The Trammps (Live)

Cranking out three albums in the space of two years, The Trammps III richly displays more innovation from disco's most popular group. That's the good news. The bad news is that by 1977, a countless number of other acts had also joined the disco bandwagon. To make matters worse, their 1976 classic "Disco Inferno" was beginning to pick up even more steam consequently making their subsequent efforts barely heard. Although the group was often thought of as lesser than the O'Jays and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, the majority of their '70s work often holds up better than their contemporaries. The Trammps III introduces more creative arrangements as well as a batch of smooth ballads. "The Nights the Lights Went Out" finds the guys taking advantage of New York's 1977 power outage. While the track could have been gimmicky, it's one of Norman Harris's best productions and arrangements. "People on the World, Rise" is an unfocused dancefloor plea. When they sing, "Just let the world be dancefloor people," it's this close to self-parody. While the Trammps aren't on the short list of balladeers, The Trammps III has them at least thinking about love. The winning "Living the Life" and "It Don't Take Much" is reminiscent of the group's work on Golden Fleece and Buddah. Both tracks feature the softer-voiced Robert Upchurch assuming lead duties from the irascible Jimmy Ellis. The Trammps III is an interesting effort from one of R&B's most overlooked artists.