David Ruffin

David Ruffin's solo career never really recaptured the heights he hit as a member of the Temptations, but he did have one classic tune -- "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" -- and quite a few really nice songs both in the classic Motown vein and in funkier, almost disco styles, too. Collectables' Motown Legends: My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) collects 11 Ruffin tracks like the title track, the gritty "I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved," the Van McCoy-penned groover "On and Off," and the dramatic ballad "Common Man." There are other Ruffin collections that provide more tracks and a wider picture of his artistry; this is an excellent low-priced introduction to his work that includes a couple of tracks that the other compilations ignore, namely his covers of Jackie DeShannon's "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" and Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love" as well as an intensely funky disco track, "Blood Donors Needed (Give All You Can)." The two covers are decent but inessential, but the other track is a real gem that is almost worth the price of admission -- it is surprising that other discs of his work have ignored it. [This disc was previously released as Motown Legends: I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved in 1995 and Motown Legends: Walk Away from Love in 2001.] ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide