The Motown Sound, L.A. Division

When you think of the glory days of Motown Records, you think of the ‘60s and Detroit, right?

That’s when and where such Motown classics as the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ “The Tears of a Clown” were recorded.

Those were among the more than 100 songs from that era that were celebrated last year in “Hitsville U.S.A.: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971,” a widely acclaimed four-disc box set.

So the idea of a second four-disc box set saluting Motown in the ‘70s and ‘80s in Los Angeles sounds like a bit of a stretch, right?

The new volume, titled “Hitsville U.S.A.: The Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992,” gamely attempts to make a case for the music of the L.A. era.

“For many die-hard fans of the company’s classic period in Detroit, the shift west ended a golden era and ushered in the much less fondly remembered ‘70s,” author-critic Nelson George writes in the album’s liner notes.

Acknowledging that he once shared that view, George says he now has greater appreciation for the post-’60s Motown music.

“The stand-up vocal harmony groups and AM anthems evolved into funky self-contained bands and lengthy tracks perfect for FM radio,” he adds. “In essence, the Detroit Motown fit the ‘60s, but the L.A. Motown moved forward with the times and still, quite often, defined them.”

And, there are some gems among the 76 “L.A.-era” Motown hits, including the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” and “Superstition” and Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover.”

The collection also boasts such hits as Michael Jackson’s “Ben,” the Commodores’ “Brick House,” Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” Rick James’ “Super Freak” and Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.”

Even so, the new set, despite excellent production values, is no match for last year’s. The package could have been far more competitive if it had included a dozen or so more tracks from Wonder’s Grammy-winning “Innervisions,” “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” or “Songs in the Key of Life” albums. That, however, would have turned this into a mini-Stevie Wonder collection.

In keeping with volume one, the philosophy behind the new “Hitsville” edition was apparently to limit the number of contributions by any single artist or group so that the set could better reflect the larger array of artists on the label. Once you get past the superstar acts, however, you don’t find the same strong cast of secondary performers during the L.A. years that characterized the Detroit decade. As such, the new set offers an interesting historical perspective on Motown’s second era, but falls far short of its predecessor musically.