Ultimate Collection

The best single-disc Shalamar compilation as of 2006, Capitol's Ultimate Collection contains most of the group's charting singles. While one could gripe about the lack of 12" mixes, it's remarkable that the group racked up so many hits that they can't all fit on one disc -- even when single edits are often favored over the album mixes. Everything that the casual Shalamar fan could possibly want is here, including "A Night to Remember," "Take That to the Bank," "The Second Time Around," "Dancing in the Sheets," and "Right in the Socket." The sound is crisp, and the liner notes from A. Scott Galloway are typically informative and insightful.