Tops them all
R. Riis | NY | 05/12/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are a bewildering bunch of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes greatest hits CDs out there but this one, the only one with dynamic, crystal-clear remastered sound and all full-length album tracks, is quite simply THE one to get. Superb."
Philly soul at its very best
The Fancy One | Westchester County, NY | 11/23/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This collection of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' classic '70s songs, courtesy of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's wildly successful Philadelphia International Records, sound just as good as they did now as when I first heard them when I was a kid! Boy, do these songs take me back. I was raised on this music...when there was REAL passion and meaning in the lyrics, and there were REAL singers behind them. Case in point: Philly-born Teddy Pendergrass, whose powerhouse and distinctive lead vocals dominated all of the Blue Notes' major (and not so major) hits, lifted the group out of almost certain musical oblivion when he joined the group in 1971. Who could've guessed that when he crooned with such force in "If You Don't Know Me By Now": "Ten long years, ten long years we've been together, if you don't know me by now..." he was only a youthful 22?! He certainly sang it as if he had indeed invested ten years in a romantic relationship.I loved all the selections on this CD, and especially the extended versions of "Wake Up Everybody", "The Love I Lost", "Don't Leave Me This Way" and "Bad Luck". I gave this collection only four stars because "I Miss You" is in its edited version, so I felt a bit cheated. But overall, this is without a doubt one of my favorite CDs. Philly soul at its very best."
A Must!
mistermaxxx@yahoo.com | usa | 06/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"finally full Versions&a clear Sound.this is long overdue for this tight Group that were on the mark back in the 70's.you really get the Hard Soulful Grit up close with the Remastering."