I'm a big Motown fan, and I figured it was time to add some Martha Reeves to my collection. I heard her through an old 'Best of Motown' CD that I bought years ago, and I loved them. So, I felt it was only necessary to add them to my collection.
This one, 1999's '20th Century Masters' is the way to go if your new to this wonderful trio. 'Dancing In The Street,' of course, is their biggest hit. That was actually the song on my old Motown CD, but I liked it a lot. Other highlights for me are 'Jimmy Mack,' 'Heat Wave,' and 'Quicksand.'
So, if you want some more great Motown to add to your collection, don't pass The Vandellas by. They are simply too good to ignore. Highly, highly recommend. Plus, as always, the sound quality is excellent.
Enjoy this one!!!
February 17, 2008 |  | Sorely underappreciated diva |  |
Martha Reeves happens to be one of the best singers on the planet. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with genius, it is overlooked or misunderstood. These songs are classic songs and even to this day on her new studio album "Home To You" Reeves has once again proved why she is a class by herself - Diana Ross has a hard time matching the legendary Martha Reeves. It is sad to think of all the sacrifices Martha had to make - losing the wonderful Holland -Dozier-Holland so that Berry Gordy to make Diana a star, for one. Martha's voice is so gritty and soulful. She truly was the biggest star at Motown. Imagine what would have happened if all those first-rate Supremes songs went to Martha how the course of history would have been different. She is a star, but she would have been the worldwide diva she was meant to become had things worked out right.
October 31, 2004| | | I LOVE THESE LADIES MUSIC | |
I love the music of MARTHA REEVES and the VANDELLAS. This is why I ask where did this version of JIMMY MACK come from? Don't get me wrong, it was nice, but not the one that I grew up with. This
brings me to another question: WHO DECIDES WHAT A GREATEST HITS
CD IS? You buy the cd supposedly with all the hits from your favorite artist but whomever compiled the cd put a different version of one of the jams on the cd. OR, there is an impressive list of hits on the cd but one or a few of the hits are missing?
Maybe the answer is that all of the GREATEST HITS will not be on
the disc unless the cd says ANTHOLOGY or THE COMPLETE... Still,
what indicates that a version of the love song that YOU grew up
with ain't on the disc?
April 24, 2004 | | The very best of Martha & the Vandellas | |
After Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas were Motown's biggest female stars. But whereas the Supremes offered listeners sophistication the music of Reeves was more in the gospel tradition. Reeves got her big break when she was a secretary at Motown and Mary Wells failed to show up for a recording session. The song, "I'll Have to Let Him Go," which is not included in this collection, was the first song credited to the suddenly created Martha & the Vandellas. The original Vandellas were Annette Sterling and Rosalind Holmes, although the lineup changed over the years; the name came from combining a couple of Detroit favorites, Van Dyke Street and local singer Della Reese). The group's second single "Come and Get These Memories" made the Top 5 of the R&B charts and the girls were on their way. Other Top 5 hits included "Dancing in the Street," ""Nowhere to Run," "Jimmy Mack," "I'm Ready for Love," "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave," and "Honey Chile." These danceable R&B hits made Martha & the Vandellas the chief rivals to the Supremes until 1968, when Reeves had a nervous breakdown after a bad acid trip. The group disbanded after a farewell concert in Detroit in 1973 and after an undistinguished solo career away from Motown, Reeves was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Class of 1995. This Millennium Collection offers up all of the group's hits, but is limited to only 11 cuts. Consequently, while this album certainly covers the basics there is more of Martha & the Vandellas out there for you to enjoy.
January 27, 2003The sheer volume and power of Martha Reeves, raw, earthy, soulful vocal style has been highly underated and over-looked over the years. Some say her career was over-shadowed by Motown's leading lady, Diana Ross. Its impossible to compare Diana Ross and Martha Reeves to one another as both have unique, magical and individual qualities of their own but its not unfair to say that Martha Reeves acheivements have received far less recoginition than Diana Ross. On the Millenium collection, the compilation offers a quick glide through some of their most magical hits. Their first major hit came with the sassy, upbeat Come And Get These Memories where Martha's vocals are charged with fire and soul. She really puts her all into every performance as she does on the fantastic and timeless Heatwave. Dancin' In The Street takes a venture into urban R&B, a style which became customary to Martha and the Vandellas and this is quite clearly their biggest commercial success which has since been covered several times. Its this version that remains the most timeless though. The atmospheric musical arrangements, catchy groove and hooky chrous has soul classic writen all over it. Nowhere To Run came close to eclipsing the success of that classic. An upbeat, exciting recording that has all the emphasis and elements of that golden Motown sound, this rapidly became one of Martha Reeves most famous classics. Martha proved she could muster her voice into a lower throat register on such mid-tempo ballads such as Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things (though Diana Ross actually recorded a more unique version with The Supremes on their Reflections album of 1967) and the sultry My Baby Loves Me. Towards the end of the 1960's their momentum began to wear thin though they still managed to come up with the odd winner such as the infectious Jimmy Mack which has become another definitive Motown classic, I'm Ready For Love (origanally written for Diana Ross) and the fabulous Forget Me Not. Sadly by the dawn of the seventies, the material they worked on was merley mediocre and highly inferior to their recordings of their great glory days. But there are no dud tracks on here with every one of the being of superb quality and displays Martha Reeves magical vocal power. Essential to any Soul/R&B collection.
November 4, 2002More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(10 reviews)