Hitsville USA, Vol. 2: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 [Box]

Performer: Various Artists
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: HITSVILLE USA VOLUME II:..contains 78 songs by 48 artists on 4 CDs and includes a 68-page booklet with biographies, liner notes and a Motown timeline. 16 of the songs are on CD for the first time. Compilation producer: Cary E. Mansfield. Includes liner notes by Terry Barnes, Nelson George, Fred Bronson, Ben Edmonds, Stewart Francke, A. Scott Galloway, Kenny Gordy, Paul Grein, Diana Haig, Steve Ivory, Janine McAdams, David Nathan, David Ritz & Susan Whitall. Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot & Dan Hersch (DigiPrep, Los Angeles, California). This is part of the Motown Master Series. Hitsville USA was such a success that it was little wonder that Motown decided to issue the sequel, Hitsville USA, Vol. 2: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992. Certainly, these four discs couldn't help but suffer in comparison to their predecessor -- the first volume contained some of the greatest pop singles in history -- since Motown was following trends during these 20 years instead of setting them. Nevertheless, there are a surprising number of classic singles here, from "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Let's Get It On," and "Dancing Machine" to "Easy," "Brick House," and "Super Freak." Unfortunately, there are too many mediocre songs on this set to make searching for these gems a pleasurable experience. If the compilers had limited themselves to a two-disc set, they would have been able to fit all the highlights on a consistent, listenable collection. As it stands, Hitsville USA, Vol. 2 simply contains too much middling music to make it useful for anyone but dedicated Motown fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Where the first Hitsville box suffered from not featuring enough material, the sequel suffers from having too many tracks. During the 1970s, the label lost its distinctive sound, although the hits continued to come for a number of years. Unfortunately, as the years progress, the hits become fewer and less distinctive -- they follow the trends, instead of setting them. Perhaps this could have been a successful 2-CD set, but at four discs, there aren't enough gems to justify the hefty price ticket. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone (12/23/93, p.148) - 3.5 Stars - Good Plus - "...Most people think the Motown era ended in 1969 with "I Want You Back"--this set argues otherwise. From Michael Jackson's "Got To Be There" to "End Of The Road" by Boyz II Men, there's plenty of chart history here along with a lot of good singles...."

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