The Four Tops - Anthology

A bountiful three-record collection later issued on two CDs, The Four Tops' Anthology presented, in chronological order, every notable song from the group's tenure at Motown, from their 1964 breakout hit "Baby I Need Your Loving" all the way to 1972's "A Simple Game." (The compact disc also tacked on two songs from the '80s: "I Just Can't Walk Away" and "Don't Tell Me That It's Over.") Over the course of six sides, Anthology tells the group's story with every one of their three dozen hits of the '60s and early '70s, leaving just enough room for low-level hits or solid album tracks ("Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten out My Life)," "Can't Seem to Get You out of My Mind," and a nice version of The Supremes' "Reflections") as well as some pop cover curios ("Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "A Place in the Sun," the surprising hit "If I Were a Carpenter," a beautifully wistful "Everybody's Talking," and a melody of "Hey Man" and Todd Rundgren's "We Gotta Get You a Woman"). It boasted far more attention to detail than the usual hits compilation and the sound was good for the time, though it became less crucial for Four Tops obsessives when Motown finally released the long-awaited box set Fourever in 2001. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide