Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (CD - 2007)

Like 2004's THROWBACK, MOTOWN: A JOURNEY THROUGH HITSVILLE USA finds Boyz II Men working their way ably through a set of cover tunes. This time around the group takes on the Motown canon, lending their superb harmonies to renditions of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," and "The Tracks of My Tears."

Two covers albums in a row may come as a disappointment to fans waiting for a set of new material, but the group's signature sound is as swooningly spot-on as ever. And even while Motown purists may roll their eyes, there's something sweet about Boyz II Men's tribute to their soul-pop forebears, both in the range of material they choose ("Money (That's What I Want);" the Commodores' "Easy") and in their stunning singing.

Three years after the all-covers Throwback -- a release that included some pleasantly surprising choices for new looks, like One Way's "Cutie Pie" and Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do for Love" -- Boyz II Men reappear not with yet another covers affair. As indicated by the title, the trio changes its focus to Motown for a set that ranges thematically and chronologically from the Temptations' "Just My Imagination" to Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" to the Commodores' "Easy" -- and, as something of a sly acknowledgment that they were once on Motown themselves, they close out the set with an a cappella version of "End of the Road" (featuring Brian McKnight). Their backing is mostly all-star caliber, including the Dap-Kings Horns, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, percussionist Luis Conte, and string arranger Larry Gold. The material tends to work best when they sound relatively relaxed, as opposed to when it is obvious that they are trying very hard to honor the originals while being over-demonstrative with their obviously gifted voices. It's not that the disc won't please fans, because it likely will, despite Boyz II Men's continued shortage of new songs; but it's nearly impossible at this point to add anything to the likes of "It's the Same Old Song," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," or "Money (That's What I Want)" -- no matter how well they are handled. ~ Andy Kellman minimize