All Directions

Off to a Funky start with a live feel we're brought into the good times vibes. But Run Charlie Run sure lets students of history know when this album was written. That song hasn't aged well even if it fully captures the sentiment of its time (and maybe has another reading I've yet to uncover). This record has Papa Was a Rollin' Stone rolling in as the third track. With that song on lock this was always going to be a classic record despite a few missteps here and there.

Listening to this made me realize just how important The Temptations were to modern music. Good stuff.

These guys really churned out the work. Loved the big band touches. And the long versions.

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

I definitely think The Temptations are sweet--their history has kind of made them a pretty daunting group to dive in to much more than the "hits," just so many lineup changes and variations and so many releases. That being said, I was stoked to get a full album of them here, but was slightly bummed to see it was the from the post-David Ruffin time for the group. Anyway this album has "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" which is an incredible track. The rest of it is great too, but this didn't really strike me as excellent.

Pretty solid!!! I thought I didn’t know the album, but in fact know quite a bit of them’

erster song, i aint got nothin, mother nature sind sehr cool. father was a rolling stone startet cool, aber braucht ewig um richtig zu starten. insg. sehr funky und kann man mal wieder hören. die zweite hälfte ist aber relativ blues-y und eher traurig/ dramatisch

Cooler and funkier than I was expecting!

Way more of a jam than I was expecting, but I really only knew their huge singles before this. I would say 3.5 if we could give half stars, but I'm going to settle on 3 stars because its unlikely I listen to this more than once or twice 3/5

Great and unexpected album, really goes to a lot of different places politically and pop wise. All the while deeply funky.

Could get 5 just for that amazing centre piece, dropped to 4 because it isn't quite enough

Tough call between 4 and 5. Awesome album, no skips and a save

5.0 - “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” continues the trend in R&B towards longer orchestral arrangements that build quietly to an emotional apex, similar to Isaac Hayes’ work on “Hot Buttered Soul” released 3 years earlier. Epic! Every song on here is great. Other standouts: “Love Woke Me Up…” and “The First Time…”

I love those numbers where each singer drops in for his little bit. I just realised that's where MCing came from.

A bit harder than I expected. Enjoyable.

This is a tour de force in early '70s funk and soul. Everything about the sound and production of this album are top notch. Almost every song hits it out of the park. The long version of Papa Was a Rollin' Stone stretches out the parts that make this song so good without making it boring and repetitious. I Ain't Got Nuthin' and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face are just dripping in romance. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

Some songs I liked but others not so much

Man, I totally forgot about “Run Charley Run.”

Papa was a rollin' stone is a song that I've heard before by The Temptations but the rest were new to me. It's a soul album with funky tunes. There's some Shaft vibes and overall it's a "cool" album.

Funky Temptations gonna give it to ya

Did you know that The Temptations were some of the all time greats? I did

Solid album, but nothing really matches the centerpiece of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". Once it hits that, it's more miss than hit. Favorite tracks: "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "I Ain't Got Nothin'"

I'm still not entirely sold on funk, but this album seems special. The groove on the Papa Was a Rolling Stone just takes me away to some other place long before the song even properly starts. And yet, to all of the complaints about the supposedly weaker B-side, I have to admit that I actually find it more enjoyable to the first half. That is due mostly to my immediate love for Mother Nature - a song with beautiful timeless lyrics. It could easily be a 5 star album, but I'm still not that captivated by the rest of the songs - they are beautiful but maybe just not that interesting after all this time? 4/5

white mans black man music

A bit of a snoozer, no great songs but no bad songs. A little too short and nothing stands out.

It’s ok. Nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t butter my muffin. I think there are other albums from this genre that do this better

Enjoyed this

This can’t be the same band that did My Girl!

This is such a great R&B/funk album and it really shows how great The Temptations are compared to their lackluster representation in the Rolling Stone Top 500 albums. (An anthology album? Really?) The obvious centerpiece is the 12-minute ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’, which is just such an amazing song, but there are other highlights as well. ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ is a beautifully sung Roberta Flack cover, ‘I Ain’t Got Nothin’’ is well-produced, and ‘Run Charlie Run’ is surprisingly poignant social commentary.

Funky jams and just a great listen all around, can’t go wrong with the temptations

Very good. Soulful. Standout: Papa Was A Rolling Stone Others: I Ain't Got Nothin', The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 3.5/5

Not shit

Best: Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone Worst: Mother Nature I feel like I am not allowed to listen to Run Charlie Run

This was really a nice surprise! For some reason I knew nothing about this band (but of course I recognized many of the songs), but this really is music with feeling.

Muy bueno

Great funk, quality could be a bit better but enjoyed it quite a lot

The Temptations’ All Directions feels to me like a quietly brilliant encapsulation of a specific era in music, one that succinctly wove the political with the mundane; one that treated love as do-or-die (a specific thematic concept that boy bands for decades to follow would run and soar with). of course the album is anchored by the breathtaking “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”, a funk-filled soul monolith that would wear an entire generational story in its transcendental bassline, but i keep finding myself returning to The Temptations’ ruminations on love and life: “Run Charlie Run”, for one, is an evocative telling of weaponized whiteness, and “I Ain’t Got Nothing” as well as the borderline perfect “The First Time I Saw Your Face” are love songs so touchingly sweet and moving that love itself would be proud. The Temptations are not afraid to challenge their sound here — they open the record with psychedelic and funk inclinations that rear their heads throughout the album, but the jazz and soul (that sunday morning soul, you know the sound) glisten with powerful effect. here’s a generation-defining sound bottled up in not even 40 minutes, and time has no hold on it whatsoever.

Highlight tracks: Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, Love Woke Me Up This Morning Some movie soundtrack vibes Very catchy hooks & riffs A lot of wah in a good way Short and sweet - just under 35 mins 4/5

Very good Album with some classic songs

nostalgic jams

Standout: I Ain't Got Nothin', all instrumentals (guitar! bass!)

Amazing, I enjoyed every minute of it. So groovy and funky.

All Direction is an album what i enjoy so much although has songs with much minutes that were repetitives sometimes

I like the funky psychedelic guitar heavy sound. Norman Whitfields arranging on Papa was a Rolling Stone is so good.

This is great! I think they took kind of a chance making this record, it’s way different and much darker than their other poppy motown hits and ballads.

I love this genre but there wasn't a specific song that stuck out to me. I know from reading about it they didn't want to do ballads anymore but I like the ballads. Sorry.

Something I’ve noticed about these early 70’s R&B/funk records from established acts like the Temptation or Isley Brothers is that they tend to go all in on the sound of the time up front, get real funky and loose and then after a few songs kind of revert back to their established sound. I get it, I’m sure they didn’t want to alienate fans and listeners, while also staying current, but it’s kind of like whiplash going from the aggressive funkiness on the first three tracks and then slowing down with ballads and more traditional material on the second half of the record. I like that they close things out by getting funky again on “Do Your Thing”, but the tempo of the songs preceding it makes it feel less energetic than it could have been. Overall, its a solid record, but by this time, bands like Sly and the Family Stone (note the nods to Sly in the opening track) and Funkadelic had ratcheted up the game so much that “All Directions” ends up feeling a little quaint in comparison.

I have to admit, I always kind of saw The Temptations like fluff, but this album is hard! They sound amazing, the songs are killer, especially Papa was a Rolling Stone, and the Motown sound is downplayed for some epic song variety. Run Charlie Run definitely caught me off-guard. The album comes in like a lion and ends like a lamb. I understand why artists and bands want to show that softer side, but after Papa, the soul is quieter. Thankfully, Do Your Thing sticks the landing. Great album!

Extreme talent. Some of the best!

It's good some good, some that doesn't really do much for me. It's a positive listen overall even if it doesn't truly wow mw.

musically it’s a masterpiece even if it wasn’t all my personal taste

Papa is too long.

Brilliant album, Papa was a Rollin’ Stone is one of the greatest songs of all time. One or two mediocre tracks but all in all great.

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone a bit of a meme for me, but still good. Enjoyed the vocal harmonies on I Ain't Got Notin'

It's never a good sign when you have to force yourself to pay attention. Deeply average with a smattering of intrigue. Lovely funk on some geetars, the occasional ear-catching lyric and a banger. But that was offset by an album that seemed to be stuck in second gear... the only temptation I was getting was to turn the fucker off.

Papa was a RS and the last song are really good, but too many slowpokes in the middle

Who mixed ballads with disco? 3/5

So many classics on one album, and I never knew The Temptations sang several of these. Definitely worth listening to, but I doubt I'll be dusting this one off to play frequently. These have become songs for movie soundtracks, but as an album, it just feels so dated.

Would have been 3.5 but The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is so good I’m bumping it to 4.0

I have never listened an album like this before so it was a different journey but definietly a good one!

What fine voices, how they convey emotion, gives the chills! Intense and beautiful. First Time Ever I Saw about my favorite version so far, that voice, ahhhhhh.

One of the better albums so far

A mix of sweet and pure soul along with some edgier funk. Everything is smooth and beautifully produced. I liked it.

Fun funk music that grabs you right from the first track. I find it hard to dislike this sort of music and it's a little bit of a double edged sword because I struggle with discerning the good from the bad in this genre often. The positive here is that it makes a lot of funk music (that doesn't have particularly standout elements like experimentation / phenomenal songwriting) good. The negative is that it can make the really great stuff a little watered down for me. Lyrics are definitely dated, with some hard N words thrown around in the second track but hard for me as a caucasian man to say that at the time this was a faux pas or anything. This was also the only track that I didn't really love. I do however really love track 3, "Pap Was a Rollin' Stone". It's got that great 70's wah-wah heavy wacka wacka guitar parts, along with some beautifully intriguing electric piano and rounded off with strings and reverb heavy brass. I could listen to this song every day for a few months without getting sick of it I think. Overall pretty solid effort.

Papa Was a Rolling Stone and a bunch of other tracks

Shebop shebop

I like it, nice background music

Psychedelic soul, what a nice genre! I wasn't aware of this album before and I really enjoyed it. That early 70s brass sound is always so much appreciated. Vocals were something too!

fine background music.

"I have no problems not listening to The Temptations, which is weird..."

I think this isn't bad. I would say maybe like mid-3 range but not really a 4.

Jag är en rullande sten, kova

Chil

Some nice classic funk tunes.

Bra

dus dit is de motown bas sound

Just ok...not my cup of tea. 2/5

love the temps, this was average

Some classics.

Quite extraordinary to hear the journey The Temptations made - the socially conscious tracks married with callbacks to earlier soulful numbers. It’s almost disjointed as an album but I guess that’s all directions. The quality of the artists keeps this interesting.

Maddeningly uneven. The funkier numbers are golden, and Papa Was a Rolling Stone is of course one for the ages. The mellower number though verge dangerously close to sap.

I'm a huge fan of the Temptations' hits. According to Spotify, I have 12 of them liked, definitely among the highest for their genre. This only indicates that they're a singles band, not an album band, and this record is no exception. The highlight here is their magnum opus "Papa was a Rolling Stone", an epic contemporary to Curtis Mayfield's Superfly that takes up a third of the total runtime. Despite being an established artist for almost a decade, the production is still pretty poor in that it sounds more like a live recording in many parts rather than a studio effort. The tracks do have nice diversity, and I'm a fan of the use of the cinematic strings. No repetition, but none of them really stood out. Favorites: Papa was a Rolling Stone, Love Woke Me Up, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Do Your Thing

Good time, great voices

Very funky. Knew this album already. Great bass playing by Jamerson, great tunes.

It’s good, but it doesn’t feel like a full album to me. Opening with a live track and then literally 1/3 of this album is the lead single. Motown really milking it.

Well now ... certainly a departure from "My Girl" era now, isn't it?

I absolutely loved the first half, while the second half was more predictable and felt more like what I know The Temptations sound to be like. Really damn good album. 3.5/5

this one’s really good, i like it a lot! just good music, very love-centric. 7.5/10

Excellent timing for this considering I just bought a Best of Temptations album from a $2 record fair at a local classical radio station in Coorparoo.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: yes, it’s elegant has an incredibly smooth feeling to it, even the longer tracks on here flow perfectly Favourite song: Track 6 - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Here for 'Papa was a Rolling Stone' - that bass line. Been my earworm all day.

I like the funky stuff more than the r&b stuff. some of it is a little slow, but overall feel good vibes for a damp Monday morning.

Banging album. Funky and filthy. Prime cuts: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, Do Your Thing

Not doing it for me as much as the other one honestly. Just a bit safer and less exciting. Still got a few solid tracks on it.

This album has a 12 minute version of Papa Was A Rolling Stone. That's enough to merit inclusion on the list.

Way more psychedelic than I was expecting, in a great way. A fantastic album.

It's not my thing.

Funky music sure enough does turn me on

Meh, meni vähän ohi koko levy, mutta ei kiinnostanut soittaa enää uudelleen.

Toimi hyvin, perusjeekkiskolmonen

"Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" is so good that I can almost forgive the other songs for being so forgettable.

Can't beat the old R&B / funk sound. Was expecting a lot more upbeat songs, but very good all the same. First 3 songs was what I was expecting for most of the album. Funky Music sho nuff turns me on is my favorite song off this album, but really enjoyed Run Charlie Run and Papa was a rolling stone. Listening to the lyrics, Papa was a real scum bag, but the song is very good. After the first few songs, the album turns into a grab your woman and get ready for some luvin type of album. Not for all, but great songs with some good lyrics. The first time I ever saw your face has been done by a few different artist. Beautiful lyrics and at this point, you should be loving up your partner! Good sound with good lyrics makes for a good album. Wanted a little more upbeat funk, but I'm sure we'll see that from these guys in the future. Solid 3-3.5

2.5 I’m usually down with soul music but there was something disappointingly boring about this. Maybe it’s an attempt at being more tender, but other times it’s very political. I’m not sure what my mood is supposed to be by the end. Occasionally a song might have more of a groove than others and the talent is undeniable but I just can’t imagine when I would listen to anything off this. Rating it higher because I really want to like it more than I do, sadly. Favorites: Run, Charlie, Run; Mother Nature, Do Your Thing was okay.

3 Despite being born and raised in Michigan, I really haven't listened to enough Motown music for my own good. I'm embarrassed to say the only Temptations song I knew prior to my listening was My Girl, and so I kind of lumped them in with that 60s R&B sound. As I've learned from this album, the 70s brought on a musical evolution for the group I had no idea existed. Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On is a powerful slice of raw funk, reminiscent of James Brown's earlier live work, that starts the album off on an immediate high note. That energy continued on for me into Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, which felt nowhere near as long as its 12 minute runtime. The back side slowed down the tempo quite a bit, and overall I didn't find it as strong. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was a highlight, but the other songs weren't particularly memorable, or in the case of Love Wake Me Up This Morning, a little too cheesy for my taste. Takeaway - should probably listen to more Motown.

4/5. First half is solid. Second half has some sleepers but overall a great listen.

This isn't a genre I normally like, but this was pretty good! I even thought "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was the best song and I typically hate songs >5min.

I'm familiar with their biggest hits. Run Charlie Run surprised me, I was not expecting something like that. Papa is A Rolling Stone is a classic song, although I think I've always heard a condensed version of the song. I don't remember it being 12 minutes long. The album is short but sweet.

Great album amazing harmonies

The Temptations are one of the best Motown groups. Their wide vocal range and ability to make songs feel so many different ways is amazing. Papa was a rolling stone is a groovy funk filled song. And then first time ever I saw your face is a really well done cover and always a beautiful song. Very much enjoyed this album and all of its components. Wish it was longer. 8.3/10

I only know a few Temptations songs, and one of them is on this album, so I am looking forward to listening to more of their stuff today. The Temptations are a Soul/Funk/R&B five piece vocal group. At the time of the recording of this album, the group consisted of: Dennis Edwards (tenor) , Damon Harris (tenor) , Richard Street (baritone) , Melvin Franklin (bass) , and Otis Williams (tenor). The melding of all of these voices turned into some amazing music! When I first heard Richard Street's voice in the song The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, I could have swore it was a female singer because his voice was so high and smooth. Also, Melvin Franklin's deep bassy voice laced throughout the album just heightens the music that much more! Of course, the one song everyone should know off of this record is Papa Was A Rollin' Stone. This rendition of the song is almost 12 minutes long, but it certainly doesn't feel it. What a story it tells of a father who is a deadbeat drunk. Another song that shocked the hell out of me was Run Charlie Run. A song that pulls no punches, and sings about a still, sadly, relevant and hot topic, racism. Do Your Thing, and Mother Nature are both awesome, funky songs. Overall a teriffic album. Glad I listened, will probably add it to the collection. Favourite songs: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, Do Your Thing, Mother Nature Least favourite song: if forced to pick, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 4/5

A strana je bomba, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone is the vibe y'all! Zbog A strane i jednog dijela B strane ide četvorka, inače bi bila trojka ko kuća.

Papa Was a Rolling Stone is a great song.

Huske kje

6,5/10

Groovy, “light” music, but would like it to be more upbeat, would rate 2.5 if I could

It isn't the worst album, however it became boring really fast. It's interesting in the use of the beat and instruments, but is really long and boring

Trećina albuma je papa was a rolling stone. Nema se šta više reć😄

I love funk music so much. It just hits different, for sure

I like this cover - I like the idea of posing people on, in, and around a tree. Like, yeah, this is just how we hang out. When we're not playing music, we tend to hang out in, on, and around a tree. Anyway, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone deserves at least 4 stars alone. But even without it, this is some pretty strong soul funk, if that's a thing. I'd listen again.

This whips. Almost twelve minutes of 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' is badass, and there's a great version of one of Ewan Maccoll's loveliest tunes. I love it when O.G. soul and blues guys got funky - Lee Dorsey, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, even 'the Parliaments' took a turn. More, more, more!

This is funking great. You'd have to be pretty funked in the head to not enjoy at least part of this motherfunker. First half is definitely the tempo setter, but I quite liked, "I Ain't Got Nothin'," which fell right in the middle. It had me at the first "shoo-bada-bop." That one Temptation could get right down there in those baritone registers, huh? I found myself wondering what kind of person would find that seductive. Like that's a very special person that's moved in that way by a voice that's deeper than the Oak Ridge Boy who does the "oom-boppa-mow-mow" part of "Elvira." I guess there's truly a lid for every pot. Good record.

Fun stuff, will get some more listens for sure!

Listened Before? N Wow! This is the funky-ass shit! I love this album. 70's funk at the top of the game. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone

This didn't inspire me. I like some Temptations stuff but I guess it's older than this.

Filled with Soul some funky,and grocery R n B, bringing the Temptations into the 70’s.

A very soulful album, with an adventurous cover of “Papa was a Rolling Stone”…maybe a little too adventurous at nearly 12 minutes! While this album wasn’t for me, I can see the appeal of this collection of songs, especially those who love a good Motown/ Barry Gordy vibe in their music. Maybe refrain from blasting out “Run Charlie Run” while driving around with the windows open. While possibly an empowering song or protest, the lyrics could be a little controversial for the modern era.

So different than the kind of music I associate this band with!

Great album, a bit awkward at times, but very funky and groovy.

Really wanted to like it but just really didn’t

Smooth.

All Directions is the 15th or 16th album (depends on if you count the LP album preceding this one, without the founding members) from the American vocal group The Temptations. It is their most successful non-collaborative album, and this is a result of one of their most popular songs appearing on this album - "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". This funky, psychedelic soul album was laid back, but left me wanting more. Not bad by any stretch, but not my music of choice.

Solid 5 for 'Love Woke Me Up This Morning' alone, let alone 'Poppa was a Rolling Stone'.

Some absolute classic songs here.

Not what I was expecting when I saw Temptations, this was a funk album, not R&B doowop music. Overall it was pretty good, papa was a rolling stone was the only song I recognized.

Good but not great. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is an all-time classic (although I'll take the 7-minute single version over the nearly 12-minute album version, thanks), "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" is properly funky, and the rest of the album was serviceable.

Socially conscious and far less sugary than 60s Temptations.

Papa was a Rolling Stone it's just an incredible song. When it came out in 72 it was all over the radio. I heard it tonight at the grocery store. The instrumentation and vocals are just incredible. Rest of the album was just OK

All Directions as an album seems a bit disappointing to me. It remains a collection of covers. But then it has some nice highlights, especially 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' of course. You can tell they're stuck in the 60's after all. Artists like Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield moved on to soul and had become a bit more socially critical. That also shows a little bit on this album, but for the majority this remains popular Motown. The music is beautiful and the harmony vocals of The Temptations are certainly good.

81/100: Very fun album, very soul-y and super energetic. Few songs can get away with being as long as “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” but that song is so damn good it easily gets away with it; in fact, I went back and listened to it multiple times after finishing the album. This album is super interesting in that I think it really encapsulates the, excuse me, soul of soul as a genre. Listening to the songs on this album, I found myself feeling simultaneously on top of the world and deeply sad, each equally in part because of the other. I don’t have the words to explain how that could be the case, but I think the answer lies within the appeal of soul.

Pretty much everything you want from a record by The Temptations, including Papa Was a Rolling Stone, an obvious but correct choice for best song.

Great album and I'm glad the band relented and went ahead with recording "Run, Charlie, Run" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"

The rhythm section on the opening track is next level. The rest of the songs didn't spark much interest.

Papa was a Rolling Stone is a masterpiece that occupies most of this album but the other songs are worth listening to as well. I would call this one of the genre defining albums of Soul.

Some funky groove lines.

N-word bad. It’s not terrible, but not my thing.

Decent disco tracks and messages throughout, just not really for me, enjoyed a few songs greatly though.

I'm a sucker for this kinda thing. The harmonies, the horns, the strings. 12 minute of Papa was a Rolling Stones. Epic funk/Soul.

Fun, interesting songs. Definitely worth a second listen.

amazing. A+. 10/10. Papa Was A Rolling Stone, and First Time Ever I Saw Your Face were favorites, but ever song is a winner. i mean, it’s The Temptations, come on

A classic, love Motown. Just don’t think this was their best album.

I guess I only really like The Temptations singles, their albums have been pretty underwhelming overall (this was my second album from them this week).

Man this is such a classic

Simply incredible. Was not expecting this level of funk in the album, but I love that it was this funky. Favorite track: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On

Very enjoyable listen. Fav track: Papa Was A Rollin Stone

Solid album

Emerging from the 1960s, the Temptations were forced to leave their signature “Motown Sound” behind in search of a more commercial and progressive sound. What resulted (besides numerous lineup changes) was a slew of albums in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s known as the Temptations’ “Psychedelic Era”. This record was on the tail end of their psychedelic era. The Temptations were able to land a number 1 single in “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” after a drought in chart success. The first side contains funky numbers such as a 12 minute long version of the aforementioned #1 single, and the political tune “Run Charlie Run”. Side 2 opts for a more mellow tone, with many songs featuring orchestra components. The record ends with a funky number complete with horns. Overall, I believe The Temptations fit in well to the funk sound. Standout tracks: Papa Was a Rolling Stone, Do Your Thing, The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face

Stellar

Another great album by The Temptations. Great stuff. Fav songs: Papa Was a Rollin' Stone, Do Your Thing, Love Woke Me Up This Morning, I Ain't Got Nothin'

Wouldn't expect anything less funky from The Temptations, they really know how to do a funk. However their traditional funk in the latter half of the album turns into a deep soul that feels very sombre and reflective. It was interesting to learn that they didn't want to record a couple of the songs on the record - one being "Run Charlie Run" due to it's opening lines and the other, with what was undoubtedly their biggest hit of the record in "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" because the lead singer's father had recently passed away. Best: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On Worst: Run Charlie Run

Papa was a Rollin Stone - classic Ugh, idk. I wanted to love this one more that I did

There are long songs

Worried this was going to be a one song album however every song was great.

Didn’t really care for it.

Great songs, seems like they're genuinely exploring and pushing themselves. "Papa Was a Rollin Stone" sounded great - despite having heard it many times, I appreciated it anew.

This album centers around the strength of "Papa was a rolling stone." Though I'm sure the single version was edited down, I absolutely love that long, exploratory album versions were not uncommon during this era. Nice to get lost in a real jam.

I wanna like it more than I do. It's good and sounds nice, but I enjoy other albums of theirs more I think.

Funky kinda racist

Made me sleepy but swingy

This is a fine album. Papa Was A Rolling Stone makes it an all-time classic. What a song! What a performance. The rest of the album has some very good performances; Love Woke Me Up This Morning and Mother Nature to name two. 4.5 stars

Somehow dated, but also some groovy stuff here and there

Really great maybe could become a 5 star with a few more listens. Favourite track: The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face

The funky rhythmic first half is fantastic. The falsetto tear jerkers not so much.

Review #5 of 1001 3/5 This one was slightly disappointing if I'm honest. This album moves a bit too slow for my taste. This band was extremely talented in their day, but I found myself just waiting for this album to end. Favorite song: I Ain't Got Nothin'

Solid early 70s soul.

Bit of soul, bit of searing funk. I’m a particular fan of the latter. “Run Charlie Run” and “Do Your Thing” are my favourites, but not so much the soppiness of “Love Woke Me Up this Morning” and “I Ain’t Got Nothin”.

eh, not for me

I recognize "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" from movie soundtracks. Perhaps the devil wears prada? It occurs to me how many songs I will hear on this album list that are sampled in songs of today. "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" moved me. I really liked "Mother Nature."

We want the funk!

Woah what an opener One of the best Motown soul records I’ve heard, definitely worth returning to Way better than their other album I’ve heard

PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE...

I guess the inclusion of this album on the list is almost exclusively due to its legendary third track, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". But it *is* such a fantastic track that I won't argue with Dimery and co about their decision to include the LP the song was actually taken from. Besides, it was nice listening to its longer original version for the first time here--those 11+ minutes just flew by, exactly like the single version repeatedly did for me before... As for the rest of the record, it is generally excellent. Opener "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" (played live here, I think) rides a mean groove, and "Run Charley Run" is a topical cut that's quite powerful as a statement about the housing issues faced by the African-American community at the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement--the songs is a snarling statement for sure, yet one not totally devoid of hope and empathy either. Side two is admittedly less striking than side one, since it only uses slower ballads or far less funky tunes compared to the first half of the album. Some of those laidback or plaintive tunes are nonetheless impressive in their own rights--cuts such as Isaac Hayes' "Do Your Thing", or "I Ain't Got Nothin'" a few tracks before--I could swear that at least one later hip hop act sampled that "shoo-wop, doo wop" vocal hook on it (maybe from a different version of the song), but I can't remember which act it was, unfortunately. The information is probably two clicks away on the internet, so I'll let you do your own research, OK? 😉 Two songs kinda stick out like sore thumbs on that second half, unfortunately: there's the saccharine "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", a solo number for Harris--the youngest member of the vocal band at the time--here relying on his falsetto timbre in an attempt to make a durable impression, but only enhancing the cheesiness of the original composition as he does so. And there's also the quite pointless rendition of Ewan McColl's folk standard "The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)"... Because of those two irritating tracks, I can't give the maximum grade to this record. Besides, The Temptations didn't write their own tunes (plus, they extensively used covers for their repertoire), and apart from incredible or groundbreaking performers such as Nina Simone or Johnny Cash, it is something that I will always consider as a significant flaw when it comes to select my own list of all-time greats. But still, this record is a keeper for sure, and not only for the most famous track on it... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 831 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 92 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 42 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 36

Jazzy meh

As an album, I find this uneven. The contrast between « Papa was a rollin’ stone » and « Love woke me up » is so jarring that the second sounds manic. I had never listened to this extended version of PWARS, and it impressed me. Funk: little melody, no harmonic progression, just rhythm and riffs… it really does become hypnotic.

Fått väldigt mycket funk på sistone? men jag gillar ju funk så detta passar mig väl.

The best song is almost ten minutes. The other twenty minutes are pretty good but lack the killer tracks The Temptations are known for. Overall it’s just…okay.

Motown put out a lot of stars. The Temptations had a great group of singing voices that brought so much style and personality to these soul tracks. The most notable, of course, being Papa Was a Rollin' Stone, which the full album version deserves more credit. So much wonderful subtly in these songs, it's a great listen throughout.

Cool album, great grooves and baselines. lacking some wow from many tracks but pretty good

This started pretty entertaining so I had high hopes. It quickly went south and stated to be some high pitch wailing.

Jesus is irrelevant

Motown goes funky, what's not to love?

Papa was a Rolling Stone.. Love this song so much, one of the best scenes of the Temptations movie was the recording on this song. Blend of psychedelic soul and funk. The problem the rest of the album is very uneven, some really bad songs. This is a hard album to rate for sure, It's a 3 but since I love Papa was a Rolling Stone so much I'll give a 4.

Wanted to like this much more, but it came down to only a couple songs. Papa Was a Rolling Stone is of course great. And I actually like this version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face even more than Roberta Flacks version. In context of the times I can see why this was an important record, and a step for The Temptations, just not my thing.

Didn't know Rollin Stone was 12 minutes and I was surprised by the chorus to Run Charlie. Overall a good listen.

It’s pretty good but not something I’m going to put on a bunch of times. Of course Papa is a Rolling Stone is great.

Really good soul and funk vibes! I’d heard a few of the songs off this album before, but really enjoyed this listen!

Nice

A couple great songs, the rest was mostly forgettable. Enjoyable background music though.

The fact that thus album contains the finest ever version of Papa Was A Rolling Stone makes it 5. And Run, Charlie, Run is still confronting today. Inspiring decision to include a politically charged track.

Solid album of some music I havnt really listened to before.

Good stuff

3.5

Soul y funk. Demasiadas canciones lentas para llegar al 5...

Leuk album. 'Papa was a Rolling Stone' is echt een topper

Didn’t know what to expect. Took me in all directions.

Funky as fuck when it needs to be and sad as hell when it can be Lack of stereo separation on the first track made me wanna die but otherwise I loved it

Not for me

7/15/2022 - ALBUM #169 Today's Album: "All Directions" by The Temptations - This was a really easy album to enjoy and listen to. Coming straight out of the early 70s, the fusion of R&B, soul, and funk that this album exudes is very much emblematic of the experimentation being done by groups of the time like Earth, Wind, and Fire. From what I was able to gather, this was quite a departure for this group, who were mainly labeled as 60s balladeers with songs like ‘My Girl’. If this is true, than this album is truly a stunning achievement, as the band is able to fit the developing, gritty R&B vibe of the time pretty well for a first attempt. The track Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone is a 12 minute epic detailing the story of a runaway father and does so with so much color and control of sound. The bassline is simple, but unrelenting in its pushyness and the warbly guitar mixed with angelic synths give a really cool psychedelic-soul atmosphere before the track picks up with some claps and building strings. When the vocalist finally comes in, the depiction of a low-income single-parent household is so visceral and strong and I really love the way the instruments play with what’s going on lyrically instead of staying stagnant. It is a great demonstration of the production of this album as well, as the heavy bassline, tapping hi-hat, and detailed vocals somehow all feel really balanced and spaced out. This is followed up with the beautiful ballad, Loe Wokee Me Up This Morning, which like many of the tracks on this album, could have been a fairly enjoyable, but boring vocal performance had it not been for the life breathed into it by creative and generous instrumentals. Other tracks like this include I Ain’t Got Nothin’, which is lifed up by lush strings and some really fun background vocals and Mother Nature, which has a truly lush bass sound and very smooth woodwinds/strings. There are definitely moments on this album that I wasn’t a huge fan of, like the poorly aged Run Charlie Run’s excessive use of the N-word (even if it is in protest of it), and the somewhat lackadaisical and uninteresting The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, but I think this album still offered enough really interesting moments to chew on to make up for the lacking moments. Overall, this album is pivotal in the development of the R&B, soul/funk genre and was a huge milestone in the career of this band. Give this one a listen if you like Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder, or if you enjoy Marvin Gaye, but wish there was a bit more of a punch to it. Highlights: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On, Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone, Love Woke Me Up This Morning, Mother Nature Do Your Thing Score: 7.5/10 An increasingly important album in the evolution of ‘black’ music in the early 70s

Got classic

Couple of good uns

Fun and funky album. Really enjoyed.

todas as direções!

Pleasant

Would not purchase. Ok, mid soul/r&b. I've heard Papa was a rolling stone, good track. Forgettable otherwise 2.5/5

I forgot how long the intro for poppa was a rolling stone. This album didn't do it for me, but overall I still dig the temptations.

Such a dynamic and wonderful mix of 70s black American music. Papa was a rolling stone is top tier

Flawless first half, should listen to more of their full albums.

Funky

Solid P-Funk style

idk yet

Wow - that was a storming Motown album, far grittier and sharper than I expected. Hats off to them, that's a brilliant set of songs and amazingly delivered.

Apart from singles I am not so familiar with the Temptations output in the seventies and had just overlooked this 1972 album. In short, it turned out to be another great Temptations/Whitfield album - with one mega-classic song of twelve minutes - while the other songs, including a cover of a very familiar song - are excellent too, in particular I liked their version of Isaac Hayes' Do Your Thing. Definitely 5 stars.

Every fish has bowl, every shoe has a sole. Brilliant.

Funky at times. Papa was a rolling stone is solid. 3.5 rounded down

Enjoyable - started out as a 4 but as the album progressed it felt more like a 3.

I really liked this. Papa Was a Rolling Stone and Love Woke Me Up This Morning were the obvious highlights, but everything was nice and funky. Good stuff.

It was okay, tuned out most of it. I enjoyed 'The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face', but the rest was pretty meh.

very enjoyable.

Papa Was a Rollin' Stone is one of the best songs ever and you get the full, nearly 12 minutes of it here. Other standouts: Run Charlie Run, The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, Love Woke Me Up This Morning, I Ain't Got Nothing (Which sounds a lot like I Only Have Eyes For You).

Groovy and funktastic.

Super cool

Definitely not the "My Girl" Temptations. This was much different than I was expecting and much grittier.

Very lush full funk sound with the strings. I like it a lot 👍

Funky songs

Good album. First three or four tracks are highlights

Lovely sounding album with smash good feeling song Papa Was a Rollin Stone. Solid.

I was hoping I'd like this more. There are better Temptations songs, imo

Papa was a Rolling stone is still ubiquitous 50 years later. The bass-line is instantly recognizable, as are the wah-wah guitar and trumpet. Of course, The Temptations don’t play any instruments, nor do they write songs - but they are great vocalists. Overall the album is too ballad driven for me. It’s interesting that they nailed their signature tune on their fifteenth album.

I can’t say enough about Papa was a rolling stone. It’s a monster song of epic proportions. They threw everything into it, brilliant song-writing, singing and orchestration and it results in one of the greatest funk/soul R&B songs of all time. The rest of the album doesn’t rise to the same level unfortunately, and its just mediocre filler.

real groovy

Was dreading this, but was actually quality.

Pure delicious funk. Fave: Papa Was A Rollin' Stone.

For as much soul as this music has, it's a very slow burn. There's some serious story telling and reflects a darker side of life.

bara snilld basically

Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On, but Motown isn't all platinum and diamonds. This album illustrates that pretty clearly. Not sure if it's just me being fickle or this is really a subpar listen, but I wasn't entertained until I read the credits. It showed that Chef 'I'm gonna make love to you, woman" from Southpark (Isaac Hayes) has writing credits on this album. Freaky!

The list manages to miss twice with The Temptations, one of the most iconic groups of all time. The Temptations are iconic for their 60s soul hits filled with harmonies. But that is almost absent here, as “All Directions” and their other entry, “Cloud Nine,” see their style shift to psychedelic soul. A couple of the bits of funk on “All Directions” were welcome and showed a group evolving, but ultimately what I want from The Temptations just isn’t present enough. Wikipedia says it's their “most successful non-collaborative album,” and while I can’t figure out exactly what it means by that, it seems like that may have been part of the problem.

This album is like a guy who falls asleep at a red light. Obviously he was driving because he got to the stop light. The beginning of Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone is the moment after he passed out. Like the car is still idling, but nothing is happening. Four minutes later he jerks himself awake. “I wasn’t asleep!” Then he starts driving. Was he overly tired from a double shift? Was he drunk? I don’t know. All I know is that someone was asleep at the wheel here.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Run Charlie run

I had higher expectations for this one that it didn’t live up to. Just ok. 3

Was gonna give it 4 stars, but after hearing it again, with the current state of music, I've changed it to a 5

not what i was expecting - way cooler

meinlaust

What were The Temptations like in 1972? Was this the end of the initial wave of Motown? What could they still offer in the 70s when so many other acts were poised to take up the funk/r&b mantle? Well, it sounds pretty great. Wait, is this a live record? I don't think so, but the album start gives that vibe. Cool. I like it when bands do that. Here's the thing, though. This record doesn't really have 'the hits.' Not gonna hold it against The Tempts. Except, they're only getting 3/5 stars, rounded up from 2.5.

Never realized the Temptations released an "Explicit" song. This album sounds like an "end of career" album. It strays from what made the Temptations cool and tried to hard to incorporate what was commercially cool in the early 70s. Not their best work. Plus, the guy with the high voice has always annoyed me and he's featured a lot on this one.

Papa was a rollin' stone.

Íkonísk verk í bland við lágstemmdari lög. Allar 11 mínúturnar og 46 sekúndurnar af Papa was a rollin' stone eru þess virði að hlusta á. Oft.

I mean, I usually like Motown stuff and The Temptations are really good- but this one didn’t seem very special to Me. The standout Track was def Papa was a Rollin Stone, but the rest of the album just kinda blurred in a mellow way. It was good, just not amazing. I can definitely feel the switch from R&B here to Funk with the departure of the 60s into the 70s. *Edit Just listened a bit closer the 2nd time, and wow this album is amazing. Especially all the Side 1 stuff, really really good. Towards the end it kinda teeters but still really good. High 4- not quite a 5. Might change my mind again on listen #3

I always knew Papa Was a Rolling Stone was a Certified Banger™, and I am very happy to see the rest of the album has no trouble matching it's prowess.

I'll be honest, Run Charlie Run shocked the shit out of me based on the time period. This album bumps, and has no fluff at all.

bnito album creo q tiene un contexto racial nolose

This was a bit of a mystery. I was not really very fond of most of this album, but somehow in the middle of a bunch of 3-minute songs is their almost 12-minute "magnum opus" (to quote the Wikipedia article on the Temptations), "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," which is about as perfect as such a long song can be. That track is a definite five, but I can't say that for the album as a whole.

I was unfamiliar with all these tracks, except Papa Was a Rollin' Stone. I really enjoyed the variety of funk to doo-wop. Good fun!

Oh great, I thought, The Temptations! This will be fun! I was thinking it would be songs like My Girl and Ain't Too Proud to Beg. You know, happy songs with choreo. I forgot that The Temptations could go serious, like twelve minutes of Papa Was a Rolling Stone serious. Run Charlie Run is startling and dark. I Ain't Got Nothin' is for and about lonely people. The songs about finding and having love are even wistful and sad sounding. So, no, not overly fun. But good and interesting.

Some nice Motown here… some of the songs surprised me from the Temptations, as I haven’t listened to their “deeper cuts” before. But I liked the album. Nothing beats the full version of “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone.” Epic!

⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5 Um belo funk, a qualidade do groove é única. Pessoalmente gosto mais da primeira faixa "Funky Music..." do que da clássia "Papa was a Rolling Stone", pois prefiro algo mais upbeat. Algumas faixas não pegaram muito pra mim. Mais algumas faixas faria mal algum. :)

First time listening to a full album by The Temptations, to say I enjoyed what I heard is an understatement. The boys are smooth. I'm pinching myself for never taking the time to appreciate their music beyond "My Girl."

The only really great song on this album is "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (I had no idea this was a cover until today) but it's an incredible song and it alone makes this album worthy of being on this list. Any song with the balls to spend nearly 4 minutes of instrumental before the first word is uttered gets points in my book. The rest of the album is entertaining too, but nothing comes close to that one.

Non male, però a parte alcune tipo 'I ain't got nothin'', non spicca nulla

Can't say I've ever listened to a whole Temptations album but I bet it will be good. Oh wait. This is so funky and political. Not the Temptations that live in my head, masters of the upbeat love song. Obviously Papa Was A Rollin' Stone is a masterpiece. I appreciate the groove, but just a little more energy here and there might have been nice. Faves: Funky Music, Pappa, Do Your Thing.

Funky and groovy classics! I was really digging the long version of Papa Was A Rolling Stone

It was good to hear some less popular Temptations songs but I think there is a reason they were less popular. Also, Papa was a rollin stone has no need to be almost 12 minutes long. Get over yourself. Very middle-of-the-road album for me.

This album started so strong with powerful vocals and brass, then the rest was hit and miss. “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” was too extended of a version, but “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is a beautiful song.

Okay, I loved papa was a rollin stone. So funky. The rest was... meh.

Like the first time you hear Bob Saget do standup

groovy.

This was a very strange album for me because it went against everything I knew about The Temptations going into it. It is crazy for me to picture a clean cut group singing 'My Girl' and 'Just My Imagination' but then hear something like 'Run Charlie Run' coming from those same voices. I was flabbergasted by this stark contrast, but outside of that, I didn't get much out of this album overall. I just thought it was a solid R&B album with some mildly interesting funk and lounge music aspects thrown in. The performances are pretty strong throughout, but nothing stood out to me as being exceptional. I felt that it was pretty inconsistent in terms of flow with funky songs being immediately followed up by slower songs that kind of diminished the vibe I think they were going for. I can definitely see why people like this one, but I don't think it's for me. 2.5/5.

A decent R&B/rock crossover LP. The driving track feels a bit overlong for how threadbare it is, but most of the other songs are equipped with catchy enough hooks and plenty of envelope filter to get the job done without too much fuss.

"Papa was a rolling stone" was my favorite

Fun and groovy

It's smooth listening past the first few songs. It starts off abrasive with a bad mix, but gets way better as the album progresses. Overall it's just a good soul album. Favorite track: Love Woke Me Up This Morning

There are a lot of great moments on this record. The instrumentation is really great and the singing is incredibly smooth. I really enjoy the horns as well. Highlights: 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Run Charlie run wand papa was a rolling stone were awesome. Rest was great

It’s so easy/nice listening to them

Poppa was a rolling stone is a classic. Glad to see the rest of the album holds up as well

Good bits of old fink fun. Favourites: "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Papa Was A Rollin'", "Love Woke Me Up This Morning"

Enjoyed

Stone cold classic.

Incredibly solid funk, some really famous tracks on here that I didn’t realize was them!

Great listen classic funk

Lovely groove. Especially liked "Papa was a rolling stone"

Great production by Norman Whitfield and a stonking version of Papa. Otherwise, Roberta Flack did Ewan's tune better and no other stand out tracks for me.

This is great

Apart from a few songs I found this album underwhelming. Maybe I caught it on the wrong day.

Good album, but I think they have better tunes on other albums.

Starts out strong. And ends silky-smooth. But, I ain't feelin' that mild ground. Favorite tracks: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turn Me On, Papa Was a Rolling Stone, Do Your Thing ☆☆1/2

Great bit of funk and soul. The 12 min papa was a rolling stone is an exceptional track.

Best aardig...

Ben nooit echt een soulman geweest. Best te pruimen, maar ook niet echt spectaculair

Niks mis mee. Zit meteen in zo'n Quentin Tarantino - Jackie Brown sfeer als ik dit soort muziek hoor.

Beetje flauwe hap.

Easy listening, lots of covers