While the packaging on this 25-track compilation is about as skimpily generic as its title, it does contain a lot of good music that won't necessarily be redundant if you already have an
Ink Spots collection or two.
Instant Classics concentrates on the earlier part of their career, with all but one of the tracks dating from 1933-1941. That means it doesn't include their most familiar hit records, which were done later, and on which the group moved to slicker arrangements. What's here, however, is delightful early vocal group music, indebted to the blues and gospel, but undeniably pop in its orientation (and groundbreaking for that very reason). Those primarily familiar with their later hit ballads may be surprised to hear how relatively raw these earlier cuts are in comparison, with sly and infectious -- hip, even -- jiving humor that sometimes verges on hokum. The vocal harmonies are still superb, however, and the sparse backup -- just a guitar and bass on the dozen pre-1939 sides -- hits a far jazzier-bluesier mood than their more celebrated work. In addition to the 19 studio recordings, there are also a half-dozen cuts taken from 1939 and 1941 radio broadcasts, in fine, clear sound, though by this time the group had polished their act a bit (and added piano to their sound, as well as highlighting hammy spoken recitations). It's easy to hear how much of the material on the disc helped pave the way for R&B, doo wop, jump blues, and, more distantly, rock & roll. But whether or not you're tracing their historical influence, it's just plain fun music that's good-natured without sounding contrived, remaining fresh long after its peak popularity.