Gerald Alston & the Manhattans
--
Winnie "Blue" Lovett
,
Ernest Bivins
and
Kenny Kelly
-- are mellow as Moet on this sophisticated soul showcase. Remakes of
"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
"Tomorrow"
sound like originals; they stamped their imprint on the two pop classics so definitively you forget about other versions. The eloquent
"Am I Losing You"
is an understated and heart-rending ballad. The chugger
"Movin'"
is the only uptempo number, while
"Everybody Has a Dream
is a motivational piece.
Alston
sings like a Baptist preacher on the
Dr. Martin Luther King
-inspired message song. Despite
Blue
's depressing spoken intro,
"Goodbye Is the Saddest Word"
is not as depressing as the title or
's opening suggests -- it has a buoyant midtempo beat and a happy-go-lucky feel. ~ Andrew Hamilton