The Supremes – New Ways But Love Stays

Time to breakdown sampled by DJ Premier for Gamgstarr. I think for JFK to LAX track. Anyway this Supremes track is very spacey, West Coast sound.

In my opinion, this is the best post-Ross Supremes Album. Like other early-70s Motown records, this album attempts to be a concept album rather than a mere collection of singles and filler, the concept of this being one of love and peace. Frank Wilson's timeless production captures everything right with Motown records of this era. New Ways built upon the momentum that began on "Right On" (1970) and helped set the "New" Supremes of the 70s on course to record some of their best material.

The highlight of this album is the opening 3 track run, which plays like a soul-infused suite and feels like a predecessor to the album-oriented rock of the 70s. There is a fantastic cover of "Bridge over Troubled Water," in which every Supreme gets her chance on lead vocals. (Cindy Birdsong does some rare heavy lifting here, which is refreshing to hear!) Moving into the back half of the record, a few missteps of records do not fit the theme, though they are still beautiful tracks. (Many collectors have suggested that certain tracks could have been swapped between this album and "Right On," namely, "Loving Country" from "Right On" would be an appropriate swap for "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.")

This album can be summed up by THE Supreme herself, Mary Wilson, in her book "Supreme Faith," as the album that should have put the Supremes back on top of the charts; I couldn't agree more. Though there are some programming missteps, this album provides fantastic tracks filled with soul, elegance, and energy. If you're looking to get into the 70s, post-Ross supremes, this is where you should start.