Eddie Kendricks - Keep on Truckin: The Motown Solo Albums 1
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Free Music Notes for Keep on Truckin: The Motown Solo Albums 1
Free Music Review: In a word - EXCELLENT!!
Hit: 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.
Free Music Review: "I'm on the sideline...hoping you'll give me a chance..."
Hit: 5 Stars
For Motown fans the world over, this November 2006 American HIP-O SELECT 2CD set represents something of a long overdue treat - Eddie Kendricks forgotten and hard to find US album catalogue finally on CD - and in a top quality manner...
Here's the breakdown:
Disc 1 (72:04 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 7 are his debut US solo album, "All By Myself", issued April 1971 on Tamla TS 309
Tracks 8 to 18 are his 2nd US album, "People...Hold On", issued May 1972 on Tamla T 315L
Disc 2 (74:14 minutes):
Tracks 1 to 8 are his 3rd US album, "Eddie Kendricks", issued May 1973 on Tamla T 327L
Tracks 9 to 16 are his 4th US album, "For You", issued November 1974 on Tamla T6-33551
(There are no single versions nor any previously unreleased tracks of any kind on this set - they feature on the last disc of the companion volume - "The Thin Man" - The Motown Albums Vol.2" (reviewed separately)
PACKAGING:
Both CDs are Brown & Yellow with the Tamla World logo - aping the way the US LP labels would have looked, The 28-page booklet pictures both the LP sleeves front and rear in full colour, gives detailed notes on the song-writer and session players involved, lists US singles and their B-sides that came off each album (details from the actual Motown session logs) and there's an essay on Hendricks' career by noted Motown writer BRIAN CHIN. In between the exact reproduction of album sleeves are high-quality colour pictures of Kendricks from the early Seventies - in fact the booklet like the silver digipak that houses the whole thing - has an overall classy feel about it. But the best bit - as always with HIP-O SELECT - is the wonderful SOUND...
SOUND:
All tracks have been remastered by one of Universal's trio of in-houses wizard tape engineers - SUHA GUR - a name that has turned up on many of the "Gold" 2CD sets dedicated to other Motown acts. Typical of HIP-O SELECT, the sound is superlative and like the packaging, reeks of class and pride in what's been presented to you. Stylistically, Kendricks' high voice and the string-drenched arrangements of the songs sound like Eugene Record and The Chi-Lites. On other songs, it's very Philadelphia International. On the downside, there is fairly audible hiss on some of the "All By Myself" tracks, but none too much to detract from the soulful listen. Besides, it all but disappears completely by the time we get to the next album, 1972's fantasic "People...Hold On". You can now HEAR the drums and bass on "Girl You Need A Change Of Mind" like never before - funky, warm and sweet. Disc 2 simply offers up more of the same. A very sweet listen indeed.
To sum-up, I can only add to the excellent and informative reviews that went before this - this is a great Motown set.
A job well done by HIP-O SELECT - and one that will have you reaching for Volume 2...
Free Music Review: Finally! Some love for Eddie.
Hit: 5 Stars
Finally, Motown has packaged and released Mr. Kendrick's albums. Mr. Kendricks sound was definitely Motown, but Frank Wilson knew how to find the right mix and arraignments to fit Mr. Kendricks' voice. I was happy as a puppy in a flower garden when I saw this collection. The first four albums were powerhouses and got plenty of play on local KKDA soul 73 in Dallas and in the U.S. Army barracks of Germany where I was stationed during the seventies. This collection gives me a chance to hear Mr. Kendricks first album release "All By Myself". I can still hear the Sly Stone and the emerging funk sound in this one. His second release "My people Hold On" was the album that had several hits that got plenty of rotation on Soul 73 back in the day. "If You Let Me" and Eddie's Love" man, do they bring back some memories of cruising around the small Oklahoma and Texas towns. On Mr. Kendricks' third album "Eddie Kendricks", "Keep on Truckin'" was the big hit, but it wasn't until I was stationed in Germany did I get a chance to hear the whole album and "Each Day I cry A Little" was a serious torch song if not the best of the decade! On the collection like a previous writer indicated this song is over produced! But Hearing this CD on my Bose 901 speakers I can hear when the horn player breathe (LOL). "For You" came out in 1975 and had the big hit "Shoeshine Boy". This album was the best produced and balanced album of the set. Mr. Wilson got it right on this one. I'm definitely going to get the second two CD disc of Mr. Kendricks. Anybody who remembers Eddie's high smooth voice enticing you to shake it up on the dance floor or setting a mood to get your slow drag with that fine honey or dude back in the day, needs to get this album, PLEASE!Free Music Review: "E" IS FOR EXCELLENT
Hit: 5 Stars
I AM SO GRATEFUL I HAVE THIS DOUBLE DISC. THE QUALITY IS SUPERB. EDDIE WAS SMOOTH LIKE BUTTER BECAUSE HE MELTED THE LADIES' HEARTS ONCE HE SANG TO THEM. I LOVED HOW HE COULD GO FROM FALSETTO TO TENOR, EDDIE WAS INCREDIBLE. MY FAVORITE SONGS ON HERE ARE KEEP ON TRUCKIN', EDDIE'S LOVE(SOUNDS LIKE IT CAME OUT IN THE 2000'S), WHERE DO YOU GO (BABY), PLEASE DON'T GO AWAY AND MANY MORE. THIS IS A TIMELESS COLLECTION AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO OWN IT. THANX, AMAZON FOR SELLING THIS.Free Music Review: Eddie Kendricks Is The One
Hit: 5 Stars
I have always been a fan of the late Eddie Kendricks and I had his albums on vinyl. It took years for me to find this set on CD and I am truly grateful. This is early Eddie after his departure from The Temptations and his angelic tenor voice is at its best. Each track is like candy to the ears. If you are truly old school like I am, you must purchase this set. I plan to purchase Volume Two real soon.
Simply,
Terri-Michelle
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