Marvin Gaye has more than enough great music to make a superb box set, but the haphazard Marvin Gaye Collection isn't it. The four discs within the set are arranged thematically: one terrific disc of hits, one good disc of duets, one largely uninteresting disc of rarities, and one wildly uneven disc of ballads. By spreading out the material this way, Motown shortchanges Gaye's musical accomplishments; there is no sense of growth or innovation. Although many of the songs are wonderful, some of the selections are puzzling -- ...
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Marvin Gaye has more than enough great music to make a superb box set, but the haphazard Marvin Gaye Collection isn't it. The four discs within the set are arranged thematically: one terrific disc of hits, one good disc of duets, one largely uninteresting disc of rarities, and one wildly uneven disc of ballads. By spreading out the material this way, Motown shortchanges Gaye's musical accomplishments; there is no sense of growth or innovation. Although many of the songs are wonderful, some of the selections are puzzling -- they seem to be chosen because they're arcane, not because they're significant. This very quality makes The Marvin Gaye Collection essential for his most devoted fans; however, most fans will find this box set disappointing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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