3.0 out of 5 stars
The four tops... doing well enough, June 15, 2011
This review is from: On Top (Audio CD)
I reckon the 60's was quite possibly the best decade for music. There were so many great songs released that decade, and the music then was generally just so exciting. One flaw this decade had was that bands with great singles often had accompanying albums that rarely contained material on the same level. But if that is more or less the case here, it is definitely not for lack of trying; definitely NOT!
While the joyous sweetness of 'Loving you is sweeter than ever' and the absolutely heart-broken 'Shake Me Wake Me' might be two of the TOps' best ever singles, the rest of the album is surprisingly adventurous. There are flirtations with jazz, such as the eloquent 'In the still of the night' and a cover of The Beatles' 'Michelle'. However, the other material isn't really on the same level.
Of the jazzy material only 'In the still of the night' is excellent. Elsewhere 'Matchmaker' feels like a failed attempt at another 'Mr Sandman (bring me a dream)', 'Then' is a failed attempt at another 'Little Green Apples', at least lyrically. The cover of 'Michelle', while technically sound, lacks flair. The jazzy 'Bluesette' shows them beig stretched in terms of vocal ability.
Despite it's short-commings, 'On Top' is an enjoyable record, and most of the songs are fairly good. Only a few are exceptional Rating **3/4 (2.75)
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