The two albums
the Supremes and
the Temptations did together in the late '60s might have been fun to do, and sometimes fun to hear, but certainly weren't highlights in the career of either group. If you're going to hear them at all, however, you should do so in the context of this two-CD set, which leaves no stone unturned in its presentation of not just the original albums (1968's
Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations and 1969's Together), but also a bunch of previously unreleased tracks and alternate mixes. The albums themselves were uneven, relying too heavily on so-so covers of hits by other artists, remakes of some old Motown smashes, and the odd inappropriate MOR hit and popular standard, though the number two hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (from the first of the LPs) was a highlight. Particularly on Together, there were also some odd trendy production flourishes, like the electric sitar in "The Weight," the freak-out fuzz guitar and quasi-Eastern psychedelic effects that open "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," and the funk-rock cover of
Sly Stone's "Sing a Simple Song."