Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Early Classics (1996)

One of Motown's greatest girl groups and arguably more interesting musically and aesthetically than the Supremes, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas better embodied the sound of Detroit than any other female group at the label. This German collection brings together virtually all of the top-charting singles, such as "Dancing in the Streets," "I'll Guess I'll Have to Let Him Go" (the group's first single), "(My Love Is Like A) Heatwave," "Wild One," "Third Finger Left Hand," "Jimmy Mack," "Nowhere to Run," and "Motoring." But there are others as well, such as the torch songs "My Baby Loves Me" and "Never Leave Your Baby's Side," as well as album tracks such as "Come and Get These Memories," "Dance Party," "Hello Stranger," and "Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home." The bottom line is that this is a much more interesting compilation -- single disc anyway -- than Motown has ever issued in the States. Blending the charting singles -- some of which charted two and three times in England -- with B-sides and album tracks of overlooked treasures, this is the most well-rounded portrait of one of the true legends of Motown's glory years, and the music sounds as fresh and timeless as it did when it was issued in the 1960s and 1970s. Awesome.