by Stephen Thomas ErlewineRhino's 2002 release The Very Best of Ashford & Simpson comes very close to being a complete greatest hits, but it stumbles on a major point -- it only contains two songs from the group's Capitol recordings from the early '80s, including the hit "Solid." The rest is devoted to the duo's Warner recordings of the '70s. This isn't a bad thing, actually, since Ashford & Simpson were at their creative peak then, and this collection also touches on their superb writing gig at Motown with an opening live medley. So, this hits nearly all the bases -- but misses just enough to stop it from being definitive. Still, it's arguably the best Ashford & Simpson collection assembled, and it will satisfy many listeners looking for a collection like this.