Sound of 'Hitsville U.S.A.' lives on in CD compilations

People who complain that American music is stilted, uninteresting and a poor source of national pride probably have never been to Detroit, never listened to a full day of oldies radio and never heard of a man named Berry Gordy.

For nearly 30 years, Motown produced songs and personalities that are as much a part of our consciousness as John Wayne, John Philip Sousa and John Brown. From Smokey Robinson's first hit single to Edwin Starr's driven, athletic soul, the label that came to be known as "Hitsville U.S.A." gave us more hit singles, stunning musicians and gifted singers than any 10 labels since. Here, in shamefully abbreviated form, are a few of the most influential and famous releases from the Gordy stable.

"The Best of The Temptations"

The Temptations is perhaps the most well-known and most prolific band to come out of Motown. Created in the heyday of Hitsville U.S.A., The Temptations produced largely singles on 45s, and, therefore, only a few albums exist that include many great hits. Nonetheless, the band produced a wide and spectacular body of work.

The recently released "Best of The Temptations" manages to include all of the great old tunes and, at the same time, weeds out some of the weaker ones. Some of the memorable gems waiting to be played and replayed are "My Girl," "Cloud Nine," "The Way You Do The Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Just My Imagination," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and "Standing on Top." The list of great, memorable tunes literally goes on and on.

"The Four Tops: The Ultimate Collection"

The Four Tops is another successful male vocal group to come out of the pages of Motown lore. This group sang some of the most well-known songs that, for many, define Motown. "Bernadette" - a pleading love ode - and "Reach Out, I'll Be There" - a vocal testament to true love - show two of the Tops' main themes: love and devotion.

As with the Temptations, the Tops primarily recorded singles for jukeboxes and parties. Most of the full albums the group recorded are no longer in print - a sad statement considering that most of Rick James' work is still available. "The Ultimate Collection" succeeds in pulling together most of the band's successful material, including "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," "It's the Same Old Song" and "Baby I Need Your Loving," as well as the two aforementioned pieces. It is a true masterpiece collection.

"The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: Anthology Series"

William "Smokey" Robinson was the very first singer that Berry Gordy signed to his Motown label in 1958 with the song "Shop Around." Back then, his band was known as the "Matadors," but the name was soon changed to the "Miracles." Smokey is arguably the most versatile artist to come out of Hitsville U.S.A., as his talent was not exclusively used for his band; he went on to write material for the Jackson 5 and The Supremes. To this day, his songs remain some of the most touching works to come from Motown.

In the "Anthology," Smokey's most significant work clearly shines through. "Tears of a Clown" shows not only his musical expertise, but also his intelligence in its allusions to classical themes. He was big on crying - "Tracks of My Tears" remains another soulful hit that sets Smokey apart from many of the nameless stars of the era.

Other fantastic classics included on the Anthology are "You Really Got a Hold on Me," "Oh, Baby, Baby" and "Going to a Go-Go." The 50 remastered songs that appear on the two-disc set bring back all the good old feelings.

Marvin Gaye: "What's Goin' On?"

Few albums in pop history have so clearly demonstrated such a sudden and profound change of style, and represented such a powerful herald of things to come. Before "What's Goin' On?," Motown songs, no matter how well-crafted and soulful, were designed to be singles - individual units to be plied to radio stations and teen record buyers. The 45 was the brick and mortar upon which Berry Gordy built his church. Gaye's masterwork changed all of that.

For the first time, a musician was allowed to break out of the mold of the hit machine and craft an entire album according to one continuous vision. The result is at once a pop record and rhythm and blues suite. Fusing Gaye's languid sexuality, his fascination with the Pentecostal faith, and the nation's growing madness over the war and resegregation, "What's Goin' On" shudders under the weight of Gaye's political, artistic, spiritual and sexual frustration.

"Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and the title track manage to express this frustration and grief with a level of musicianship, style and power nearly unparalleled in pop music to this day. The song is a classic in any age.

Stevie Wonder: "Innervisions"

Released two years after "What's Goin' On," "Innervisions" follows in the tradition of the through-composed pop album, a thread Wonder would use for much of his career. If Gaye's composition and performance echoed with pain and anguish, Wonder's is filled with hope, whimsy and funk.

More stylistically varied than "What's Goin' On," "Innervisions" manages to dip its feet in several musical styles: funk ("Higher Ground"), Latin ("Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing"), and the usual R&B forms seen in "He's a Misstra Know-It-All" and "Golden Lady."

What keeps this stylistically diverse album from separating into its constituent elements is Wonder, himself. His music is consistently inventive, original and evocative. His singing is both powerful and musically accurate and his taste in studio musicians is impeccable (when he's not playing all the instruments himself.) "Innervisions" is one of those rare albums that has the capacity to delight everyone from stoners to musicologists - a must for the budding hipster.

"Jackson 5: The Anthology"

In the history of Motown, the Jackson 5 represent an image group that grew into a giant. Originally formed as an adorable pop group to appeal to a younger demographic, the Jackson family quickly turned into a titan that become one of the last great groups of Hitsville U.S.A. On the basis of solid songwriting (from none other than the likes of Smokey Robinson), strong studio musicians (the ever-present Bernard Purdie on drums) and Michael's eerily thick prepubescent voice, the Jackson 5 embraced both the best of bubble-gum pop and the first rumblings of proto-funk. You all know the songs.

For funkateers and pathological booty shakers, this album is like groceries. No home is complete without it.

It is impossible to pick the few best albums or groups from the extensive coffers of Hitsville U.S.A. For every big, well-known Michael Jackson and Smokey Robinson, there is an equally talented Martha Reeves and Mary Wells. The Supremes, the Marvelettes and Diana Ross gave us as many good vibes and strong emotions as anyone on the Gordy label. The little house on West Grand Boulevard is as much a part of our own youth as of our parents', when they danced and fell in love to the sounds of Detroit's favorite children.

03-26-98