a 4 star (4 & a half is more accurate, but that's not possible here, unfortunately) review, you might ask. Well, as much as I LOVE almost all of their stuff, some of the very early songs are just a tad 'ordinary'. I mean, they sound a bit like they could've been done by almost any late 50's/early 60's R'n'B outfit; the sophistication and uniqueness which came with and, indeed, brought on success for both Smokey & co and Motown a little later, just wasn't there that early on. So that's my only beef with these discs: the early years in their representation here could've used some slimming down. Otherwise, though, this is pure heaven. "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Ooo Baby Baby", "The Tracks Of My Tears", "Save Me", "More Love", "I Second That Emotion", "Abraham, Martin And John" (THE definitive version...sorry Marvin), "The Tears Of A Clown", "Going To A Go-Go", "Cruisin'", "Quiet Storm", "Love Machine" and many, many more - all titles of legendary proportions in the history annals of popular music and plenty enough reason to dish out whatever amount Amazon is asking for this set. But wouldn't it have been cool if we'd have gotten an extra disc containing some of the best stuff Smokey & associates wrote (& produced) for other Motown acts like The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie, Marvin, Supremes, Mary Wells, Marvelettes and all the others? Phew! But, for the time being, this'll do very well indeed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as they come, 5 May 2000

By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: 35th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

No one will ever have a complete anthology of music where every song is a favorite...the compilation of Smokey and the Miracles is a close as they come.

Whether you enjoy the harmony of the 50s or the seductiveness of the 80s/90s, Smokey Robinson has to be respected for recognizing the trends of the times and appealing to the sounds of that era.

More importantly, his genius as a song writer clearly is reflected in this collection. Listen to the words and how he intertwines the music and the melodies and you can't help but appreciate his talents. Before Wonder, before Gaye, even before Holland, Dozier and Holland, there was Robinson. He was the original and the others but imitators.

You may not find all of your favorite Smokey songs here, but you can be guaranteed you will find others you may have forgotten or are hearing for the first time. And that's what really makes this a worthwhile collection to have. You aren't necessarily getting the songs you hear over and over on the radio. "Tracks of My Tears" is a great song, but "Fork in the Road" is more emotionally interesting and will have you hitting the repeat button more often.

Sit back and groove with the oldies, reminisce with the sounds of your youth or experience the smooth jazz sounds of today...Smokey and the Miracles share it all, and it doesn't get any better.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...and now a review from a fan!, 20 Feb 1999

By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: 35th Anniversary Collection (Audio CD)

I find it frustrating to read reviews of certain artists albums by critics who are not fans. Peter Kane of Emap Consumer Magazines Limited. truly proves himself to be a bit of a novice when it comes to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. It would be more of a challange to really examine The Miracles 35th Anniversary Collection by looking beyond You've Really Got A Hold On Me, Ooo Baby Baby, The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage, I Second That Emotion, Tracks Of My Tears, and Going To A Go-Go to praise the merits of the great Smokey Robinson songs that have not been praised since they were first recorded. The original version of Shop Around alone would be worth mentioning in any review of this collection, not to mention all the great unavailable B-sides that we fans have been waiting for for years! Even some of the songs that have appeared on countless number of greatest hits collections and repeated here, are the original 45 (singles) versions that i had not heard for years! The totally different vocal treatment of Come Around Here (I'm The One You Need) has been unavailable since the song was released in the '60s. Songs with Smokey's wife Claudette singing the leads; the longer version of That's what Love is Made of.....great unreleased tracks. This was the collection for any Smokey Robinson fan! There is so much more to be said but I think that is is so rare to find a collection so respectful of the fans. This feat was duplicated in the release of The Tempations boxed set but the ball was dropped with the realese of the jack Five's set. sigh.......

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