The average fan is better off with Anthology, which covers almost all of
Marvin Gaye's true classics. But for those who want the hits and then some, and have the budget and interest to go further, this four-CD box set is an excellent retrospective of his career. The 89 tracks include all the chart hits (both on his own and with
Mary Wells,
Kim Weston,
Tammi Terrell, and
Diana Ross) and many interesting B-sides, album tracks, and misses. There are also over a dozen previously unreleased cuts, most dating from the early part of his career; they don't rank among his best work, but they're almost all good and interesting. With a long essay by his biographer,
David Ritz, this is the best overview of
Gaye's evolution and versatility, and a much-recommended alternative to the previous
Gaye box, The Marvin Gaye Collection. ~ Richie Unterberger