By the time they released
Joy Ride,
the Dramatics were beginning to slip. They still sounded heavenly, but their productions were getting generically bland and their material was mediocre. Unfortunately, that's the case on
Joy Ride. They still have the capabilities to pull it all together, provided they have the right material -- such as on the minor hit single "Be My Girl" -- but too often the songs simply aren't good, even if the title is as intriguing as "Finger Fever." Consequently, only diehards will need to track this one down. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine