Best 'Four Tops' Compilation?

It is all stereo, and I don't like it. "I'll Be There", in particular, has been singled out by pros and many audiophiles as being awful in stereo. I also think it sounds bad. I prefer the mono mixes in every case.

 

I love this box set and think it's well worth it.
http://www.amazon.com/Fourever-Four...&qid=1447991742&sr=1-1&keywords=four+tops+box

The Hip-O Essential Collection is a great one disc comp as well.

 

I have the Hitsville box - great sound throughout - not a dud in the whole set! But for the Four Tops, one needs to augment that!

Grant: Did you ever buy the Essential Collection on CD? (This one: http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Col...UTF8&qid=1447998575&sr=1-4&keywords=four+tops)
I'm wondering if it still stands up and if you still like it.

I'm with you - Mono 4 Tops is the way to go. (If I want to hear the stereo mixes, I can pull out my original Anthology CD from the 80s (?) - that's enough to kill that urge!)

Also: There are 2 different "50th Anniversary" sets out there:
1) 50th Anniversary Anthology (2004) - 2 discs - all stereo mixes, right?
2) 50th Anniversary/The Singles Collection 1964-1972 - 3 discs - mono mixes & stereo on the later tracks? Any comments on this one? The samples on Amazon sound a little thin to me, but I'll defer to the experts: http://www.amazon.com/Anniversary-S...pebp=1448000476370&perid=1D4CTZPNXV5Q3E66T1XD

 

50th -the Singles ticks the boxes with me for the material mainly mono singles which is the Top's I wanna hear. I have Four Tops Gold (and the UK 2 on 1 albums) for 'stereo'

 

I'm very happy with my old 2 LP UK Motown Four Tops Story, TMSP 1124 (stereo). Bought it way back in the day. It covers the period 1964 to 1972. Over 30 tracks on the 4 sides. Almost all big hits and virtually no filler. It is in chronological order by track listing, from Baby I need your loving, Without the one you Love, and Ask the Lonely in 64 through to MacArthur Park, Simple Game and Nature Planned It in 74.

 

Well, that has problems too. The Motown stuff is mostly mono, but the ABC/Dunhill stuff is in stereo, where "Keeper Of the Castle" has a dedicated mono mix. On top of that, "Keeper Of the Castle" sounds wonky. Something went wrong somewhere, but it does not sound like it should.

 

I haven't heard them all, but I bought enough bad sounding Four Tops comps to know the FOUREVER box was a godsend.

 

No. All CD appearances are in stereo, and are the long album version. I'm not sure when the great mono tape purge happened at ABC Records, but if it happened after 1972, the mono tape may have wound up in a landfill somewhere. Other than that, the "Essential Collection" sounds very good. It doesn't, however have all of the hit singles. The "Fourever" box has most of them. Unless i'm mistaken, that box also has alternate versions of some tracks, something fans criticized Universal for.

 

The Mono Ultimate Collection has most of the classic-period Motown mono singles, but has been criticized for sounding distorted.

 

Grant, have you ever heard the 50th Anniversary Singles Collection from 2013?

 

I like many of their Motown singles and some b-sides, but I am not willing to spend upwards of $50 on it. If Pono or 7-digital has the lossless individual tracks for sale from this set, I can just buy what I need if I find that it offers better sound than what I already have.

I don't need the Supremes singles collection because I already have the excellent one from 1995, and the stereo set. I have The Temptations box, and I already have the mono stragglers. Got the Martha Reeves & the Vandellas 1992 double CD mono singles set, too. For Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, I have the boxed set, and the stereo double CD. Got the Marvin Gaye mono boxed set, and the two Motown singles boxes. Got the Marvelettes and Jimmy Walker & The All-Stars mono sets too. I'm pretty set on 60s Motown.

Now all we need is a Stevie Wonder comprehensive singles collection.

 

How is the sound on this CD?

http://www.amazon.com/Something-Rem...,p_lbr_music_artists_browse-bin:The+Four+Tops

Darryl

 

Currently listening to this one...



Darryl

 

How does it sound? Do you have anything to compare it to?