by Richie Unterberger 　　As the title suggests, The Versatile Impressions was constructed (by the group's former label ABC-Paramount) to display the Impressions at work in various musical idioms. And as was the case with many soul albums of this sort in the 1960s, it found them tackling show tunes, pop-jazz-numbers, and Lennon-McCartney covers that weren't nearly as satisfying as their straight soul outings. There are a couple of fair soul cuts here, "Sermonette" and "Don't Cry My Love" (a small anti-war hit single, co-written by Mayfield and jazz singer Oscar Brown, Jr.). "Yesterday" and "Fool on a Hill" are good songs, but not as sung by the Impressions; "Oo You're a Livin' Doll" and "This is the Life" are embarrassing cabaret-style swingers; "The Look of Love" isn't half-bad; and "East of Java" and "Just Before Sunrise," both done for the East of Java soundtrack, are intriguing curiosities. All ten of the songs, along with five unreleased ones cut at the same sessions, are included on the Kent ABC Rarities compilation, a recommended alternative to the original LP.