Superb overview of their heyday years
Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 07/21/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As one of the most enduring performing groups of the rock era, Gladys Knight and the Pips' recordings populated the pop and r'n'b charts for nearly three decades. Anthologizing their entire career would be a massive undertaking so most of the compilation CD's covering their works focus on their stint at one or more of the many labels for which they recorded.
Following their growing successes at Motown, Knight and the Pips moved to Buddah Records, where many feel they reached their pinnacle. This collection from the respected Varese Vintage label gathers up twenty of their outstanding single recordings from the Buddah, and later Columbia, years. The chronological set starts with their first relatively modest pop hit at Buddah, "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" and ends with their 1985 r'n'b charter "My Time". In between are found the Nick Ashford- and Valerie Simpson-penned "Landlord", Curtis Mayfield's "On and On", their blockbuster hits "I've Got to Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me", and by necessity their Grammy-winning signature song, "Midnight Train to Georgia". Every recording included here made either the pop, the r'n'b, or both charts so there is virtually no filler. Additionally, the tracks presented here are the original single versions.
Sound quality is excellent with all tracks appearing in stereo and, as noted above, are presented in their single versions. Complementing the package is an eight-page liner notes booklet with photos and illustrations along with a history of the group covering their days at Buddah and Columbia courtesy of oldies guru Bill Dahl.
Among the plethora of Gladys Knight and the Pips compilation CD's, this piece stands well above the pack and is worthy of shelf space in the avid and casual fan's CD collection.
P.S. Another worthwhile Pips compilation that covers their pre-Motown recordings is the Acrobat CD "The Early Years". Unfortunately, as of the date of this review, it doesn't come up on Amazon when searching for the album title nor for the artist name using "Gladys Knight" or "Pips". You can see it by searching on "Gladys Knight & the Pips" but you must use the ampersand. It will not be found if you use the word "and". It is an excellent companion piece to this Varese collection and worth digging through Amazon's sometimes bizarre search quirks to find."
Soulful and i love this group
mistermaxxx@yahoo.com | usa | 02/15/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"always been a huge fan of Gladys Knight and the Pips. this is some of the best soul Music put out over the years. the amazing thing is there post Motown career when they took off in the 70's and 80's. no matter who they worked with they still kept the soul in there Music.I can't think of too many other Female artists who can sing/sang as soulful as Gladys Knight. the harmony of the pips are powerful as well. a great set here and a must have for a fan."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1