by Andrew Hamilton
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.