Kool & the Gang - Kool Funk Essentials 1970-1977 (2001)

Don't approach Kool Funk Essentials expecting a Kool & the Gang best-of -- it couldn't be farther from that. In fact, none of the featured songs on Kool Funk Essentials are essential Kool & the Gang songs. You won't find songs like "Celebration," "Cherish," or "Ladies Night" here. They're nowhere to be found. As a collection of Kool & the Gang rarities, Kool Funk Essentials does prove successful -- it's doubtful you've heard these songs before. Yet with so many Kool & the Gang LPs out there, there's little reason to bother with a haphazard collection like this. For completists only.