Reviews (page 10 of 12)
Decent listen
This is one of those unfortunate albums that hits extra hard on track 1 with an incredible track, and then gets worse and worse as the album goes on. I think Runaway Child, Running Wild has a really neat vibe and concept, but unfortunately outside the first 3 tracks, this was a somewhat forgettable album. Not the Temptations best for sure.
Good soul album. Doesn’t have many of their big songs, but still a good one. 3/5 Might listen again
Meh
Shout out Jenny Hayden
Damn what a cohesive vocal unit. A nice newer iteration of the temptations that isn’t just “oooohh ahhh I like this girl.” Also the deep bassy baritone guy popping in every once in a while cracked me up. Sounded like a cartoon charecter
It's fine, comfortable, pleasant, but doesn't feel groundbreaking.
I enjoy this era of soul, when it has a cinematic feel.
Really good, what you'd expect from the Temptations, great soul sound
Overall good songs. Not something I'm likely to actively choose to listen to but still good.
Another album by The Temptations - the second in the 36 albums so far. I've played it three or four times this morning. This is a pleasant enough record to listen to, but I'm not very clear what elevates this to the 1001 records list. Perhaps if I knew more about soul music I'd see some significance that escapes me. 3/5
Pleasant but unremarkable.
This is not what I expected before starting this album. Coming from The Temptations, I am surprised to prefer the funkier, 70s style on this album verses the sound they are more famous for.
N/A
This album was pretty fun! Nothing earth-shattering, but I enjoyed my time with it. Thankfully it was succinct, which is always a bonus for me. Great harmonies and flow with these guys. Not my favorite style of music, but I liked it for what it was. Fav tracks: Love Is A Hurtin' Thing, Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)
I like The Temptations but feel like I've primarily listened to singles/compilation albums. I liked the album, but hard to compare to a "Best Of"
pleasant enough
Pretty fun listen
Nice album overall. Definitely a good groove but I did not like their version of I heard it through the grapevine. Overall it’s good, chill background music.
Appreciate all that The Temptations have brought to modern music - this album was a one-and-done for me, though. Standouts: Cloud Nine, I Heard It Through the Grapevine
A pleasant, if unremarkable, listen
Pleasant stroll down memory lane albeit some of the songs felt quite dated rather than nostalgic. Would listen to it again.
Uskomatonta soitantaa.. Jos unknown bändi incredible find.. mutta the temptaatiothan se siinä eli alenee arvosana.. known band
Not much to say about the temptations other than one of the best Motown bands. They did a couple covers on this album but all in all it’s still really good. A strong yet funky album showed how versatile this group was. 7.5/10
The funkier songs are really fun, but overall this doesn’t stand out as something to revisit.
Nice sound nice groove but nothing stand out
Funky. Easy to listen to. I liked it.
really gorgeous sounding record, still prefer slits cover of grapevine tho
It's a good album, but I don't think I like Motown as much as I thought.
This record is a how to manual of how to get your woman back. Or how to take one away from someone else. Most of the record is about that except for the title track, which is about getting stoned. So, a good record.
Reasonably good! Some solid tunes, raw sound, soulful.
This is my second Temptations album to review, and side one of this album was similar to All Directions, and for that reason, I enjoyed side one more than side two. I thought the soul sound and lyrical content were really well executed. I enjoyed that the songs on side one were a direct contradiction of the album's title; the subject matter of those first three tracks is anything but 'cloud nine.' Poverty, domestic abuse, and competing for survival and limited resources are pretty much hell, but The Temptations do an excellent job of making those ugly lyrics sound beautiful. I didn't really care for their version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine, but it did suit their style and the overall sound of the album. "Runaway Child, Running Wild" was a great way to close side one, and it's funky sounds and epic storytelling are hallmarks of what I enjoy in soul music. The lyrics painted a panicked scene, and the music really helped to add to that feeling and move the lyrical story forward. Musically, I really enjoyed the great bass lines and funky guitar playing on side one. The second side of the album was a hard left turn, and featured the type of romantic pop songs that I think of when I think of The Temptations. These songs weren't bad, but they were just kind of boring and shallow when compared to the first side of the album. The vocals and arrangements were still great, but it just lacked that soul punch that was present on the first side. Overall, this album was fine. The serious soul songs on side one were the star of the show here, while side two was filled with generic Motown pop songs. If I'm in the mood for some soul, I think I'll stick with Isaac Hayes or Marvin Gaye.
Groovy little album. Features hit, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
Mist 6
Money, sex, pride, envy, lust. These are the 5 temptations Satan uses to conquer man. Money / Drugs (Cloud Nine) Envy (Through the Grapevine) and most other songs... Lust (I Need Your Lovin') The other two are missing here. Unfortunately none of these songs have an ounce of sexiness, and as for pride.. well considering how every song is about simping for a girl they lost, or begging a girl not to leave them, leads me to think having too much pride is not a problem for these boys. Three temptations out of five. ⛧⛧⛧
I like their old songs better.
Used to quite like these when I was younger but I think I just stuck to their hits. Only recognised a couple off this. Most of this sort of passed me by in the way that this genre can often do: not bad, excellent vocals and incredible melodies, but nothing that really caught my ear. Ive said this before but growing up on Motown, then having an obsession with it in my early 20s has probably swayed me away form certain parts of it. I just think I over did it. This album sums it up for me: I know I wouldve once loved it, and I can see how it is a great record, but right now it just ain’t doing it for me! 2.5 rounded up
Pleasant funky soul, can't say the genre or band particularly so anything for me though. Don't know if this is the original heard it through the grapevine but it's definitely not the best. Running out of ways to say I'm ambivalent about this sort of music but I still am, 2.5.
This was fairly pleasant but overall just okay. The album goes by quick enough that it didn't overstay its welcome. Although there isn't anything compelling enough to revisit this.
Nice, one track I really liked. I see the transition into funk and think there's a really interesting band in the temptations that I'd like to know more about. Some of the harmonies are show stoppers
Fantastic dinner making music. Accompanied our pizza crafting and gin evening.
I really thought I was gonna love this… but… I dunno, it didn’t do it for me
It was good...but really nothing I would recommend to over any of there other albums.
Refreshing. Very different from what I usually listen to.
Pas mon genre musical, écoutable en arrière plan, bon album.
some classics - forgot that they did the original version of "heard it through the grapevine"...so different than Gaye's version.
Good album of Motown style music
This was alright but nothing amazing.
Didn’t expect such a funk fest. Pleasantly surprised 3.2
I know this had to be influential, but it didn’t really do it for me.
tava gostando mas esqueci de terminar entao 3
Good, I want to skip multiple songs tho
Some light hearted tunes, and some dark subject matter. Great voices but not what I would seek out
со со
Very nice abum, but it's not exactly my style...
I dig it! Unfortunately I don’t have much else to say on it.
Un muy buen álbum de R&B, con interpretaciones interesantes y composiciones aún mejores. Las armonías vocales que decoran el LP con tintes de Doo-Whop, hacen de esta pieza un trabajo que logra sonar fresco y clásico al mismo tiempo.
alright
Super weird cover of heard it through the grapevine. Overall a bit too slow and too falsetto for my liking
Æðislega skemmtileg
Gaman að fá smá soul með sýkadelíu blæ. Gott grúv og góður hljóðfæraleikur. Örugglega skemmtileg plata fyrir djassunnandi saxafónlögmenn Hefur greinilega þótt merkileg plata á sínum tíma úr því hún fékk Grammy verðlaun, en skildi svo sem ekki mikið eftir við hlustun í dagsins önn.
Altijd lekker als je met een open vizier zo'n album in duikt en na totaal zo'n 11 minuten funk begint er letterlijk een kind te jengelen om z'n mama. In principe is dat voor mij een startschot om te mogen ranten. Nu wil het toeval ook dat dat moment ongeveer het moment is dat het album inkakt. De eerste drie tracks (de A-kant) zijn namelijk de lekkere funky tracks. Daarna (de B-kant) wordt het meer een soort clichémuziek. Een soort Motown pre-rnb. 13 in een dozijn liedjes over de liefde en vrouwen die bij je weggaan. Het luistert wel makkelijk weg (op dat jengelkind na) en het is redelijk kort. Vandaar 3 sterren. Het kon allemaal een stuk erger.
This is a nice record and it's well made, there's just something that's not quite taking it to the next level for me. Some bigger hooks and memorable choruses maybe. It feels a bit paint by numbers perhaps.
I doubt this will be the best temptations album on this list. It was good but not great like I expected.
Fine oldies album
Old school classic
A pleasant listen but ultimately a bit forgettable (except for Love is a Hurtin Thing which I loved). Like everyone else says, the production is great.
Great album, aside from the crying child in the third track. I get why it's there, but it absolutely disrupts the experience.
Pleasant but forgettable
Pretty good. The first three songs were the most interesting.
Lots of soul with a little sprinkle of psychedelia on top. Enjoyable
Who doesn’t like some Motown? At least some Motown? Well, I do. Although it’s starting to feel more like soundtrack material than music I’d put on to listen to. A good listen.
Fine
liked the first song, plus i saved a known song from this artist to my playlists.
Good album with an enjoyable variety of styles.
I feel like I enjoy this more than earlier Temptations. I have never been a big fan of Motown, this kind of straddles the line there. It is fairly enjoyable and has some songs I vibe with. Low end middle of the road for me.
Pleasant but honestly nothing more. Besides the title track this felt like wallpaper music.
Maschine: Nectar Bee Mische: smooth mit Stereo-Spielereien (manchmal zu viel), die Bongos! <3 Musik: (•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■) Meinung: 3/5
Tää oli ihan jees ja eheä kokonaisuus. Sopiva pituus myös.
Started off pretty strong but didn't rise to those heights again. Not a bad album, but not one I feel like I'll have the urge to return to much.
Finally some good fucking food. This was a blast, fun, pleasant and full of classics. Particularly enjoyed run away child, running wild
Love this for the nostalgic feel of the smooth R and B.
2.5 - 3.0
Some great stuff here. Nice to listen to in its entirety. Didn’t dig their version of grapevine though
Classic
Good but not as funky as I was expecting
Not the version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine I was expecting when I saw the song title, but a great rendition. A cool album all around but not something I expect to revisit often.
Some beautiful songz
I can’t fault it. On the other hand, this particular brand of 60s soul is a bit over dramatic. For me. Great musicianship and vocal harmonies and a small amount of risk taking make Cloud 9 inoffensive. Not awesome.
Favorite track : Hey Girl
It is good, ofcourse it is good, but apart from some standout tracks, it's background music. Good background music.
An early funk album from 1969 that opens with Fuzz on the guitar... This record has a lot going on. It's cross genre, it's fidelity is really high, and the songs flow really well. I do wish there was some differentiation in the verses. They all sort of blend togeather in my head. Choruses are real stand outs though.
Good album, lot of the songs seem dated structure and writing wise.
Classic late 60s & early 70s rock/funk. Lots of good stuff other than the hits.
Not a bad soul album. In addition to soul, there was a lot of Motown. Favorite Song(s): "Cloud Nine", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and "Runaway Child, Running Wild"
From reading the wiki, it is absolutely unbelievable that they are still an active group..... Their main attributor is STILL playing to this day.... wow. This album came out in the 60's.... insane. I guess they pioneered psychedelic soul, neat. This is gonna be one of those cases where I understand the importance of the music and its place in history, but its overall outdated and very mellow listen for me. so it will just get the average rating from me most likely. It's always so hard to rate music that is over 60 years old and treat it fairly.... theres parts of this album I enjoy a lot, but it just feels outdated.
Not bad
I’m not in love with the falsettos and the first 4 songs aren’t my favorite— but aside from that it’s just a very pleasant album.
Was expecting to love this and there to be a strong Motown vibe however in the end it was not really something that grabbed my attention
Rating: 3.3
Not bad, some groovy stuff here.
this really became background listening to me but I LIKED it as background listening. Cloud Nine was a great opener and it faded into the bg from there.
Great songs. Feels more like a collection of greatest hits/covers then an album
I Like the temptations but this was a snooze fest aside from one song
A perfectly fine album, but nothing to write home about. I listened to it twice, and both times it lost my attention about halfway through, but it wasn’t bad enough to turn off. Their version of Heard It Through the Grapevine can’t hold a candle to Marvin Gaye’s though.
Might have had significant impact on the genre, but most of the songs fall flat when listening decades later
Pretty good, too many love songs. That one with the cry baby was hilarious.
Three songs into Cloud Nine I was convinced everything I believed The Temptations were was wrong. Cloud Nine starts as a funky energetic album. I heard it through the Grapevine is that version we grew up hearing those raisins sing. Running Away Child, Running wild is a psychedelic funk jam. Unfortunately after that the album becomes what I expected, a bunch of very nice Motown songs that all blend together and nothing stands out 6.2/10
1 3/10 2 4/10 3 2/10 4 4/10 5 5/10 6 6/10 7 4/10 8 5/10 9 6/10 10 4/10
Pleasant listening whilst working. Not entirely in my usual lane but I can appreciate it as a solid and easy listen.
This was nice. Classic Motown but with a little bit of extra funk to it. It's groovy (alright granddad) and maybe a bit ahead of it's time. You'd probably peg it as a mid 70s album at a guess. It didn't totally blow me away, but I was very glad to listen to it.
I liked this. More than I thought.
Not bad, but I’m not a fan of that old style
Didn't catch my attention
Not really the type of music I'm going to listen to often but it's got a nice groove
This is a pretty good motown record I really liked the funk tracks more than the ones that were more poppy but still an overall good listen.
I like bass guitar a lot, but the music itself doesn’t really inspire to do or feel anything. Just nice to listen to on occasion.
I dig their groovy tunes man
Wholesome simp music
Nice!
I'm dancing while folding the laundry. Says enough. Awesome basslines. Supercool coverart! Still somehow you can hear that motown is a hitmachine because everything is so perfect. Non of the songs really get me.
Nice, fun, sweet
First off, title track slaps. I've never heard it and I would never expect this is a temptations song based on my prior exposure. Update: why is somebody crying during the third track? Also I feel like this song has been playing for a year.
Cloud Nine I Heard It Through The Grapevine (cover, better known by Gladys Knight & Marvin Gaye) Gonna Keep Tryin'
Muscular funk, direct lyrics. Uneven quality of tracks
Funky psychedelic stuff 👍
I thought I would enjoy this more.
I feel a little bad rating this as low as I am, but this album just didn’t hit me the same way as others from The Temptations. I was not tempted to listen again.
Bom. Gostei das músicas, apesar de serem bem parecidas.
The vocals are insane. Really like the production as well, especially for the time.
It's was short and sweet.
There wasn't a lot of diversity on this album (most songs were about lost love). There were two songs (Cloud Nine & Runnaway Child) that had a dark theme. I loved those songs. It's a decent album, but not great. Definitely not their best.
Decent
Favorite Song(s): Hey Girl, Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me I'm not really sure what to make of this album. On its own its fine enough but reading about the context it seems like it would be a big change for them I'm taking this album on its own merits in 2023 and not 1969. "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" is ok, I sort of prefer the Marvin Gaye version than the instrumentation here. "Runaway Child, Running Wild" is a 9 1/2 long song I would guess would be the big centerpiece but it doesn't really blow me away. Just hearing a crying child halfway through the song while the band is jamming away is kind of jarring. Basically just a whole album of love songs which is fine but it's whatever.
Starts off funkier and more psychedelic than standard Temptations. The 2nd half gets a little generic and bland but overall pleasant. Some of the vocals are a bit rough.
A couple of really great tracks but mostly not all that great.
nu e neapărat genul meu de muzică..:) adică e frumos, dar nu să ascult în fiecare zi, poate doar într-o dimineață după ce n-am dormit toată noaptea și îmi pun muzică la răsărit. din câte am înțeles, albumul ăsta e diferit față de melodiile pentru care sunt cunoscuți și ce au scos înainte. mi se pare că mai toate melodiile de genul sună cam la fel și au devenit atât de clișeizate prin intermediul filmelor încât nu mai iese nimic în evidență. în plus, nu sunt așa mare fană a influențelor psihedelice. mie de fapt chiar îmi plac melodiile astea lovey-dovey, poate tocmai de asta preferata mea de pe album e chiar ”hey girl”, care cred că e cea mai dulce dpdv sonor. preferata mea de la the temptations rămâne în continuare cea mai populară, ”my girl”, deși nu pot spune că știu prea multe melodii de la ei. :)
For what it is, and on its own, it's great. But when you consider how much similar music was being produced at this time, this gets lost in the shuffle. That there isn't anything to really make this album stand out from all of the other music of this time/genre caused it to lose a lot of luster for me.
some great songs, some not so great. wish there was more funk
I didn't like the stereo mix; this wasn't designed for listening to on headphones. I started off thinking Runaway Child didn't feel like it needed to be 9+ minutes long, but I think I came out the other side; by the end it felt like it earned its runtime. Also we've had enough covers of Heard It Through the Grapevine now that I'm going to start ranking them: The Slits The Temptations ... ... ... ... Creedence Clearwater Revival
Fint album som jeg ikke helt husker så godt
Very good, very much in a lane and quite samey
I enjoyed this one.
It's alright. Some good songs, but some boring as well. Was hoping to like it more, but oh well. My favourite song was Hey Girl.
Good grooves, good soul, a general good listen even if it's not their best or well-known work. A high 3, it lacks some high-end punch.
This is really good - love the title track, it's got some proper edge to it, which is great. Far too easy for this kind of music to slide into easy listening (which this album kind of does towards the end), but the beginning is great. Would be a 4 if it could keep that up, but as it is I'll give it a mid to high 3.
I didn't need another Heard it through the Grapevine rendition, but otherwise a solid offering from The Temptations. I'm, uh, tempted to round up from 3.5 to 4 stars but I'll resist.
Bit more rocky than I was expecting the Tempations to be at the start then drifted back into the style I was expecting. All good dancing rhythm. Upbeat feelgood.
Wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. Still a decent album.
Okay now , I wouldn’t really listen to this kind of music much.
Funky, groovy, soulful. Feels like I’m going to take out a heist at times. Enjoyable never listened to a full Temptations album despite liking a bunch of their songs.
There are a couple of pretty great tunes on here… the rest are ok.
Old school, gives off good vibes but not my style
It's a good album ... a little old-school for my tastes.
Good stuff
Eh 's okay
They take their cardio seriously
At least one song that now is most recognisable from an advert. Female lead singer's voice notably less strong, this is a 50+ year old album however. Overall fine, not as interesting as some of the previous albums listened to as part of this though.
Good baseline, nice soulful music, some good tracks, but I don’t care for a lot of these songs and I’m just not that in the genre of soul. Decent record 6/10
Heading in to the 70s with some funky jams.
3.8 out of 5 stars. It's got a nice mix of soul and funk. The harmonies are smooth, but some tracks felt a bit similar to each other. Enjoyed it overall, but was hoping for a few more standout songs
This was a nice album to listen to. Don't have much else to say about it. Probably in the 3.5 range, but not a 4.
Jam of a first song. Not my favorite version of Heard it Through the Grapevine. The rest was pretty good. Nothing really stood out but I did enjoy it at least.
I usually need to listen to an album multiple times before I can truly appreciate it but this was a good listen and incredible drums like wow. Favorite tracks: Love Is A Hurtin' Thing, Gotta Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love
Nothing special at least for me, listened couple of times but I wasn't impressed.
So many classic songs by this group. It’s a great album if you’re in the mood for nostalgia. Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: if I found it super cheap Favourite Song: I Heard It Through The Grapevine
catchy bass lines, infectious drum beats and smooth vocals. good stuff.
Yeah, this was fine.
A little more edgy than I remembered The Temptations.
This was nice. Not quite what I expected, but solid.
Groovy, very mellow.
Hard for me not to like that temptations - and for a lot of this record, I still do - but an epic tedium of a song about a runaway from bad 70s afternoon tv serials and a pretty terrible cover of Heard it through the Grapevine, lowers the quality of this record significantly.
Pretty alright musically, but I don't understand really what the point of each of these songs are, as they pretty much go over variations of the same topic in a loop that feels especially more apparent here than any other album with love songs, and just like "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", there is a ten minute song here that could very easily be three or so minutes and get the same point across. Just a very forgettable album, but I liked what I heard enough.
very fun album, felt a bit movie soundtracky at points? vocals are hit or miss for me. overall rly enjoyable but i probably wouldn’t relisten
This was a fairly standard soul album that I actually enjoyed listening to and has a solid selection of tracks. Run Away Child is more fleshed out and is a definite highlight. The vocals are also great. However there are a couple of weaker tracks such as the cover of Heard It Through the Grapevine but overall a pleasant surprise.
None of the songs have much stick to them, the title track worthwhile as a period curiosity on drug discourse, but the tremendous musicianship pushes this above mediocrity. I ought to look up what else the session musicians have done.
great to hear some of the origins of psychedelic soul
Smooth, lots of breakup stuff
R & B old school, my preferred form. Great album with no songs to be skipped. Can be same same at times 7/10
it was fine. i liked i heard it through the grapevine, though honestly not as much as marvin gaye or creedence's versions. album was nice but i'm not sure i'd seek it out again. favorites: i heard it through the grapevine, runaway child running wild
Seems like these guys are the original(?) writers of "Heard it Through the Grapevine" I do like me some Motown music so this is pretty good. It's passable music but doesn't really have as good of a vibe as like Jackson 5 or something like that. A strong 3/5
listened to it, it was good! 3 stars
Holy that one dude can hit those high notes. It was a fun album, not my wheelhouse but enjoyable enough.
Definitely a collection of songs without much relation, rather than being united by a cohesive theme. Starts off very strong with the lyrics track on there and the brilliant Grapevine.. cover, giving an idea of innovation that sadly wasn't fully met.
These late 60’s / 70’s early records from established R&B acts are always disappointing to me. Without fail, they go all in on the sound of the times - funk, psychedelic soul - for 2 or three tracks and then back to their established sound for the rest of the record… …Hold on… I’ve written this review before… Oh yeah…it was for another Temptations record, 1972’s “All Directions”. Maybe this is more of a Temptations thing, but I remember feeling the same way about The Isley Brothers “3+3”. My point remains; these records are kind of “half measures”, if you will. An attempt to be hip up front, then fan service in the back half. I don’t care for it. Some artists spend too much time worrying about alienating their fans. Take a chance, people aren’t as fickle as you think. Or, maybe they are. Who cares. Do what you want, not what you think will please the most people. As it stands, this sounds like a record made by two different bands. One foot in the present, one in the past and no one likes a fence sitter, especially when Sly & the Family Stone were out there in 1969 putting out funky soul music that couldn’t be topped.
Rating: 6/10
Top 3 Songs: 1 - I Heard it Through the Grapevine (2) 2 - Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love (10) 3 - I Gotta Find a Way (9)
Decent, not reallly my thing
I thought I’d enjoy much more than I did
Good grooves
Such a fun listen.
- an enjoyable listen but nothing I'd go back to - Great soul vibes, singer has a great voice
- Solid Motown - Runaway Child, Running Wild was a cool story - Feels like beach/boardwalk music
Super groovy, I liked it! This style of music is not something I'm super familiar with listening to (is it crazy of me to say it sounds like Jackson 5?), but I liked it! I saved only the title track from the album, but I wouldn't be mad at someone for playing this around me! This album just made me want to dance, I envy those who got to go to bars/clubs -- or wherever they played this kind of music -- in the 1960s because I wanna get jiggy with it
Fav: I need your lovin Least fav: runaway child running wild
3/5. There’s only a handful of songs that really stand out. The second half of the album is good, and there are some decent soul and r&b songs there but nothing for repeated listens. The first half is quite good, the first song being a classic. Wish they dug more into the longer, jamming songs that give off that funk. Best song: Cloud Nine, Runaway Child
Solid album, nothing that remarkable apart from the title track and the 9-minute Run Away Child.. epic. Three stars.
Decent. Wasn't really familiar with any of the songs but I enjoy this type of music well enough. 2.5/5
It was decent, not my genre though
This sounds like the start of their journey into psychedelic soul, rather than their final destination. Cloud Nine is a banger, but am not so keen on the version of Grapevine. A great album, if not a classic. One to revisit.
This is way more funky than I'll ever be. Fucking great.
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, very smooth flowing and easy to enjoy Favourite song: Track 2 - I Heard it Through The Grapevine
3.5 stars. Soul with funk and motown feel. Easy-listening, nothing super special. Leadoff title track is the standout.
Loving the Motown. 3 stars
To say it's soul meets psychedelia or Motown goes to Woodstock feels reductive, even if true. Certainly the old-fashioned aspect is prominent, wtih the baritone vocal flourishes seeming almost sock-hoppy or barbershop quartet-y, or just plain square. Still, it's good to know the band exists. Obviously, they were major hitmakers and it's good to have a first-hand, deeper-dive relationship with parts of the culture that can be said to have gone stale for the contemporary hipster. The point being that for all that feels stale and show-bizzy, a pretty full dose of soul still gets across.
Expected
3.5
Not their best considering some of their hits. Listenable but not wonderful so 3*
Solid
Solid summer bbq album. The third track had a strange part about wanting his mama.
Solid and different style for The Temptations
Really like some of this. More interesting than what I think of from the temptations.
I have never listened to an entire temptations album. I enjoyed it, but nothing really jumps out at me. Pleasant driving music. Enjoy the one two punch of “don’t leave me for him” and “leave him for me”.
Something I have to be in the mood to listen to, but would very much hit if I were in the mood lol
Wasn’t really into it but it was kinda good. Certain songs caught my ears
First three songs were enjoyable. The rest was pretty boring.
Some good tracks, I enjoyed this record.
First Temptations album after David Ruffin left the group and the first "Psychedelic Soul" album by the Temps. I enjoyed the album but there was nothing really groundbreaking. The psychedelic soul sound actually sounds pretty dated to the late 60's early 70s. The Temps had better psychedelic songs later with Ball of Confusion and Papa was a Rolling Stone. So I guess this was the genesis album. Nice attempt at social commentary, but the kid screaming "I want my mama" in the middle of the 9 minute Runaway Child Running Wild was a bit much. I saw the Temptations broadway show last year and was not aware of all the drama and death that afflicted the group. Otis Williams was the only long term survivor of the original line up. Good but not great. 3.5 stars.
The first three songs are ok. Soul mixed with a little psychedelia, I kept getting TV cop theme song vibes. However, I’ve heard half a dozen covers of Heard It Through the Grapevine better than this, they miss the emotion of the song that Marvin Gaye delivers. The rest of the album is fine, amazing voices (I’d listen to them sing the Yellow Pages), but no songs jump out as memorable.
A legendary act that I was highly anticipating listening to. I was a little disappointed overall but would give this one another listen. Also not my favorite version of “I heard it through the grapevine” that I’ve heard. Overall average album.
Overall a solid album. Some melodies are a little forgettable. I like it but I also think there are better examples of soul/motown. 3/5
Wel aardige vroege disco, maar verder niet heel boeiend of bijzonder. Wel een hele vage versie (en daardoor wel grappig) van I Heard it Trough the Grapevine, als je CCR of Marvin Gaye gewend bent.
Decent at best I'd say. The first side is very non-Temptations sounding and mostly quite bland. I think the vocals throughout also lack some emotion and soul which I would expect. 5/10
So side one was apparently more progressive than side two. And yes, I hear some of that funky soul that Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes would focus on a few years later. The title track and Runaway Child, Running Wild were quite good. Their rendition of I Heard it Through the Grapevine was not - didn't hear the progression, didn't hear any noteworthy updates (an inferior remake). Side two didn't sound progressive. It also didn't sound like their softer ballads of old. But all in all, side two wasn't bad. Solid really, especially the last two tracks. But then I don't see what all the fuss about to be on this list. A good or average album, but not much more.
Cloud Nine by the Temptations was an interesting listen. You can hear them trying to change their sound on side one with the title track and “Run Away Child, Running Wild” but side two seems like they were fighting that idea and stayed a little closer to what they used to sound like. I enjoyed the title track a lot but wasn’t a fan of their version of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” “Run away Child..” felt a little long and forced. Also, the vocal bit where he was crying for mama was just annoying. I enjoyed their classic sound on side two more. This is one of the few older albums that sound like it doesn’t actually belong on this list.
I wasn't expecting the cool 70s funk opening of Cloud Nine (particularly since it came out in 1969!). Very cool unusual track, but then the album settled down to more straightforward tunes. I liked most of it, but there were a few moments I didn't like, such as the "I WANT MY MAMA!!" part of Runaway Child Running Wild. Wut? Also didn't like the high singing in Love is a Hurtin' Thing (when he sang in his regularly range it sounded good). Generally a pleasant album, but nothing I plan to seek out again. Even I Heard It Through the Grapevine wasn't all that memorable (the quintessential Marvin Gaye version came out a year earlier, so it's not even part of the evolution of the song). Clear 3 to me. Tracks that I liked best: Cloud Nine, Why Did She Have to Leave Me, I Need Your Loving, I Gotta Find a Way, Gonna Keep On Tryin' Til I Win Your Love.
Fun, but something felt missing from this album. It kinda drags in the latter half.
Musta tuntuu, että multa puuttuu taito kuunnella tällaista musiikkia sivistyneesti ja valistuneesti, mutta tykkäsin kyllä.
En ole koskaan aikaisemmin kuullut puhuttavan psykedelisestä soulista, mutta mielestäni tämä oli lähempänä takaa-ajo funkkia kun psykedeliaa. Paikoitellen siellä oli aika kivaa kokeilun makua. Pääsääntöisesti tykkäsin! 3/5
Hyvä meno, tykkäsin. Puoli tuntia oli sopiva.
Kaipaan Motownilta vähän enemmän räjähtävää energiaa, joten ihan neloseen ei yllä. Hauskoja biisejä kyl.
What, *another* cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", after Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Slits??? And this without even counting Marvin Gaye's classic version ("In The Groove", the LP it's taken from, being excluded from Dimery's list, if I remember correctly). Well... This version is *alright*, I imagine, especially when the drum patterns suddenly stop and go (as in the great title track opening this Temptations LP right before "...Grapevine"). The thing is, as nice as this particular cover is, it's certainly less impressive than the three other versions listed here. So it's not worth the price of admission on its own. We need to look further here... What's left, then? Well, the centerpiece is definitely "Runaway Child, Running Wild", an incredible nine-minute example of what "psychedelic soul" should sound like. Lush instrumentation, epic build-up, soulful dirges... We're not in "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"-territory yet (this song is far less catchy), but we're certainly heading there. And this stuff is also worthy of Sly And The Family Stone, except that it's softer around the edges, and a little more seductive somehow... Those three songs (the title track, " I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Runaway Child, Running Wild") are half of the album, and I can understand why that first part of the record felt like a milestone at the time, especially when you realize where the band was coming from (this sort of thing couldn't be further apart from "My Girl"). Yet as interesting as that first side of the LP is, I have doubts that the second one can be listed as *essential* stuff. There we have more by-the-numbers ballads, which gives the feeling that we are dealing with yet another "transitional" album from The Temptations... The problem is that I'm a little confused about which album from that technically stellar vocal group should be considered as "transitional" and which should heralded as mainstays or "essential" ones--at least as far as I know about them (I'm certainly no expert, and they have a sprawling discography). My gut feeling tells me that The Temptations will always sound like a hodge-podge thing to me. They sing songs written by others (legendary Motown songwriting teams, covers of all sorts...). Their "identity" is flexible according to the times and current fashion, exemplified by key tracks that don't always fit with other tunes on their albums. And as far as LPs go, their propositions are a little daunting, not to say "messy", as expertly played, sung and produced as those albums are... I can't remember if I included *All Directions* in my group of potential candidates for my own 1001 list ("All Directions": what an apt title for a Temptations LP, by the way). I've listened to it again, and maybe it deserves to be included in my "ideal" list, and not only because of *Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "I Ain't Got Nothin'". That said, I'm afraid I won't include more than *one* Temptations record This act made great tracks all along their lengthy and complex career. But I think they (or their producers) didn't have an identity and/or an artistic vision strong enough to make all their influences gather into a cohesive, meaningful whole. So, in that overall genre, I'd rather stick to Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Sly And The Family Stone, etc. Sorry, Temptations fans... Number of albums left to review: 638 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 181 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 84 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 104 (including this one)
This is my second record from The Temptations in 3 days, both of which were post David Ruffin. It's a little much to get two records too close together and I think my enjoyment of this record likely suffered because of it. This record is just fine, nothing great or blowing me away, but I enjoyed listening to it enough.
I can see how this was revolutionary for its time. Lots of songs sound like they would be great in movies. Lots of songs about love. Added 2 to the playlist, but not something I'd listen to daily.
Solid pick from the 60s but probably won’t ever listen again.
Me ald fella is a fan of these (I think). Thought the album was sound but it will not take a spot in my regular rotation. Got to be cut throat in this game.
хороший альбом он с первых секунд захватывает внимание. очень динамично, живо, стильно и со вкусом. общее ощущение, правда, просто норм. такую музыку хочется слушать в живом исполнении (потому что будет выступать невероятный бойсбенд). вряд ли порекомендую кому-то весь альбом, но отдельные треки шикарные
Вокал просто секси. Вообще очень хороший мужской соул и с удовольствием послушал их вживую. Особенно понравилось когда барабаны их начинают подгонять вперед и чувствуешь, что они кайфуют прям сами)
Интересный психодел-соул (так это наверное назвать можно?). Вообще интересно, я зацепился за название трека "...Grapevine" и вспомнил The Slits. Ну, их версия мне понравился больше. Опять блядское стерео. Не, ну иногда оно было интересно, но меня дико раздражало, что ритм-гитара играет только в левом канале, аааа... а в правом ударка. Ну я ж в наушниках слушаю, я ещё не обзавёлся мониторами, пожалейте мои уши. По вайбу мне напомнило музыку, которые играют группы из Late Night Show: лёгонько, слегка с выкрутасами, вокалом, который больше для атмосферности, а не для текста. Хороший альбом, чтобы поставить в качестве фона для романтического ужина, имхо. Честно говоря, ничем особенным не запомнился. Но слушабельный и лучше некоторых, которые были до этого.
Useful background music, but the songs all sounded very similar
6/10 un disco normal, no tiene mucho en donde profundizar y fijarse. Es algo aue se escucha en un manual de jazz o funk.
First listen
cloud nine didn't contain the kind of music the temptations are known for, but they're hard to pin down because throughout their long history, they have moved around genres often. i was surprised how funky and soulful this album was. the temptations' cover of "heard it through the grapevine" startled me, as someone who is so used to marvin gaye's own cover. i found it fascinating how the temptations created their version. while it was rather pleasant to listen to, it lacked that spark in other temptations' music. i couldn't get too excited, though i do enjoy the temptations a lot.
This funky, psychedelic offering from The Temptations was kind of interesting! I wasn't used to hearing them in quite this style. The album was certainly pleasant enough to listen to, but overall, I just wasn't that blown away by it. This probably comes in at a high 2.-something, so 3 it is!
Bill
Groovy soul tunes. Strong 3. Also, these guys wrote ”I Heard It Through The Grapevine”? I always though that the song just kind of existed.
A bit generic
Not really my style of music but i liked it, had some groovy songs that i enjoyed
Cloud Nine: 3,5/5 I Heard It Through The Grapevine: 3/5 Runaway Child, Running Wild: 3/5 Love Is A Hurtin' Thing: 3/5 Hey Girl: 2,5/5 Why Did She Have To Leave Me: 2,5/5 I Need Your Lovin': 2,5/5 Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me: 2,5/5 I Gotta Find A Way: 3/5 Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your ... : 2,5/5 Totaal: 2,8/5
Like where it’s heading … Great Funk Brothers backing Solid Motown
A short, groovy LP that has juuuust enough in the tank to sustain its brief runtime. Not overly wowed by this one, but it did get my toe tapping and I could see myself listening to it again.
Charming album by The Temptations and whilst there are few standout tracks nevertheless makes for a fine soulful listen. Fascinating to hear early Temptations and see where they later went.
Generally found this album to be good, easy listening music. But they seemed to stuck between Motown and funk, but never really excelling in either. Did not dislike, but felt they took a few shortcuts here and never hit their great sound. Again, I liked, but not one of my favorites. Maybe because I still have Velvet on the mind..... i'll give this a 2.5
Love the hits. Boring as a whole. Liked it more than the last one though. 3
Not for me
Idk
A solid soul album that didn't leave too much of an impact
Runaway child its too long, but the album it stills good. My favorite song its hey girl, and why did she have to leave me.
Very funky. Love the basslines. Falsettos stood out a bit too much.
Silky and smooth, like a person doused in oil sent down a slip'N'slide into a giant teflon pan only to get poured out onto a beauticians table and get a complete Brazilian. But smoothness can only get you so far as the tracks were nice but none were great, including a tepid cover of I Heard It Through the Grapevine that meanders through the lyrics without much passion and contrasts with the other songs on the album. Would probably give this miss and listen to something else. Favourite track Cloud Nine.
Don't need to look it up. Pretty sure that's Jamerson on the bass, what an unique sound and style! The GOAT. Really like the sound, the production, the mixing with voices and guitars and drums hard panned to the sides. Some of the singing is a little... too much for my taste. But most of it is still great.
Personally not into Soul music, though obviously this is a classic, so cannae slate it
A bit frontloaded, with nothing reaching the heights of tracks 1 and 3 afterwards. But besides the unimpressive version of Grapevine, it stays enjoyable overall.
Short and sweet. Fun. Enjoyable. hehe
Nice, but had to give it an average rating because I've heard better versions of Heard it Through the Grapevine and a lot of the song titles/lyrics were along the lines of "baby I need you, don't do me wrong".
Easy listening. Fave track is Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love
-"Cloud Nine" is a great, catchy tune. Great drums, cool keyboard, and the low voice parts are fun as well -"Running Child, Running Wild" is a cool jam that I like for the same reasons as "Cloud Nine," but it is a 10 minute jam with lots of keyboard, drum, and bass jamming. The kid crying about "I want my mama" is kind of sus tho -Rest of the tracks didn't stand out too strong
Easy funky listen, good covers of some classic tracks
3.5/.5 This was good, a little above average for me. It went by pretty fast after that 9 minute song. Nothing amazing going on here, but it's enjoyable.
Bra soul som man blir på gott humör av att höra.
Heilt greit, men litt høg Temptations-frekvens her no
Pretty good feel good album. Liked every song except Runaway Child, Running Wild. Although I may never listen to the album again, it was an enjoyable listen
Sem opção para ouvir completo
i dig it
Best lekkere vrolijke muziek. Beetje poppy rock met wat klassiekeinstrumenten erbij. Oh blijkbaar heb ik een verzamelalbum geluisterd, cloud 9 staat niet op spotify.. Wat ik van cloud 9 heb geluisterd valt dan toch erg tegen, beetje psychedelisch met orgels en koortjes enzo.. 3*
Du bon soul
Motown gotta Motown
The recording sounds great and the vocal harmonies are as good as they get but I find the lyricism and songcraft lacking.
A bit motown, a bit funky, a great typical example of the sound of the era. I actually preferred the more standard Temptations stuff on the back half of the album from the slightly more funky and progressive stuff. I found the quality of the recording and mix varied wildly throughout the record, the highs particularly at points seem to get quite grating. A pleasant listen but not remarkable enough for me to put it up with the great motown albums
Truly the beginning of a new chapter for The Temptations were they really began to explore new and interesting sonic palettes that would pave the way for other artists like Stevie Wonder and Funkadelic down the line. 3.5/5
The lyrics were very powerful.
A good album over all and really good bass. It just is all deep cuts and not really anything too special. I like the Temptations, but there are other albums that belong on here over this.
Funky
Clued in in this one being a good’un. A good listen, but doesn’t do grapevine justice.
Kinda annoying faffing between spoti-tube. The funk ones are the best, particularly Runaway Child, 9 minute banger. The Motown stuff is still good though, particularly towards the end (don't let him...)
Not fully available on Spotify
I enjoyed it. It was nice to hear the old songs again. I was confused why the album cover didn’t have raisins on it though.
3/4
Du bon motown, la 1ere pourrait jouer dans un film de Tarantino! La 2e, disons que les covers sont meilleurs que l'original. Dans la 3e il y a Isaac Hayes je crois, dur de pas penser à South Park! Dans l'ensemble un bon album. mais qui finit très abruptement.
An enjoyable listen, for the most part with some good songs here. Their "psychedelic soul" sound is interesting, it works at times, it's different and it funks it up a bit more. I haven't listened to much of The Temptations, maybe I should listen to more... :)
Couple good songs but sounds like I expected. Kinda drags on
Starts really good and funky. The soul songs are less interesting to me
One of the great Motown groups. Uncomplicated songs
Niet alles auf Spotify
Passable
The distributed singing parts must have hit different back then, but today it is hard for me to listen to a full album of it – it's like they smuggled in some a cappella behind their instruments. Anyway... uhm... that's a lot of falsetto. Is it called falsetto because it's wrong to use it so much? The interplay of guitar and bass in Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me is super neat. I have consumed so much a cappella that I now use expressions like "super neat". My slacks have turned beige. I now own 10 identical polo shirts and salmon shorts. This is white people kryptonite. I have been born in the wrong environment to be cool for enjoying this. Because make no mistake, this album is cool as fuck.
This was a nice listen but not super memorable overall, although I might revisit a few of the standout tracks in the future.
An interesting album by the Temptations. I read about this album being the transition album from Motown to the funk of later years. I would therefore expect that there would be a lot of songs with a combination of styles, but strangely enough the songs are either Motown or funk. The funk, mainly on the A side, appeals to me a lot more than the Motown, especially on the B-side. The cover of 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine' should not have been necessary and is quite poor. All in all, I don't think this is a bad album at all, but for me it's not the masterpiece some people are talking about.
Nice production. Drums are bit too low in the mix.