Album Review

With the onslaught of greatest-hits compilations available, it's hard to decipher which versions are truly thorough and definitive. However, this Gold edition is truly something special. It features not only the best of the early years when Gladys Knight & the Pips were a doo wop-styled group, it also contains a seamless transition to their tenure at Motown (where they scored some of their biggest hits), to their years on Buddah, and all the way through to their highly polished adult contemporary hits of the '80s. The sequencing and track selection is top-notch (with the Curtis Mayfield penned "The Makings of You" being the only glaring omission) and shows not only the group's evolution, but how potent and consistent a singer Knight has been over the past decades. This is an outstanding compilation which deserves a rightful place in any soul music collection, be it a die-hard soul fanatic or casual listener looking for the hits. ~ Rob Theakston, Rovi