The Manhattans S.O.U.L.

The Manhattans volume in Sony's budget-line S.O.U.L. series covers the mid-'70s through the mid-'80s, bizarrely disregarding the group's first two albums for Columbia. It's not exactly straightforward with the era it covers, either, as it includes the 1985 Top 20 R&B hit "You Send Me" but not the 1983 number four hit "Crazy" (quite possibly because the latter's production sounds like 1983 rather than a nostalgic throwback) and overlooks the Top 20 R&B singles "I Kinda Missed You," "It Feels So Good to Be Loved So Bad," and "We Never Danced to a Love Song." Just about any other Manhattans compilation would be preferable to this one, unless you're on a shoestring budget and don't mind the flaws. ~ Andy Kellman