Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection

It's Got all the songs I wanted

Tracks of my Tears, You've Really Got a Hold On Me, Ooh Baby Baby, I Second That Emotion. All easily worth the $6 total I paid with shipping for this CD. Who hasn't heard Smokey Robinson? No need to review the songs, we all know they are all time classics. The 20th century masters sets don't always have the best songs of an artist or group, but this one did. July 13, 2007

OOOOOOOOOOO, No Baby Baby

With the past several years, more of the R&B industry, has really seemed to miss out a whole lot when it absolutely comes to great music. Although it has been more Hip Hop and Rap, I really haven't heard a whole lot when it traditionally comes to contemporary R&B. There are so many classic acts, especially from the Motown era that are not really getting any attention other than minor releases these days, which is very unfortunate. Acts like Diana Ross ans The Commodores don't seem to have that attention anymore, and that also is happening with Smokey Robinson as well. He has spent five decades as a seductive crooner on his own, and with The Miracles, but there hasn't been a definitive hits record that has shown that right now. Even a budget one like this seems to be a hit, but most likely could be a miss.

The 2000 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Smokey Robinson, is a budget-priced single disc retrospective on his own solo hits, and not with his era with the Miracles from the 1960's. The songs here have all been collected well, but could've been remastered a bit better. The collection isn't really isn't a definitive reflection of his career, but works better for those who haven't heard his music yet. The collection includes classic tracks like Being With You, One Heartbeat, and Let Me Be The Clock. The album does try to bring the classic soul style back out, but misses out like most of the hits records from the 20th Century Masters series. This one overlooks his era with The Miracles, which was highlighted on another album, as well as classic tracks from Smokey including Ebony Eyes with the late Rick James from Superfreak fame, as well as his adult contemporary hits Just To See Her and Everything You Touch.

All in all, I really was expecting a whole lot better from this hits album from Smokey Robinson. It isn't really a bad record for those who haven't heard any great songs from the Motown era, but there are better single disc hits collections including the 1997 Ultimate Collection from Smokey Robinson, which is out of print, but available used, or the 2005 My World: The Definitive Collection which is currently a better bet at around this price. This one though misses the mark a bit from making love too, even more than a thousand times.

Album Cover: B

Songs: C 1/2-

Price: C

Remastering: C 1/2+

Overall: C May 21, 2007

Like all the 20th Century Masters cds, it's very short

The 20th Century Masters Collection is clearly a budget collection. So generally it never exceeds 12 tracks. And of course you can't sum up Smokey Robinson's carreer in 11 tracks. Still, the music deserves much more than 5 stars. Smokey Robinson has invented Quiet Storm, even before the late Luther Vandross. All the tracks are pure gems.
The good thing with this kind of cds is that it never seems too lenghty, it's always perfect, and makes you want to put the cd in shuffle. But well, the Ultimate Collection contains 17 songs and even if you find it too lenghty, it's always better to have 17 songs than 11, because it's you who select the songs so if you want to listen to 11 songs from this cd, it's also possible.
I know what I say seems ridiculous but I admit I regret a lot to have bought this collection instead of the Ultimate one.
This is the only cd I own from Smokey so far and it leaves me wanting more.
I wouldn't recommend it, except if you're looking for a budget cd

TOP 5
1. Quiet Storm
2. Baby Come Close
3. Being With You (I prefer the English version though)
4. Tell Me Tomorrow
5. Baby That's Backatcha July 22, 2005

An ample sample. Original recordings in brilliant sound.

This was the only Smokey Robinson & The Miracles I could find in my hometown and I was very pleased with it. It features 11 of Smokey & The Miracles's biggest hits in superlative sound. Smokey Robinson was one of the greatest songwriters in pop history and a major influence to Bob Dylan who referred to him in 1965 as "America's best poet". Whoever said the sound on this CD was bad must be listening it through a tin can because this was one of the best sounding Motown releases I've ever bought. Also these are the original recordings and some of his best, "Tracks Of My Tears" "Oooh Baby Baby" "Mickey's Monkey" "Tears Of A Clown" "I Second The Emotion" "Shop Around" "You Really Got A Hold On Me" "More Love"plus an extended studio verson of "Love Machine" from 1985 along with a couple of solo Smokey hits from the early 80's, "Cruisin" "Just To See Her". I admit that 11 classic Smokey songs may seem a bit skimpy, but if you don't have any CD's by him and you're on a budget, this is an excellent purchase. These would probably be your favorite 11 Smokey cuts even if you had 100 Smokey cuts in a deluxe boxed set. A good deal. March 2, 2005

Buyer beware!!

I just bought this CD and am totally disgusted with it. Looks like a great line-up of songs, right? Songs that you may have to purchase two or three albums to have, right? That's what I thought too. The fact of the matter is that the titles contained on this disc are NOT the original version of the Smokey songs we all know and love. This kind of duping of the listening and buying public ought to be stopped. Curses to Motown for their attempts at passing off outakes as the originals. It may be awhile, if ever, that I purchase anything on the Motown label. Do yourself and your pocketbook a favor and stay away from this turkey and for that matter, any of Motown's Millenium Masters series. They are a sham! December 22, 2004

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