Gold: Greatest Hits (CD - 2004)

Producers include: Smokey Robinson, Ashford & Simpson, Ivy Jo Hunter, Norman Whitfield, Harvey Fuqua.

Compilation producer: Harry Weinger.

Includes liner notes by David Ritz.

Personnel: Marvin Gaye (vocals); Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell (vocals).

Liner Note Author: David Ritz.

This generous two-disc compilation does an excellent job of tracing soul legend Marvin Gaye's career. It moves from his earliest, most pop-oriented recordings ("How Sweet It Is," "I'll Be Doggone") to his famed duets with Tammi Terrell ("Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing") and his later, more socially conscious work from the WHAT'S GOING ON era. Things kick off marvelously with the vibrant "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," where Marvin works his magic around sassy vocal assists from the Vandellas and a slightly Latin-tinged arrangement sporting flute and cowbell.

Other stops along the way include songs from the ultimate make-out album LET'S GET IT ON, the latter-day glory of the subtly sensual "Sexual Healing," and of course the immortal "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," the scorned-love anthem whose ominous intro alone is enough to secure Mr. Gaye a place in pop heaven. If you're interested in this R&B giant's music but just want one bases-covering collection, this is the definitive release for you.

Motown's ANTHOLOGY: THE BEST OF MARVIN GAYE is probably the finest overview of Gaye's tenure at the label. Unfortunately, the collection is available only on import. Also, it has one glaring omission, Gaye's 1983 single "Sexual Healing" (from MIDNIGHT LOVE, not recorded for Motown). Columbia's GOLD, a superb two-disc collection of Gaye's brightest moments, does include "Sexual Healing," as well as the lion's share of the hits that appear on ANTHOLOGY.

The fantastic batch of Gaye's early-'60s pop-soul singles, including "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and his duets with Tammi Terrell ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough"), is alone worth the price of the set. Transitional singles like "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" hint at the groove-oriented approach Gaye would perfect in the '70s with his socio-political masterpiece WHAT'S GOING ON, and his paean to desire LET'S GET IT ON. Smooth funk workouts like "Trouble Man" and "Got to Give It Up" flesh out disc 2. Though Motown's collection still wins out on wealth of material (it has 47 tracks to GOLD's 34), GOLD is still a top-notch sampler, covering all aspects of the soul icon's dynamic career. minimize