The Spinners
were rivaled only by
the O'Jays
as the greatest
Philly soul
group, and for that matter the greatest vocal group of the '70s. For listeners who don't want to dig as deeply as the excellent double-CD anthology
One of a Kind Love Affair
,
Rhino
's
The Very Best of the Spinners
is a stellar single-disc career summary that offers a concentrated dose of the group's sweet
soul
magic. It also serves as a primer on the best work of
Thom Bell
's "other" great producer besides the legendary
Gamble & Huff
team. Incredibly, every one of the 16 tracks here -- culled from 1970-1980 -- reached the
R&B
Top Ten, and half went all the way to number one on either the
pop
or
lists. As this collection demonstrates,
the Spinners
' massive popularity was well-deserved. Built around the magnetic leads of
Philippe Wynne
, their records were tastefully, elegantly romantic, full of adult heartache and longings as complex as the group's shifting harmonies. The compilers also license the pre-
Wynne
Motown
hit
"It's a Shame,"
co-written by
Stevie Wonder
, and include two
disco
-tinged medleys that returned
to the Top Ten for the last time at the close of the '70s. But the
material is really the backbone of their output, and
's gorgeous production frames his voice with just the right amount of sweetness. There's more to discover on
, but
is so solid from top to bottom that it's hard to argue with; one or the other is a necessary purchase for anyone even remotely interested in '70s
. ~ Steve Huey