Rare Earth’s edition of the 20th Century Masters series is a near-definitive collection of their singles for Motown. Over the course of seven tracks, all the group’s biggest hits — “Get Ready,” “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” “Born to Wander,” “I Just Want to Celebrate,” “Hey Big Brother,” and “What’d I Say” — are included, all in their original album versions. This means “(I Know) I’m Losing You” runs over ten minutes, “Ma” over 17, and “Get Ready” a shattering 21-plus minutes. This is means that it’s for the serious casual fan, since these extended versions certainly demand patience. Still, this gives a good idea of what Rare Earth was about, and that makes it a first-rate compilation. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine