The Best, Vol. 2 Review

07/13/2005 4:20 AM, AMG


Musically, this is actually a better collection than Vol. 1, digging a little deeper into the A&M files and coming up with some more eclectic material. Some of that extra edge comes from TV land via the streetwise themes from Sanford and Son and the now-overlooked first Bill Cosby Show ("Hikky-Burr"). Other highlights here are a heavily edited version of the incantory "Gula Matari," the catchy Brothers Johnson debut "Is It Love That We're Missin'" (from Mellow Madness), and the percolating "Boogie Joe, the Grinder." While this collection isn't a comprehensive Quincy Jones primer either (the closest A&M came was the extra "greatest-hits" disc in the two-LP I Heard That!!), it is a better bet than its predecessor. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide