Reviews (page 3 of 12)
The opening number hit me with way more funk than I was expecting. I enjoyed the album, but the A side was much stronger than the B side, which drug on a bit.
Very good record
Love the album cover and liked the music! The runway song was a bit long and didn’t seem to fit as well as the others - a low 4/high3
hermoso disco
Sweet.
how can it not be good?
I haven't properly listened to this band until this challenge. Very enjoyable listen.
not my type of music
Fuh ken A. Love. That Grapevine is incredible. Love that song, & this version is fantastic. Psych funk & soul. That’s a recipe for good times. 4 stars
Light 4
What struck me most listening to this now is that the album’s unevenness is not merely forgivable but revealing. It sounds like Motown caught halfway between two models of what a record is supposed to be. Side one pushes hard toward psychedelic soul, social commentary and groove-as-environment thinking, while large parts of side two revert to impeccably crafted romantic singles. Rather than weakening the album, that split becomes the story. You can hear a 45rpm institution adapting, slightly awkwardly but very intelligently, to a 33⅓rpm world. The title track still feels genuinely radical because it reframes psychedelia away from art-school exploration and toward social pressure and psychological escape. The lyrics sketch poverty, exhaustion and instability, while the music somehow combines tightness and sprawl at the same time. That becomes the defining sensation of the album as a whole. Whitfield’s productions are dense, busy and atmospheric, yet never remotely loose. The grooves stretch outward while remaining locked to the floor. A lot of psychedelic music of the period embraced collapse or drift. This feels engineered. The use of the voices is extraordinary throughout. On tracks like “Run Away Child, Running Wild”, the group stops functioning as a simple lead-and-harmony unit and becomes a field of overlapping signals - warning, pleading, narrating, panicking. The arrangements can feel frenetic without ever losing clarity. That tension between emotional disorder and technical control gives the album much of its force. The bass playing deserves separate mention because it increasingly behaves like a lead instrument. By this point, the rhythm section is no longer simply supporting the songs but actively defining their emotional and physical identity. Several tracks have an outright strut to them - not just groove, but body language. Even the more traditional romantic material feels heavier, more urban and more rhythmically assertive than earlier Temptations records. What keeps the album alive is that it never fully resolves its contradictions. It is neither a fully unified psychedelic-soul statement nor simply a collection of singles. Instead it documents transition itself. You can hear Motown’s old craftsmanship and new ambitions coexisting uneasily but productively inside the same record. The seams are visible, and the album is stronger for it.
Motown on niin että harvoin pettää
A mateo no se le da traducir canciones
Enjoy the energy, fun album
Nice chill out
I love the funk and variety of voices. When I hear I Heard it Through the Grapevine I can't help but see the animated dancing grapes from the commercial in the '80s.
i like it relaxing and has tension
Really weird but great
That soothing old soul R&B that puts your soul on cloud nine
Psych tinged soul. The 60s, man.
very cool acutualli
The Temptations are one of those groups I assumed I knew because I’d heard a handful of their hits. This is a much heavier, funkier album than I expected. Vocals are great. I find it loses steam a little as it goes on, but a very solid album.
Quick and groovy! The ol five piece sang songers.This is just a hunch, but albums always hit harder on Fridays as I phase out of the corporate hellhole I exist in for a glorious weekend respite!
Surprisingly Rounded. I expected lots of those catchy pop hits, vocal focused, motown chart stuff. There are some fine examples of that stuff, but then there is some fuzzy guitary rocky funky soul too. Full of unexpected musical credibility!
I've never gotten down so hard to the sounds of a pained child calling out for his mother
lovely, funky stuff, really just a flawless sound. i oughta learn more about this Norman Whitfield fella
This is just music that makes you feel good.
Interesting piece of stylistic transition. The Temptations are one of our great cultural institutions.
filled with utter joy and whimsy
just feel good music. Its so nice and cheers me up
Super stylish music, really cool sound. The best Soul/R'n'B album I have come across in this project so far.
Groovy psychedelic soul
I thought these guys only had one song, and that it was 'My Girl'. To hear otherwise is, to put it bluntly, earth-shattering. Favorite Track: Cloud Nine
Notables: - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Why Did She Have To Leave Me
Groovin on cloud9
Funk and soul, good vibes!
me ha alegrado una mañana de puta mierda en Vértice
Bonne découverte
Très bon album, très jazzy Content de la découverte !
I was expecting "My Girl" and the band that all the 90's boy bands tried to be as cool as. I got more than that with some social commentary and very funky beats. Sure lots of songs about boys with girl issues (second side of the album) but the first few tracks (A side) was much more than I was expecting. I nearly gave it a 5.
The album that marked the pivot towards funk, spear headed by the prescient Norman Whitfield. Some great tracks here, and some dusty warmed over Motown tracks as well. Also, this is the first post David Ruffin record, and I think Dennis Edwards is a great singer but he's no Ruffin
Na początku dobrze buja, ale w drugiej połowie energia trochę klapnie. Nie lubię, jak w utworach są dźwięki płaczącego dziecka (zamknij ryj). Słaba wersja "I heard it through the grapevine", bez charyzmy, koniecznie posłuchajcie sobie wersji w wykonaniu The Slits. Należałoby dodać, że mimo tej krytyki to solidna płyta, zajebisty groove.
Es un lindo album, no me sorprendió tanto como los anteriores que me tocaron. Aun asi lo volvería a escuchar
i heard it through the grapevine!!!! GREAT album.....reminded me why this project is so cool :) woooo
love these baddies
Funky and soulful all in one. Great addition to this list.
A beautiful marriage of jazz and blues. The chaotic limitless jazz instrumentals with lovesick vocals filled with yearning. Very fun album.
Now this is romance
Cool
Title track was stronger than the rest
Thoroughly enjoyable.
I never usually get the opportunity to listen to Motown music from the 60's. It was a nice change up from the music I usually pop on while working. The Cloud Nine single on this record is pretty good. Which reflects the amount of plays on the track. I would give this album a 3.5/5
After this last run of albums, a breath of fresh air. No one can get mad at The Temptations. Now, while a standard Motown record would probably rate a 3 as perfectly cromulant background music, this brings in a little proto-funk, which lives up the proceedings. Fun album which unfortunately loses a bit of steam towards the end. 3.5 rounded up.
Good vibes! Funky motown action
Just a very happy album, impossible to not put a smile on your face
Velar med betyget, men känner att soundet är jäkligt najs och även om det inte är så mycket som sticker ut så känner jag att det är nåt jag vill komma tillbaka till i framtiden. Känns jäkligt cleant för sin tid!
Skön african amrican amblum 4/5
Classic
I was a bit afraid there would be a lot of filler but no. It’s all quite groovy and fun. I love The Temptations. I saved the title track to my Generator playlist.
I was excited when I saw Cloud 9 come up. I don’t know loads about The Temptations, but every time I hear them, I end up loving it. This album doesn’t disappoint at all. It’s a great listen from start to finish. You’ve got standout tracks like the title track, Runaway Child, and their version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, which is right up there with Marvin Gaye’s. The production is superb, the musicianship is top class, and the basslines in particular are brilliant. There are also a few longer jams on here that really work and give the album a different edge. It just feels like a band at the top of their game, trying new things and pulling it off. Favourite tracks: Cloud 9 is a great tune and the clear standout for me. Least favourite tracks: There isn’t a bad song on the album. Album artwork: Cool cover, very much of its time.
In the first half of the album, there are some songs that have a lush and experimental sound that reminds me more of the Isaac Hayes albums on this list, before shifting to a more traditional doo-wop soul in the second half of the album. Waffled between a 3 and 4, but bumped it up for sheer talent and the fact that the first few songs made me see a "known quantity" in what I feel like was a new light.
It's amazing to hear such an established act and sound try different things, yet retain so much of what makes them appealing. The funk-infused 'Cloud Nine' is such a crazy opener, and 'Runaway Child, Running Wild' is somehow even more ambitious - giving a Sly & the Family Stone-level of jamming, preaching, and urgency. The ballads can't compare to these two monster songs, but they're still solid - some flourished with Phil Spector wall of sound strings. A fun listen overall.
V good yes more
Love how the Temptations went into a funkier direction. I prefer the next couple albums, more Papa was a Rolling Stone, but this is a fun listen.
Listening session: march 19th, while commuting home from internship Listened to before: no Thoughts: I always love funk and motown and this album was really nice to listen to while sitting in the train and watching the sun set Favourite tracks: Runaway Child, Running Wild, Hey Girl & I Need Your Lovin’
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE Best Song: Cloud Nine Rating: 7.0/10 Stars: 4
This might just be my genre. Likes: Cloud Nine, Runaway Child Running Wild, Don’t Let Him Take Your Love From Me, I Gotta Find A Way
Love love love this Motown/funk sound. First half is banging, second half is fine.
Album Review 090 Cloud Nine by The Temptations (1969) Rating 4/5 1969 was the year that the peace and love “sound of Young America” grew up, realised the party was over and became a lot more cynical. On Cloud Nine, we hear the Temptations mirror this change as their sound moves from the poppy Motown roots to a heavier, funkier and darker style of music. The first half is a 5/5 masterpiece of cinematic soul but the momentum stumbles with side two. That’s not to say Cloud Nine isn’t a landmark record; it’s just an album that peaks too early, trading the force and spirit of the title track for a second half that feels like it’s searching for a direction it already found on Side A.
Groovy, sticky, funky. The temptations deliver a solid project.
Very nice
4,5
The Temptations’ "Cloud Nine" is anchored by wonderful solo vocal performances and peerless harmony vocals, and the late 1960s production remains remarkably fresh decades later. The instrumentation, provided by Motown’s legendary in-house studio band, The Funk Brothers, is quite simply superb. The title track is a magnificent five-star opener. With its iconic wah-wah guitar intro and "gang vocals" - where all five members trade leads with breathless energy - it remains a definitive moment in both Motown and soul history. While the subsequent cover of 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' is a competent effort, it feels somewhat uninspired compared to the definitive versions. However, the momentum returns instantly with 'Run Away Child, Running Wild'. This epic five-star centrepiece is brilliant, featuring extended instrumental breaks, swirling organ riffs, and a gripping cautionary tale regarding the dangers of the street. Side One concludes as a potent mix: two funky masterpieces and one standard cover. The second side offers a different experience. The "Psych-Soul" ambition of the first half settles into a more traditional Motown sound. While it lacks the radical edge of the opening tracks, the execution is flawless, carrying all the classic hallmarks one expects from The Temptations. Though it is somewhat disappointing that the experimental energy of Side One isn't sustained throughout, the craftsmanship remains high. Four Stars. Side one 1 "Cloud Nine" (5/5) 2 "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (3/5) 3 "Run Away Child, Running Wild" (5/5) Side two 1 "Love is a Hurtin' Thing" (4/5) 2 "Hey Girl" (4/5) 3 "Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)" (3/5) 4 "I Need Your Lovin'" (3/5) 5 "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me" (4/5) 6 "I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)" (4/5) 7 "Gonna Keep on Tryin' till I Win Your Love" (3/5) Total - 38 Average - 3.8 270/1001 145/270 albums reviewed were new to me
I’m a sucker for Motown and funk. Loved it
This was wonderful. That's was just so much depth in the music
Great record. The Temptations are awesome. I think most people just know them for their Smoky cover album and their doowop style tunes, which are great, but this shows a more down and dirty side of the group. The love ballads are still there, the strings and great musical production but also here are the references to The Struggle. The parts of life which are hard and rough, but are made better through finding love (or losing it). Great, timeless music that I think is one of the best showcases of purely American art that’s ever been created.
interesting album. the first half is like funk soul ala later marvin gaye, sly stone and then the second half is back to what you know the temptations to be. not sure about that "grapevine" version tho...
Nice funky R&B.
Actually peak wtf
will listen later
I wasn't expecting the strange extended plea for mommy, but otherwise some great bass-heavy deep cuts.
super awesome heartbreak album
Really good. So much energy and so many ear worms. Track 3 is a bit unnecessarily long but other than that its a really strong record.
Finally some Motown/funk/RnB. This felt refreshing and fun despite some of the sadder themes on the album.
It pains me that I would add this to the 1K1 Albums That Are Good But It's Fine If You Never Hear Them list. The Temptations are an amazing group worthy of praise. In fact this album really showcases their growth after the change in personnel. This is also their slide into psychedelica. My point is that this is good. Great even. But it doesn't hit like their older Motown material. It doesn't have that same impact both sonically and socially.
The temps start with a answer to the direction taken by Marvin, but it's all a bit full on. Luckily they resort to type after the horror of Runaway Child spoken part and Grapevine filler
This one surprised me. Thought it was Shaft. Funky Motown. I dug it!
me gustó mucho, no me cambió la vida pero me dejó un re buen mood. tiene un clima muy lindo y lo volvería a escuchar.
, nothing blowing me away. Very pleasant listening 3.6/5
Pretty solid Motown offering. Starts strong, but kinda fades away down the stretch. It’s only like 35 minutes, so the fading away on the back end didn’t last long. Vocals and harmonies are top-notch, as is the calling card of Motown soul. Would be a perfect 3.5 candidate, but with this system I’ll give it the bump to a low 4/5. It’s too well put together to slide down to a 3.
Very nice stuff indeed. Fantastic vocals, lush production. Maybe not something I'd listen to on the regular, but absolutely deserving of 4 stars minimum.
It’s good
I liked this album way more than other albums I’ve heard from them. Groovy and soulful. Couple songs I disliked but they all flowed well together.
Now this album was more of what I expected from the temptations, very funky and a good groove. Cloud nine and runaway child running wild were standout tracks.
good album, i enjoyed listening to it. 4
Cloud Nine was a respond to the times especially the times Sly & the Family Stone burned up the charts with their brand of funky psychedelic soul. Otis Williams and company delivered one of the best albums of 1969 with Cloud Nine's dramatic and polarizing update to their sound and style. Groovy, man! Sometimes a change will do you right!
The Temptations of Cloud Nine aren't at all the Temptations I was familiar with ("My Girl"). Nothing wrong with "My Girl" pop, but this psychedelic soul phase is much more in my wheelhouse. Kicking off with the title track and its distortion and wah-pedal guitars, congas, definitely more funky than "My Girl." Side two gets more like the conventional Motown version of the Temptations. String arrangements, horns, clean guitars, bouncing baselines. Top notch Motown stuff, but not surprising like the psych-funk first side. Highs: "Cloud Nine" and "Runaway Child, Running Wild." The latter is hypnotically groovy, with a 9 and a half minute runtime. Lows: really didn't care for this psychedelic version of "I Heard it through the Grapevine." Just seemed murky in comparison with Gladys Knight or Marvin Gaye's classic cuts, and it doesn't develop the improvisational groove that CCR did later. New Appreciation: Haven't heard any of these track before, but the whole psychedelic soul phase of The Temptations is definitely something I want to explore further. Dig it.
Listening to the Temptations automatically makes you cool.
This was a very fun album. End to end listen
I never knew this funkier version of the Temptations existed! Sounds like the Motown dudes wanted to throw some Sly and the Family Stone grit into their usually polished sound. There are some good tunes here… but I still prefer the honied harmonies.
Good stuff, Maynard.
i dont have much to say abt it, its jus good soul
On the whole an enjoyable album to hear. I didn't care for the cover of "Heard It Through The Grapevine" and what was up with the crying "I want my mama" in "Runaway Child, Running Wild", but I really liked "Gonna Keep On Tryin' Til I Win Your Love" and I liked "Hey Girl" so much I had to repeat the song a couple of times.
Really good, upbeat album. Love Is A Hurtin' Thing was my song of the album with Runaway Child, Running Wild and Hey Girl being my other highlights
Great vibe, very soul and funky. Something I could definitely get in the mood for every now and then!
A truly great group. A really good album.
love the funk
Smooth vocals, pure talent, great album.
So cool. RYM: N Saved a song: N
This is good! One song is too long
I thought this was going to be all sugar pie this and honey bunch that. And I like that kind of cheesy Motown but it's really just oldies/wedding music to me. Instead, this was darker, grittier, funkier. Beautiful collection of voices, beautiful orchestration. Loved it. Toward the end it got a little filler-y
Def old sounding jazz but I loved it especially runaway child.
Usually not a fan of funk and soul but I find this pleasant to listen to.
This was a great album. But I feel like it was missing something to really put it over the top as a masterpiece. Not intended to be a knock, just why I'm not giving it a 5
Muito bom. Energia boa demais.
By the time we get to the reasonably typical side two, the world of The Temptations has already changed forever. This is the beginning of their Psych-Soul era. Norman Whitfield had been in the producers chair on previous occasions, but this is where he really starts to take the reins. Side one opens a lot of new doors in the Motown world. The attitude on the opening title track is way ahead of its time matched perhaps only by JB and of course Sly&tFS at the time. The vibe carries on through a funked up Heard it Through the Grapevine and peaks in the album’s centrepiece Run Away Child, Running Wild which not only pushes boundaries but stretches out for nearly 10 mins. After this, Side two’s consistently quality, but decidedly familiar pop can only feel anticlimactic. However, this was to be but the start of a new era, and side one’s explorations were expanded upon throughout albums that were to follow.
Kyllähän tästä tämmösestä tulee vain hyvä mieli. Kotona kuunnellessa ja puuhatessa tuntu niinku olis ollu jossain salapoliisi/etsiväelokuvassa.
The first half of the album is some very forward thinking (for 1969) funk / soul fusion that was so much fun to hear. The second half was very standard Motown. Still amazing, I mean, it's the Temptations. It did feel like a bit of a letdown after the first 3 tracks.
It’s not a front to back classic in my opinion but it’s a very good album. Not one that I would necessarily return to time and time again but there are quite obviously moments of genius on there. A great little Sunday morning cleaning my house kind of listen. I like it. A solid LP.
Smooth and great. Saved a few songs and would definitely enjoy again
This was part of my youth! My kind of music
Previously rated: #948 - All Directions (4/5) ****************************** Album #1,034 I guess this is when they started moving into the funkedelic sound, starting with the title track, which sounds good, but man what a terrible message. Does your life suck? Kicked out of the house and can't find a job? Do drugs and get high out of your mind -- that'll make it all better! The album has a couple of social isssues songs and the rest love songs, all done well, sung well, very solid album overall.
De eerste helft begon goed met lekker langdradige funk. Later kwam toch de klassieke motown sound wat meer naar voren en die vond ik in dit geval iets minder werken. 7/10
Really need a rating for this? Come on, anything with the name Temptations deserves nothing less than a...
this i fw with
I was dancing in my seat during work hours. Not an album I’m adding to regular rotation, but it was a fun listen. 4/5.
As a certified gym bro I approve this album for listening while doing a working out
Great, classic R&B album. Besides "Heard it through the Grapevine," nothing else super stood out as memorable, but it was all very good. I can't speak to the influence in this genre, but I can tell the quality.
U ovoj fazi mi imaju sjajnih dugih psych funk pjesama
Det her va ikke så verst morsomt å høre på, og til og med når dem har spilt ferdig den ene sangen æ kan huske å ha hørt før (Cloud Nine) likte æ det.
This is a Temptations I haven't heard before. Coming in strong from the start with a new funk vibe that compliments their harmonies and new songs quite well. It even gives new life to Heard It Through The Grapevine. I'm sure Berry Gordy lost his mind when he first heard these tracks. Eventually the album slides into a more familiar and comfortable Motown sound with only the occasional funk embellishment.
I think I’m just going to like everything they do. Motown just sounds like happiness
Another 4 for the temptations for me, definitely a fan and love the slightly more psych elements on here
So theatrical, instrumentals are grand and I’m not sure if there’s 20 members but so many different voices that it feels like you’re in the middle of a play. Really cool.
I generally like The Temptations so I am excited to listen to this. I feel like I have been lacking with time to do this but I am trying because this project means a lot to me. I am three tracks in and it is pretty good so far, I am enjoying it. I will say it is a different sound than I am accustomed to for this band.I have enjoyed this album very much.
Ca s'écoute fort bien, dommage qu'il y ait quelques reprises moyennes au milieu.
Very soulful, very groovy, i quite liked it, especially Runaway Child, Running Wild
I've never heard any soul music from earlier than the 70's and I must say I've enjoyed Cloud Nine a lot. It has a really nice rougher, raw sound to it, and feels full of emotion. I really like the psychedelic undertones it has as well. I also really liked the dramatic orchestral sound of "I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)", it definitely stood out to me. Favorite Song: "I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)"
Wowza!
chill
Soooooo groovy and just great overall vibes. Love it.
Fun and funky! Would listen again and add a bunch of songs to my monthly playlist. Fave so far: Why Did She Have To Leave Me
Very good! I feel like a lot of albums from this time have a track that is sort of pedagogical like “runaway child,” but I’m not sure they’ve aged well
Back half fades a bit but this is a solid album of funky Motown goodness. Not quite as good as All Directions but there are bangers on here, especially the title track and Runaway Child Running Wild are stand outs.
I liked this one
They don't make em like this anymore
All of it was good, no skips, I really enjoyed it, but man, when the album ended and the next song to come up was Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder, I perked up a bit. I like this, but I don't love it.
I've loved the Temptations since the biopic from the 90s/maybe early 2000s and this album was no different. Upbeat, funky and at only 35 minutes a pretty quick listen.
Oehh deze vibe staat me wel aan! Het heeft een goede flow en leuke sfeer. Er waren alleen niet echt memorabele momentjes, maar alsnog denk ik dat ik dit vier sterren geef!
Excellent. Sounds great, so joyful. Happy to return to any of these tracks in the future.
pretty similar vibe to the album i listen yesterday… it was pretty good overall, easy to listen to and enjoyable
Lovely
Enjoyed a lot good vibes
Damn solid album. Very funky. Great vibes. Really enjoyed this. I know the Temptations by reputation but never really listened to them. This is great. Reputation well earned.
This version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine is now my favorite cover. Great album besides that.
I really enjoyed the most funk/soul vs the R&B, but still feel like this is a 4 star album.
Outstanding, I grooved to this all day. So much better than I expected. I've always thought of the temptations as old school Motown, matching polyester suits and goofy coordinated dance routines. Nothing wrong with all that, but there is some serious soul and funk here. This here is the good stuff.
an album i finally haven’t listened to. this album just gives off just classic love since this is a 60s album. i could imagine myself listening to this if i was growing up in the 60s. honestly not too much to say except for this is the oldie love i like to hear. 8/10
overall i was surprised with how much i liked this. it’s very up beat with all the harmonies the band creates makes it sounds like many more than one singer. i liked the story behind each song i felt like i could picture things while listenjng
Very good transitional album with psychedelic overtones
I had a steady groove going with this one.
Fire
4/5
very nice
Lush Funk coming from Motown with so much soul. Yes fucking pleased Lush warm live orchestration that’s especially strong on funk leaning stuff and it GROOOVES. Insane vocals and loving period 70s super wide audio panning and production. Adore this. Second half is not as strong as it goes more back to Motown.
Solid album! Nothing stuck out to me and grabbed my attention. But good album front to back, would be great as a record for the background.
I don't know what it is about a bass laying down a nice groove in funk music, but I really like it. I enjoyed listening to this album quite a bit.
OOOOOOOooooo very funky, love the sound - would be awesome to listen to on a sunny morning.
I'm always pleasantly surprised by The Temptations. Best songs: cloud nine and runaway child, running wild
Great traditional rhythm and blues album, really enjoyable and chilled 7/10
LOVE
Vibing
Great singing throughout. A solid listen!
Cloud Nine is a whole mood. Such feel good music!
Giving this to my son as his first breakup album
I liked it! Pretty groovey!
A real mixed bag - starts off funky as hell, Runaway Child, Running Wild is ten minutes long and great. Then half of it is 3 minute pop songs, Motown smooth, which are also mighty fine. More than I expected and a nice listen.
Though without David Ruffin, arguably the best member of the Temptations, and most egotistical, this album slaps. It’s funky, but then has the tender love songs we know them to put out. Overall, probably a 3.8/5.
Fun!
can never go wrong with the temptations
First 3 songs lean to the funk side ( side 1 of the record I believe). The rest is standard Temptations fare. You can't argue with either
The Temptations are my favorite Motown group. I love the style and the music. I hope they added their earlier album on this list because again, this isn’t necessarily the album that makes the most sense to me for this artist.
Seems very influential for psychedelic funk afterwards without losing its own value. Decent songs that unfortunately feel surpassed by everything the genre has to offer after it.
that one was surprising, actually awsum :D
They sure know how to sing a song about sadness/happiness/power of love. Whether that’s chasing, waiting for, or losing it.
Solid soul. Proof that boy bands are pointless - this is the real deal. One or two unnecessary vocal theatrics just to include all the singers but WOW the band was working hard. The Funk Brothers doing tgheir thing!
Vibes: 4/5 Instruments: 4/5 Production: 4/5 Emotional Value: 4/5 Storytelling: 3/5 Album Cover: +0 Stand Outs: Cloud Nine, I Need Your Lovin' Overall Rating: 3.8
#197/1001. Well, i don't think this shot was just as a oassing phase, and thank God the producer Norman Whitfield changed this opinion in a few months in '68. But I have my doubts that cloud nine is about a state of mind. Come on, it is 1968! The times were hip and people turned on, tuned in and dropped out. This is psychedelic soul / funk, and according to ai, The term psychedelic comes from two Greek roots: • psyche (ψυχή) — mind, soul, spirit • delos (δηλος) — to make visible, to reveal, to manifest So psychedelic literally means “mind-manifesting” or “revealing the soul.” What better way to manifest the concept than a gospel / motown / rnb band turing in to a funkier, urban, new dimensions seeking sound. Album retrrats to old manners at some point though, but it was a bold move for an old band, and it has stood the test of time.
Oh yeah, The Temptations so mi bli zmer všeč. In prvi komad ("Cloud Nine") se že začne odlično. Hiter, mal funky komad. Spomnim se, da so skozi leta šli skoz več sprememb med člani & wiki pravi, da je kle Dennis Edwards zamenjal David Ruffina, ki je bil glavni vokalist na verjetno njihovem najbl znanem komadu, "My Girl". Ok, zanimiva verzija "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - hitrejša kot sem navajena. Ok, a veš kva pa ne sede? Poslušat kul, funky komad, po se pa v komadu začne otrok jokat, da hoče svojo mamo ("Runaway Child, Running Wild"). To me je mal ven vrglo. Ok, druga polovica je bolj motowni, k funky. Vsi so mi fajni. Se mi pa zdi psychedelic soul oznaka na wiki smešna, ker this ain't psychedelic, ampak očitno so to res začetki psihadelike? Anyway,
4/5
A classic sounding 60s records with a lot of sonic qualities that I love. I was surprised to notice some of the fidelity of the room sounds present on one of the vocal takes early on in the record; a very noticeable "room tone" that sounded...pretty rugged. A couple of covers, no notably huge ear-worms for me. Enjoyable listen
Motown at its finest. Some good hidden gems
REALLY GOOD VIBES
The first three songs are wildy different than the rest of the album. More funk driven, early in the era for it. Side 2 is much more classic soul.
Worth it just to hear The Funk Brothers, the backing band of choice for most Motown recordings across the 60’s.
Pleasantly surprised by this album. I read up on it and says it was the first psychedelic R&B album. A lot more sounds than you'd figure for The Temptations. Cool of them to step out of their box and make a classic.
Liked this. Voices work well together. Main thing is I felt something
Very good, as always, can listen to them no matter my mood
The first album I ever bought with my own money was the Temptations' All the Million Sellers on tape. My dad said that as long as it had "My Girl" on it, it was probably good. I don't remember how old I was, but I do remember listening to that tape as I played with tinker toys and getting super freaked out by the tales of a lost runaway begging for his mom on "Runaway Child" and a father dying and leaving his family destitute on "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." Cloud Nine is a classic psychedelic soul album, a transitional form of the genre, as some of the tracks still sit in the old-school Motown/Tamla vein. And look at that smokin' late sixties album art! This record cover wouldn't look out of place if it were shown behind a classic Velvet Underground performance at an art installation. Even though the Temptations were pushing the boundaries of their classic soul sound here, the record is remarkably easy to listen to, both for better and for worse. Except for the extended "Run Away Child, Running Wild" jam at nine and a half minutes, no song goes over three and a half minutes, and the album clocks in at less than forty overall. That makes the record easy to digest, but it also belies the safety of the Temptations branching out in their experiments. This observation is not meant as a criticism. I happily listened to this record three times today. Every listen was enjoyable, but nothing really gripped me except for the killer title track. The only misstep here is the performance of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." The Temptations' version isn't bad by any means, but Marvin Gaye had a massive hit with the tune just one year prior, and time has only deepened the perception that it is his song. I know there were a couple of Motown versions before Gaye's, so maybe it was considered a semi-standard in the late sixties, but it sounds like an unnecessary cover today. Overall, I enjoyed this record and will be looking to pick it up on vinyl or CD if the opportunity arises. Four stars.
Funky, catchy. Great vocals and exceptional background vocals.
Did not disappoint. Very easy album to listen to.
Wikipedia says this is "psychedelic soul". It's basically smooth Motown soul with some flourishes of psychedelia. That means it's slick, well produced music with great singing. Granted, I have no idea why a Motown vocal group stuffed a 9-minute epic in the middle of their album which includes a child crying "I want my mama!". After said epic, it was just a string of 3-minute ballads that were excellent. This is a good album, but it falls short of masterpiece status.
This was much more colourful than I expected it to be. I only knew "My girl" by them and that is such a sweet song. Those are here aswell. "Love is a hurtin' thing" for instance. But there is much more. The vocalists had such vastly different voices. Melvin Franklin's bass vocals were so soulful. It's wonderful. Paul Williams on their wonderful cover of "Hey girl" is fantastic aswell and honestly he is more fitting for the radio. But most of all the versatility within the group that's shown especially on the title track is brilliant. I also enjoyed that it is an obvious drug song but anyway. A very good album.
Nice - Detroit legends
In the sweet spot of R&B right when everyone was getting all weird and experimental. Made some of the worst rock music, and some of the best R&B. Cool stuff.
See, musical history matters. It wasn't a bunch of animated raisins that sang it first!
Good album, Love the Temptations.
Funky and groovy all at the same time.
Love it.Favourite track is Cloud Nine 4/5
Good funky music
upbeat and very easy to vibe along!
Love the jazz-psychadelic instrumentals and very good voices
An album of two halves, which is one of the few things to count against it. If they’d carried on in the groove of Side A it’s a solid 5/5, but seems weird they returned to the old playbook on Side B. Not that there was anything wrong with the old playbook - but it does end up feeling like they lost their nerve.
Really cool soul music that is completely new to me. smooth songs and good singing. Might have to listen to a few of the songs again today now that I got in to the groove.
Super interesting hearing the first 3 tracks taking on a psychedelic sound, and the rest going back to that classic temptations soul/funk sound.
Great opening track. The rest of the album felt a bit same-y, but was brought back by the closing track. Nothing stood out to me in particular, but I did enjoy listening to this album on the whole! 7/10
Motown, soulful, funky. Nice vocals.
B-sides were better than the hits. Good ole’ Mo-Town.
Not sure I had any of these Temptations songs before - love some soul deep cuts. The I want my mommy parts were def unexpected. I feel like I should learn all the bass parts on this album.
Fun lots of pizzazz
Great MoTown stuff.
Can hear the Sly influence. Quality of course.
I love this band. I had never heard an entire album before - only compilations. I would buy a copy of this.
Good funk but nowhere near their best.
I really enjoyed the laid back funky vibes of this record. The first half seemed stronger than the second if I am being honest. Good though.
Loved the vibes, favorite song was Cloud 9
I love this album with its early funk influences and classic soul that made them one of the best. Cloud 9 sits up there as one of my favorite songs by them and the rest of the songs do not disappoint wituer
good vibes, it's feeling like you got a free whole day for yourself.
Jämfört med förra Temptationsplattan vi hade med finns mer av det traditionella Motownsoundet här, även om det redan nu går att höra de psykadeliska influenserna. Hursomhelst det låter bra. Fint let him… (som Håkan gjorde en fin cover på) är alldeles underbar. Sen om detta är originalet eller om Four tops kom först låter jag vara osagt. I regel spelades ju samma låt in av flera artister i hitfabriken, sen fick man se vilken som funkade bäst. Precis som Heard it through the grapewine. Temptstions version har sina styrkor men når inte riktigt upp till Marvins. Funken i titelspåret gungar fint. Temat tuff uppväxt är gångbart (samma i Papa Was a Rolling Stones). Ett bra album helt enkelt.
Loved it
Gotta love the Temptations, excellent album, more of this please!
Hell Yes!!! Finally an album I can get behind! Not their best album but I definitely liked this better than yet another overrated 70’s rock or folk act.
Album muito bom, muito gostoso de ouvir. Ritmos muito bons com um swing muito bom
I liked this a lot. Fun music, heartfelt performance, and entertaining. I liked the motown stuff more than the funk, but even the funk was good.
No one is begging to keep their love with a funky horn and percussion anymore!!! Smh Anyways much love to DETROIT royalty...those who get it get...and those who don't well...🤷🏿♀️
This is a different version of the Temptations, that's for sure. I did not love their version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, as I think it pales in comparison to Marvin Gaye's version (though, whose version does not?) and the CCR version. I find it a bit odd there are two Temptations albums in this book and neither of them feature the approximate 354 hits from the 60's they had, other than Cloud 9 of course. I see the move towards a more psychedelic soul in the sound of the album and overall the results are really strong. I admit that Runaway Child, Run Wild is a bit of an outlier due to it being almost 10 minutes long and there is a child screaming for his mother in the middle of it. It's difficult because this album is not a great representation of the Temptations sound, as it is more of an outlier. It is probably one of their better complete albums and the back half of the album trends more towards the "traditional" sound they are famous for. I like this one though, as it has a nice edge and different instrumentation from their other music. Cloud Nine Hey Girl Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go) I Need Your Lovin' I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back) Gonna Keep on Tryin' Till I Win Your Love
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Love me some Motown. Pretty chill album
15.10.25 klo 12.30, hima, varvas, spotify very good very nice
9 I’m giving this album a (cloud) 9!!! HA HA HA!
I love the Funk sound, never heard this album and it is so refreshing to finally hear this genre. 4.5 stars
Good. Very good even. Extremely groovey and slick. Just plane old fun. I really enjoyed my time listening to this.
Funky and smooth in equal measure. A good time but minus one for a rendition of heard it through the grapevine that doesn't slap anywhere close to as hard as Marvin Gaye's. If you're gonna do a cover you have to do it better!
Nice, chill album. Doesn’t fully grab my attention all the time, so not five stars, but a solid four! 4/5
Probably way out in left field for their typical album, but I liked it. Kept the melodies but jazzed up a bit.
4.6
Great album!
Out the gate, the driving beat of "Cloud Nine" is such a relief to my ears. The bongos are mixed so well with the driving beat being held down by the drummer. No one is trying to climb on top of the other to be heard, which has been an issue with some of the albums we have listened to from this decade so far. Norman Whitfield did his big one with this record. This is such an interesting departure from their previous work and such a welcomed change to their sound. The late sixties seemed to be a time for a lot of experimentation for pillars of the industry. The Beach Boys and The Beatles doing it around the same time too. "Run Away Child, Running Wild" is such a sick track. There is so much tension musically happening as the frame for the story. The harmonies are mixed to the left almost like the voices of your anxiety. The building of the instrumentals to a climax around 5 minutes in really paints the picture of this lost child wandering the streets at night, scared. Hearing a child cry "I want my momma" around 5 and a half minutes in was a haunting experience. This track takes your mind on a wild and unsettling ride, but I think it is the standout of the whole record.
Finally some good music. Hearing the original Heard it Through the Grapevine really highlights how crazy Marvin Gaye went on that track. Runaway Child was pretty funny. Lots of simp anthems Not the Temptations best, but I liked this a lot
I’m always here for thirsty boys with anxious attachment styles singing their hearts out. Story telling: on point. I too have dated hoes, I get it. They may need a little therapy but that’s ok. Beats: on point. How do you hold still listening to this? I’ve looked like a crazy person at work all morning… Oooohs: completely on point. Oooh! I 100% picture the California raisins when I listen to I Heard It Through The Grapevine.
3.5
"Cloud Nine" and "Runaway Child, Running Wild" are the clear front runners of this album. Their version of "Grapevine" the fourth time Whitfield produced that song for Motown is good, but lack the smooth of Gaye's and the energy of Gladys. Although side two does not shine a bright as side one, I think this does a better job at sounding cohesive than most deep cuts Motown and shys away from genre hopping to show depth, which made this one even out a bit more than most Motown albums as a whole. I'm gonna give it a light 4, because og the strength of the two mentioned, but it's mostly 3½ material. (4.01) ★★★½
Psychedelic soul. Propper Motown.
good groove, perhaps a bit too topical for me. Also, I didn't like some of the wailing.
24.09.205 Favourite song: I heard it through the grapevine. Grade: 7/10
I think this album is alright but I never really think of the Temptations when it comes to their full-length studio albums. In their early days and like mosts artists/bands during that time, they were known for their hits and singles. Songs that were played on the radio a lot and listened to by almost everybody. But this album is still pretty good and innovative for its time and really pioneered funk as well! Favorite Tracks: I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Runaway Child Running Wild, Love Is A Hurtin' Thing, Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go), I Gott Find a Way (To Get You Back) Rating: 4/5
It's nice background music and would listen to again if it came up
I had no idea that The Temptations had that kind of funk in them! Those first couple tracks were wild!
Good album, Motown!
Honestly not what I expected at all based on the sound of most of their classic hits, but really dug it - this is apparently where they pivoted sound almost entirely from their romantic Motown roots and I loved the funkier, grittier, more psychedelic sound, as well as the more sociopolitical themes. Sounded more Stax records than traditional Motown which is the sound of 60s soul that I greatly prefer. Cool instrumentation, extended solos, excellent vocals - sign me up.
The funk grooves are excellent, while the more Motown feel gets a little same-y toward the end of the album. Enjoyable start to finish.
For soulful groups I prefer the Persuasions, but the funky selections where the band shines are fantastic.
I needed this today. Short and sweet. 4/5
Classic 60s Motown sound mixed with a great group is a mix for a huge success. I love the temptations and this album proved my love for them even more. Throughly enjoyed this album. Fav track: I gotta find a way to get you back Least fav: I heard it through the grapevine (a cover we did not need)
This was a lot of fun. I'm more familiar with the Ruffin-era Temptations, although I had obviously heard the title track. Some of these songs were fairly standard crooners done by men with great voices, but some were far beyond that. I'm thinking in particular of the title track and especially "Runaway Child, Running Wild," which had some great vocal and instrumental flourishes. A very good listen.
Great album. Broadens the horizons of the Motown sound beyond the classic pre-packaged pieces.i’ll play it again.
Not specifically aware of this album, but this is pretty great.
Good stuff
Not nearly as good as All Directions but still a good listen.
Absolute bopperino
ok, no comment
Incredible vocal performances and an irresistable groove through the entire record. Cloud nine, i heard it through the grapevine, runaway child running wild are all bangers. What a pleasant suprise this is.
Classic and timeless
Really enjoyed this one. Lots of funk and soul, easy to vibe to. Simple, yet varied.
The drums across the whole album 🫶
Great music to groove to, like you can play this shit when you get up early in the morning and you're cooking some breakfast in kitchen you know. You just start moving your body while making some coffee
Smooth and Revolutionary. This album essentially created the Soul/Funk fusion that drove Motown into '70s. This is great round the house music if you are in the dancing while you get things done mode.
I was definitely not expecting this to be as good as it was. I'd add it to the collection if I found a copy.
What a joy to drive my Boomer mom around on a sunny day, playing this pleasurable ‘60’s soul that she last heard in her 20s. Although there are no recognizable hits to me on this record, and their cover of Gladys Knight’s “Heard It Through the Grapevine” pales in comparison to the original, this is still some great Motown soul. Special points to the singer with the deepest baritone you’ve ever heard.
Funky soul. 4/5
Fun and groovy album
Ça sonne comme une bonne bière sur le bord du charcoal, il manque juste un peu plus de oumph pour pour un 5
Good stuff, but then The Temptations are always worth listening to.
groove. heavy. soul.
Pretty good
Great classic R & B
Very enjoyable album! There are some songs around the middle that felt like it didn't belong. It may just be how the first 3 songs set up the album. It may be added to my every day listen just because of how I felt during my initial listen.
Hyvät vibat!
Unverzichtbar. 4/5
This was great. Nice tunes.
Legendary! Didn't know that I have already heard some of their songs.
What a sweet listening this was. Love it!
I heard that this is pretty decent, but where did I hear that? Somewhere involving fruit.
51/1001 The Temptations - Cloud Nine Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ An album of two halves, in which the first is so much more interesting. The first half really delves into funk elements, whilst retaining the soul sound from previous work. The second half mines more of that classic motown soul, which I still enjoy, it's not as interesting.
Full of soul. Great album that had me dancing and singing along, not my usual taste, but still fantastic.
nice
This is a great album. Temptations are always a good listen!
I needed some soul today! Went down smooth.
it was a really enjoyable experience to listen to it