Rockers who dismissed disco in general as cold and mechanical never seriously listened to Sylvester, a passionate, captivating singer who had a magnificent range and was consistently mindful of disco's soul and gospel roots. In the late '70s, disco-oriented artists generally shied away from live albums because of their lack of dance club appeal. But like Donna Summer, the colorful Sylvester was an exception. Living Proof, recorded at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, documents a varied and unpredictable performance showing that Sylvester was far from one-dimensional. While he probably inspired dancing in the aisles with sweaty versions of such dancefloor favorites as "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," "Dance (Disco Heat)," and "Body Strong," he shows how expressive a balladeer he could be on "Sharing Something Perfect Between Ourselves" and interpretations of Billie Holiday's "Lover Man" and Patti LaBelle's "You Are My Friend." Emotionally, Sylvester wasn't one to hold back, and that honesty serves him impressively well on this excellent CD.
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