Perhaps I was spoiled by "Smokin'"…, Smokey Robinson's last live album. It was a treasure trove of all the aged-in-soul songs that made him the dean of rhythm-and-blues writers back in the early Sixties when Motown was synonymous with the vibrant sound of an emerging urban generation. It would be difficult even for Smokey to produce another gem comparable to Ooh, Baby Baby, but if he could, it isn't on ["Where There's Smoke"]. Of course, these songs are new and haven't had a chance to imbed themselves in our minds to the point where the lyrics seem like old friends, but in their freshness and consistent quality they are nevertheless a pleasure to hear.

The range of the material is relatively broad, from It's a Good Night, an interesting disco play on the basic melody of the standard It's a Good Day, to Share It, which is almost...