November 6, 2005, saw the official Broadway debut of
The Jersey Boys. The musical, which
tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons rise to fame, would
quickly catch fire and garner its own version of fame for its well-told story
and even better performed musical numbers.
Many of those numbers were Valli’s own and when performed by these
dynamic young performers, they found new life.
That life led to the musical garnering tons of press, multiple tours,
and, on June 25, 2011, the musical
became the 25th longest-running show on Broadway.
But, in show business and as in life, all good
things must come to an end. And the same
was for many of the original cast. Yet,
all was not lost for these young men as they chanced to turn their newfound
fame into a revived career for themselves and for the music that they
love. So, as they departed the lights of
Broadway, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, Michael Longoria, and J. Robert
Spencer came together to form The Midtown Men.
The overall scope of The Midtown Men seems to be to
maintain and secure the integrity of the great music gone by. These guys are faithful to the original material
while investing their own passion into the work as well. The result is something very nostalgic and
evokes a feeling of a day gone by, in a good way. When these guys sing, you can picture
something of the Rat Pack and tons of Vegas appearances, Oceans 11-flavored hijinks, and drinks shaken, not stirred.
Perhaps the biggest challenge here on their debut, Sixties Hits, is that The Midtown Men
choose to offer up all cover songs here.
Therefore, there’s nothing new to be judged save for their performance
and the arrangements. That can be a
refreshing element in some ways and, in others, quite a roadblock. Thankfully, for this quartet, it works in
their favor.
So, with the source material deemed above reproach
the question really does come down to the performances. And there’s very little negative to be
said. The group opens up the album with
a rousing medley of hits, joining “Let’s Hang On/Working My Way Back to
You/Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” with aplomb, the high notes spot on and the
harmonies stunning. The backing
arrangements are faithful to the originals and performed with perfection,
putting the artist’s voices right up front.
After that rousing start, the Men turn their sights
on The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The
arrangement features a bit of horn work, which is nice, and, while the overall
package doesn’t quite capture the harmonies of the original, the bit of
swing-infused fun that’s injected here gives the song a lift. “Happy Together” follows after and is better
as a sum of its part, with the group vocals definitely outshining the
individual lines here and showing the comfort of these voices together.
A bit of Motown comes into play with the rocking rendition
of Marvin Gayes’s “Ain’t That Peculiar” while their take on “Dawn” let’s those
falsetto’s and tenor vocals shine. “Candy
Girl” is as saccharine sweet as the original, the high notes ringing true
throughout and the synergy stunning as they flow into a mid-tempo take on “Up
On the Roof.” It’s another track where the solo vocal is solid but the
harmonies truly make things happen.
“California Dreamin’” is enough to make The Mamas
and the Papas sit up and take notice, the faithful cover managing to evoke
solid points of vocal emotion and poise while “Big Girls Don’t Cry” steps in
and truly steals the show, finding the group tackle the doo-wop pop with
passion and massive skill. It’s easily
the best track on the album and is followed up by the playfulness of “Bye Bye
Baby,” a star in its own right.
Amazing source material, faithful arrangements, and
stunning vocal deliveries are the hallmark of The Midtown Men’s Sixties
Hits. While these songs beg for a live
audience performance, in the meantime, this album does a fine job of capturing
the spirit of the past and planting it squarely into a new millennium. For those in favor of the return of doo wop
and more, give a tip of the hat (and buy the album!) to The Midtown Men for
sure.
