All Directions

Only got the chance to give it a single listen, but it was pretty damn funky. Definitely one for me to revisit in the future, had heard the group name before but expecting something more soulful. Not disappointed with some funk instead though.

Ég hefði viljað vera uppi á þessum tíma. Þetta er nefnilega fín tónlist en samt ekkert mikið meira en það. Mig langar bara að upplifa tíðarandann þegar ég hlusta á þetta.

this opens up with alot of energy and feels fresh, starts to feel a bit dated as the second side creeps forward. The closer, Do your thing is enjoyable

Nicht schlecht, aber für mich ein wenig zu langsam. Mir fehlt der Wums. Aber dafür, dass ich R&B und ältere Musik eigentlich nicht mag und niemals von selbst hören würde, hat es mir überraschend gut gefallen. Die Lieder klingen überraschend modern und die Jungs haben gute Stimmen.

Nice and soulful Album 4 out of 5

Papa Was a Rollin' Stone highlights this out with the do-wop, in with the funk, version of the Temptations. They had so many albums, so many songs, so many iterations of who they were over the years that it's hard to separate who did what when, but bottom line, it's the Temps. Sit down, stand up, dance, sing along, whatever strikes your fancy. For any fan of the group, this is one of their many must listen albums.

It was fine. A little boring and sappy at times.

Chill vibes.

Good stuff. But there are far better MoTown recordings

🙌🙌🙌🙌praise

I really like how ignorant this album a day thing reminds me I am. It had been the likes of “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” that came to mind when I thought of the Temptations - I had no idea they had this kind of funk in them, let alone that they were tearing the roof off before the Mothership even landed! That backbone of soul through the middle gives it a delicious grounding like mashed potatoes in the middle of a perfectly stacked plate. Loved it from start to finish and back around again.

A bit slower, softer than I was anticipating, but good.

I was tempted ha ha

Love the funk

Side 1 mega stark, side 2 mit Längen. Schlusstrack wieder super. Inhaltlich stark

Добар албум. Допада ми се музика, аранжман, гитарски ефекти, веома је јасно раздвојен сваки сегмент и могу да се одвојено фокусирам и на гитару и ефекте, и на бубњеве и на бас. Хармонија добра. 8/10 рецимо

Pretty chill

Man. I never really sought to listen to The Temptations outside of their popular hits, and listening to this made me real glad I never did. Obviously they’ve got their hits and they’re great. But this album just isn’t it for me. “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” was literally over 10 minutes long and the most interesting thing about it was the bass line, which was a 4 bar I fire loop in which the bass was resting 3/4 of the time. They say music isn’t about the notes you play, but the notes you don’t. And that’s true much of the time but come on, guys! The entire album was just way too slow and repetitive for me.

01) Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On - 8,0 02) Run Charlie Run - 7,0 03) Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - 10,0 04) Love Woke Me Up This Morning - 7,5 05) I Ain't Got Nothin' - 8,5 06) The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 7,5 07) Mother Nature - 8,5 08) Do Your Thing - 8,0 TOTAL: - 8,13 (81/100)

This ain’t the happy songs of the temptations. It’s reflective of the changing musical nature and state of the country.

Langatmiger Soul.

1972 Motown. Over a third of this LP is ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’. Described as ‘psychedelic soul’ as they move away from their 60s harmonies & ballads to something funkier. This is the most famous version of the main track but it’s a cover. Track goes on way too long, it’s like a never ending break down with no climax, it just peters out but I’m sure it worked great live as there is tension there. Sadly underwhelmed by this, I was hoping for more. Is this R&B ? If so as expected not for me on this showing, my loss, maybe I have no soul. Too smooth. Just not enough going on for me here, it never builds to anything.

So damn funky

Cool beanz

not sure how i feel about this album. the funky tracks were amazing but the slow, soft piano ballads didn't really hit home for me. i did have a minor heart attack when i saw that papa was a rollin' stone was nearly 12 minutes long and a third of the total album length, but man did they do it justice. that song slaps and i was wrong for prejudging it so. i don't really remember most of the later tracks but I'm sure they were pleasant enough. there's really nothing *bad* here. favorites: papa was a rollin' stone, love woke me up this morning

Didn’t really know any of this material from them. Different than I expected. I enjoyed it.

2/8, 25%

Banger -Chill

Very cool

Music was fine, absolutely nothing wrong with it. But it was just not for me. Its something i could enjoy listening to if somebody else had put it on but i do not see myself listening to it again otherwise.

Was not my style.

Great step forward of maturity and musicianship from the members. Important socially and musically.

you gotta do your thing

ok

I love the general sound and vibe these songs have, very smooth, funky, and groovy. Nothing in terms of incredible standouts to me though.

i listened to this on my phone rather than on my computer like i usually do but i want to respect the format i got going 'cause i did enjoy this album. in case anyone reading the global stuff sees this, these are written in real time while listening to the song for the first time. F.M.S.N.T.M.O - i mean this sounds like the definition of funk. sex turned music, can't go wrong. (3/5 i had to check to make sure my headphones weren't broken. -1 for the balance but spotify could have just broken this song*) Run Charlie Run - i do not know how to talk about this song but it's so fun. (5/5 the song is just correct) Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - 11 minutes baby. tickling my taint for almost 2 full minutes in this intro. Three and a Half Minutes. Four minutes in and the song starts. got that funk-blues vibe. okay i low-key love these kind of like skit/song things where it's a story in the form of a blues inspired type of expression. (5/5 i was bumping that whole intro too. tbf i reached 9 minutes and kinda forgot i was listening to this song but i'm still vibing once the vocals started again) Love Woke Me Up This Morning - very gospel. not my thing but i do love the vocals :) (3/5) I Ain't Got Nothin' - shoowop shoowop. now this kind of jazzy blues sound is something i can fuck with in these minor chords. (5/5 this slaps. and i love the lyrics, they're kinda silly but fair) T.F.T.I.E.S.Y.F - these fucking FOB song titles. it is a love song (2/5 too slow for me) Mother Nature - that drum is getting treated like a gong, damn. (3/5 short and sweet) Do Your Thing - Do It Do It. (3/5) honestly overall i have to only give this a 3/5. it was good, don't get me wrong, but this particular album being this short feels a little scattered in really showing what this group does. it was good, just too short for me to really feel all of it together. you know what i mean? *the individual song ratings have literally nothing to do with the ending vote.

Nothing wrong with this. Just comfortable easy background music.

Listened On: 2024/05/07, 2024/05/08 Track List: 1. Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On 2. Run Charlie Run ✰ 3. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone ✰ 4. Love Woke Me Up This Morning * 5. I Ain't Got Nothin' * 6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face * 7. Mother Nature 8. Do Your Thing *

Easy listening, no complaints

I liked this even better than I expected. Immaculate.

It was kind of boring? Also the lyrics to "I Ain't Got Nothin'" were just bad. But there is no denying that it is good music and that their voices are phenomenal. It's just not for me. Also, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" did not have to be anywhere near that long.

fine!

The beat was fresh and the vibe was funky!

I (do not) like the sound of funky music

It was a good album but nothing exciting to be honest.

Such a great album. Smoothest voices.

Really cool. Chill, relaxed, good.

oh! the temptations are trying to murder me! this album, all directions, has the temptations at their finest. to me, they are most well known for their romantic, dreamy love songs. those are here in spades! and gosh they are full-bodied, beautiful songs. but that's not all! the temptations said funk rights!! and their funk is positively banging. that funk and soul combo in "papa was a rollin' stone" absolutely destroys me because of its smoothness. the symphony instrumental is a great way to open the song, and then i'm clapping along like nobody's business. with "run charlie run," i was shocked at its presence, because that isn't a typical temptations-like song, but i'm not mad about it. and to learn otis williams was so reluctant to record that song! but its second spot is significant. they could've hid this track on the second half of the album. i love its inclusion because the temptations are black and have something to say.

I definitely am not used to a more "low key" sound from The Temptations. That caught me off guard! That said, it was still packed with funk and looooots of soul. It was also surprisingly topical -- props to them for that! I appreciate this album for what it was, but ultimately, it just wasn't really my jam. Even still, the musicianship is undeniable, though!

It's just a vibe

🙏🤌

Good for a car ride, Mother Nature was probably my favorite but there were a lot of songs that were just okay as well. I love The Temptations' earlier works than this, however. Solid 3

Super, pohodovka

I'm thrilled to have discovered this album. The musical quality is simply impressive. 'All Directions' is an outstanding example of Motown's legacy, infusing a touch of funk that makes it not just soulful but downright funky at times. There's a hint of Isaac Hayes' 'Shaft' in there. It's hard to miss the iconic sound of the wah-wah guitar, which plays a significant role in shaping this groove.

Just so all over the place. I was perpetually bored and the songs were looooong. Even when they weren’t that long, they felt long.

This album was excellent! I loved it and it is the very reason I undertook this challenge. This is the first album in the challenge I am grateful for being introduced to. Live track 2 and 3 the most! So much groove! Just knocked this back to 4.

Funky vibes - not really my cup of tea but good to get my groove on for something different (track 2 - yikes) Most tempting track: Mother nature

Beautifully composed, filled with soul and heart. Ended all too quickly. A real treat.

I've never purposely listened to The Tempations, Run Charlie Run was a bit unexpected. This is fine but it doesn't really grab my attention. When it's good it's very good but overall it feels a bit forgettable to me.

Funky old school R&B with a side of shaker salt or something. A pretty good mix going on here.

Some real funky moments on here. 12 minutes of Papa is a proper treat. There's even some surprising before-its-time use of a particular racial slur. Overall, though, a bit patchy.

Good fun, and good cooking music!

groovy, very nice, loved it, especially mother nature

Very funk

Красиво 7/10

Has moments where it lost me, but on the whole this is a damn lovely album. Fav track: love woke me up this morning

A pearl of a funk record. Effortless shifts in style and subject but always completely engaging. Would just have a big grin any time this came on. Four and a half. Fave track: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

A great groove and a fun listen - some tracks maybe stood out more than others on this spin, but might circle back to it another day. Three and a half. Fave track: Papa Was a Rolling Stone

Great vocals. Had a certain feeling of desperation to it in parts. You could feel the weight of the era (early 70’s) through the music

Das ist Soul, ist direkt mal nicht so richtig meins. Aber tut auch nicht weh. Bei Lied 3 wird es dann aber interessanter (es ist der Hit „Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone“). Langer Song, aber schon ziemlich geil. Danach wird es balladiger… najaaa. Alles nicht so richtig meins, aber „Do Your Thing“ hat dann doch wieder was.

nice vibe, funky ass fadafakas.

3 stars

Good songs, not my style

Impressions: My mom loves disco and 70s music in general but I always hated them, I guess she’s listening to the wrong artists and albums. I never thought I would enjoy this. The only problem is that it’s too short. Favorite Tracks: Run Charlie Run, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, Mother Nature, Do Your Thing Rating: 4/5

War ganz okay

Great vibe, feels of an era with Donny Hathaway Live and Bill Withers. Feels like a great album to have on in the background

Loved it

It was good!

Funky!!

Not great, didn't like a single song in this album

Highlights: - Papa was a Rollin’ Stone - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Mother Nature I'm terrible at rating things, especially music, and this is the first album, so I would take it with a grain of salt. I don't usually listen to R&B music, but I liked this well enough; I listened twice.

Fantastic

"Papa was a rolling stone" the long play version is great.

Badass opening track, rest of the album is funky fire.

OK funk album.

Pleasant, better than 'Cloud Nine' although I did pay this slightly more attention when listening. Pretty funky, enjoyable. I'd put this on at a gathering to keep the mood 'up'.

Aw hell yeah

The occasional drop of the N-word was a bit jarring, but those were different times. However, it has "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone". What's not to like?

really nice songs but some shaky singing on the b side, which i did not expect, given that i though they were known for their vocals

Not really my thing. There's some good stuff here though. Just not my cup of tea.

Very smooth. I had never heard Run Charlie Run before and it was a little jarring.

Oooh this is a tough one. Run Charlie Run is one of those songs that it feels wrong to be listening to as a white man. It felt doomed to be a 2 or 1 after hearing that, but then somehow it was straight bangers after that. The Temptations do their funk right but they also can get some beautiful ballads in there. Love Woke Me Up This Morning and Mother Nature were welcome surprises, while some of others I at least vaguely remembered. I’ll give the benefit of having such a great string of songs rather than a knock for having a song over 10 minutes because I’m in a good mood today.

B- Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On 2 Run Charlie Run 3 Papa Was a Rollin' Stone 3 Love Woke Me Up This Morning 3 I Ain't Got Nothin' 3 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 3 Mother Nature 5 Do Your Thing 3 Just your run-of-the-mill quality Motown record. Simple as that. Mother Nature was Fan-frickin-tastic.

Wild album in that one song takes up over a third of the runtime, outside of the truly great "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" it feels like a disjointed EP...

Too corny.

The only Temptations album I own is the Temptations anthology triple LP set that contains all the essential tracks from their long illustrious career. All Directions from 1972 contains their epic, Papa Was A Rolling Stone along with some other worthy tracks that show they weren't just a hit single group. Overall, the album seems very short (apart from the over 11 min of Papa), but strong on material, too bad you're left wanting to hear more.

So good! Can't be mad listening to this group.

Funky and mellow!

Classic. Temptations

The funk is real! The slow jams are good, but interrupt the funk more than I’d like. Still great!

My favourite dance has its origins in Papa Was A Rolling Stone by the Temptations so I have to like this.

Too slow. A couple of classics on here but overall not a solid listen

Haven't heard this before. Listened while doing some difficult life admin. It added some lightness and fun. I would listen to this again.

The Temptations lure me in, with their rollin' basslines and interlocking voices. Underlying tensions pull me this way and that, across the dancefloor, and then to unknown territory. I'm left alone and told to do my own thing. I look back, flustered, unsure what to make of it all.

I'm not sure what it says about me that my favourite of the album was genuinely Run Charlie Run...

Nice to see this as a start of the week. Only really know Papa, so a good album to listen to first. Yeah it was great liked it very much. Surprised by First Time didn't know they'd done it as well, but lots have.

A nice change of direction for the 1,001 list, which brought a smile to my face. Sadly, the rest of the album didn’t hit the heights of ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’, but I still really enjoyed the album as a whole. Would probably give a ‘Best of’ album a listen, as it’s only the big hits that would make me decide to play this lot again by choice. A high end 2 stars from me (miles better than EJ🤣)

Excellent album, only knew the big famous track on it, but the rest was pretty solid. Great singing and the band behind them were bang on, with the funky wah wah laced guitar work and the slightly staccato rhythms. Yeah, that's how to do the 'N' word properly Dr Dre, no need to over egg it to the point of stupidity. You've gotta love a bit of the Temptations on a nice sunny day. A middle 3

Nothing turned me off of this album, I found it enjoyable, but it didn't necessarily tempt me to more of The Temptations.

Good shit!

Good album. Made me feel very white.

Heard just the first few songs. Might finish in the future some time. Fun, but not really for me right now.

7 för korta låtar; 1 alldeles för lång låt. Men väldigt bra musik, helt klart! Passar många sinnesstämningar. 3,5 av 5.

Funk

Nothing rlly stuck out

6/10

Very good funk, little bit of soul. My only real complaint is that it didn’t really feel like it took any chances, just kind of middle of the road, especially for the year it released. I don’t know if it stands out enough to really bring me back again, but I was happy to listen.

Interesting listen, definitely split into two halves. One half is the typical Temptations sound you kind of expect from them (tracks 4-7) of ballads with those smooth vocals and safe instrumentals, but the other tracks (1-3 plus the closer written by album project alumni Isaac Hayes) have an uncharacteristic edge to them. Very interesting stuff, I love the clearly most famous centerpiece track Papa Was A Rolling Stone, and the other tracks with that edge. Other than that, I mean nothing that really blew me away but they’ve got a classic spectacular sound. Great record in my books.

Solid R&B, wanted more funk after track 2, but still a great listen

A+. Amazing funky album, and at only 34 minutes, it’s a quick listen. Good listening vibes: - Morning coffee pump up - Knocking out chores - Social gatherings

The Temptations are the epitome of classy, the kind of act that if you're in a tight spot you might think, what would The Temptations do? The answer being grab a tuxedo and style it out. Turns out they were in a tight spot with this album. They wanted to keep it classy and not use the n word. On the other hand, they also wanted to keep it classy and not sing a song about an irresponsible father. They weren't happy, but they slid into the tuxedos and went to work.

Only a few songs at the end stood out. Not terrible but not memorable.

Very Classic. Awesome. Wouldn’t have found this without the list! Not quite my favorite but not bad

classic funky soul, fun listen but nothing stood out to me compared to something like al green

Very nice. This album is gold solely for "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," which is a masterpiece of a song. The rest of the songs are just nice to have.

I like this one

It's a fine for what it is. It starts off with a few tracks of fluffy party good-time music. There's some surprisingly darker commentary on race relations and whatnot, but musically it's completely inoffensive and it's just the dance music of its time. This is the Motown era that came just before disco, but it's not far off. Not my thing, but it's well written, performed, and produced. The Temptations are a big deal for a reason. I just don't care for this style. Papa Was A Rollin Stone is pretty much the only track I enjoyed, and that might just be because of how it's been used since. It's a movie soundtrack staple, but it does have an irresistible vibe to it. The back half of the album are mostly ballads, and they're....not great, in my opinion. The First Time Ever I saw Your Face is a cover of a cover of a cover. A song written in the 50's revitalized by Roberta Flack in the 60's and kinda fumbled by the guys here in the 70's. Meh.

A five-star album for Papa Was a Rollin' Stone alone, the under-represented rest of the album is more than worth that rating, too. Into heavy rotation with this one.

There were a few songs from this album that everyone probably knows, but I just couldn't get into it. I appreciate the musicianship in the songs, but I did not resonate for me.

Imagine being the bass player for the Temptations. Playing the same sequence of six notes on Papa Was a Rollin' Stone over and over again, in rehearsals and then during the 12 minutes of recording the song. And then it becomes a huge hit, so you have to play those same six notes over and over again through rehearsal after rehearsal, concert after concert, until they are burned into your neural pathways. I bet he wanted to add a little flourish here or there but the rest of the band told him no. Poor guy. It probably drove him insane eventually. Either that or they maybe they had to replace their bass player every year or so. Anyway, it's a great album. The song The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is so beautiful. I've heard it many times growing up and it was more my parents' style of easy listening song, not mine. But now I can really appreciate just what a tender and beautiful song it is. 4 stars.

interesting in that it feels like to different albums . one frothy pop soul and one dirty funk soul. Couple of classic tracks.

An exploration of the ‘70s soul genre from all angles

Can't go wrong with this classic

First listen Saved 5/8 Top track: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

Epic album.

Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone is just an amazing song! Mother Nature also pretty great! Also, Do Your Thing! Was on the Shaft album, but a funky little cover here! Great production! Temptations really embracing the direction of Soul / Funk into the 70’s! Giving it a 3.7 for Papa*

Lekkere glijers, mooie muziek. Hoogtepunten: Run Charlie Run The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

not a. fan

Run Charlie Run Papa Was a Rollin Stone First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Favourite tracks: papa was a rolling stone; I ain't got nothing; run Charlie run; funky music sho nuff turns me on; do your thing

Got the juice

Some good songs

Boring

From the first seconds of the opening track you know this isn't going to be My Girl-esque Temptations. This is funkier, grittier (and less successful?) Temptations. You can feel the era, the pre-funk era edginess, and then you have the full 11m45 second brilliance of Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Which they didn't write, or want to record (ironically as their Papas were not Rolling Stones). Lonely glimpse of musical brilliance & history.

Very funky album, not my usual taste but I enjoyed

It was ok to listen to it. But I skipped a few songs. But I found some samples being used in drum & bass and hip hop which was nice.

Really liked this, only half an hour so didn't drag out, first half has a real funk vibe to it and then it slows down in the second half, actually think "first time ever" is one of the weaker songs on here, really liked mother nature though - not likely to listen again though

nice singing and playing, a bit slow at times

I like the Temptations but still think I haven’t heard their best yet. There were a couple of classics on this album so it deserves a 3* even if they’re not my favourite versions of the songs.

It was OK until 'First time ever I saw your face'. Probably ruined by the Inbetweeners but also ruined for me.

Why is Run Charlie Run not explicit?! They said the n word!

Awesome! Funky, but with focus on the vocals. Loved it

When I was in my early 20s I worked on a factory floor where funk and r&b was played every day all day from cassettes over a PA. Even though I was, and am a metal head I always liked a good chunk of what I heard on that floor. And this album was played a lot and it's really a great record. It swings back and forth between funk and r&b in a natural way. My only complaint is that it's actually too short. I would love about 15 more minutes.

good music... a little slow for my liking but i've always liked funk because it's so vibrant and lively, even when it is slow. honestly it's not too rambunctious or so crazy enough to leave a larger impression. i had a :O moment near the end when i realized they covered 'the first time ever i saw your face' on you-know-what. solid everywhere 3/5

The album opens with three tracks of spacey funk: all wah-ed out guitars and astral synths/keyboard sounds grounded by rock-solid bass grooves and locked-in drums. This peaks with the extended jam on Papa was a Rolling Stone that gets pretty psychadelic. Transitions into a soul ballad with cheesy strings then a jazzy doo-wop story song and then a piano and strings-led ballad - these are really plodding and drag on and on - it's really not helped by coming right after such good funk material. Despite that there are some nice clean guitar tones (perfect reverb/tremelo) hitting the chords and the bass lines are so damn good - that's really the stand out performance on this album. "Mother Nature" has a jazzy-RnB soul sound (think Curtis Mayfield) and though slow, is a lot more interesting than the dull middle - more great bass work, and the best vocal performance of the album. "Do Your Thing" brings us back to the funk with a slow, deep groove, great harmonies and horns that fade out but could go on and on. Overall, The Temptations' 60s pop-soul stuff is much stronger and other artists would take this space funk sound much further in the 70s but this is an interesting transition between the two. And the bass is so good. Favorites: Papa was a Rolling Stone, Do Your Thing

4.0

Good vibes and energy like most Temptations record, and heartfelt. Personal faves were ‘Love Woke Me Up This Morning’ and ‘I Ain’t Got Nothing’. Not the most repeatability, and as it was on whilst I was cleaning, served simply for a boogie rather than more. Overall, a good 6.5/10

Slept on the bus, but was fire beats.

In a music landscape full of massive productions with multi-layered instrumentals and loud guitar riffs, All Directions is surprisingly stripped back and minimalist. The first word that came to mind when I listened to it is "delicate". It's orchestral yet not overwhelming, moving yet not overly sentimental, and most importantly its groovy and funky while not being silly.

Un album profond et personnel. L’introduction de Papa Was a Rolling Stone est une leçon d’anticipation

funk. cinco estrellas por run charlie run.

Smooth

I got caught listening to the Papa Was A Rolling Stone radio edit so got locked in a cupboard with the 12 minute album version to teach me a lesson. Never again.

A rolling stone gathered some moss

Fantastic

Quick and boring.

What a vibe, I need to listen to more r&b/Motown albums because this was super fun. Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone and Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On were my favorite tracks.

70's soul/funk. Not as catchy as some of their other work. Standout is "Papa Was A Rolling Stone".

I wasn't keen, intro song slapped, second not so much and the 3rd Poppa was a rollin stone really threw me and I was lost by then, 4th song pulled it back enough though, I enjoyed that one and the rest of the album was good enough. ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌑🌑

Jovars!

Papa was rolling The Temptations were groovin I recommend this!

Papa was a rolling stone!

This was kind of strange for The Temptations, but it didn’t really leave much of an impression at the same time.

Short and sweet

Didn't realise how long papa was a rolling stone was thank god for radio edits

Banco. 7/10

hi temptations

Love woke me up this morning feelin' fine I had you on my mind Love woke me up this morning And I haven't had a heartache today And all my little tears are gone away Skies are blue because of you Love woke me up this morning Thinkin' of last night You know, you make me feel all right Love woke me up this morning I'm so glad baby Because of you, happiness is really mine And my cloudy days are far behind Absolutely incredible album. Some of the most original sounds youll ever experience, and papa was a rolling stone is one of the top 10 songs of all time. 5/5

"Heard some talk Papa doing some storefront preaching. Talking about saving souls and all the time leeching." "Everybody, everybody's got something but me. I ain't got nothing." --- Favourite Tracks: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone Summary: Enjoyed this, started off very funky which I wish I had persisted a bit more through the album. 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' is a track I was, of course, familiar with - and I appreciated this long version, though it does stand the whole album up and I think it would be a bit lacking without it.

Funky

Nice! very jazzy, interesting!! Probably wouldnt pick to listen to the whole album myself so it was a nice experience!!

Not a fan. To much focus on social awareness and not enough on enjoyable music.

i wanted to love this album, but just couldn't

Sounds nice, but just not really my cup of tea for extended periods of time

Wow, not what I was expecting! I think I’ve only listened to ‘My Girl’ before so I thought I was in for a album full of do-wop. Instead, some really great soul/funk! My fave is the opening track ‘Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On’.

Recognised Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Liked most of them, and think my dad likes some of these.

Good

Seeing The Temptations come up didn't instil me with joy it has to be said. But the album started out better than I had expected. The second side trailed away a little in terms of quality and overall it felt a bit like one long track "Papa was a..." with some filler packed around it to make an album. It wasn't awful, but it probably hovers between 2 and 3 stars for me. I'll give it a grudging 3 as it was quite short and the main track is a classic.

Papa was a rollin stone is a classic, but the rest of the album was fully new to me. It was a pleasant surprise. Nice voices, and strong texts. Especially on Run Charlie Run, which I had to look up for some extra background story.

Die Platte, wo Papa Was A Rolling Stone drauf ist… Ansonsten meh. 💁🏻

The Temptations are indeed the Sultans of Soul. Papa Was A Rolling Stone by itself would elevate this album to a three star rating but there are at least three other songs that are essential. Funky Music, Run Freddie Run and Do Your Thing are all worthy songs.

This album was really great, I don't think there was a song that felt out of place in this album.

Very good R&B/Soul album. I am a child for laughing at run Charlie run, though.

Funky as shit and wildly more progressive than I thought the Temptations were.

Quite good: had a nice vibe to it with me bopping along throughout the album, in all honesty I don't remember the end at all. It wasn't bad neither did it stand out to me as being perfection, wouldn't complain if I had to listen to it again.

kiva pikku kokoelma. rolling stone-esque...The name of it is Rolling Stone which comes from an old saying, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." HOLY FUCK WHEN I FOUND OUT,... HOLY FUCK... muteen kiva pikku albumi, small...SMALL! STAY TINY... papa was a rolling stone paras biisi... vähiten kuunneltu i ain't got nothing ehkä ensimmäinen underrated biisi historiassa? 100k kuuntelijaa ja heti perään miljoonan markan popitus...

Papa Was a Rollin' Stone is the elephant in the album, with its 12 minutes of sheer groovy delight. The rest of the songs range from the boring to the mundane...

It's got a pleasant chill vibe but I was expecting a bit more

I seen this come up for review and was really looking forward listening to it. By the end of the album I really felt disappointed, I really liked the temptations and felt this album didn't represent them at their best. Aside from Papa was a Rolling Stone, the rest of the album was very mediocre, and some of the lyrics were definitely questionable, but then I guess it was the 70s.

Some decent music- interesting songs and enjoyed it overall.

This one was enjoyable and provocative at times. Good album but one of the songs needs caution exercised depending on who's listening.

Ça a bien commencé en rhythm and soul + blues un peu. Funky pour un groupband. C'est devenu plus soft en milieu d'album. Note de passage (2.5) quand même.

I Like it more than I thought I would. I ain't got nothin' has a certain quality I can't explain which makes it special for me 🤔

I don't know, it's very strong musically, but it keeps leaving me unsatisfied, no idea why

funky soul, but nothing that blew me away. run charlie run was a surprise

It’s solid, I really like the first time songs then side 2 is okay but other than do your thing at the end it’s nothing amazing still though nice stuff 4/5

This was good!

Groovy, funky, and way too short.

Isä kuoli...Ok... Albumi hyvää musiikkia... 1972 style funky... r&b... soul...

Soul negro de principios de los 70 con canciones fáciles de escuchar y ritmos facilones. Buena voz, e intrumentalmente, buenas canciones

Til den kedelige side

This was ok, I felt a little disappointed with it as I was looking forward to hooking into it but it just didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to. Never mind, hopefully more to come to broaden my horizon with them?

boring

Good

So good, every track. 👏🏼♥️

Fine

Quite good, never heard of them before except for "i ain't got nothing".

first time listening

Decent album and definitely a change from previous sounds I’ve heard from them. Enjoyable and groovy 6/10

This is all-over awesome; but what's with the awfully flat rendition of 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'? Give me Roberta Flack's any day.

Groovy, men ikke så spennende

Smooth

hell yeah B)

A good album with some agreeable funk and soul but still looking out for a top shelf funk album that makes me sit up and pay attention.

I'm not terribly familiar with a lot of The Temptations' work (I know "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg"), so this was my first time listening to an album of theirs from start to finish. I wasn't really sure what to expect, since their only songs that I knew going into this were a couple of pop hits from the 60's. I thought this was a great funk and soul album, and it was fun to listen to. "Run Charlie Run" was my favorite track on here, and I was completely caught off guard by how serious its tone and message about white flight were (it blows my mind that a lot of these albums from the 60's and 70's were discussing social and political issues that are still incredibly relevant today). "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" was fantastic too. I grew up hearing white people criticize 'absentee black fathers,' but I don't think I've ever heard black people talk about/respond to the things that white people say about the subject (I don't even know if it's a real issue, or if it's just something evangelical white people love to say when they talk about food stamps or other 'welfare programs.' I'm not quite sure what The Temptations' message was with this song, but it definitely made me reflect on how often I heard suburban white people make generalizations and create stereotypes about the black community when I was growing up. Overall, the musical arrangements on each song were great, and the vocals were spectacular as well.

“Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” leaves the rest of this otherwise pleasant album in the dust. Really tense, dubbed out and eerie: haunted funk. Not much else stood out over an admittedly domestic-volume listen, the rest more mood than event.

Of all the classic Motown bands I find The Temptations to be the hardest work. Maybe it's because they're not as distinctive as the others, and have interchangeable members? This is fine but not nearly as interesting as Cloud Nine or e.g. Sly and the Family Stone, and quite slow and unexciting with it

this is good, groovy, rhythm n blues. one of these tracks is on all heist movies. its fantastic. good stuff. thanks motown, probably.

Papa was a rolling stone!

I was a big fan of The Temptations before listening, and I'm an even bigger fan afterward. This is more slower and relaxing compared to the other things I have heard from them, but I loved it. Lyrics were flawless, and Otis Williams is a vocal legend. Papa Was A Rolling Stone is a certified classic, and Love Woke Me Up This Morning has been in my rotation for the entire day. Amazing all around.

3.5

Love the vocal interplay throughout

Some good vibes on this album but it didn’t hold my attention

Like the live performance of track 1, long and jammy track 3 and the soulful vocal on track 7. The ballad tracks do not work well for me. 1/3/7 1/3/7

Funky

Didn't realise there were so many bloody temptations. Good ol' well-established funk. In the mood for not-too-funky funk? Well here's a plateful. It'll fill that funky hole but you aren't gonna gurn baby.

Smooth funk / soul album. Good tunes.

A few good songs, a few that felt like duds. Pretty middle of the road.

70s soul/RnB really set the trend for the 90's and 00's

60'er funk, soul'et, poppet, groovy

Funky grooves. Vocals weren't my style.

A very solid album. Papa was a Rollin’ Stone is the obvious standout, but there’s nothing weak here.

It was pretty good!

6/10. This was a little lower energy that I expected, which was a bit disappointing.

Some archaic-sounding production and mixing drag down this pretty inspired project. 7/10

Meh

This album surprised me. I didn't expect the socio-political songs -- Papa Was A Rollin' Stone and Run Charlie Run. That's a nice change a pace for the Temptations. Other songs are better than I would have expected. Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On ... a great live track with a groove! Do Your Thing is good soul music. The rest of the tracks are more typical of the group, and so not as interesting to me.

Highlights: "Mother Nature," "I Ain't Got Nothin'," "Run Charlie Run," "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" The Temptations had an uphill battle to assimilate funk from the sound of 1969's Cloud Nine, but this is a real breakthrough. Better mixing, better performances, and better lyrics put them up there at the head of the genre.

Enjoyable, I liked the first couple of tracks but it lost my interest by the end.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (3) 2 - Do Your Thing (8) 3 - I Ain't Got Nothin' (5)

I really enjoy The Temptations but with the exception of "Papa Was A Rollin Stone" the album didn't do much for me at all. Its just fine

Okay

An easy 3. Fun and interesting, and the story of being the first record after their star original lead singer left is pretty compelling.

Decent

Perfect.

Great

Classic sound of my youth. Always loved this band.

ощущение, что альбом разгоняется к концу, но реально выделить что-то сложно можно найти отдельные интересные моменты, но не более к концу разве что музыка начинает более целостно звучать

2-ой раз здесь эти ребята и я все больше ловлю себя на мысли что я хочу винил с ними. Все звучит сочно, живо и приятно. С одной стороны, альбом не вовлекает настолько чтобы поглотить тебя, с другой стороны я случайно проморгал концовку альбома и еще минут 20-30 слушал другие треки на спотифае. Поэтому, мне кажется это хороший знак музыки

Так-так-так, эти парни и девчонки у нас уже были, помним-помним. В целом, взглянув на своё прошлое ревью к альбому Cloud Nine, я понял, что глобально ничего и не изменилось и я останусь при своём мнении. Разве что... песни не 11 минут не было. Ну, она в целом-то неплохая, но зачем ей нужно 4ёх минутное вступление - не очень понятно. Зато крутой контрапункт в припеве. Кстати у Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (те самые 11 минут) есть сингл версия на 7. И вот в ней как раз нет этого долгого вступления :)

Где-то плосконько, где-то поинтереснее. Поэтому это и не альбом, который "ну прослушал", но и чет кроме трёх давать не хочецца

This was a great album. A funky, soulful work by the 70s-era Temptations that builds onto some solid songwriting, from the likes of Isaac Hayes, Barrett Strong, Ashford & Simpson, etc. It seems like the band had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 70s to do this album, but they pulled it off nicely. Excellent musicianship from the Funk Brothers and top notch vocals, as we would expect in a Motown production. I appreciate how all the band members shared in vocal duties. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is the obvious star track and is still a really powerful song, 50+ years on. Really the only negative would be "Run Charlie Run," which I'm sure was daring for the band to do in '72, but is a rough listen in 2023. High 3, not quite a 4. Fave Songs: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone, Do Your Thing, Mother Nature, The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face), Love Woke Me Up This Morning

Some smooth soul, but nothing really stuck out as memorable. Why is the intro to rolling stone like 4 minutes long?

Smooth, relaxing

Slaps.

I’m sure I said this in my last Temptations review as well as here, but I still can’t seem to differentiate between The Temptations and The Foundations in my head. Once again, I found myself wondering if Build Me Up Buttercup would be on this album. Obviously, it was not. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Run Charlie Run, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone This was a very enjoyable album. The vocals are so wide in variety from the lowest lows up to the softest falsettos. Run Charlie Run gives a jarring insight into the racism that black people deal with - it is very blunt with its lyrics, but it uses this well to get its point across. The music was funky and fun a lot of the time, and I’m always going to enjoy a nice bass line in a song. Overall, a very enjoyable album. Possibly not an album I’ll be returning to as it’s a little too far away from my preferred genres, but still an enjoyable listen nonetheless.

Fantastic funky soul

Any Temptations album is great. And this has Papa Was A Rolling Stone, which is an all time great, but this is far from their best album.

Sure yeah why not

i like. very funky

- The funk is insane - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone is an epic journey - ..but the funk kinda disappears after that; songs are still nice tho - Favorite songs: Run Charlie Run, Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

- Funky - Papa Was a Rolling Stone is a beautiful musical journey - a few songs lacked some energy

I love the vibe of this record. And the production is super clean

meio meh

I love the writing, and the music is beautifully performed and it's pretty, but it's just honestly super slow. I enjoyed listening to it but I just didn't find it musically super engaging. And I don't even know if I'm allowed to add the 2nd song to my playlist as a white person. First 2 songs were my favorite though for sure. Score: 60 Art: 60

A bit of a jammer, with great harmonies and grooves. Overall just sounds very cool with strong lyrics, glad they included Run Charlie Run. I wish it would have kept the funk going, it begins to grow long and tired with the soft (yet beautiful) ballads. I also enjoyed the deep voiced man throughout!

Ye was good

I would give it another listen

Just a rhythmic album, nothing remarkable. Except that on the second track they persistently tell me that a black one will come to me. For this, -1 more stars, in general, nothing interesting.

Standard

Papa was a rolling stone is a jam!

Nicely understated and surprisingly enjoyable. Of it's time great vocals and musicianship.

Really good

Nothing about this album really spoke to me - the best songs are all done better elsewhere.

Great first album!

7.5/10 pretty solid stuff very groovy

- Ain't Got Nothing is a pretty song Generally pretty nice album not a tonne of standout tracks but a short easy fun listen front to back generally just a pleasant album.

A really enjoyable funk/soul record, but so short that I blinked twice and it was over (it's merely over 30 minutes long) - It'll probably be one of the shortest album in the 1001 albums challenge.

This shit thrives. Music with a pulsing beat. To not dance during the entire run time of the album would be a very impressive feat. Instrumentation and timing all blend together to make a perfectly funky beat. Vocals from numerous different members create a increasingly elevating and beautiful harmony. Thoroughly enjoyable, but can get a little slow and repetitive at times. Also, I’m inclined to say that the buildup in “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” is perfect. 4/5

'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' is a stone-cold classic. 'Love Woke Me Up This Morning' is beautiful and if I ever get married I'm including it in the mix.

My first reggae album I've ever listened to actually. It didn't really do much for me. I did like it though.

Classic

Lots of good stuff here

A pretty average funk album, wasn't bad by any measure, but also didn't impress me in any way. Not my kind of style.

s70's legit vibes

These dudes can really harmonize. I actually own Cloud Nine on vinyl and I'm really loving this album from them.

Good stuff

not my jam, but undeniable influence

I like it.

Opening track is so so funky!