432. The Marvelettes: “A Little Bit Of Sympathy, A Little Bit Of Love”
Artless and joyless, this is one of the weakest records the Marvelettes ever released, especially on a 45, and the song should never have left the drawing board. (2)
Author Archives: The Nixon Administration
431. The Marvelettes: “You’re My Remedy”
Probably the Marvelettes’ best single in two years, even if I’m not sure quite how it managed to be so (and I’m not convinced they did either). Still, it’s hard to argue with results like these. (8)
430. The Miracles: “You’re So Fine And Sweet”
Plenty of fun as far as it goes, but that only really lasts for as long as it’s playing – you wouldn’t dig it out on purpose for repeated listening, and it fades from the memory literally ten seconds after it’s done. (4)
429. The Miracles: “I Like It Like That”
Not even the most die-hard Miracles fan would say this was the big-ticket hit single to return them to the top, but it’s a lovely, warm-hearted record, impossible to dislike. A minor work in the Miracles canon, for sure, but a really enjoyable one all the same. (8)
428. Marvin Gaye: “If My Heart Could Sing”
A tuneless dirge sacrificing melody for a vague melodiousness, sticky with self-satisfied lethargy, inhabiting some sort of horrible hinterland between Mantovani and Manilow. (2)
427. Marvin Gaye: “Try It Baby”
One of the most interesting and intriguing back-stories of any Motown record ends up with a solid, stolid, forgettable little footnote in Marvin Gaye’s career. (4)
426. Bobby Breen: “Here Comes That Heartache”
A decent (if schlocky) song, a really bad performance, a record ending up somewhere in the middle. Not especially good, but absolutely worth hearing. (5)
425. Bobby Breen: “You’re Just Like You”
Absolutely nothing to do with Motown at all, but one still has to applaud the sheer effort that went into getting all of the details of this pastiche so spot-on. (5)
424. Dorsey Burnette: “Cold As Usual”
Not a masterpiece by any means, but it’s sweet and funny, and it took a certain amount of balls on Motown’s part to release it at all, so it’s okay by me. (5)
423. Dorsey Burnette: “Little Acorn”
The verses are schlocky and twee, and the whole thing lacks bite – but Burnette is palpably enjoying himself a great deal, and his avuncular enthusiasm is infectious enough to paper over some of the giant, yawning cracks in this song. (4)
422. Stevie Wonder: “This Little Girl”
Simultaneously great fun and greatly annoying, it’s difficult to know what to think about this one; it moves the story of Stevie Wonder forward not one jot, and it’s at least six months past its sell-by date, but you can definitely dance to it and it’ll get stuck in your head given half a chance. (6)
Motown Junkies 