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Critic's Review
Al Campbell, All Music Guide
The Very Best of the 5 Royales is a slightly inferior collection compared to Rhino's Monkey Hips and Rice. The track selection is only slightly altered, but in this case that makes a big difference. This disc highlights 25 tracks recorded for the King label, but two of their earliest hits, "Baby Don't Do It" and "Help Me Somebody," were released on Apollo and have been omitted. Fortunately, this is still a strong, cohesive collection. Definitive versions of "Dedicated to the One I Love," "Tears of Joy," "Tell the Truth," and "Think" sound great, as do the more obscure numbers "Monkey Hips and Rice," "The Slummer the Slum," and "Right Around the Corner." This fine 5 Royales package certainly won't disappoint the doo wop novice, but collectors will definitely want the Apollo material.
