Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: Definitive Performances 1963-1987

Spotlighting the work of a classic Motown group, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: Definitive Performances 1963-1987 is nearly two hours long, but only about 45 minutes of the program is actual music (the rest is a new interview with Robinson and band mates Bobby Rogers and Pete Moore), and of the 14 performances anthologized here, only the nine featuring the original Miracles are of lasting interest. But those nine, even the ones in which Smokey and Co. are clearly lip-syncing (including "The Tracks of My Tears" and "Going to a Go-Go"), are genuinely thrilling. A 1963 rendition of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (coupled with Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home to Me") from the Apollo Theatre is the best of the lot, as the usually silky smooth Smokey testifies with the kind of soulful, on-bended-knee pleading more typical of, say, Otis Redding. "Ooo Baby Baby," from 1965, is nearly as good, and while "I Second That Emotion" (1968) suffers from a terrible mix, "The Tears of a Clown" (from The Don Knotts Show!) is much better. The two tracks featuring the Miracles sans Smokey (Billy Griffin was the lead singer) are notable mostly for the singers' outrageous pink pimp suits, while Robinson's solo bits (from '80, '81, and '87) are fine but also rather tame. DVD extras include the option to listen to a cappella audio from the original studio recordings on eight numbers, additional interview footage, and an excellent 24-page booklet. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)