Tightening It Up: The Best of Archie Bell & the Drells in Bloomington, MN

It could be assumed that
Archie Bell & the Drells
essentially did the same thing over and over again, since
"Tighten Up"
almost consigns them to the level of one-hit wonders, but that's not an accurate assessment of their gifts. True, they often followed the same stylish, sunny, utterly infectious sound, but there was a lot more depth and variety there, as
Rhino
's terrific 20-track collection
Tightening It Up: The Best of Archie Bell & the Drells
illustrates. What it reveals to those that weren't playing close attention is that the group was one of the first great
Philly soul
outfits, recording a number of
Gamble & Huff
's early songs and providing a training ground for the seminal duo. Though the hits didn't come fast and furious, like they would later, they,
Bell & the Drells
, created some wonderful singles, highlighted by
"(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown"
and
"A World Without Music."
There's plenty of other terrific moments throughout this collection, which proves that
were far more than a one-hit wonder -- they were one of the great under appreciated
soul
outfits of their time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine