Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 11/20/1995
This CD has an identical track listing to the
Kent vinyl LP, also titled
The Best of the Chi-Lites, that came out in the late '80s. The only difference is a new cover and updated (and comprehensive) liner notes by
Tony Rounce. As for whether you should buy this if you want to pick up a
Chi-Lites best-of, it's so close in content to a couple of previous
Chi-Lites anthologies that it probably gets down to which package happens to be most convenient to obtain. This particular greatest-hits comp replicates almost exactly the tracks chosen for
Brunswick's 2001 collection
20 Greatest Hits, and is also quite similar (though not as similar) to
Rhino's
Greatest Hits, though you might have an easier time finding the
Kent anthology in the U.K., since it's a British release. If this does end up being the best-of you get, it certainly serves
the Chi-Lites' legacy well, including all of their notable chart entries. Many of the tracks remain landmarks of smooth '70s
harmony soul, though some listeners might be surprised to hear some tougher
Temptations-influenced
soul-
funk on some early sides, like
"I Like Your Lovin' (Do You Like Mine)," "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)," and
"(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People." ~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide