This 18-track compilation is missing a few songs that are on other
Duprees
anthologies, such as
Ace
's 31-track
Their Complete Coed Masters
, and even
Rhino
's 18-song
The Best of the Duprees
. Where this has a possible edge on the competition is the inclusion of three late-'60s songs from
Heritage
singles, where the other comps include only 1962-1964
Coed
recordings. That's a small edge, since those late-'60s cuts are just average harmonized AM
pop
with a modernized
doo wop
tinge. If you're not fussy about having the complete
catalog, the other tracks on the CD cover that era -- which is the bread'n'butter of the group's discography -- satisfactorily, including the big hits
"You Belong to Me,"
"My Own True Love,"
and
"Have You Heard,"
as well as numerous lower-charting and non-charting sides from singles. It's a reasonable overview of one of the more talented Italian-American
vocal
groups from the tail end of the
era, tilting closer to adult
music than
rock
, but done with good taste and fine harmonies. ~ Richie Unterberger