While this compilation is credited to
Minnie Riperton, none of the 16 tracks was actually released under her name. Indeed, a more apt title might have been "Best of Minnie Riperton and the Rotary Connection," as 13 of the songs are
Rotary Connection cuts on which she sang lead. The other three date from before the
Rotary Connection days, with a couple of tracks by
the Gems (a mid-'60s girl group) that bear
Riperton's lead vocals, as well as the 1966 single "Lonely Girl," which is actually
Riperton solo, but was released under the pseudonym Andrea Davis. The pre-
Rotary Connection numbers are fair but unremarkable pop-soul, with
Minnie unveiling her stratospheric operatic vocals on "Lonely Girl." The
Rotary Connection material is taken from five albums recorded by the group in the late '60s and early '70s; there's nothing from their most famous LP, the self-titled 1967 debut, as
Riperton sang no leads on that record (it's been reissued on its own by Chess anyway). This stuff is a very mixed bag, including dubious
Cream and
Hendrix covers, as well as a ghoulish mauling of "Respect." On the other hand, "Magical World" shows their odd psychedelic-soul-as-MGM-musical production style at its best, and "A-Muse" is a surprisingly pretty, acoustic singer/songwriter type ballad, delivered with sensitivity by
Riperton. As a whole, this music isn't so much notable for
Riperton's vocals (as wide-ranging as they are) as its eccentric genre-mashing, from a rare period in which mainstream pop and soul tried to be self-consciously avant-garde and eclectic without getting too far out. ~ Richie Unterberger