Cloud Nine

Good, but stick to their greatest hits.

'Depressed & down-hearted, I took to cloud nine.' '69 was a lot of things, & one of those things was the birth of psychedelic soul. W/ Sly's Stand!, The Temptations' Cloud Nine would set in motion a revolution in soul music - a combination of gospel, blues, funk, & psychedelia that gets at the heart of the Black experience in America but contains a universal heart & rhythm. 'I want my mamma / I want my mamma / I want my mamma.' That's a cry we have all felt take possession of our vocal chords. Unlike much of so-called 'white' psychedelia, this version has realism on its side. Probably, Sly is the more flawless psychedelic soul act, but The Temptations have the balance of a Motown background, that is, they can sing a simple love song & soar.

got some jams, and again cleary very influential for future soul and r&b artists. just doesn’t hold up today

Fine

This is going onto my list of evidence to prove that something was just in the water during the year 1969, man. Such a classic and iconic sound tackling themes of love, escapism, and desires. Love the blend of psychedelic soul and classic R&B on this record as well, very beautifully done.

Ja groovy

Smooth, soulful record with a lot to enjoy. Was a cool find for sure.

I can’t say that I like The Temptations. There’s something in the harmonies and songs structure that I don’t like. 2/5 Cloud Nine: 3,5 I Heard It Through the Grapevine: 3 Run Away Child, Running Wild: 3 Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing: 2 Hey Girl: 2 Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go): 3 I Need Your Lovin’: 2 Don’t Let Him Take Your Love From Me: 2,5 I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back): 3 Gonna Keep on Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love: 3 Cloud Nine: 3,5 I Heard It Through the Grapevine: 3 Run Away Child, Running Wild: 3 Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing: 2 Hey Girl: 2 Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go): 3 I Need Your Lovin’: 2 Don’t Let Him Take Your Love From Me: 2,5 I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back): 3 Gonna Keep on Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love: 3

El disco que cambió el sonido de la Motown, con la mitad de soul psicodélico y la otra de R&B. Puro groove.

479/1102 i think the first half wasn’t as strong as the second half (or it took me a second to get in the right mood for soul perhaps) but the second half especially really clicked. the deep bass, the percussion, the brass and then their lovely vocals and harmonies on top of all that is so satisfying and very hard to describe without just stating the obvious that it is “soulful” to its core. i think it can grow on me more but i can’t find a reason for it to be anything less than 5 stars faves: i need your lovin’, i gotta find a way, why did she have to leave me 82/100

Very very good. More Temptations albums please.

Not my Temptations. I had a Greatest Hits tape of theirs in H.S. and I always skipped the songs from this later Psychedelic era. The first couple tracks are pretty groovy though.

Loved it!

All these beautiful voices… This sound and rhytm!

Groovy!

A lot of the same sounding stuff with no variation

This should be up my street but it didn't do much for me. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention and would benefit from another listen, but it's a 3 based on the first go.

У господ там 60е заканчиваются, а они звучат подозрительно радостно - это конечно не дело, в нашем бренном мире под луной и облаками счастье и радость - искушение сатаны, и я отрекаюсь от лукового (в этот раз)

вайб ок, но как-то не запоминается, скорее 3

Album 371. Cloud Nine (https://open.spotify.com/album/6tCPiWGLQCg8UzceiH008f?si=_d4uOpffTp-0b5lSxscWiw) — The Temptations (1969) It's not bad, but Psychedelic Soul?????????! I don't really get it. Very strange feelings. Maybe the album is mediocre overall? idk, but it was better on the second spin 3/5 No liked songs

Number: 306 Familiarity: Moderate (3) Rating: 4 Very nice overall. Favorite track is Cloud Nine

3.5

Just really enjoyed this. Loved the simple RnB moments but also the more groovy psychedelic adjacent material. “Runaway Child, Running Wild” was a major highlight and loved it being followed up by “Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing” Gonna go 4/5

Other than that creepy voice that's supposed to be a child saying "I want my Mommy" in the song "Runaway Child, Running Wild," it's a great song and a great album. Those first few songs, especially, are fantastic. The remaining songs are pretty typical Motown R & B but that's not a complaint at all. I love how these guys were innovating and bringing that sound into a new time. This definitely laid the groundwork for Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Issac Hayes, and others.

These guys made the pivot to early 60s vocal group to funky psych soul really well. It's a little top heavy, with the best three songs being the first three in my opinion. Love the title track, and the odyssey of Runaway Child is a thrill ride of a track. Fantastic percussion on that one. The rest of it is good too, very Otis Redding-style soul, but the bar is set super high right off the bat

Starts out funky as hell then becomes a bit more of what I understand to be "motown" but I confess to not knowing what makes a good Mowtown record, so I don't know if this is better than any other, but they have wonderful, textural percussion throughout

Ok, didn’t really listen

Rom com movie vibes

Expected more, flat and boring

It sounded nostalgic and actually really good

Note my favorite

Baby baby baby baby baby baby baby

Really really good! I liked all directions but I think this is even better

I was aware of the title track and the 'psychedelic soul' era of the group. If this album was in a similar vein as the more known tracks 'Papa was a Rollin' Stone' and 'Ball of Confusion' this should be good. Shame it only lasts for the three tracks on side one, one of which is the nine minute and change 'Run Away Child, Running Wild.' The other is a fairly decent cover of 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' that I expect is no one's favourite cover version given how high the bar is. They either run of out steam or compromisingly try to pacify those seeking a more routine Temptations album on side two. These tracks on side two aren't bad by any means just overshadowed. All in all a bit of a lopsided album.

even if this is meat and potatoes Motown, Motown in the 60s is a mark of quality such that this is still a pretty enjoyable listen. deserves to be one of the 1001? i dunno about two Temptations albums, but at least one of them should be here. flip a coin.

I'm pretty sure the reason I gave All Directions a 6 was because all the depressed love songs made me feel - depressed - when I was getting off a girl of my own. Anyways, here's Cloud Nine, the other Temptations album on this list. I've actually re-visited both today and without a doubt, All Directions is the more experimental release. Cloud Nine is still tied to their older Mo-Town ways where more than half of the songs can be characterized as "WHY WON'T SHE LET ME FUCKKKKKKK!!????!!!" harmonized and sho-bopped all across the map. The tracks that aren't that are pretty good, especially "Run Away Child." Part of me believed that a young Michael Jackson was the little boy crying out for his mama - it's not. The title track is also swell - if there's an adjective at all for it. "KOOL, GROOVIE, TUBULAR." The David Ruffin erasure on this list should be discussed because their old-ass stuff is important too. We got Otis Redding's "My Girl" here (on Otis Blue), why not the most iconic rendition? In conclusion, fuck Trump (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)

Ça chante bien, ça joue bien et ça s'écoute bien du début à la fin. 4/5

Ik had meer verwacht van de temptations, ik voelde mij niet heel erg verleid… De lage stem vind ik dan weer wel enorm mooi! Maar uiteindelijk een plaat die in het midden van deze lijst voor mij zal verdwijnen.

Ik heb hier echt helemaal niks op aan te merken. Ik luister het op een luie zondagochtend/middag en ik ben heerlijk ontspannen koffie aant drinken in mn jogging broek terwijl ik een beetje op mn laptop op marktplaats aant struinen ben. Misschien wel de perfecte setting voor dit album, ga t om die rede ook niet over-analyseren, tis gewoon een vibe.

Love me some Motown

Amazing

No artist since has been brave enough to include fiddle-de-dee and fiddle-de-dum as lyrics in a hit song

i enjoyed, wasn’t a song i didn’t like

cool aber hab mir mehr erhofft

Так я себе и представляю музыку Motown. Довольно интересное психоделическое звучание, но немного не хватает разнообразия. Лучшая песня: Cloud Nine

I could have done without the crying child interlude three songs in, but otherwise this was alright. Really not my genre, but I definitely have respect for the influence the Temptations have, especially 9 albums in. Good classic grooves, where each member has their moment to shine vocally (however, that's not to say I love all of their voices). I can't say I loved the B-side either; several songs about the theoretical possibility that the girl in this situation has another man just get tiring. Overall, this was just a little too same-y for me, in the way that it felt like it lasted for far longer than the 35 minutes it actually did. I only just remembered that I've already listened to a Temptations album on this list, and I think I'm beginning to realize that I just don't really care for them at all... Favorite tracks: Cloud Nine (because this was one of the only non-love songs)

*ställer sig upp och börjar jucka i takt med musiken*

Ändå ganska najs! Nånstans mellan en trea och en fyra

3/5

The first time I listened to this, somehow I was feeling critical. But I realized today, this is great. It’s the period. It requires the right mind. 4 Boolean: True

Okay but a little boring

Didn’t realize it was their ninth album. Still a good soulful album.

Like the funky soul melodies and pop tunes. Does repeat quite a bit and gets rather samey though. 3/5

Pre Listen: Another one I've never heard of. Been getting a lot of albums in my blind spots lately. No expectations. Notable Tracks: Cloud Nine - Very strong start to an album. Major highlight. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Another cover of this absolute classic. I dig it, this one's a lot funkier than others. Very unique. Runaway Child - Somewhat my least favorite song, if only because of the wailing child midway through. I get it, contextually it makes sense, doesn't mean they had to include it. Rest of the song was a joy to listen to however. Hey Girl - Classic! I knew this one beforehand, didn't know it'd be on this album. Favorite track! Post Listen: Super sick album, loved the soul and funk of it all. Didn't really dislike a single song. Each one had so much feeling to it. Every vocalist, every person on an instrument, they all worked together so well to create such a groovy little album. Other than the odd choice mentioned on that one song listed above, I couldn't find any issue with any other track. I want this one on Vinyl. It would make an excellent addition to my collection and could elevate most good vibes to perfection. 5/5

Not my type of music but huge respect to the musicianship and what they did for music in general.

Nothing groundbreaking, but solid. A very pleasant listen.

Really fun and quick psychedelic soul album. I enjoyed this very much and the vocals are awesome. However, I do think the version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" that is on here is not among the all time best versions out there. Still nice though.

Enjoyed this! Cinematic & groovy!

Easy listening soul

This one took me a minute to get into, but I really enjoyed it. I probably like their other stuff more, but not bad at all.

Much better than I expected, some amazing bass lines and extended jams.

Classic and feel good. Wouldn't crave it all the time but good background music.

wonderful but nothing really sticks out

Nice crisp prod but doesn’t stick out as much except hit. 2.5

I will never pass on Motown but this album leaves me wanting a little more. Nice rendition of I Heard It Through The Grapevine though.

The album on the whole was a solid motown effort. Some classic Jamerson bass kept my interest going, but at the end of the day it was just good, not remarkable.

sympa mais pas marquant

Interesting to see a band like this shift into psych and funk. Not something I will return to for subsequent listening, but glad it was on the list

It's not the best Temptations album but it's an album by the Temptations so I'm not complaining. If you can't move to this music then you should stay home.

I feel like I should’ve liked this more than I did. It just didn’t overly hit for me. I don’t think it’s a bad album, but I didn’t really love the vocals. 3/5⭐️ 297/1089

Cloud Nine - 4/5 I Heard It Through the Grapevine - 3.5/5 Run Away Child, Running Wild - 4/5 Love Is a Hurtin' Thing - 3.5/5 Hey Girl - 3.5/5 Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go) - 3.5/5 I Need Your Lovin' - 3.5/5 Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me - 3/5 I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back) - 3.5/5 Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love - 3.5/5 The A side on here really experiments their prior Motown sound with some influences from Sly and the Family Stone to effectively create psychedelic soul, which makes it stand out more than when they returned to their Motown style on the B side. I would have liked it more if the whole album was just a continuation of the A side, but it was still a pleasant listen throughout. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Cloud Nine, Run Away Child, Running Wild

Mangler revidering

This one started out incredibly strong, and I was certain it was going to be a five-star album. Unfortunately, the really interesting psychedelic influences kind of evaporated towards the end of the album and it just kind of lost me. But there is some really great stuff in that first half, merging psych and soul into a unique and beautiful sound. Also, what a great album art. This is a very good album, unfortunately it just misses the mark more and more as it goes on, but I'm sure I'll be revisiting the first part in the future. Favorite track(s): "Cloud Nine," "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "Runaway Child, Running Wild"

In which The Temptations discover marijuana, apparently.

Not my thing, but good

2/3

5/10 It's objectively good, but not my style

Never listened to a whole album of this genre so maybe it's not the best but I loved the whole vibe. I genuinely felt happy while listening.

I wish I were a real bass, like Melvin Franklin.

El punto de inflexión fundacional del psychedelic soul y una de las transformaciones estilísticas más valientes y certeras de la era dorada de Motown que ha envejecido bien como un modelo insuperable de innovación rítmica y conciencia colectiva. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción de Norman Whitfield junto al ingenio de The Funk Brothers alcanza una claridad sobresaliente: a pesar de integrar pedales wah-wah, congas, guitarras ácidas, metales cortantes y orquestaciones de gran dinamismo, la mezcla conserva una definición espacial nítida que otorga aire a cada instrumento y permite distinguir con precisión quirúrgica el relevo continuo de voces en primer plano. La interpretación vocal del quinteto derrocha una autenticidad incontestable, dotando al ensamble de una autoridad superior impulsada por la llegada de Dennis Edwards, cuya voz rasposa, urgente y visceral revitalizó la dinámica del grupo frente al falsete elegante de Eddie Kendricks y la profundidad cavernosa de Melvin Franklin. Obras monumentales como la aceleración polirrítmica del tema homónimo "Cloud Nine", la odisea cinematográfica de "Runaway Child, Running Wild", el dramatismo interpretativo de "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me" y su intensa relectura de "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" configuran un documento conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un penetrante y sutil llamado a la conciencia sobre la alienación urbana, la huida hacia paraísos artificiales y el extravío de la juventud frente a la dureza del entorno social. Por su tracción incesante, su compás elástico y su combustión rítmica, el álbum ofrece múltiples usos, destacando como un estímulo formidable para el ejercicio físico, la conducción despierta o una intensa sesión de trabajo creativo.

Great stuff, not all super memorable but what was really good really stood out

It is good, not really my jam

Mighty funky. A fun listen the whole way through. Some of the song themes are a bit cliché by today’s standards, but this record was released before the psychedelic, lovey-dovey 70’s, so I don’t hold a grudge for it.

Amazing album. Great take on grapevine

As with most of the Motown records that have survived the years this one is just great song writing and exceptional vocals. Sometimes the genre does suffer from having a distinct sound that doesn't vary but this album has some experimentation and other elements.

I did not reach cloud nine

good times. Funky, cool.

Motown soul/pop album with lots of psychedelic influences in the first half. Cloud Nine and Runaway Child Running Wild were both pretty good but then the album rapidly went into more of a pop direction and lost me a little. The performances are still pretty good though and the bass is excellent throughout.

I thought the bass lines were mega, looked it up and of course its James Jamerson. guy is too good. Enjoyed, would listen on a Sunday!

Pleasant enough

A bit disappointing. Fine but was expecting an easy 4.

It's a high 3, but a 3 just the same. Pretty sure they've got better albums than this.

Very enjoyable!

dont care

this was such a good album, i really loved it, only part i didn’t like was the crying child 😖

Väldigt intetsägande funk-pop. Blev väldigt till mig av vissa trumdelar och en del av hur stor dynamikspann skivan hade men utöver det ganska tråkig. Överanvändande av denna jävla acapella-basen och generellt tråkigt mixad. Dock är mixen bara så som det lät under den tiden men jag skulle vilja ha en fruity bloody overdrive

I felt this album was a bit bland. Weren’t any particularly catchy tunes so songs I’d really dance to which I would expect from the temptations.

7 / 10

фонкіііі

THIS IS THE PERFECT EVENING VINYL, just maybe not as good as stevie wonder 😉