Major Lance - The Very Best of Major Lance

This 16-song, single-disc compilation concentrates on Lance's most well-known hits, including all of his highest-charting 45's: "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um," "Hey Little Girl," "The Monkey Time," "Rhythm," and "The Matador." It's excellent Chicago '60s soul, but all of the cuts are also found on Epic/Legacy's 40-song, two-CD anthology Everybody Loves a Good Time! The Best of Major Lance. That compilation has a good number of decent non-hit tracks from the era (such as "Sweet Music") and remains the preferred alternative unless you're on a strict budget, or the type of listener who finds it hard to hear more than a single disc's worth of an artist that you like but don't love. That's not to say the selection for this best-of isn't good, with 11 of the 16 songs coming from the pen of Curtis Mayfield. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide