Soul Satisfaction 2 (The Motown Connection)

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This is a really good, somewhat little-known compilation that is 24 Motown tracks strong, but contains no "hits" as such. Those looking for well-known Motown tunes will be disappointed, of course, but surely no-one would find any fault with the material. It is all high quality and goes to show just how deep down the Motown mine went. It is deep cut heaven for those like myself who lap up this stuff like a hungry kitten.

The songs are mainly sixties ones, with a few early seventies cuts, and there is very much a Northern Soul vibe to the collection, although the last five tracks end it on a funky note. Yes, big names are here, such as  Tammi Terrell, Jr. Walker & The All-Stars, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Eddie Kendricks and Edwin Starr, but their songs are all lesser-known ones, of the sort that formed the staple diet of Northern Soul DJs. They are mainly 'b' sides or album cuts sniffed out by the DJS like pigs' truffles. 

My own highlights are Jimmy Ruffin's Everybody Needs Love, The Spinners' (She's Gonna Love Me) At Sundown, Carolyn Crawford's Forget About Me, Jr. Walker & The All-Stars' Good Rockin', Tammi Terrell's I Can't Believe You Love Me, The Temptations Hey Girl (I Like Your Style), The Fantastic Four's Can't Stop Looking For My Baby and The Monitors' Say You. I could single out any of them to be honest. Interesting cover versions are Stevie Wonder's take on The Doors' Light My Fire and Gladys Knight's version of Bill Withers' Who Is She (And What Is She To You). A shout out for Martha & The Vandellas' delicious groove My Baby Loves Me too. Notable as well is Edwin Starr's seventies smoochy funk number, There You Go. So, there you go with this review. There's enough the be getting on with here.

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