Motown Meets The Beatles/Mod Fave Raves Vol.1 & 2

The influence of R&B on the Beatles was undoubtedly profound -- consider their covers of the Isley Brothers' "Twist & Shout," the Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman," and the Cookies' "Chains." But inspiration ran far and deep in both directions, and while Motown relied on staff songwriters like Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong, and Norman Whitfield for virtually all of its biggest chart hits, the label still managed its share of Beatles covers (not to mention borrowing liberally from the Fab Four's studio innovations). Motown Meets the Beatles is a fascinating compilation of album cuts and B-sides that aren't terribly well known -- virtually every major Motown act covered a Beatles song sooner or later, and as such the disc offers a fairly comprehensive overview of the label's superstars operating in a far different mode than per usual. And while it's not essential listening for diehards from either camp, it's hard to deny there's something weirdly compelling about hearing the Lennon/McCartney catalog filtered through the Motown sound -- highlights include the Temptations' "Hey Jude," Marvin Gaye's "Yesterday," Stevie Wonder's "We Can Work It Out," and Edwin Starr's "My Sweet Lord." ~ Jason Ankeny|