The Impressions/The Never Ending Impressions

by The Impressions

Overview

The Impressions/The Never Ending Impressions is a kind of odd pairing of two LPs on one CD, covering four years of releases by the group in completely different idioms and with partly different lineups -- it's also a good overview of their early history on ABC Records. The contents of The Impressions mostly consisted of their 1961-1963 singles, by the five-man lineup of Curtis Mayfield, Arthur Brooks, Richard Brooks, Sam Gooden, and Fred Cash -- these tend toward the elegant side of soul music (especially on "You've Come Home," "Minstrel and Queen," and "Sad, Sad Girl and Boy"), an attribute that is only enhanced by Ace Records' superb remastering of this material, which brings out all of the subtleties in the singing and playing. The Never Ending Impressions, made by Mayfield, Gooden, and Cash, was the group's first attempt at doing an actual LP, rather than just assembling previously issued singles and it alternates between some superb single-style tracks, such as "Sister Love," "Girl You Don't Know Me," and "I Gotta Keep On Moving," and more sophisticated standards such as "Satin Doll" and "You Always Hurt the One You Love." The latter are a somewhat mixed bag, at their weakest recalling the Mills Brothers to know special purpose but occasionally throwing out an interesting angle, in the beat or chorus. It's not quite as uniformly strong as the albums that preceded it, but the best songs -- half of what's here -- are as good as anything the group recorded in their previous three years, and the repertory experiment has its good moments. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	06/07/1996
Label:	Kent / Ace
UPC:	0029667212625

Tracks

1. It's All Right
2. Gypsy Woman
3. Grow Closer Together
4. Little Young Lover
5. You've Come Home
6. Never Let Me Go
7. Minstrel and Queen (Queen Majesty)
8. I Need Your Love
9. I'm the One Who Loves You
10. Sad, Sad Girl and Boy
11. As Long as You Love Me
12. Twist and Limbo
13. Sister Love
14. Little Boy Blue
15. Satin Doll
16. Girl You Don't Know Me
17. I Gotta Keep on Moving
18. You Always Hurt the One You Love
19. That's What Love Will Do
20. I'm So Proud
21. September Song
22. Lemon Tree
23. Ten to One
24. A Woman Who Loves Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Impressions   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Billy Strayhorn   Composer
Kurt Weill   Composer
Peter Burns   Design,Liner Notes
Will Holt   Composer
Maxwell Anderson   Composer
Richard Brooks   Composer
Bob Ghiraldini   Photography
Joe Lebow   Design
Allan Roberts   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Composer
Doris Fisher   Composer
Joe Scott   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Joseph Scott   Composer
Rick Ward   Liner Notes
Nick Robbins   Post Production