Reviews (page 12 of 14)
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.
Pretty sure this was their first album that got away from a more doo wop sound and ventured into expression of social consciousness. Hard to keep 40 some odd albums straight but this has to be one of their best. I also have to admit that I love the Temps and ain't too proud to beg for more.
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.
Sweet thang
Sing-along favorites for all time
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.
It was jazzy but again no vocals, so I was kind of bored listening to this, maybe if it were a bit more catchy, I would've enjoyed more. I do like jazz.
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.
Not the very best of this band but interesting to hear a bunch of things I’ve heard sampled elsewhere.
There are a couple of pretty great tunes on here… the rest are ok.
I have always loved the Temptations. 10/10.
Old school, gives off good vibes but not my style
Great album. Not their best but still great
Classic Motown sound. Wtf is runaway child... Is it their attempt at prog??? Not great overall
It's a good album ... a little old-school for my tastes.
That Motown sound is just incredible
Good stuff
Eh 's okay
They take their cardio seriously
feels old, but certainly a foundation for future musicians.
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.
Time: 35:09 Year: 1969 Funk
Yeah it was good
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
I listened to this twice and didn't find myself caring either time. Partly because I was focused on a really obnoxious problem, and partly because nothing was all that terribly interesting. While there is nothing "bad" here, its just not my cup of tea. If I were trying to be objective, I'd go with a 3/4 because musically, it is fine. But I am being objective so I say 2 because I was kind of bored.
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.
Didn't know Heard it Through the Grapevine was a cover Runaway child running wild was a bit of a jam eh? Might be the most soothing singing voice and drums on I need your loving I really like the amount of singers there are. Brings a different element to each song Great mix of slow love songs and upbeat songs to get your feet tapping
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
Loved the groove and clearly full of hits from their time
overall rating: 8.5/10 favourite song: i heard it through the grapevine ( 9/10 ) runner up favourite: hey girl ( 8.5/10 ) least favourite: love is a hurtin thing ( 6.5/10 ) album cover: 7/10 vocals: 10/10 instrumentals: 9/10 would i recommend ? : i’d randomly bring it up to people , i don’t know any soul fans though other: i’ve never listened to soul before this album. this album is so fun, the vocals are incredible and the instrumentals are so catchy and funky.
Nothing special at least for me, listened couple of times but I wasn't impressed.
one thing that i wasn’t expecting from this album was a 9 minute song but i’m so glad it was here. a couple standouts and no bad songs
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.
First listen Saved 2/10 Top track: Cloud Nine
This is an incredible album from The Temptations. I was expecting more “My Girl” type music but the album was very diverse in genre. It was like the barber shop meets psychedelic jazz (??) Evette song was unique and complimented each other beautifully. The album wasn’t too long either which is a plus.
Enjoyed it.
Timeless
I hate this version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Otherwise excellent, half funk, half traditional Motown soul.
No real bangers on this one, at least not that I'm aware of
This was nice. Not quite what I expected, but solid.
Groovy, very mellow.
4.25
4/10
Excellent album
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
Pillar to post this is a whole vibe. I wanted to get up and straight up boogie. Even when the message presented wasn’t a positive one the music still flowed through me. A wonderful piece of R&B/soul music.
Quite enjoyed the Grapevine cover despite itself. Probably a 3.5 overall so I’ll round up to a 4.
Slaps, but sometimes they needed to just let the instrumental shred The open to Cloud 9 is great
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
Now THIS is why I joined this gig! This is exactly the kind of music I was hoping to find a way into and what an album! Sounded great even on a shitty Bluetooth speaker! Will defo be listening to and buying again!!
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
Pretty pretty good
Helt ait ganske standard ella fitzgerald stil
Ihan silleen bulkkihyvää, mut miks just tämä albumi... Epätasainen tuotanto myös. Runaway Child, Running Wild oli ainoa, joka kuulosti aidolta ja hyvältä
Jaa missä oli "psykedeelisiä" vaikutteita? Siis hyvä vaan, ettei niitä kauheasti ollut. Aito pettymys on se, etteivät bändille ominaisemmatkaan biisit säväytä enempää kuin genrensä keskivertovedot.
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
meh
A collection of great soul classics. You miss a bit the highlights and innovation from our times since there are so many versions of these songs.
ima cook breakfast to dis
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)
didn't think I would get into it but a lot of the songs ended up being a lot of fun, great vocals as expected
Decent, not reallly my thing
I thought I’d enjoy much more than I did
Didn't get into it. Bad day at work probably led to me not really giving it a chance.
It was fine, just didn't really get into it
Good grooves
Interesting to hear the lyrics from that era. Times have changed so much and yet many of the issues are exactly the same
Good
Quite the vibe. 4
• I enjoyed the album and I found that it got better for me as it went along • I really enjoyed the harmonies throughout • There were quite a few songs that I liked and would listen to again • Favourite song: Hey Girl
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.
Motown grows its hair, drops acid, gets heady. It’s pop music at its funkiest and funk music at its poppiest, if that makes any sense.
Decent. Wasn't really familiar with any of the songs but I enjoy this type of music well enough. 2.5/5
Fun stuff, pretty different from the other Temptations album I had, but still very solid. Will have to come back to this.
classy soul
Funky (at least to start)
Bangers
boring
Gott stöff, eins og við var að búast. Hlið A er tilraunakenndari og ef öll platan væri eins myndi ég líklega henda í fullt hús. Hlið B er fjári góð samt líka.
I was surprised that a 9+ min Temptation song exists! Very Groovy and easy to listen.
BL: I love the temptations, I have many singles of theirs that I love listening to, but never listened to a full album. Let’s give it a listen. AL: very good. Exactly what I’d expect from the temptations, all wrapped up in a neat package. Some lovely grooves, some good lyrics and the vocals are just buttery and as sublime as always. Never Dissapointed with the temptations FT: “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”, “Runaway Child, Running Wild”, “I Gotta Find a Way” 4/5
Solid motown classic. Cloud Nine is a great track, I Heard it Through the Grapevine, and the rest of this album really define the motown sound.
It was decent, not my genre though
Enjoyed this. Lyrical themes are a bit repetitive but I think that's a motown issue not a Temptations issue.
Fantastic album
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.
It's quite a leap from My Girl to psychedelic soul. Obviously there was a middle act to help with the transition. But still. Grapevine's got a great groove going off, something that even Marvin couldn't achieve. The soul is still there; the soul is always there. Plus it's cool to hear the familiar Motown house sound bass pumping along, holding it all together. If you wants the Temps to do anything, then psychedelic soul it probably is. Country soul may have worked. But Cloud Nine is a product of its time. It still stands up well.
Groovy! I don't think I'd go back to this, it's a solid record but it's very same-y and you sort of don't know when songs end and next one's begin
This is way more funky than I'll ever be. Fucking great.
Non avevo mai nemmeno sentito parlare del soul psichedelico figurarci averlo ascoltato. Mi ha completamente spiazzato come suono, una rivisitazione molto interessante di un genere classico. Non ha avuto un effetto enorme su di me, ma potrei veramente ascoltare quest'album all'infinito, molto bello.
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.
Pretty groovy little album. Not one I'd reach out for in the future, but it was a pleasant time spent. Melodious. Great vocals throughout and some familiar and enjoyed tunes.
Hey, Girl. Hey. Did you know this album is underwhelming and bored? I think of 1969 as being an exciting time to be alive. Perhaps this boringness brought some stability to the chaos of the world and thus was rated higher. Regardless, it's really lost on me in 2023.
That was surprisingly underwhelming.
When I snapped out of my boredom trance, all I can remember is a bad cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine and a bunch of songs boasting about how the singing dude is better than some woman’s boy toy.
Feel good album - typical Motown.
A good albumn, sounded like the Temptations. Simple sounds and excellent harmonies and instrumentation. 3.5/5
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.
Groovy. Whenever that bassy voice came in, my knees shuddered, and I'm a married straight dude. Weird cover of "Heard It Through The Grapevine"
Music for knocking boots.
Expected
3.5
I don’t always find it pleasant.
4/5
I think people who don't like funk or soul music might just be racist. Favorite track: Hey Girl
Not their best considering some of their hits. Listenable but not wonderful so 3*
It was fine but I expected better.
I’m on it.
Solid
Solid summer bbq album. The third track had a strange part about wanting his mama.
Highlights: "I Gotta Find A Way," "Cloud Nine" It was a step backwards for The Temptations to try to compete over new sounds with James Brown, Sly Stone, and Isaac Hayes. We're a couple years out from 110th Street or Shaft, but you can hear in the lyrics that the psych and funk dabbling is bound up in the dawn of blaxploitation, which is a double-edged sword. The production is also much rougher than their past hits. The strained vocals get raw and awkward mixing, and the Motown style of direct input guitar signal does NOT work with Hendrix effects combos; it's like you can hear the upheaval in Motown Records as they scramble to recover from losing their lead writer and relocate to Los Angeles while maintaining their notoriously grueling production schedules. I can see why this might have been picked as a "progressive" record, but that change was developing without The Temptations. This is jumping the shark on all counts.
This was a really solid album but it definitely is not their best work in my opinion. They are a great group so it is still really good but I prefer some of their earlier albums and a few of their 70's albums over it. I think my favorite song on this album is the title track as well as "I Need Your Lovin'" and "Why Did She Have To Leave Me". The rest of the songs are all solid but this albums to me is nothing to write home about. 7.5/10
Fair, nothing special but pleasant to listen to
The Cloud Nine cover and name are perfectly accurate but also not: Buttery smooth music gains a certain amount of bumpiness in sequence. That makes for a crystallized teardrop of a sound, which succeeds largely on listenability. The covers have me thinking about the songs in new ways, even if they aren't as bombastic as some of the other tunes seem to demand.
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
Feelsgood
Więcej!
Good vocals are always expected if it's The Temptations, but the funkiness was something that's great and a little unexpected.
Wasn’t really into it but it was kinda good. Certain songs caught my ears
Classic songs from The Temptations
Particolare
First three songs were enjoyable. The rest was pretty boring.
Físicamente en mi casa, mentalmente en cloud nine
Motown classic! Production, rhythm, grooves. 4 stars. Best version of the Grapevine song I know.
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.
Top quality sixties soul - not really my thing, but undeniably good stuff.
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
The more psychedelic tracks are really cool! I could take a whole album of that funk prog psych rock thing but I feel like they were a bit afraid to really lean in
i enjoyed this! never thought the temptations could go this deep on an album, feels like they were still a bit tied to their formula in places but they definitely did something new
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
Throughout the album, I felt like the Temptations were trying too hard to be someone else. 1969 was obviously was a momentous year of change musically, and the Temptations tried to change too. But songs like "Runaway Child, Running Wild" smacked of Stevie Wonder. Their... "update" of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" just fell flat. I don't want to say they had to stick with just what they know, but sometimes you stray too far and it gets... embarrassing. As soon as the album was done, Spotify started playing "you liked this, maybe you'll like..." and it did Otis Redding's "Sitting By The Dock of the Bay" and a whole bunch of soul classics. It just made you realize what the Temptations album was missing.
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.
good but didn't take
(rounding up to 5, because I want to rememebr to listen more to thise guys) Tempatations cloud 9 - tight. but ti not the GREATESt HITS... its a new sonbd maybe,.., makes me want more"1001" is a wide ranging tour and education, .. and even this is new for me. I know the name. thats it. ...You can enjoy the breakthrough unique sound and just imagine how amazing it would have sounded "in the day" when I captured the sound of that summer and excitement of the time. plus is beautiful to listen too. vocals. tapping beat and a sound so often imitated...
Worth it for Cloud Nine & Run Away Child, Running Wild, the latter of which I was only familiar with the edited single version. This 10 minute version is fantastic. In between the two is not the greatest version of Grapevine - give me Marvin Gaye , Creedence, The Slits or even Gladys Knight ( the first version released but not the best) any day. But their voices are so good they almost get away with it. And it’s their voices that make Side 2 of the album worth listening to, not the songs as such. They were a great vocal group.
Norman Whitfield and the Temptations convince Berry Gordy to try something new, and kick off psychedelic soul. And set the precedent that Motown can do something other than polished 2 minute pop songs. So, this inadvertently gives us a whole genre that takes off int he 70s, plus opens the door for Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to blow the roof off. Side 1 is terrific with the title track, a psychedelic reading of Heard It Through the Grapevine and the 9-minute freakout of Runaway Child, Running Wild. Side 2 is much more conventional, but still a great listen.
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.
Rad, funky Motown. I like it.
Wow - I was blown away by this - I was expecting some pretty generic Motown standards but the funk and soul really shine through. Love the bass vocals and the instrumentation as well.
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)
Wonderful album. Side 1, the first half, is gritty and urban and not what I would expect from the Temptations, and its entirely successful. The title track is a perfect example, telling the story of impoverished urban life a young manand the escape into his own imagination. Next up an inspired version of Heard it Through the Grapevine and the epic 9 minute track; Runaway Child, Running Wild, another gritt=y tale of life on the streets. Side 1 is near pefect. Side 2 returns to to more typical Temptations fare and the songs are always strong and beautifully conceived but definitely classic Motown pop. This combination makes for a wonderful album. 4 stars
Although not my typical genre to listen to, this album was very well done. Uplifting.
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.
Some of the original cool cats of music. What a group. I'm down for the groovy-ness of this album. Easy listening.
Such a classic 70s vibe, I love it.
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.
Very groovy. Good mood listening. A lot of songs about love. Listened once in the morning and once in the evening. Nice album.
Fun, funky and smooth. I had a blast listening to this album
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.
FAF Funky As Fuck Still thought it lacked that wow track. I get it, your flavour is funk but it doesn't hurt to add a flake or some sweet toppings to shake it up baby.
Not my cup of tea.
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
This is the second album I’ve had this week with "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" on it, something is in the water. Also, loving a Temptations album that doesn't have "My Girl" on it, my god that song is SO played out! Very enjoyable listen, loved grooving to it. Only downside is the 9 minute track, it just kept rambling on and didn’t fit in with the concision and brevity of the other tracks.
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.
Вроде и все норм, но не хватило то ли эмоции, то ли чего-то ещё, но прям послушал и забыл.... 2+
At the height of its powers, Motown makes it look easy.
Soul progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Useful background music, but the songs all sounded very similar
Great vocals and lyrics. What's not to like?
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.
You know it’s good I like the soul and funk aspects honestly felt like it might be the turning point for more experimental funk and soul.
Wonderful. I will listen to this many more times
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.
Sw4g
solid 3 or 4. Upbeat enough and innocent enough, that although i didn't feel anything I also wasn't too annoyed by it.
Score: 9,5
A bit generic
it was pretty meh, not good and not bad but slightly bad
Not really my style of music but i liked it, had some groovy songs that i enjoyed
Really enjoyed the funk songs but didn't care for the others
Very good. I heard it through the grapevine
Extremely funky and soulful. Nice soul rock vibe
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
Just like with their later funk record from the era, I consider most of the record to be forgettable. They're a singles band, producing pop hits with James Brown-esque forward vocals and scats. I appreciate the attempt at psychedelic instrumentation, especially during the instrumental section of "Runaway Child", but it's not that impressive. It's too fast and sharp to be very imaginative. This and "Cloud Nine" were decent funk attempts but felt rushed and were too rigid in its pop structure. The 2nd half consists of smoother soul tracks, utilizing some psychedelic instrumentation like wind chimes to spice things up, which accomplish what they sought to do, but nearly all of them are pretty forgettable. The production has nice mixing but sounds a bit poor, especially the vocalist. Favorites: Runaway Child, Hey Girl
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.
none of their best songs are here 2.5
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
2.5 As mentioned in my All Directions review, I didn’t realize Temptations took on a funk sound later in their career, and this seems to be the album that marked that shift. Cloud Nine was a really solid opener and seemed to be a good selling point on the new musical direction, and that was further backed up by the fun funk breakdown on Runaway Child, Running Wild. Then, starting with Lovin is a Hurtin’ Thing, it seems like they just decided to take a hard shift back to their R&B/soul roots? I don’t know, it wasn’t bad, but I just kind of wish they had stuck to one sound, as the final product just seems awkwardly glued together, almost as if the funk stuff was an afterthought tacked on to the front of a work in progress album - like they weren’t entirely confident in their new sound and wanted a fallback. To add to the incoherency, Gonna Keep on Tryin’ was an incredibly unceremonious conclusion to the album, to the point I head to go back to Spotify and confirm the album actually ended where it was supposed to. Fine overall, though the back half is pretty unremarkable. The best part of the album definitely lies in the first three tracks.
Not for me
This album is amazing. The sounds are quintessential soul, the rhythm is tight when it needs to be and buoyant when it can be. The vocal harmonies are old school cool. I love the versatility of the musicians to play it slow and keep it cool or ramp it up and chug.
Idk
A solid soul album that didn't leave too much of an impact
Meh - didn’t do much for me
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.
Ok album, just not really my kind of music.
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.
Nothing special
Personally not into Soul music, though obviously this is a classic, so cannae slate it
Soul progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Classic Motown. Each voice is rich and unique.
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
Ace!
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".
Solid 4.5 out of 5, I was excited to draw this one and it didn’t disappoint. My favorite was Gonna Keep On Trying
Too much on the romance side to my taste. Sounds like a bunch of man trying to prove they are so virile. Gets boring the more you listen
Easy listening. Fave track is Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love
Not quite as good as "All Directions", but still solid stuff. Fave track - "Runaway Child, Running Wild" - love the bit where the guy manages to sound like both a crying child and a police siren at the same time! The title track is great too....
Once you've heard Marvin Gaye's or even CCR's I Heard it Through the Grapevine, this version seems very tame. They've got soul, they've got passion, they're The Temptations for goodness sake.
-"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
This is a hell of a good album. Top 10 tracks throughout, amazing theme, and perfect music. 5/5
Easy funky listen, good covers of some classic tracks
So much richness of soul in this, which can feel like a lost chapter of the '60s. The production feels a bit rough and muddy, it's music to take seriously, even as one is enjoying it pretty deeply.
Nice Soul album. I enjoyed it
First half is funky, second half is more generically Motown, but both halves are solid throughout.
Nice easy listening soul album
First half of the album is amazing, second half has some boring songs. Love it overall.
Great Motown album
You may have to resort to YouTube to find this as it doesn't appear to be listed on either Tidal or Amazon Music. Once you do find it though, well, what a cracking lite album. The music, the voice, the pace - all spot on.
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.
So much amazing energy, but the song subjects weren't doing it for me as much. I even want to give it a 3 for that reason... but... it's such powerful music. Makes you feel alive instantly.
Bra soul som man blir på gott humör av att höra.
Another band I've listened to just incidentally but never really sat down and focused on an album from but it's really great. Breaks out of the traditional soul formula and does a lot of cool progressive stuff with it.
Heilt greit, men litt høg Temptations-frekvens her no
Ok so first thing’s first. When I saw it was The Temptations today, I somehow mixed them up with The Foundations and was wondering if Build Me Up Buttercup would be on this album (what a great song). Obviously, it isn’t. However, I still look forward to hearing The Temptations! Songs I already knew: I Heard It Through The Grapevine Favourites: Runaway Child Running Wild, Why Did She Have To Leave Me This wouldn’t usually be my kind of music, but what a fun album! The bass singer has a fantastic voice, and it was always a treat when he’d get a solo line every now and then. The music stays exciting throughout and it’s easy to find yourself bobbing you head along without even realising it. It didn’t exactly melt my face of or change my life, but not every album needs to. An easy recommendation for anybody who just wants a fun album and nothing more.
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
It was an interesting listen, as I had heard many of these songs covered by others first.
classic
Love the Temptations, but not my favorite album. Still, excellent music.
Serviceable motown stuff, nothing crazy but it gets the job done.
I'm usually not wild about old R&B, but this hits differently. Really liked it!
Groovy
Sem opção para ouvir completo
This seemed like a couple of hits and a bunch of experimentation. Their earlier soulful stuff was so good.
i dig it
Good morning music
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
i like cloud nine and runaway child running wild ! the other two didn't stood out and the tracks : i heard it through .... love is a hurting....hey girl .. i need you loving .. don't let him... gonna keep on trying... weren't available on my spotify
Like the music, puts me in a good mood
It was good, at least the few tracks I could find on streaming services!
Motown gotta Motown
A but more intense and “issues” driven than your classic “My Girl” Temptations. Predicting some of the classic sounds of the 70s quite early. But hey, when I see Temptations I do a 5 star
ovindo
Oh hell yeah. The first side is a massive jump forward from the classic Motown sound into a "psychedelic soul", the source material for the funk sound of the 70s. Poignant lyrics, great instrumental compositions, and harmonies and vocals as good as ever. The second side dials it back a little with more subtle touches of the experimental first half, which IMO, weakens the record. Still a great album though.
The recording sounds great and the vocal harmonies are as good as they get but I find the lyricism and songcraft lacking.
Funky fresh soul
A really enjoyable pop album infused with just the right amount of Soul and funk to make every song enjoyable. A great Sunny days album walking about and dancing. Cloud Nine, I heard it through the Grapevine and Runaway Child, Running Wild are my favorites, super strong opening for the apbum... 5/5 for my tastes.
Very soulful!
Nice happy album, a lot of the songs aren't on Spotify but the songs that are, are nice
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.
My favorite album so far. Great influence to modern music.
Classic.
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.