The Ultimate Collection

I have always loved the commodores they make you want to get up and dance and sing along, I have a lot of their cd's & I have almost all of Lionel Richie's music

I totally agree with those reviewers who pegged this 1997 Motown release as a tad on the skimpy side for something passing itself off as an "ultimate" collection. I also have to wonder what Carol Friedman and David Irvin were thinking when they did the CD design.

The cover shot is fine, as are the photographs included with the insert [which contains 4 pages of liner notes by Steven Ivory, an LA-based music journalist, and a complete discography of the contents], but why would they include small, washed-blue print over black on the reverse to show the contents? Most of us who were fans of the group starting 33 years ago are not exactly blessed with 20-20 vision these days.

As for the contents, the sound reproduction is beautifully done, but it seems, well, "cheap" to limit an ultimate compilation to 15 tracks for a group that put 29 onto the R&B charts, with 25 Billboard Hot 100 crossovers (13 also made the Adult Contemporary, or AC charts) from 1974 to 1988. Certainly you should not include obscure album cuts such as those at tracks 6 and 8. Much better choices would have been - I agree totally with one reviewer - Sail On [# 4 Hot 100/# 8 R&B/# 9 AC in 1979] and Oh No [# 4 Hot 100 and # 5 each of R&B and AC in 1981].

Even better would have been a 20-track offering including those two as well as I Feel Sanctified [their second hit in 1974 and a # 12 R&B/# 75 pop]; Flying High [# 21 R&B/# 38 Hot 100 in 1978]; Wonderland [# 21 R&B/# 25 Hot 100/# 43 AC in 1980]; Heroes [# 27 R&B/# 54 Hot 100/# 44 AC in late 1980]; and Why You Wanna Try Me? [# 42 R&B/# 66 Hot 100 in 1982, which was also Lionel Richie's last hit with the group]. Now THAT would have made this an "ultimate" collection in every sense of the word and earned it 5 stars in my humble opinion.

You tend to forget just how good the Commodores were, but this perfect collection is a concise reminder of songs that were all over the place 25 years ago, but not so much today. Way back before Lionel Richie became best known as Nicole Richie's pere. Timeless production and great mastering make this one of Motown's better CDs.

There is just so much in this industry these days to where a lot of artists in R&B seem to be more pop oriented, rather than having the feeling of traditional soul. That has been the case with acts like Beyonce', Usher and Mariah Carey. Nevertheless, there are some acts from the past that have absolutely delivered towards what the essence of traditional soul has been like from Motown back in the 70's, and The Commodores were absolutely no acception. Their essential mixture of Funk, R&B and Soul have been a absolute mainstay on the classics of R&B radio, and that feeling Lionel Richie and company have mixed together is all in one convient collection.

The Commodores Ultimate Collection is a fine mixture of the groups most recognized tracks from the 70's. The songs here are just simply the best the soul legends from Alabama had made all of their own. The songs here were remastered very well, and stay as definitive to what made them classics. The album includes tracks ranging from the essence of funk like Machine Gun and the classic party anthem Brick House, to contemporary ballads from Lionel and company that have withstood the test of time like Still, Easy, which was recently used for Levis Jeans, Just To Be Close To You, and Three Times A Lady. While the album does maintain being definitive, many die hard fans were just hoping for a bit more from this collection, but The Ultimate Collection does stand out well enough for newcomers to this legendary R&B group.

It is just sad that Lionel Richie and company of The Commodores haven't done anything new together since they departed back in the eary 80's. Nevertheless, the legacy of these songs is still alive and well. I absolutely love The Ultimate Collection by The Commodores, and you will love this album too just as easy as Sunday morning.

Album Cover: B+

Songs: B 1/2+

Price: A-

Remastering: A-

Overall: B+

This is one fantastic CD despite a few classics left out.That said, I will focus on one specific song. You could buy this CD for this song only. It is " Nightshift ". It is pure musical Genius. If you know any talented individual who has died before his time, you will understand this song. It is simply heartbreaking. Substitute " Heaven " for Nightshift, and you will understand. It will bring tears to your eyes. Play it 5 or 10 times, and listen for the background vocals . Search Lyrics on Google. It is not just a song, but a tribute to lost souls who needed just a little more time here with us....