Various Artists: The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965 : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

There was no greater year for the world's greatest record company. Motown boss Berry Gordy stepped into 1965 with the back-to-back January release of the Four Tops' majestic lament "Ask the Lonely" and Junior Walker and the All Stars' Top Five stomp "Shotgun," while Gordy's pet project, the Supremes, climaxed their breakthrough streak that year with the brooding beauty "My World Is Empty Without You," issued on December 29th. In between, his strict quality control, the focused momentum of his key writer-producers (Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Miracles' Smokey Robinson) and the matured vocal fire of Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, the Temptations and the Marvelettes proved the boast mounted over the front door of Motown's Detroit studios: HITSVILLE, U.S.A. Many of Motown's finest and biggest chart hits of the decade are on these six CDs: the Tops' "It's the Same Old Song"; "Ooo Baby Baby" and "The Tracks of My Tears," by the Miracles; Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"; Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar"; "Nowhere to Run," by Martha and the Vandellas; the Temptations' "My Baby" and "Don't Look Back." There is also much that is simply wonderful, including stunning singles by Brenda Holloway; the hilarious romp "First I Look at the Purse," by the Contours; and Frank Wilson's legendary dance-floor killer "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," which Gordy inexplicably pulled from release at the last minute. One of the rarest singles in the world (only two copies of the original unissued vinyl are known to exist), it is now right where it belongs: among the best.