Ultimate Collection in Bloomington, MN

Hip-O
's
Ultimate Collection
may not have the original hit recording of
"That's the Way God Planned It,"
due to licensing restrictions (it was recorded for
the Beatles
ill-fated label,
Apple
), but that's about the only thing missing from this near-definitive single-disc set. Over the course of 20 tracks, the collection chronicles every one of
Preston
's hits, from the funky
"Outa-Space,"
"Slaughter,"
and
"Will It Go Round in Circles"
to the smooth, quiet storm soul of his duets with
Syreeta
(
"With You I'm Born Again,"
"Go for It,"
"One More Time for Love"
). Since it's quite a transition between the two extremes, fans of either side of the spectrum may not enjoy everything here, but it's nevertheless a nearly flawless collection, providing an accurate portrait of
's career. It is true that the lesser-known hits aren't as compelling as the smash singles, but this is still an entertaining collection, regardless. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine