Motown cover albums are not new. Just about every era since has brought us different version of these classic songs. Some have been about as good as the originals, others not so much.
For the latest attempt at the Motown sound, enter one Phil Collins. Collins, best noted for his popularity in the 80's as a solo artist and lead band member of Genesis, has turned his attention late in his career to a labor of love for him: capturing the sounds of Motown.
It's no secret for Phil Collins fans that Phil is a fan of Motown and grew up with it, and that very much influenced his getting into the music biz in the first place. That love is very well captured in this album. With each song, Phil tried to to capture not some new version of each track, but rather capture the original sounds that made each one a classic.
Maybe the thing that separates Collins' Motown album from other versions is the fact that this is something of a valentine from Collins to Motown, and he hits it! This is maybe Phil's best yet.
If you are wanting new music, you'll be disappointed. This is meant to be an "old" album. But, if you love Motown OR Phil Collins or even both, you can't go wrong with this album.
What's great about it: Everything
What's not so great: Only 29 tracks were recorded in total