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Critic's Review
Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
This compilation is not as thorough as the four disk 35th Anniversary Collection, which highlighted the Miracles inside out and up and down. The main difference is the exclusion of any solo sides by Smokey Robinson and the omission of some choice B-sides, never before released tracks and some minor A-sides. Motown must not own the rights to "I Need Some Money," an early release that appeared on End Records (the doo-wop flavored ditty also failed to make the mammoth 35th compilation). This one flows from beginning to end, commencing with "Got a Job" (the Miracles answer to "Get a Job") to a second version of "Going to a Go-Go" to end the CD. Hear the different shades and tones of Smokey's voice, from the high clear Nolan Strong-inspired tenor on "You Can Depend on Me" to the low, blues-influenced register on "I've Been Good to You." Listen to how polished he sounds on the Miracles' final recordings ("We Come Too Far to End It Now" and "I Can't Stand to See You Cry") -- but nothing beats the confident tenor he used in the mid-'60s on "Ooh Baby Baby," "Tracks of My Tears" and "My Girl Has Gone." This compilation is perfect for serious Miracles fans who prefer their Smokey solo tracks on the side and not part of the entree.
