Ask a group of
Dramatics
fans what the group's most productive decade was, and the vast majority of them will agree that the Motor City soulsters reached their creative peak in the '70s (which was also when they reached their commercial peak). However,
the Dramatics
were around before the '70s -- the group's original lineup was formed in 1962 -- and they were still active when the 21st century arrived.
Greatest Hits Live
documents a 2001 concert at
the Palace Theater
in New Haven, CT, where the five-man lineup consists of
Ron Banks
,
L.J. Reynolds
Lenny Mayes
Willie Ford
, and
Wenzell Kelly
. Few surprises occur, but
Banks
and friends are in good form on '70s gems like
"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get,"
"In the Rain,"
"Be My Girl,"
and
"Hey You! Get Off My Mountain."
Saying that few surprises occur isn't saying that no surprises occur; a bit of
dancehall
-style toasting (not the sort of thing one ordinarily expects from
) finds its way into
"Stand Up Clap Your Hands,"
and the concert takes a
hip-hop
detour with a
Snoop
-less performance of
"Doggy Dogg World"
(the 1994
Snoop Dogg
hit that found
making an unlikely guest appearance on a
gangsta rap
tune). But most of the concert is devoted to songs from the group's '70s heyday, and while
tends to be predictable, it is predictable in a good way --
"Thank You for Your Love"
and many of the other
soul
classics that they perform have held up impressively well over the years.
falls short of essential, although the
veterans' more devoted fans will find it to be a satisfying document of their 2001 tour. ~ Alex Henderson