The Dramatics - The Best Of The Dramatics: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection (2005)

Review by Al Campbell
As part of Universal's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection, this 12-song disc highlights the Dramatics' best-known smooth soul material originally released in the '70s on three sperate labels: Volt, ABC, and MCA. The track listing is in chronological order starting with the group's first Top Five smash from 1971, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," followed by the original Top Ten versions of "In the Rain," "Hey You! Get off My Mountain," "Shake It Well," "Be My Girl," and concluding nine years later with their final charted release, "Welcome Back Home." As is the case with similar soul groups of the period, like the Delfonics or the Stylistics, the overall quality of material is consistently high, with the exception of a too-smooth and over-produced version of "Me and Mrs. Jones." Still, enough gems are included to please any soul fan.