Cloud Nine

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.

Old music is so repetitive Did they have a limit on the number of unique words per song? My Girl is a banger but isn't on this album so

Really enjoyed it but there was only three songs on Spotify so had to give it three stars.

Was good, nothing special but easy to listen to 7/10

Funk 4 Motown 3

Good but not great.

This is after their "Classic Five" period, meaning it's missing something. That something is one David Ruffin, the David Ruffin with lead vocals on "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "I Wish It Would Rain". So in a way, this is like having a Commodores album without Lionel Richie. But the Commodores weren't quite the Temptations, of course. Even without Ruffin, the Temptations had another good run in them. But that's after this album. This one is really good, just not quite great.

Drifted into background noise as the album went on. Highs were high but the lows were low. Some really great songs in the mix though. Great voices and instrumentals. My mood might just not have been right in the moment for this to really stand out.

this was a very fun and upbeat album! i really enjoyed the vibe i thought it was very fun. definitely 7/10 hmmm

This starts off perfectly - right from the first note of the title track "Cloud Nine." Sounds fantastic, great soulful groove - this mostly continues for the first 3 songs (especially in the long/weird "Runaway Child, Running Wild"). After that the genre changes a bit; the band almost feels like they're going back in time a bit starting with "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing" - it's not bad, just occasionally more slow-paced, a bit of doo-wop influence; just a little more straight-forward and less experimental. It approached being a little boring for me. I'm definitely far more partial to the more psychedelic songs but overall it's a good listen. 7/10 3 stars.

Not any better or worse than I expected, but not my thing.

Liked the first song, felt it was best when doing it's own thing rather than the covers. Liked it but not blown away.

As I listen to more Temptations I get more appreciation for the song-writing team of Whitfield and Strong, who wrote so many massive hits, including "Heard it Through the Grape Vine" and "Papa was a Rolling Stone". Some of their tracks on this LP have a more interesting sound, what I would call a Blaxploitation sound, and socially conscious lyrics, like the title track or "Runaway Child Running Wild." The rest of the more traditional love songs I could do without, but the Temptations delivery is superb.

This album marks their evolution towards psychedelic soul which would later result in their monster song Papa was a rollin' stone. The second side leans towards their traditional Motown side and is pretty ok. I really tried to like this so I listened to it 3 times and found that this album is pleasant enough but nothing to knock your socks off either.

Truthfully, this was just alright. Maybe I need to spend more time listening to it but this was just alright. 7/10.

Heard It Through The Grapevine is given an upbeat cover and I don't hate it! meh on the whole album.

Many tracks missing on Spotify, but what I heard was decent.

Kolmella biisillä arvioituna ihan lepposaa rallattelua. En jaksanut etsiä youtubesta tms. spottarista löytymättömiä kipaleita...

This is a good listen. Have a go and enjoy

After losing original lead vocalist David Ruffin (watch his performance of "My Girl" in "Summer of Soul" to see what they were missing) the Temptations recruited Dennis Edwards and supposedly moved towards a more psychedelic-influenced sound to suit the changing musical landscape of the time. "Sly and the Family Stone" was a key influence in this, which made me very excited to hear how the band would approach a new direction (only being familiar with their biggest hits from earlier in the 60s). Honestly, perhaps listening to it fifty years on reduces the impact of this change in direction. "Cloud Nine" is a really promising start, with a propulsive bass-line, funky wah-guitar and an instantly memorable hook "I'm doing fine… on Cloud Nine". References to a "dog-eat-dog world" and escape from reality hint at some social commentary and exploration of interesting themes… but we then diverge into a fairly rudimentary cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". The third track, "Runaway Child… Running Wild" is a fun, groovy jam clocking in at nine minutes. It's hypnotic and holds some interest, even though the screams of "I want my mama" are a little grating. From then on, the second side is more standard fare, without the "psychedelic soul" left-turn feel I'd been expecting from this album. The songs feel much more like standard Temptations pop tracks, with a Motown influence and a tight three-minute pop structure. Of course, there's nothing wrong with this: it's all music to bop and sway to, with lush string production (see stand-out "I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back)") and stabs of brass and horns livening things up. The magic of the group as performers is also without question: vocally they are, of course, excellent. Eddie Kendricks sports a beautiful falsetto in "I Need Your Lovin'", and Melvin Franklin's bass parts add some lovely decoration. The soft, lilting "Why Did She Have To Leave Me" and "Gonna Keep On Tryin' till I Win Your Love" are my other standouts here. It's not at all bad, but I'd just hoped for a bolder approach after reading up on the background of "Cloud Nine". This album maybe pushes Cloud Six-and-a-Half.

This was fine. Not helped by Spotify hiding half the tracks but what was there was alright.

Lots of well known songs. It is good music. I am not sure I would listen to the whole album again, but if it was playing I wouldn't object.

Pretty cool; funkier than expected

This is a really nice album through and through, so groovy and the band really puts their voices into the performances. They also put some strange additions into "Runaway Child, Running Wild" that then upended what had been a solid, and positive experience. The wish that such a strange addition of a crying child made better sense than it did here is not granted, and it really puts an itch on one's head that no scratch will alleviate.

Decent without being amazing.

Not bad

The cover places the album solidly in the late 60's. And the title track Cloud Nine is a drug song, right? Great stuff; love hearing the voices individually and together. Great version of Grapevine. Runaway Child has great parts and also completely off-putting sections. Not a fan of Love is a Hurtin' Thing. Overall this album is a fun listen I'm glad I took the time to hunt it up on YouTube. Trying to find it also schooled me on how extensive the Temptations oeuvre really is. Impressive.

Un disquito de soul bonito, agradable, pero sin más brillo. No había ninguna de las que conocía antes de los Temptations y la única conocida (Heard It Through The Grapevine) la verdad es que me gustan más otras versiones. Sin pena ni gloria junta sus 3 estrellas.

Perfect singing, nice arrangements but ultimately it didn't grab me as much as I hoped.

easygoing funk that floats on by. a pleasant but forgettable pit stop

First point is that half of tracks are "greyed"out on spotify so can't be heard. What's left is tight and funky. It also has that lovely dry production that you yearn for. The Temptations go into a funky-psychedelic phase with this album ...lots of intermittent effects laden guitar. Solid 3.5

great to hear some of the origins of psychedelic soul

First three tracks are really great examples of early funk, very fun to listen to, they've got a great groove. The rest are standard soul for the time, nothing super groundbreaking, but a good album nonetheless. 3.5 👍

A bit annoying only half the album is on Spotify, so I used Youtube. I have never heard more than the few super iconic songs of this group, and this isn't a genre I typically listen to so I was quite excited to give this album a go! 1. Cloud Nine - Quite funky, I liked it a lot. 8/10 2. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Nice song. Google says it is a cover, but it's a good one. 7/10 3. Runaway Child, Running Wild - Really liked this one, intense theme. 8/10 4. Love is A Hurtin' Thing - A lot calmer. 8/10 5. Hey Girl - Very sedate compared to the other songs so far. I quite liked the more relaxed tune. 7/10 6. Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go) - Lovely vocals. 8/10 7. I Need Your Lovin' - More of the same, not as good. 6/10 8. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me - I liked this one, I really liked the drums and horns. 7/10 9. I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back) - The repetitiveness of this album is getting to me. It's still a good song but dampened by everything that's come before it in the album. 7/10 10. Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love - I liked the tune, it's a rather sweet song. I really like the instrumental at 2:15. 7/10 Objectively excellent music, but not my style - didn't save anything and doubt I will ever listen again, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Rather repetitive at times, but a good album. 3/5 is my initial thought

Pleasant all the way through, outstanding vocals.

Bem legal, sinto que já conhecia a maioria das músicas. Melhor música: Why did she have to leave me,

6/10 Best song - Hey Girl

Sun-kissed Lots of desperate breakup songs set to jaunty soul-funk instrumentals It's good, nothing to write home about Full vocal ranges "Runaway child, running wild, better go back home where you belong" "Girl (girl come home, so I can dry my weeping eyes) why don't you come on home" Where is home? Where you feel loved.

Pretty album - some parts are a little close to Sly Stone for comfort

Hits like Will Smith at the Oscars

I really like The Temptations, I absolutely love the '60s era classic Motown pop Temptations and I can fuck with the Sly Stone inspired '70s era Temptations (there's an album called Psychedelic Shack, what's not to love?!). I'm pretty surprised this album made the list though. It's not one I have listened to much before, it's a halfway house album really. It is still peppered with moments of '60s style soul (moments that are less good than what they had done before) and there are some very clear hints of the more experimental direction the band were heading in, but at this point the ideas still seem only half formed. Hopefully Temptin' Temptations and All Directions are on this list, they are albums that far better represent the two sides of The Temptations.

Nice

why not on spotify :(

Some really superb vocals and vocal harmonies here. Yes, that's what they are known for, but it's justified. Reading the Wiki entry I learned this is the album when they departed from their original sound and started embracing psychedelic music. Good for them for their creative exploration. Not sure I'll come back to this one, but I appreciate what they were doing.

Idk anything about it but I kinda feel that Motown is always hard to beat.

Ach, ich weiß nicht. Das ist alles irgendwie gut, will bei mir aber nicht so recht zünden. Ganz schlechte 3.

Standard 60's poppy soul music. No real standouts here as nearly every song sounds like the every other. Plus, this contains probably the worst version of Heard It Through the Grapevine I've ever heard. Altogether, this album is not terrible, but nothing special either. Thus, 3/5.

Some really great songs pack this gem. 3/5.

It was good, but I expected to enjoy it more based solely on the fact that in general I like the Temprations. Not convinced that this so called psychedelic soul suits them so well.

Cloud Nine is a standout track. I wish there were more tracks like it on the album. Runaway Child stands out too, but not in a good way - some of the production choices kinda irk me. The rest of the album is pleasant and all but it literally put me to sleep.

Smooth, but just okay for me. Nothing offensive, unfortunately I have nothing to say on this. It's fine?

Smooth. Almost a little too smooth

2/1/22 Not really my style of music, but enjoyed it for what it was. Favorite Song: Cloud Nine

first listen great motown sound

A new era for The Temptations as they dive into the freethinking, freewheeling psychedelic era of the late Sixties. They tackle far more serious topics like abuse and estrangement from families, alongside the standard love songs that put them on the map. This album is not an overt embrace of psychedelia, though (that comes later) and it can prove frustrating after the first three songs, but the love songs are top notch as well. Good stuff all around. Favorites: Cloud Nine, Runaway Child, Running Wild, Hey Girl, I Need Your Lovin'.

Only 4 of the songs are on Spotify, which is far from handy, but I found versions of the rest on other albums or compilations though. Side 1 very different to side 2, and much better, but neither is really up my street. Title track and heard it through the grapevine are my favourite songs

Real nice album, great grooves to get you through the morning! (Since that's when I listened to it). I got very excited that Heard it through the grapevine was on here but turns out this is a different version. Cloud Nine was probably my favorite song of the bunch, none were terribly memorable but as a whole this was a fun album.

Pretty good. Nothing too memorable unfortunately. I imagine the Temptations have bigger hits, but I'm drawing a blank right now. Favorite tracks: Cloud Nine, Love is a Hurtin' Thing, I Need Your Lovin'. Album art: Groovy. Only half-committed to the psychedelic experience, but I'll allow it. 3/5

Slowly moving towards proper "psychadelic soul", but not there yet.

I've never heard any tracks off of this album. After I had, I realized that the Temptation are as great as I thought. This was an awesome listen.

Their best tracks are not in this album, but it's alright

Good detective and porn music from the 60s-70s (in the beginning of the album). It was okay... Standard soul album about love and charming babes. 2.6/5

Solid slab of soul

Full album not on spotify

Liked it but didn't love it. This is another style that I prefer in tiny doses and don't enjoy one after another as it becomes tedious and a tad annoying

Quick and to the point. Is it something I'd listen to regularly? No, but I still liked hearing more from The Temptations than just the hits I'm used to.

This album was fine. Some solid doo op sound then throw in a less than mediocre cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine. This album was also lacking in some of their all time hits which is a disappointment.

Hard to find but worth it, some catchy numbers and great crooning

They are not breaking any ground, but they do not annoy in any way either. It is good sounding music but I just don’t see how this album showcases them as vocalists as the instrumentation is the highlight. Flat from beginning to end, no single moment better or worse than another.

The temptations going psychodelic, interesting concept but fails to fullz convince after a few songs

171225 16:36 3

This is pretty hard to argue with. I don't know that I walked away with anything that I can't live without, but Love is a Hurtin' Thing I thought was pretty great and everything on here is very tight.

Yeah, I dig this. The very definition of a three and a half star album for me. It's got a couple of points that are superior - and, in the case of the title track, one of my favourite soul numbers, period - but too much filler creeps in to give it that replay factor. But it's better than average, for sure.

6/10

3.66

I love the Temptations, but this album was just fine.

its alright

Ret funky album, men var i så psycadelic, som jeg troede.

det svänger rätt gött om det här

Àlbum incomplet a spotify. Pel poc que he pogut escoltar, interessant barreja de soul i psicodèlia

didn't grab me, but okay.

Album intéressant, très porté sur la voix assez funk

Classy, great vocals throughout. Feels like good music for lovin.

Si un día me apetece escuchar un buen álbum de música funk esta seria una de mis opciones a escuchar. Buen álbum :)

3.7 - Fun and funky but I'm not getting the touted "watershed" in "psychedelic soul." "Runaway Child, Running Wild" is the closest to a mind-bending surrealist track, and I love the "momma momma" breakdown. Otherwise, to me it sounds like standard Motown.

Nice soul album

motown tunes - heard it through the grapevine; no others i really knew. Really nice though

Blues, voces sureñas, percusión. Estilo de otra época

So-so. Inoffensive, a little dull. The wikipedia entry for the album was more entertaining. (i.e. didn't know that Gladys Knight and the Pips were first on the slate with I Heard It Through the Grapevine. As for the performance shenanigans of the Dennis Edwards era...life is sometimes more scandalous that fiction.)

Tof hoor, lekkere vibe!

Best aardig, maar zal het niet snel nog eens draaien.

Ik kan dat wel waarderen, die 70's groovy shizzle 😎

It was ok

Spotify wouldn't let me play the whole album but had a couple bangers (Heard It Through The Grapevine). Love a bit of motown, Dave Dew would play it when I was a kid. 3/5

3.5

Moving away from standard Motown fare, they begin making more jammed out funk and soul tracks. Great fun. Best Tracks: Cloud Nine; Runaway Child, Running Wild; Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)

'Runaway child, running wild' is an interesting song. It centres around a headstrong kid that wants to run away but when he realises what the street is really like he's desperate to get home again but can't make it. The song closes with a haunting repeated plea of 'momma'. It reminded me of the Van Morrison song 'Beside you', where 'little jimmy' s gone' and Dylan's 'Visions of Johanna' where 'little boy lost, takes himself so seriously'. All three songs come from 1968, and the image of the lost child seems to be a common trope (based purely on these three songs but I could research the shit out of it if you push me). It was only a few years after the Moors murders but I doubt these had the required cultural impact in America as they did in England (though I'm sure there were equivalent travesties) but with increased forms of news media and means of communication along with increased urbanisation, perhaps there was more of a collective awareness / fear of the archetype of the lost child. Or perhaps the lost child was just the most aappropriate symbol for the turmoil of the social and political context of 1968 (assassinations of Marton Luther King, Robert Kennedy, Vietnam protests etc.) I always thought the temptations were a bit throwaway and by the book but there are some delicious numbers on this album.

Not bad. Groovy at first then seemed to go back to trad Motown

Really awkward to listen to as most of the songs were blanked out on Spotify. Had to keep jumping between there and YouTube to compete the album in sequence.

Pretty decent album filled with love motown and funk.

Not all on spotify

All songs were pretty decent but none that really stood out to me.

Starts out strong, really liked the first three songs (except for the crying child in Run Away Child, which was a bit off-putting. That song was too long, as well). The rest of the album is decent, but nothing really amazing.