Search - Eddie Kendricks :: Keep on Truckin: The Motown Solo Albums 1

In a word - EXCELLENT!!

The Fancy One | Westchester County, NY | 03/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For years, we fans of the legendary Eddie James Kendricks (1939-1992) have prayed, written Motown endless letters and even waged an online petition to have this come to pass - to have all of Eddie's original albums reissued on CD. I've always felt that Eddie's career as a soloist was never given its proper due because in the eyes of the industry, his work with the Temptations seemed to supercede everything he did on his own, and that was truly not fair. They wanted to boil his career down to two hits - "Keep On Truckin'" and "Boogie Down" - and like nothing else he did was worthwhile. Motown continued to contribute to this mode of thinking as well. Please! That is as far from the truth as you can get!



But finally, after so very long, some of Eddie's original albums are now available on CD. In this collection, we have four remastered EJK CDs from the 1970s:



ALL BY MYSELF (1971)

PEOPLE...HOLD ON (1972)

EDDIE KENDRICKS (1973)

FOR YOU (1974)



These four albums are chock full of quality material by Eddie, all produced by the team of Frank Wilson and Leonard Caston (except Eddie's debut LP, which was produced by Wilson alone). Looking for early popular cuts by EJK like "Can I", "This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae", "If You Let Me", "Girl You Need A Change of Mind", "Keep On Truckin'" and "Shoeshine Boy"? Well, like the compilation of hits CDs that Motown has issued previously, those songs are all here...but these are the albums where those choice cuts came from. Chronologically, the album BOOGIE DOWN from late 1973 - early '74 was completed and issued before FOR YOU. But due to the timing of the tracks on that album, BOOGIE DOWN couldn't be included here...but it will be in the next volume of Eddie's works, which will be released later on in '06. Be on the lookout for it.



I am very happy with this collection, and the remastering is nearly flawless. Only complaint I have is the treatment of the seven-minute plus ballad "Each Day I Cry A Little" from the EDDIE KENDRICKS album. Filled with spoken passages and an emotionally devastating message, it's so heartbreakingly beautiful, it has to be one of the very best in the entire EJK catalog. For those who have never heard this masterpiece, IMO, its closest comparison would probably be the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' magnum opus "I Miss You" from 1972 - not so much by the sound, but because both these songs feature spoken passages and anguished vocals revealing men in emotional pain. However, the way it's mixed here has too much echo, the background singers' vocals are brought so far to the front at times you don't hear much of Eddie, and the strings are a bit overpowering, especially halfway through and towards the end of the song. I have the original vinyl LP and the mix is different. But other than that, this is a perfect collection of four of Eddie's excellent Motown solo albums. For anyone who has only brought Eddie's greatest hits CDs in the past and craved to have more, this is an absolute MUST for you to own!! Want to know why Eddie is one of the greatest R&B legends of all time and why he will never be forgotten? Song after song on this set shows the listener that this was no ordinary singer - here's the proof. Listen and enjoy."

R.I.P. Eddie...Thanks for the great memories!!

S. Castellano | Scranton, PA United States | 08/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now whoever said that Eddie was all ballads and no funk surely hasn't heard this wonderful set of 4 of his albums: ALL BY MYSELF, PEOPLE...HOLD ON, EDDIE KENDRICKS, and FOR YOU. It brings a tear to my eye just to relive the wonderful moments I remember as a child in the 70s when my mum used to play these in the house almost on a constant basis!



ALL BY MYSELF, released in April 1971 (#6 R&B, #80 Pop) was Eddie's first solo album after leaving the Temptations. LET'S GO BACK TO DAY ONE is a funky opening with Eddie's vocal multi-layered ala Marvin Gaye! THIS USED TO BE THE HOME OF JOHNNIE MAE was the B-side of IT'S SO HARD FOR ME TO SAY GOODBYE (#37 R&B, #88 Pop) and I DID IT ALL FOR YOU, a popular Quiet Storm tune, was the B-side to CAN I (#37 R&B, #101 Pop), another popular Quiet Storm staple also performed by Brenda Holloway and most recently covered by Phil Perry. SOMETHING'S BURNING starts off slow and ends with a funky ending and the Jimmy Webb composition, DIDN'T WE close this set! What's wonderful is that the Temptations' notes to Eddie originally printed on the back of the album are reprinted for this release!



PEOPLE...HOLD ON, with its eye-catching photography by Weldon A. McDougal III, was originally released in May 1972, which fared better on the charts (#13 R&B, #131 Pop). According to the liner notes, Frank Wilson said in an interview for Eddie's ULTIMATE COLLECTION (1998) that it was a concept album dedicated to black America. It opens with IF YOU LET ME (#17 R&B, #66 Pop), originally performed by Jimmy Ruffin. LET ME RUN INTO YOUR LONELY HEART is the funky B-side to EDDIE'S LOVE (#35 R&B, #77 Pop) while on DAY BY DAY, Eddie's vocals are once again multi-layered. GIRL YOU NEED A CHANGE OF MIND is the biggest hit off here (#13 R&B, #87 Pop) with its innovative use of multi-drums throughout the track and still a favorite among club goers. SOMEDAY WE'LL HAVE A BETTER WORLD has a gospel feel to it and reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's HEAVEN HELP US ALL with Eddie singing in his natural register. MY PEOPLE...HOLD ON is a major highlight here with African drums opening the song and on the break and DATE WITH THE RAIN is another dance favorite among today's club goers. I'M ON THE SIDELINE has Eddie's voice once again multi-layered throughout the song and the album closes with JUST MEMORIES, the B-side to IF YOU LET ME and with it's operatic opening, remains another highlight to this album.



EDDIE KENDRICKS (#5 R&B, #18 Pop), released in May 1973, charted higher than the above, especially on the strength of the #1 R&B/Pop hit KEEP ON TRUCKIN', most recently resurrected and remixed by DJ Spinna for the MOTOWN: REMIXED compilation (2005). ONLY ROOM FOR TWO opens the album and the Caribbean-sounding DARLING COME BACK HOME (#26 R&B, #67 Pop), was another hit off here. EACH DAY I CRY A LITTLE is IMO Eddie's finest performance and also a Quiet Storm favorite while CAN'T HELP WHAT I AM is a light tune on being who he is. ANY DAY NOW (originally performed by Chuck Jackson) and NOT ON THE OUTSIDE (originally performed by the Moments) are underrated remakes of soul classics and Eddie makes it his own on both selections and the album closes with WHERE DO YOU GO (BABY), a beautiful Pam Sawyer/Gloria Jones composition about Eddie wondering where his woman is when he isn't there.



This compilation doesn't include BOOGIE DOWN which followed EDDIE KENDRICKS, but according to the liner notes, it will be released in another double-disc set! In the meantime, we get to hear FOR YOU, released November 1974 (#8 R&B, #108 Pop). It opens with the laid-back PLEASE DON'T GO AWAY, while ONE TEAR (#8 R&B, #71 Pop), originally for Marvin Gaye and SHOESHINE BOY (#1 R&B, #18 Pop) became the biggest hits off of this album. DEEP AND QUIET LOVE is an underrated Quiet Storm performance while LET YOURSELF GO is another underrated funk performance. I played this one at one of my parties and the response was amazing! IF YOU THINK (YOU CAN) has great word play throughout the song. IF is a great remake originally performed by Bread and TIME IN A BOTTLE is just as good, originally performed by Jim Croce, which ends the album.



Folks, if you are not by now, this wonderfully packaged 2-CD set will make or renew your interest in Eddie Kendricks, IMO the greatest tenor that ever graced a record!

"

Super Compilation on 2 cd's!

rollo | usa | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here we have another prime example of the Hip O Select Motown music. Eddie Kendricks first 4 albums. Super hit songs with fine arrangements sung by the greatest R&B falsetto that ever lived. He is accompanied by the funkiest of brothers in the band. The 24 bit stereo remastering is super solid. Only 5000 sets available. What more can I say? Some people say that they like Motown music."