Ballads

This brief, 12-track compilation is a sampling of Marvin Gaye's ballads, drawing from the early '60s (such as 1961's The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye) through the mid-'70s (namely 1976's I Want You), as well as from posthumous archival releases (like 1985's Romantically Yours). There's a pronounced emphasis on material recorded during the early '60s. The set appeals most to those who own a hit-oriented anthology and want to dig deeper into the phase of Gaye's career when the singer aspired to follow in the pop footsteps of Nat King Cole. Only one inclusion, however, is pulled from his 1965 album A Tribute to the Great Nat King Cole. ~ Andy Kellman