Post by janebse on Jul 10, 2004 18:21:26 GMT -5
Review of the Temptations/Tops concert in Albany
Bit of Motown glory at Palace
By GREG HAYMES, Staff writer
First published: Friday, June 25, 2004
review
ALBANY -- Of the nine singers onstage at the Palace Theatre on Thursday evening, only three of them were members of the great Motown groups back in the glory days of the mid-1960s, so it might be more accurate to refer to them as tribute bands rather than the actual Temptations and Four Tops.
But the musical templates remain the same, and the current incarnations of the Temps and Tops carried on the legacy in fine form on Thursday.
Led by Otis Williams (the only remaining original member), the Temps emerged as the better of the two groups, primarily because the group always emphasized an ensemble tradition and the blend of five distinct voices.
Ron Tyson and G.C. Cameron alternated on most of the lead vocal chores, with Tyson's soaring falsetto the perfect counterpoint to Cameron's gritty growl of a voice. Backed by a five-piece band augmented with a 10-piece horn section, the group ran through 20 songs in just 75 minutes, although some of them were abridged. Always superb showmen, the Temps delivered some dazzling choreography, and they got the crowd on its feet for the gem "Get Ready" and again for the classic "My Girl."
They nailed most of the hits, including the opening "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and "I Wish It Would Rain" (with thunder sound effects).
They also added a few more recent hits, such as "Stay" and "Standing at the Top," but the strongest portion of their show was a quick romp through some of their earlier minor hits, which they've often neglected in concert. Terry Weeks stepped into the spotlight for a solid reading of "Since I Lost My Baby," and Cameron's tear through "Don't Look Back" was a highlight of the set.
i just quoted the Temptations part of the review. The reviewer mentioned at first that the Tops were weaker.
Bit of Motown glory at Palace
By GREG HAYMES, Staff writer
First published: Friday, June 25, 2004
review
ALBANY -- Of the nine singers onstage at the Palace Theatre on Thursday evening, only three of them were members of the great Motown groups back in the glory days of the mid-1960s, so it might be more accurate to refer to them as tribute bands rather than the actual Temptations and Four Tops.
But the musical templates remain the same, and the current incarnations of the Temps and Tops carried on the legacy in fine form on Thursday.
Led by Otis Williams (the only remaining original member), the Temps emerged as the better of the two groups, primarily because the group always emphasized an ensemble tradition and the blend of five distinct voices.
Ron Tyson and G.C. Cameron alternated on most of the lead vocal chores, with Tyson's soaring falsetto the perfect counterpoint to Cameron's gritty growl of a voice. Backed by a five-piece band augmented with a 10-piece horn section, the group ran through 20 songs in just 75 minutes, although some of them were abridged. Always superb showmen, the Temps delivered some dazzling choreography, and they got the crowd on its feet for the gem "Get Ready" and again for the classic "My Girl."
They nailed most of the hits, including the opening "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and "I Wish It Would Rain" (with thunder sound effects).
They also added a few more recent hits, such as "Stay" and "Standing at the Top," but the strongest portion of their show was a quick romp through some of their earlier minor hits, which they've often neglected in concert. Terry Weeks stepped into the spotlight for a solid reading of "Since I Lost My Baby," and Cameron's tear through "Don't Look Back" was a highlight of the set.
i just quoted the Temptations part of the review. The reviewer mentioned at first that the Tops were weaker.