Since most of MCA’s 20th Century Masters: Millennium Edition has been devoted to musicians, it’s a little strange to see it applied to a comedian, yet the same principle works very well on Bill Cosby’s collection. This covers his early-’70s records for MCA, a time when he was deep into Fat Albert — who indeed appears here with “Fat Albert’s Car.” Truth be told, this material isn’t as classic as what appeared on the early-’60s albums on Warner, but it’s pretty damn great all the same, and while it doesn’t have the flow of a real comedy record (and is admittedly missing some great bits), it does have most of the major cuts he made during this time, and is a successful sampler. If you just want a taste of Cosby’s early-’70s recordings, this is a good choice. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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