AMG Review of Motown Legends

Andrew Hamilton
All Music Guide

A good bargain for Edwin Starr fans because of cuts not found on other CDs, the 11 tracks include all the powerhouses except "Stop the War Now," a glaring omission. Instead, the compilers slapped on two selections from the poor-selling Just We Two album with Blinky Williams: "You Made Me So Very Happy" and "Ooh Baby, Baby," along with Starr's renditions of "Cloud Nine" and "You Beat Me to the Punch." He also does the smash hit he wrote for the Shades of Blue, "Oh How Happy," whose melody is quite similar to the German National Anthem; Starr's (born Charles Hatcher) tour of duty (United States Army) was served primarily in Germany.