Hit Man didn't live up to its title; in fact, it sold so poorly that Motown shipped
Eddie Kendricks to Philadelphia to record his next two albums under the auspices of
Norman Harris and his
Harris Machine. Kathy Wakefield co-wrote most of the tracks with either
Leonard Caston or
Frank Wilson. One she didn't write, "Skipping Work Today," is the best song on the album;
Kendricks croons the daydream about calling off from work in a soft airy falsetto that's simply delicious. "Get the Cream off the Top" is veiled eroticism, written by
Eddie and
Brian Holland; it's not one of their best, but managed to chart R&B. Wakefield's best song, "Happy," also charted, but would have been a B-side or remained an album cut on
Eddie's earlier and stronger albums. The rest of the songs are C-minuses. There's no need for Motown to reissue this one, since its three best tracks are available on other CDs. ~ Andrew Hamilton