A second dose of Motown rarities to delight the ears, compiled by Richard Searling, the provides a vivid reminder of just how high the quality threshold was at Berry Gordy’s table. These are the tracks that for one reason or another were prevented from reaching the public domain – album offcuts and those songs not considered good enough at the time. Well one listen to this confirms they are real nuggets – especially in the case of the swinging contours of The Four Tops’ ‘I’m Grateful’, previously a B-side, the wonderful bass line that underpins Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Want My Baby Back’, or the brassy Temptations number ‘Angel Doll’. With Marvin Gaye’s sultry ‘My Love For You’, The Spinners’ exultant ‘We’re Gonna Be More Than Friends’ or the breezy ‘That’s A Funny Way’ from The Velvelettes, you have an idea of what’s on offer. A word of warning though – check the records’ condition, as some retail sites are reporting teething problems with the vinyl itself. Hopefully that’s all been resolved now.
4 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
