Smokey Robinson - The Solo Albums: Volume 5: Smokin' (2011)

Vol. 5 of Hip-O Select's ongoing Smokey Robinson solo album reissue series is a straight-up reissue of the 1978 live album Smokin'. Although this opens with "The Tracks of My Tears," this isn't an oldie revue heavy on hits with the Miracles. Instead, this double album is very much of its time, relying heavily on recent hits with everything, even the classic '60s sides, given a bit of a disco makeover. While these new arrangements hardly trump the originals, they make for a better overall experience: perhaps this isn't Smokey at his absolute peak, but it is a reflection of a legend working hard to build upon his legacy without living in the past.~The Solo Albums, Vol. 5 Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine