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" and "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 Blue's opening suggests -- it has a buoyant midtempo beat and a happy-go-lucky feel. ~ Andrew Hamilton