All Directions

Much darker and funkier than I anticipated before listening. Great vocal harmonies and falsetto. Very live quality to the sound of the recording. The strings give the album a definite and obvious 70’s feel.

Volt 1-2 jó szám a lemezen, erős közepes.

I enjoyed this album much more than I expected. There are such great songs and not "just" old R&B, to my ears, with more variety and just a lot of depth. It also took more risks than I would have expected.

Wauw, Run Charlie Run is een crazy nummer zeg. Niet per se crazy positief, gewoon gestoord dat dit een nummer is ofzo? Holy shit, die bass op Papa was a rollin' stone, HEERLIJK! Gewoon een 11 minuten durende versie van dat nummer, sorry hoor, wie dat heeft bedacht is een held en een koning. Het is namelijk de volledige tijd genieten! Sowieso funkt dit album echt bizar hard, ga daar best wel heel erg lekker op. The Temptations klinken echt top, het album funkt en fucked. De funky nummers zijn wel echt zooveeeel beter dan de tragere R&B/Soul nummers. Ik mis gewoon die ontzettend dikke bassline, is dat te veel gevraagd? Lekker album, dat een fantastisch album word door de bijna 12 minuten durende versie van Papa was a rolling stone, wát een knaller is dat zeg! FAVO: Papa was a rollin' stone, The first time that I saw your face, Do your thing

This album feels like 3 parts: Side A (first three songs) Monster funk rhythmically and musically outstanding 5* Side B first half (songs 4-6) Cheesy R&B 2* Side B second half (songs 7-8) Beautiful and soul music with depth and passion. Do your thing is spectacular in particular 5*

Beetje psychedelische soul en Temptations met Dennis Edwards. 5/5

The lineup changes, but the groove never stops. Mellow, soulful, and thoroughly enjoyable.

A wonderfully diverse album covering a range of emotions and dynamics. There’s sweet soul and funk, classics, and songs I hadn’t heard. It’s great to listen to the Temptations outside the “greatest hits” vacuum and hear a real album. Great one here!

funky, soulful, dynamic, great voices and harmonies

Great album, classic Motown sound, Papa was a Rolling Stone makes it a easy 6

One of those albums that's incredible to listen to from start to finish. The production, the use of strings and wind and funky bass add so much depth and texture. "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" is a true odyssey and probably the best thing that's ever happened.

3.5

The Temptations have had an incredibly long - 60 years, so far - and amazingly prolific - over 40 studio albums, and 22 others, live albums, compilations, and soundtracks. All Directions is their sixteenth album, and includes one of their most successful songs, "Papa was a Rolling Stone." The Temptations have made songs centered around harmonic arrangements of a collection of five strong voices. They have incorporated soul and gospel elements as their career evolved though the decades. All Directions is more political than their earlier work, and the success of this album pushed the band in that direction for most of the 70s.

Started strong, with a bunch of funky numbers. Then transitioned to fairly forgettable soul for most of the rest of the album. The last track felt like a bit of a recovery.

Sounds all right but it isn't my thing. 2/5

Buttery vocals and harmonies across this entire album, but that's what you get with the Temptations. Great arrangements and production too. Side note, I don't think I ever heard the album version of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone and didn't realize it's almost 12 minutes long! Over all it's a fine album, albeit fairly forgettable as it sounds like most of their catalog and just going of the numbers it would appear most Spotify listeners only listen to 2 songs off this album seeing a play count drop off 75% between the 2nd and 3rd most played tracks and then another 50% between the 3rd and 4th with the latter getting just shy of 155k at time of this writing and half of this album not even that much. Ultimately, it's a Temptations album so you'll get exactly what you expect from a Temptations album. Listen to Run Charlie Run, Mother Nature, and Do Your Thing 3/5

funky soul that make me wanna dance at 1am with my significant other! Good Album and the extended Version of Papa was a rolling stone also Great!

Old school funk

Classic album. Gonna be a 5 star rating and if it’s not idk anything anymore. Come ON drum beat in “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” ugh I miss disco. It didn’t go anywhere, I just don’t listen to it as much anymore.

very talented group

3+

Solid funk and the Temptations are music royalty, but this didn't really do anything for me.

A high quality 36 minutes of beautifully constructed soul music. Even if 12 minutes of that is a cover of ‘Papa was a rollin’ stone’ that on paper sounds incredibly dull … but in practice is a phenomenally executed exercise in restraint.

Good stuff!

As smooth as your Grandad's crushed purple velvet jacket.

The wondrousness of PWARS notwithstanding, this is odd assortment of tubes - most ok, one or two quite good, but resolutely refusing to play nice with each other.

3 Good background music

Solid tracks throughout, but this one would be worth it just for the full minute version of Papa Was a Rollin' Stone with all that crunchy Wurlitzer that was cut out of the single edit.

What an absolute treat this was. Opening with some hard funk for the first couple of tracks, followed by the massive Papa Was a Rolling Stone, and then a second side of lovely soulful ballads (including the beautiful The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face). I’ve liked the few Temptations songs I’d heard before this but never checked out a whole album, and yeah, this just ticked all the boxes for me

Cool

Despite enjoying the lyrics and content at times, much prefer the David Ruffin Temprations.

funky asf (as funk)

Que belleza esos sonidos.

"All Directions" is the 16th album by American vocal group the Temptations. Soul, funk and pyschedelic soul. Yes sir. The album was produced by Norman Whitfield and the first without Eddie Kendricks, the band's falsetto singer. Commercially, it hit #2 in the US becoming their most successful non-collaborative album. It was critically well received with many considering it their best 1970's album. The album opens with "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On." It's a cover of the Edwin Starr song and what sounds like a live recording. They absolutely get the funk going. They continue the funk on "Run Charle Run." Piano, bass, bongos and pyschedelic guitar. A serious song telling a story of the white flight from cities. A thumping bass, the top hat and wah-wah guitar begin the epic "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." It's a cover of the Undisputed Truth's song and one they resisted recording for a few reasons including the day mentioned that papa died on(September 3) which supposedly was the day one of the members' dad actually died (proven false). I am glad they did. A total jam with all five members performing ensemble style. A story about a papa who never worked a day in his life. The second side has two beautiful ballad-like songs. They cover Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "I Ain't Got Nothin.'" Piano, strings and more in the do-wop style. "The First Time I Ever (I Saw Your Face)" continues the string addition. A gentle song with a gospel vibe. Great tenor singing. The first side of this album is harder with a more serious tone. The second side is more gentle. Great vocals and harmonies. Tremendous production especially the first side. Funky, pyschedelic and soulful. Not a bad song on the album. A solid recommendation.

The Temptations were a solid part of my upbringing. I loved those guys.

Great album with a couple massive hits. "Papa was a Rolling Stone" is one of my favorite songs to ever come out of Motown.

A generally good funk album - short, seeet to the point and groovy. Wah Wah everywhere and all that’s left is a 70s Blaxxploitation movie to go with this record. Still fun although track 2 gets one grimacing a little - funny now words can make one do that

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

👍

bops on top of BOPS!

Loved the political track Run Charlie run and also listening more closely to papa was a rolling stone

Intro - good start to the album and sets the expectation for how the rest of the album will sound RCR - interesting lyrics to say the least, however, quite the powerful message PWARS - song a little slow however it was fantastic in my opinion, worth the 12 minutes as this track displayed for the listeners the lyrical capacity of the band LWMUTM - wow. this song was incredible. everything from the lyrics to the instrumental to the vocals. this song went straight into my playlist as soon as it graced my ears. IAGN - powerful lyrics to portray a great message to the listeners about feelings of isolation TFTIESYF - beautiful love song DYT - fantastic finish to an overall great album Overall, this album surprised me with how fantastic the writing was. With some songs leaving me somewhat disappointed, like Run Charlie Run or the intro track, other songs, such as Papa Was A Rolling Stone and Love Woke Me Up This Morning made up for it just by how much the songs blew me away. All in all, this is a good album that I would definitely recommend.

What one would expect from MoTown

Great music, no real low points and I could definitely groove to it. Some of it didn’t quite grab me, but still liked it a lot.

Really enjoyed Papa Was A Rolling Stone! The rest of the album was worth a listen too.

Nice and chill R&B, Groove. Trumpets, bass and distortions.

The Temptations' All Directions is a quintessential example of 70s funk and soul at its finest. This album marks a notable shift towards a more funky sound for the group, featuring the long jams, dry "in the pocket" drumming, and upfront bass that define the era's groove. The musicianship throughout the record is impeccable, with standout contributions from the brass and strings adding rich layers to the sound. The vocal performances are, as always, top-notch, showcasing the seasoned expertise of The Temptations. Among the standout tracks, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" shines as an epic masterpiece, embodying the essence of the album, while "Mother Nature" also emerges as a personal favorite, perfectly capturing the album’s vibe.

Did these guys put out multiple albums a year, or what!? This is a classic. I can't believe they were able to get away with saying the "n" word so many times on Run Charlie Run! That would never happen in today's popular music..... Papa Was A Rollin' Stone is the jam. On I Ain't Got Nothin', I like the nod to The Flamingos' I Only Have Eyes for You with the "shu bop shu bop".

Any parent has kids who fixate on a particular movie, and you end up watching it hundreds of times (our movies of the summer for 2024 were "Migration" and "Zootopia"). Same apparently with teens; the decade I worked at the "Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for Troubled Youth", I half-watched The Temptations mini-series countless times. I didn't realize I heard a shortened version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." The album showcases a 12 minute version; the first 4 minutes is an instrumental intro, odd for a vocal group that doesn't play an instrument. They do a good job of "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," a song I sang to my newborn first-born while trying to lull him to sleep at night. The original is surprisingly hokey, but Roberta Flack's version is so re-defining that anyone covering the song thereafter always cover her version instead of the original. I liked hearing The Temptations version, but they didn't bring anything new to the table. The Temptations are a legendary vocal group who didn't write most of their songs, and they didn't write any of them on All Directions; as such I suppose I can't weigh in the instrumentation, musical performance, lyrics, or songwriting. Left with just vocals alone, sure they sing and harmonize well, but I'm saddened by how manufactured this is. This isn't even the original lineup, begging the question if any individual even mattered or if they were just a Motown brand. If the Temptations all died, these session musicians would still lay down the tracks written by the same songwriters and they would plug in another group for the singing duties. Believe it or not, I enjoyed the album, but I can't give too much credit to the Temptations for it.

I guess I'm more familiar with the "My Girl" era of this band, but this was a pretty good mix of funk, soul, and R&B that exemplified the direction that music was heading in the early '70s. I never knew "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" was almost 12 minutes long. That was probably the standout for me here. The intro reminded me of French duo Air.

Some really good musicianship on this album. 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' is a masterpiece. I feel though that the second half of this album loses some momentum. Still, overall good performances.

Always smooth and always great.

Classic

It was really good, I thoroughly enjoyed it throughout listening. However, it’s just not my favourite 🤷‍♀️. I’ll probably listen to it from time to time.

Perfect to listen with a watermellon and good ol KFC.

Muito bom. Música animada inspirada no jazz. Melhor música: Run Charlie run

Opening track "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On" slaps. "Run Charlie Run"'s chorus is uh, a bit problematic so I don't have much to say about it. The remainder of the album has beautiful harmonies and has some great funk to it. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is classic.

Can't fault the musicianship. Can fault the song selections. The slower ones are interminable. Maybe 2 good tracks in here, 3 OK ones and the rest I could definitely live with ever hearing again.

What are the chances? Two Temptations albums in a row. This one is easily the better of the two. Funky, soulful, and at times even edgy. Absolute banger.

solid album, nice sounding funky tracks

Decently funky and soulful. Good but couple of average songs lower the score somewhat. 7/10.

No

Temptations are such a blast, and Papa Was A Rolling Stone is such an incredible song

Very musical softish pop rock made by a very talented songwriter. Songs are solid with good arrangements that give instruments space but also work together. Piano is featured often and serves the songs well without ever being over the top or virtuosic. Similar for bass…that seems to be the theme here- well written, arranged, and played songs where everything serves its purpose.

Very good. Great group.

This was a bit of funky old fun. Starting with the big groove of Papa Was A Rolling Stone is a ballsy move, and it doesn't quite live up to that peak, but definitely a lot of fun to hear.

didn’t realise papa was a rolling stone was 12 minutes long

After listening to "Cloud Nine" on the 1001 list some time ago, I was excited for the next Temptations. Expectations are born to die, and that's the cruel truth. This album is not bad; it started with some very funky songs, but then it suddenly became a generic soul/Motown album with no personality, which is fairly disappointing, especially when compared with "Cloud Nine." It probably deserves its spot on the list, but it's not something I'll remember.

Um produto de sua época, envelheceu q nem leite, horrivel

Not my kind of music but surprisingly enjoyable.

70's soul. Temptations slipping more into soul/funk from their pure Motown roots -- they can still sing with the best but the tracks here aren't fantastic (with the exception of the seminal Papa Was A Rolling Stone). High marks for the overall sound less a little for mostly mediocre songwriting.

3/5

Listenable. Not the best album, but not the worst.

Great little album. Really enjoyed the funky songs on this one the most and really only two songs didn't really grab me. This is probably most accurately a 3.5 for me but I am going to round up here.

Some classics but ultimately didn't grab me.

Además del increible sample value que tiene, me pareció un proyecto que tiene un aspecto historico y étnico muy marcado y que lo hace sentir muy personal. la interpretación que le dieron a estas canciones que pueden ser pesadas para el oyente estan super bien hechas y casi sin errores, musicalmente hablando. Me encanto y lo disfrute buco, 9/10.

Classic.

Love these guys.

This album for certain has my favorite version of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" that I've heard from the Temptations.

Very funky

I really enjoyed this, but I think part of it was because it was a 35 minute LP. Right when it felt like it was starting to drag it wrapped up.

Harmonização foda entre diversas vozes e instrumentos. Já ouvi algumas vezes ele desde que foi sorteado entra os álbuns e vou ouvir muitas outras. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone é realmente fenomenal, mas as outra não ficam muito pra trás não.

Midd

Pretty good. A little bit of funk. Worth hearing again

Papa was a rolling stone is the stand out on this album. But as expected by the temptations stong harmony and we'll crafted songs

Cool

The funky stuff is better than the soul/rnb stuff , especially the first 3 tracks. Short album, flew by. Not bad.

I really enjoyed it. 4

Great collection of well put together tracks. Really enjoyed listening to this in its entirety, and would happily listen again.

It was alright. I've never listened to anything like that before! Didn't really super resonate with me.

some bops

It was okay.

Outside of “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” I found this far too slow. The covers are lethargic. All the other songs feel they’re at half speed. Great vocals though. 2/5

Good!

Classic 1970s funk from the Temptations; the album includes one of my favourite tracks ever: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".

No P-Funk today, but I get the third best thing. Fuck yeah.

Wow

Holy Moses the 70's was not afraid to throw down the whole ass n word. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone is a cool song. I Ain't Got Nothin' is another fabulous song. The last three tracks sort of fall off for me but another great album in this run I'm on

It's fine 3.4

It's a classic and a bold move for the Temptations.

really powerful album Favourite track: Love Woke Me Up This Morning

The funk was good. The none funk did not belong. Low 3.

Muy bueno

A smooth and funky listen. A few recognizable hits here. I enjoyed Cloud nine much more.

I was expecting this to be much higher than it was. I love brevity when delivering a musical point. Eight songs coming in under 40 minutes is great. But when 12+ minutes of that are taken up by one overly long song? No thanks. Papa shoulda stopped that stone from rolling about six minutes in. The rest of the songs are ok. But overall this one went in too many directions for me.

A good listen but not enough meat here to go higher than 3. Some of this drags out without much payoff at the end of the build up.

Expected more from this so prob being a lil harsh on the rating. It was a fine listen but nothing really stood out to me.

Went into this album thinking it was a surefire 4* and the first two songs def had that feel. Not to mention Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On being an all-time great song title. Kinda grinds to a halt with Papa Was a Rollin' stone. I mean, I like a few minutes of the song but do we really need 1/3 of the album tied up in one song. The other songs don't hit as good as the first two and I'm having a hard time putting it in the same category as other 4* albums. So I shan't. 3.5/5

Funky bluesy but not really the wall of sound I expected.

Was really into the funk at the beginning, headlined by Papa Was a Rolling Stone. Less into the back half of the album when it went to the slower more doo-wop pop ballad stuff. Not bad by any means, loved all the string arrangements and stuff, but liked the funk better

Very tempting indeed. Love Run Charlie Run.

Mit dem Klassiker Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

An enjoyable 70s funky listen

This album should be on this list just for the epic 'Papa was a Rollin' Stone'. The only issue is the album starts off with 3 absolute bangers but then falls into too much cheesy soul/r&b and all the power and funk just gets ditched at the side of the road. Talk about a disappointing back end. Best Tracks: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On; Run Charlie Run; Papa was a Rollin' Stone

Yep

Papa Was a Rolling Stone is a masterpiece.

Not their best album. Papa was a rolling stone is the clear highlight here and an amazing song by itself. The rest of the songs are nice but not as impactful.

Nothing to write home about

Good vibes. But a 34 minute album with one song that is 12 minutes long. Can’t help but feel short changed. Simpsons: Yes

"Run El Grande Run". Enjoyed the vibes, gave it a quick 2nd listen and decided it's probably not something I'd listen to again though.

Found this very boring. Also there is no need for Papa Was a Rollin' Stone to be so long

Good stuff. Dragged a tiny bit at times but still felt like all bangers no filler

1/10, я не люблю джаз

This slapped really good. Definitely one of the better R&B albums on this list

Papa Was A Rolling Stone is a deathless masterpiece. Much of the rest is mildly interesting.

The Temptations, as good as they are, always felt like a conglomerate rather than an actual band. Check out the past members section on Wikipedia. Vocally they are as great as ever and at this stage their music was super funky. But there's a nagging feeling that they are a showbiz type band desperately trying to keep up with the times.

Yeah some strong numbers on here with fresh sounds and a vocal range from space.

'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' is a sure-fire winner all day long, but the rest of the album stands up pretty well even in the shadow of its magnificence. Starts to flag a little on side 2 though.

A lovely little album. It's a bit soppy but there's some gems such as "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face".

Not what I was expecting at all, it's quite the rollercoaster... it's got the usual funk/soul tracks, then it would hit an outlier ballsy track, and then drops down to some lacklustre track! Overall I liked it, but feels an odd album. 2.5

Had a lot of fun but didn't love the slower songs

Different than what I expected regarding what I generally think of when it comes to The Temptations, but of course it was still bangin.

Not many bands can get away with an album in which one song is 1/3 the time length of the album. But the Temps 'Poppa Was A Rolling Stone' does just that on this 33 minute lesson in funk / soul amazingness. 4.5/5

The N word is offensive

Super groovey and enjoyable. 3.5 stars

That first song was so worth it. I don't know what happened after that...

Smooth

Love the temptations and this album is absolutely amazing

Run Charlie Run is not a song I'll be playing out loud anywhere any time soon. Funky song though. I Ain't got Nothin' is so smooth. The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face is also so smooth. Do Your Thing is a fun ending, I added it to a playlist. This isn't exactly my type of music but I enjoyed it a lot. Outside of Papa Was a Rollin' Stone the songs are all short and don't get boring. 7/10, fun album!

This was decent but I didn’t focus on it too much.

This album gets a 5 based on Papa was a Rolling Stone alone.

Grand, sweeping and ambitious. An excellent collection of tracks and big step forward from a Motown group that previously had pop hits based on puns. The arrangements here are awesome, and I like that almost every vocalist gets a chance to shine.

Papa was a Rolling Stone is a masterpiece, but the others aren't. Oh well, the Temptations had a string of hits so maybe this is their miss. But Papa is amazing! 4 stars for Papa

Always good.

Just absolutely loved this album. A group that I’ve overlooked for years, probably being dismissive of a band that mainly do covers.

Good and perfectly professional, but not my favorite era of the band, and not my favorite sound in general. 3.5/5

PAPA WAS A ROLLIN STONE, WHEREVER HE LAID HIS HAT WAS HIS HOME, AND WHEN HE DIED ALL HE LEFT US WAS ALONNEEEEEE

Some standouts. Didn't fully click for me but clearly it's a classic for a reason.

This is what I'm talking about! 4.4.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

Masterful funk, soul, and R&B with poignant lyrics.

The point that soul started to become disco, with a tight rhythm section and repetitive songs. Funkier than I had expected, but pretty forgettable. A very short album, but still with a couple of very long songs. All sound similar, although with a few different voices popping up. Run Charlie run has some lyrics you would not expect to see in a pop record nowadays! The First time ever I saw your face is my favourite of these songs

Nice enough, and it of course has one of the greatest tracks of all time on it (you know which one). Torn between 3 and 4 on the whole, and this is the lucky album that gets rounded up because I did a lot of rounding down recently.

Good background music, but very repetitive. And suddenly it was over. Favorite song: papa was a rolling stone.

Didn't realize Papa Was A Rollin' Stone was so long!

Good background music

Lots of great songs - fantastic album! Fave Track: Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone Rating: 5

it was fine, not really my thing

easy listening, nothing special

6/6/24 very much my speed. so smooth and easy to listen to. have to check out the rest of their discography. so many hidden gems i bet. 7/10

My first Temptations album, hell yeah. This was a bop, nothing with staying power for me though. Mental note to check out their other stuff.

Very funky, more strings that I would have thought Ended up much more peaceful than anticipated

#16 - I found myself vibing to the funk but even after listening to the album 4 times I could not make any of the tunes stick! Not keeping any for a playlist. Still a good listen.

yes, yes, yes

I hear the Temptations and I think upbeat tunes like My Girl and Heard It Through the Grapevine. This album is grittier more soulful Temptations. Songs that focus on social issues, loneliness. So I didn’t get what was expected but am glad I heard. As far as rating it as an album musically, pretty average for me.

Nice

Some pretty good tunes along with a couple at the end that weren't so good.

I feel like a horrible person but The Temptations don’t tempt me :( Only liked ‘I ain’t got nothing,’ ‘Mother Nature,’ and ‘Do Your Thing’ cause I’ve heard then before

Good! I like that it splits the funkier stuff on the first half and the slower stuff on the second.

Ah psychedelic soul at its finest

Ok

It was aight

- the funk goes hard - papa was a rolling stone is phenomenal - almost no filler, not that big of a fan of the last two songs, but well, they are good nonetheless - the stereo separation gives me headaches on headphones

Great stuff. I have always loved 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone's and it's great put it into context. Really enjoyed it and will listen again!

unreal harmonies, their voices melt together like butter. could listen to these guys sing the phone book

I was not excited to listen to another Motown album, but I'm pleasantly surprised. While most Motown I'm familiar with is bubbly and relatively superficial lyrics, this one has sophisticated layering of sounds with some serious, political tones matched by the vocals. And hey, I'm a sucker for the funk.

Loved it.

Good soul music. Surprisingly political. I was particularly interested to hear the 11 minute version of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, it hit pretty decently. Wouldn't give it a repeat spin but would be happy to hear more Temptations.

# Playlist Track - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone # Notes - Funky! I like it. - "Papa was a rollin' stone" absolutely should not work, but it does! Super drawn out sections and slow build ups and it managed to pay off nicely. Cool! - The ballad was kind of a downer, tho.

An easy listening album

I've been getting a lot of artists that use the N-word lately (outside of rap/hip-hop). At least this time it's from black artists. Although, I didn't expect it from the group that wrote 'My Girl'. Times are different. This record was quite enjoyable. Easy listening. Funky and groovy. One song on this album called 'I Ain't Got Nothing' reminded me of Irma Thomas' 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)' - for those unfamiliar... It's the recurring song in the show Black Mirror. Great song. I Ain't Got Nothing is my favorite song on the album. I don't know if I need to listen to this record again. But I did enjoy it.

Keeper in my albums

songs had a good beat to them but didn’t resonate too strongly with it as a whole. really liked “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” for the beautiful lyricism

I like it, funky.

Papa Was Rolling Stone is a title I've heard lots over the years, but the actual track was disappointing. Otherwise nice eclectic bag. The 70s were great really.

Pretty good I liked the vibe. A bit outdated and sinilar tracks bit still you can tell its just awesome musicians in their confort zone.

very fun and funky good listen

A base hit. Not exciting but keeps the game going.

Groovy, but also eccentric and all over the place. I enjoyed the ride regardless though.

Slow

funky. so far not really digging it. Didn't hate it, but I don't think I'd put it on again.

The second song N word refrain, so not what I’d like to listen to but this is a great album otherwise

not high or pretentious enough to enjoy this

Boy band with funky backing musicians. The longer instrumental funky parts are the best parts here.

Good music I like the instrumentals and the vibe especially together as an album

Soulful album, but apart from a great musicality in the instruments, it did not speak to me.

While I love the hits, the lesser known songs definitely seemed dated, lacked ability to generate excitement.

Good Album - Solid 3.5 round up to 4

Man, it has been a while since I got some classic soul music. I think the last one I got was that Ray Charles album I listened to all the way back in February, meaning that it's been nearly 3 months! And you know, I've kind of missed it. Because of this project, I have a newfound appreciation for music like this, and this album is a good representation of it. The sound is nice. I enjoy the singing, and the multiple members of the Temptations allows for more variety in each song. The instrumentation is also great. I think the highlight of the sound in this album is probably this album's biggest hit, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." Needless to say, that song is great, and the rest are quite good as well. The writing is solid as well. With only 8 songs and a few repeat themes, there isn't much ground that gets covered, but what they do sing about fits perfectly in an album like this. Overall, this is a solid album that I enjoyed. It's not the best soul album I've gotten, but it's still quite good. High 3/5.

They ight 5/10

Funky, expressive, very nice. I was not a huge fan the slower songs. Songs did start to meld together a bit towards the end. 7/10

2.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It made me uncomfortable at times, which is good. Definitely one I would like to listen to again.

I had no idea The Temptations were so bad ass. This album kind of blew me away. This is not typically my kind of music but Papa Was a Rollin' Stone is an almost 12 minute jam. The first lyric isn't until you've grooved through 4 minutes of smooth funk. Oh it's a cover? Interesting. It's still good! The fact that the My Girl band put out this album is crazy. And unfortunately Run Charlie Run is constantly stuck in my head now.

Nah man, this was not good.

Surprisingly enjoyed

Zwischen Defolnics und Zombies. Fast besser (und früher)

Not many great temps albums but thisbis solid

С этими старичками я уже знаком. В прошлый раз они дали жаришки. В этот раз не так танцевально, но интереснее по музыке. В принципе, я к такому хорошу. Только за 11минутный опус по классике сниму балл))))

i'm a big fan of motown in general, but it's obvious that, production-wise, the temptations truly were at their best with norman whitfield at the helm. this album is the pinnacle of that. of course, as always, the temptations' vocals and arrangements are top notch, the production, as previously mentioned, is great and although not as groundbreaking as the temptations' 'cloud nine' with this production style, but is a continuation and elevation of that style. whitfield's trademark lush orchestration and funk instrumentation is incredibly important and still great to this day. i think what prevents this album from going from good to great is the crop of songs. the first side is great and funky - especially with what may be the temptations' magnum opus ('papa was a rollin' stone'). the second side is a lot slower and ballady and, even though i know the temptations were very fond of soft, sensitive ballads, i don't know that i like them as well from them as opposed to their more upbeat fare. their cover of 'the first time ever (i saw your face)' is, quite frankly, kind of boring. i can deal with the rest but it does feel like it kills the pacing of the album.

Good album would listen too again

Cool sound, but a little too laid back for an afternoon. Maybe better for a chill out evening in a bar with some friends.

Absolute funk, was really digging some more Motown/soul so glad I got this for DAY 1. Really love how The Temptations can keep the same groove for an entire song but still make it so addictive. Can imagine cracking this out in the kitchen after a big day. Also the bass singer is 😮‍💨 Favourite songs: Funky Music, and I Ain’t Got Nothin’

Great album.

This was a really pleasant surprise. I had no idea this is what The Temptations could sound like but reading around the progression of the band and their sound it makes sense. The brilliant 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' is a perfect centrepiece but it's just groovy and fun the whole way through.

I liked the album overall. It definitely took me by surprise a few times with the direction it went in, but it was enjoyable. I felt like I went on a journey when I was listening to it and I didn't know where it would take me next.

Good albums run of albums this week

Whoa. This was good stuff

One of the best album openers of all time?

Dynamic band, I can see why they had such an influence. It's not all bubblegum and sunshine with this group either- they talk about real deep subjects too. Overall great, but I doubt I'll be throwing their music on too often.

Fun to hear the Temptations get weird with it, but not exactly my thing.

The album is great. The track 'Father was a Rolling Stone' is one of my favorites. It's a must at every party and I always listen to it enthusiastically. 5/5

Dont recall hearing these before even though the name sounds familiar. Enjoyed it. Funky, didn't drag on, would listen to again. 3.5*.

Papa was a rolling stone Coole RnB Musik

Essential album. So happy to see it on this list!

Honestly, it was difficult for me to listen to Run Charlie Run and I skipped through half the track. I just personally don't care to listen to songs with heavy n-word usage. It wasn't a bad song, I just prefer not to listen to it. Otherwise, the album was fine.

Papa Was a Rolling Stone is a whole mood. Love the off-beat claps, all of the singing, the trumpet.

Weird

Only one great track, but what a fucking great track

Excellent 4/5

Great music!!!

The back half of the album is largely just ok, so was going to rate this a 3/5, but the first 3 tracks are so good (especially Papa Was A Rolling Stone) that I had to bump it up to a light 4.

Groovy

I don’t remember the other temptations albums super clearly but this one has to be up there with my favorites. It’s was funky and soulsy and R&B incarnate and the lyrics had some great social commentary in them. Papa was a rolling stone was my fav.

This album is plagued by inconsistency in quality. This is too bad because some of the songs are very enjoyable. This would have made a great EP if they had just cut the weaker tracks, like "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."

Loved some songs, others not so much. I found the vocals and lyrics rough on a couple of tracks, but Papa (did not feel like a 12 minute song), Run Charlie Run (powerful lyrics, catchy rhythm), and Mother Nature held it together for me.

Super funky. I love it!

All Directions really misses for me, for an act that produced quite a lot of quality, it's lacking from this album. Almost a third of it is devoted to a really awkward cover of Papa Was a Rollin' Stone that doesn't work for me, and that's even before you get to the history behind its inclusion on the record. The other cover on there is delicate and stylish but also not better than the original or other takes. Only Mother Nature near the end really piqued my attention in a good way; a disappointing 2.

This is nice, smooth, funky, and a good listen. There's not much to really grab you (other than Papa Was A Rolling Stone, and even that goes on too long!), but it oozes good vibes the whole way through. Definitely loses a bit when it leans to R&B rather than funk, but a solid 3/5.

This was just kind of boring to me.

Quite enjoyable

Twelve minute version of “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”? Sign me up! Also, gotta admit I did a double take and a chuckle hearing Otis sarcastically singing “The n****s are coming!” to call out the racist culture of white flight very common at the time (and continues to today). Funky music with a message that resonates is always a nice combo.

I knew of the Temptations (mainly because of 'My Girl'), but this album showed me a whole other side to them! Very funky with some great bass lines. Overall a very fun album

Total classic.

Me gustó

Well it started well with great funk beats and guitars.... then we got the pretention papa was a rolling stone. Clearly doesn't need a 12 min runtime. And then s*it hits the fan... do woop balads ? hell nah. 2 stars

This is what's great about this app. We've all heard of The Temptations but never listened to a full album. Really enjoyed it

Really great, really enjoyable Will revisit High 3/ low 4

Straight bangers

"All Directions" from The Temptations is a beautiful assortment of tracks. Ranging from funk to heavenly R&B, their musical prowess is clearly evident. The harmonies are just so pure and sweet.

Favorite Tracks: Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

#189. The songs that were more funk were good. The songs that were not really funk were not really good. 2/5: meh Song added to playlist: Papa Was A Rolling Stone I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

Good Motown sound. The well known track is "Papa was a Rolling Stone". Interesting that the band was against including that song, but then it became their big hit. It was strange to listen to "Run Charlie Run" with its lyrics "the N's are coming" (and if it's unsettling now, I can't imagine how it sounded in the early 70's).

12 minutes of this 34inute album are "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and that's exactly how it feels.

Who doesn't enjoy 'Papa was a Rollin' Stone'? Surprised to enjoy 'Love Woke Me Up This Morning,' and just straight surprised by the lyrics of 'Run Charlie Run.' The rest was schmaltzy or forgettable or both.

original motown flava. a lot more slow and steady compared to the other funk/soul albums i've listened to thus far. many of the albums were peak getting down on the floor and shuffling but this one is a lot of slow dance stuff. there's a dance hit or two in here though!

This album was a real blast. It's that typical blues-funk-soul-band with quick, biting horn stabs, great vocals, and classic (yet very simple) chord progressions. A fun ensemble that was perhaps a little surprising for its time. The 70s aren't normally associated with such an intensely 50s/60s style - but then, the Temptations had made a big name for themselves by this point. Interesting touch of politics, presumably, in the track Run Charlie Run. The lyrics are pretty cool, and I especially like how their grim, sarcastic message conflicts with the upbeat positivity in the music. I've never heard the extended/album version of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone before, and it's just as good as the single. Long instrumental build-up is worth the wait. I do wish a few more tracks on the album had the courage to be longer than 3-4 minutes, because it seems like that's all it takes for the Temptations to really shine. Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On is a medium-paced headbanger with a lot of call-and-response between several vocalists. It introduces the album's fun-filled atmosphere effectively. Do Your Thing is an interesting contrast to conclude the album: a laid-back song draped with soft bass and backing vocals. While the remaining tracks were definitely good, they're harder to remember. All I can recall, a few hours later, is that the album didn't flow very congruously. The track listing jumped from quick, peppy funk to ballads, which isn't intrinsically a bad thing - but safe to say it didn't work here. Rating: high 4/5 Key tracks: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On, Papa Was A Rollin' Stone, Do Your Thing

I really disliked the Temptations, or at least what I heard my pops listening to on the oldies station in Chicago. This album totally changed my mind. Felt more like a Sly and the Family Stone album than anything I heard on that radio station.

Listened to this while playing Inventions. I lost for like the 7th time in a row...it is just so freaking fun. This album was a fantastic soundtrack to my epic defeat. I did not realize how socially charged some of the music was going to be, and I loved it. It's not all just "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Hmmm...that originally auto-corrected to "First Time Ever I Saw Your Facebook..." which makes me want to hear that song with updated lyrics.

Rolling stone was great vibes but otherwise it didn't get there imo

Enjoyed the heavy funk but the lighter stuff on the album not as much. Some fabulous 70’s vibes here though.

- Wenn so funkiger Soul wie bei den Temptations meine Gehörgänge streichelt, dann hab ich einfach sofort und automatisch guuute Laune - Ich bin in einem Haushalt aufgewachsen, in dem Vattern extrem viel Rock, Punk, Folk, Grunge, New Wave etc. konsumiert hat und Mutti alles mögliche was so im Bereich Soul, Funk, R‘n‘B, Disco abging. Das hat mich sehr geprägt und lässt mich in beiden Welten sehr aufgehen. Mit der Mukke verbinde ich v.a. eine unbeschwerte Zeit. Und Tarantino Filme. Was will ich mehr?! - „Papa Was A Rolling Stone“ war einer dieser Tracks die bei uns ständig liefen. Ja der ist lang. Ja es passiert auf die Länge des Songs gesehen nicht super viel. Aber es wird ein durchgängiges geiles Laidback-Gefühl erzählt und bei mir funktioniert das total. - Ich hab mich während des gesamten Albums im sonnigen Harlem der 70er Jahre durch die Straßen gehen sehen. - Allgemein finde ich hat das Album sehr viel Herz! Rating: 3,75/5

- Geht bei mir nicht über ironische Abkultung hinaus. - Da sind Dinger bei, die gehen mega ins Ohr und sind derbe souly, gefühlvoll. Aber wenn ich ganz ehrlich bin, würde und werde ich mir das NIEMALS allein aus reiner Freude geben. - die elf-minütige Wah-Wah-Action in Papawas a rolling stone hatte irgendwann wirklich fast was komödiantisches. 2,25/5

- War sehr entspannt, aber so richtig abgeholt hat es mich jetzt auch nicht 2/5

Class

Temptations produced a ton of music over decades. However thier sweet spot of the early seventies contained thier signature sound and catalog. This is an excellent representation covering thier funkiest and most soulful, truly All Directions

The opening track, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Mother Nature, and Do Your Thing are the Standouts that earn this album 4 stars.

A pretty cool album. Probably my longest song so far with "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" which was also probably my favourite of the album. A nice smooth listen for my afternoon commute.

Amazing

Amazing album all the way through. Catchy, funky, and soulful. This one is enjoyable from start to finish and a glimpse of Motown at its height.

Funny that they thought this album would flop in retrospect. A big stepping stone for the Temptations to branch out to share the variety of music with the world. Motown and R&B expanded into rock, jam, and beyond. Wish there was a remastered version

I really like papa was a rolling stone but that’s really it

Really good. The first album side through Papa is unstoppable. I had no idea the Temptations were capable of such in-your-face psychedelic funkiness. Really loved those moments. I liked the next few songs as well—much more in line with what I typically think of when I think of the Temptations—but generally, I feel this album falls off as it approaches the end. Just loses steam and is frankly unbalanced in terms of sound and direction. Very top heavy. Extra point for Papa.

Conflicted about this Temptations album, which is full of nice sounds and good funky grooves but kind of misses the mark for me. It feels super all over the place, unfocused. Maybe it’s the nature of the group to feel like kind of a grab bag. There are live tracks, there are pretty uninspired covers, there are good funky long instrumentals that don’t seem to go anywhere. I get the sense they’re grabbing for anything that might work, and a lot of it just isn’t landing for me. Interesting reading the backstory about “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” how they actually all respected their fathers and disagreed with the message, no doubt pressured by Berry Gordy or one of those guys. I think their heart’s in the right place, but too many compromises that really hurt the cohesiveness of it as a record. 2/5

Bien, bonito. Pero no tiene mis canciones favoritas de ellos.

It's good but a little inconsistent. Their funk is great but the R&B dragged a bit

My first listen of this album was through the speaker of an echo while cooking dinner and I was unimpressed. Second listen was through my good headphones and thank god I listened again. This record sounds phenomenal and is worth the best speakers/headphones you have. Everything sounds so lush and full. Great musicianship and lyrics. Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone is an all-timer. The first half is stronger than the second

Good funk project. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure that I would go back to it.

Solid album, soulful and funky

Wow, this is a tough album to rank! Most of the album struk me as kind of, “meh,” compared to the hits and style of some earlier records, like My Girl. Having never really listened to a full original album by them, only radio hits and maybe a “Best of Album” or compilation, I'm realizing now that is probably an unfair comparison. The full version of Papa Was a Rolling Stone presented here is flat out incredible though! I must have only heard a radio edit or snippets in the background of movies, because while it's iconic, I had no clue it clocked in at 12 min long and is that powerful—so many elements of that track are revisited later in the disco sounds of the 70s in a generic and fun (and often annoying and silly) way, but here in this primordial experience it is just an amazing experiment, creates a stunning atmosphere that drowns out the rest of the world, bellows out possibility some of the funkiest funk that ever funked, all while staying dead serious the entire time. That track itself is absolutely five stars. I think Mother Nature and Do Your Thing are a nice capstone to the whole package, but the feeling of many other tracks just seem the go in many directions: it doesn't feel like a cohesive set to me, and because of that, as an album, I have a difficult time ranking it very high. The aforementioned tracks are definitely going to get some more play time, though.

Still not the genre for me. 2.5.

I mean, a third of it is Papa Was a Rolling Stone, which is incredible. But the rest is more covers and nothing that grabbed me.

Monster album

Chill and funky. Me like-y.

Funky. 5/5

RB, very easy listen cool timeless music from the 70’s. 3.2

Thankful for a short album. I only liked 2 tracks. Not interested in the rest.

Thought papa was a rollin stone would be the best but God dam mother nature... what a song

full of excellent songs.

On the surface the instrumentation and vocals are gorgeous. While "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is an all time classic, the meaning of the lyrics also rings a bit untrue once you look into the families of The Temptations, and their rock solid Dads. All Directions is a very tight album of 8 songs that only occupies 35 minutes, of which 12 of them was spent on the iconic "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". *Chef's kiss* You can see why they won all the awards with this album. Well deserved fellas. The Temptations are at their peak powers of psychedelic funk and it sounds glorious. When people think back on The Temptations, this is often the sound of them that bounces around in their imagination; it certainly did in mine. My favorites tracks were "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" (which I only learned today was a cover of a song by The Undisputed Truth), "I Ain't Got Nothin'", "The First Time I Saw Your Face", "Mother Nature", and "Do Your Thing". Such a smooth pleasure to listen to on a Friday morning. Really sets the tone for a bright weekend.

Great listen, not sure I had heard the 11-minute version of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone before.

Funkalicious!

This is a bit embarrassing, but I only really knew \"My Girl\" before listening to this album. It was a pleasant surprise! I wasn't sure what to make of a 10-minute song, but \"Papa Was a Rolling Stone\" ended up being masterful and suspenseful. Overall a wonderful listen.

i loved it so fun such vibes

it wasnt long but it felt long

Funky

Funky, 4 stars too much 3 too less

nope

Good - slow to start and short but some nice funky choons.

meh