Various Artists - Doo Wop - 20th Century: Millennium Collection / Va (CD)

All Music Guide

There's no way any single-disc collection -- let alone one with only a dozen tracks -- could hope to represent all of doo wop's major artists, scenes, and singles, but 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: Doo Wop still manages to present 12 of the style's classic tracks in a decent, though admittedly slight, doo wop primer. Though it necessarily focuses on the most mainstream and best-known doo wop groups, within its track listing the collection manages to include some of the genre's most romantic singles, including Phil Phillips the Twilights' "Sea of Love," the Platters' "Only You," and the Moonglows' "Ten Commandments of Love," as well as some of its most playful songs, like the Sensations' "Let Me In," the Monotones' "Book of Love," and the Diamonds' "Little Darlin'." The compilation also does a good job of representing African-American doo wop groups like the aforementioned Platters and Moonglows, Italian-American groups such as the Elegants, and interracial groups s...uch as the Del-Vikings, whose "Come Go With Me" remains one of doo wop's quintessential singles. So, while 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: Doo Wop isn't the final word on the genre, it is a solid introduction that will hopefully whet the appetites of casual listeners to investigate more comprehensive collections. - Heather Phares, All Music Guide Read more Less