Reviews (page 7 of 14)
It’s fine, don’t really have a lot to say about it. Standard Temptations fare.
Easy listening, not too exciting
This album was okay but certainly not the best of the Temptations in my opinion. 3 stars or C.
I liked soul in the 60s and 70s. Singles were good, great sometimes. But albums never worked.
Fun album. Not completely my style but enjoyable and upbeat
Hell yeah brother
A solid but very by-the-numbers soul album.
Cuando los eternos romanticones se politizan. Nueve álbumes tuvieron que pasar para que The Temptations se la empezaran a jugar. Después de estar cómodos con su fórmula de cantar canciones romanticonas como My Girl, trajeados y con coreografías aceitadísimas, el líder de facto Otis Williams enloquece con el sonido de Sly and the Family Stone, y Norman Whitfield lo segundea en cumplirle el caprichito. El resultado Cloud Nine. No se ilusionen demasiado con el carácter político: son apenas dos temas de los siete que tiene. Lo que sí proponen es romper con la figura tradicional del lead singer para empezar a “sortear” quién canta qué antes de entrar al estudio. Una guitarra wah-wah, un poco de gospel, y el llanto de un nene en medio de una epopeya de 9 minutos... y te sale el disco más transgresor de los muchachos tentadores. Se llevan su primer Grammy a casa, chochos, después de jugársela con todo en Run Away Child, Running Wild y Cloud Nine. ¿Cómo puede ser que estos mismos tipos canten sobre el consumo de drogas derivado de la pobreza, sobre ser negro en EE.UU., la alienación social y la presión urbana... y al mismo tiempo te tiren un I Need Your Loving? Y quizás eso sea lo más interesante del disco: hay veces que hay que romper con los espejitos de colores y dejarse tentar por politizar el amor.
Really good. 3/5
Motown sound. Another great genre. Some great songs by many well known groups such at The Temptations. A great rendition of I Heard it Through the Grapevine.
Classic Motown is always fun, and this was no exception. A good listen to boot.
Funky upbeat! 7/10
it was pretty good, but i wished it had more otis
OMFGGGGGGGG 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 i have a natural bias towards them cause my dad loves them
Pretty neat, but not too crazy. Well deserved 3/5 stars. I like this style of soul music. Favorite Track: Runaway Child, Running Wild
Some cool stuff going on here but don’t know that I really love these songs
3/6
Very good loved the vibe made me feel alive
This was 🔥
Hell yeah. Didn’t know the Temptations did grooves like that. Into it!
Yeah not really into kids screaming "I want my momma" in the middle of a MoTown song... Plus the Grapevine cover was real bad. The rest were fine.
Nice, but didn't grab me
I love The Temptations in their motown era, but this was fun and groovy.
My favorite Temptations songs aren’t on this Album. Good evening background music, but actively listening to it nothing stands out much.
so warm, so lovely, makes me want to do stuff just for the sake of it, amazing
Enjoyed this mix of sounds on this album!
Could I replace 70% of the Britslop on this list with soul music from Detroit? Just a little bit psychedelic (I genuinely wouldn't have noticed without a little research) and all the way soul. I'm not a Motown expert, but it has never, ever let me down. How do you run a male vocal group centred on five-part harmonies without devolving into cheese? I have no idea, but this is that. The Temptations were cool as hell, the vocal performances are excellent and the whole album cooks through its 35-minute length. After a week of 1001 Albums giving me self-indulgent tripe from dudes who thought they could fill more than an hour with their ideas, Cloud Nine was like diving into a pool on a hot day. The backing band -- which I'm fairly sure is Motown's legendary Funk Brothers -- could play anything and I'd listen to it. This is the drum sound that everything should be held up to. Put these guys on stage at a middle school talent show and they'd make anybody in front of them look stellar -- and in this case, The Temptations don't really need help. Notably, this record has several extended instrumental sections where they just let the Brothers cook and it's an absolute joy ('Runaway Child, Running Wild' is 9:36 in length, more that a quarter of the runtime of this LP, and you might not notice -- it's just a full-on groove). I don't give out many 5's, and that continues here. This is a 4/5 album; it doesn't change how I look at music. It does reinforce every positive notion I have about Motown and everyone involved. Absolutely worth listening to before you shuffle off this mortal coil.
Simply lovely! This was a fun surprise and I loved the groove.
It took me a couple of listens to convince me that it belongs in my library, but it does. Their version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" is best enjoyed if one tries to disassociate it with versions by other artists, I think.
Creo que es uno de los géneros más guays de esa época. Me recuerda mucho a los juegos/ pelis de los años 60/70. El cantante tiene una voz muy guay y las canciones están muy bien en su mayoría. Love is a hurtin' thing mi favorita sin duda
1/2 Funky Soul Music + 1/2 Baby Making Music = Banger
Detta är mer min sylt, får kanske ett överbetyg men jag blir glad när jag lyssnar på det.
The tagline that this is the introduction of the psychedelic soul genre is stronger than the sound of this album being the birth of psychedelic soul. Three stars for the A-side.
I really loved this album. Even the songs on this album that have sad topics are really upbeat and positive to the point where they sound joyous. That’s actually the best way to describe this album, it’s really just trying to be a great time. This would be an ideal album to put on when people are over and wanna have a festive atmosphere. Honestly for that alone it should a be a classic. The only negative I can say is that the cover is pretty boring and that there’s not a dramatic amount of variety in sounds. But that’s a pretty great problem to have when the only issues an album has is the cover and alittle variety. People used to really revere bands that had a good established sound that you don’t deviate from (ie. Kiss is basically the greatest example of fans loving one particular sound). Seriously though super fun enjoyable album.
7/10 This feels like a big transition album looking back to the Motown of old on the second side, but working with the fresh new sounds that Sly Stone was introducing on the first side. The grit and funk on Cloud Nine and Runaway Child is just fantastic, and the grooves just drive. I think as an album, its beneficial to look at this one as a record with two sides as they are very different to one another, but it was perhaps a bold choice to order the sides the way they did, as old school Temptations fans may not have got on board with side one, but for me it really works. The second half is more trad Motown sound, and they are very good at it, despite the fact that it doesn’t really break new ground in the way that the first half did. I was toe tapping, finger clicking and head bobbing my way through it all and, although it lulled a little in the later tracks, really came together again for the closer. Cloud Nine - This is a great tune, really leans into the psychedelic funk side of things and makes me think of Funkadelic, Sly Stone and that type of music that was starting to emerge at the time, rather than the more traditional Motown sound. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - A Motown classic. Not my favourite version, but the doo-wop swing on the vocal is great. It definitely has its own feel and sounds like they’re having a lot of fun. Runaway Child, Running Wild - Back to the more dirty funk side of things, this is just great. There’s plenty going on and it evolves through its runtime into so many different areas and pushes and pulls so nicely without ever loosing the thread of the groove, whether through the half with vocals, or the instrumental half. Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing - This takes us back to some more traditional Temptations fare. It’s still great, of course, just not quite as energetic and exciting as side one. Hey Girl - This is smooth. I love the way they’re able to rotate lead vocal duties between songs to give a different flavour across an album. Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go) - This swings so nicely and is a proper finger clicker. The lead vocal on this is SO good. Love it. I Need Your Lovin’ - Another great track. A bit more low-key, but it just grooves. Great harmonies and the way the backing vocals intermingle with the lead is just lovely. Don’t Let Him Take Your Love From Me - There’s something very James Brown about this vocal. It’s perhaps one of the weaker songs on the album as it doesn’t do anything too interesting, but it’s by no means bad, just not as good as what came before. I Gotta Find A Way To Get You Back - Lovely grit to the vocal here, and it’s got a nice drive to it. It’s another good track, but not one of the top rankers. Gonna Keep On Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love - Closing the album in style. This is great. That strolling bass line is fantastic, the horns do some lovely little things and the vocals are just excellent, both lead and backing.
Quite the sound. And so many bops.
Vibes vibes vibes vibes VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBES VIBESVIBESVIBESVIBESVIBES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
groovy and fine
Loved the funkier aspects, but didn’t make waves throughout. Stronger first half. Faves: Cloud Nine; Runaway Child, Running Wild; Hey Girl. Pop/Soul/Funk. February 17, 1969. American/English. 10 tracks. 34:35 runtime.
Side 1 is great. I'm really not sure if I like Funk, or if I just like The Temptations doing it. It was also nice hearing a cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine that wasn't trying to sound like Marvin Gaye. 5/5 Side 2 is standard Motown soul. Nothing wrong with it, and The Temptations are definitely near or at the top of my list of favorite Motown acts, but as a genre, it's not something I listen to often. 3.5/5.
Phew
This was awesome to listen to, the mix is actually quite impressive given the year.
Barry Gordy was so lazy. All these Motown groups and artists just ran through the same songs over and over again. Marvin Gaye killed I Heard It Through the Grapevine...this version pales in comparison. This album is better than I anticipated. Eddie Kendricks' voice is annoying as hell, he's the Soul Music Frankie Valli. I think I'm just not a fan of Motown soul. It feels over produced or too formulaic or something.
2/3
absolute banger
Starts strong then slowly becomes kind of unremarkable. Favourite Song: Runaway Child, Running Wild
Nothing is really standing out to me on this one other than the first song.
I didn’t know a single song on this album but it still cooks.
A truly soulful and funky album
Solid record. As always The Tempations are a class act. Cloud Nine the track is a belter. Feel the record takes its foot off the gas towards the end
The funk and psychedelic-leaning tracks are stronger than the straight-Motown tracks. Their voices are consistently lovely. The sound of a group moving forward.
No es mi estilo pero no estuvo mal
So smooth and gracious. Great Motown sounds. 4/5
Classic soul.
Yeah it was good. Funky and soulful. Clearly quite an influential release by the band and I can hear why.
Favorite: Runaway Child, Running Wild
3.5
Cool
Not a genre I desire to listen to, but its a very good album.
Yessirrrrr. Nothing too standout but harmonies rule
A little underwhelming tbh! I love me some soul but this felt less interesting than the CD I bought in San Fran in terms of soul music…
Started off great with the first three songs being very different from the typical. Rest of the album was more like the usual Temptations fare but also really good.
3 estrelas
When you can listen to music written a lifetime ago and the power and validity of the music and lyrics are still in full force there you know you have a classic. That said, not every track hits.
Good!
I'm pretty neutral on this one. I love the style and the temptations in general, but it started grating on me after a while.
There is no doubt you’re listening to the Temptations. But make no mistake, this is not your parents Temptations. It is 1969, the Summer of Love after all. These Temptations are heading down a harder, funkier path. A few of the songs, in the title track, sound like they could be from a mid 70’s blaxploitation film. Don’t worry, there are enough classic Temptation's songs in there too.
Slayed chris is here so no long review
and i was tempted
A wonderful classic album. Feel good for any time
Aikas groovy intro. Vähä liian öäh mikäköhän tää genre nyt sit onkaan mulle. Mut jos tykkäsin tästä genrestä ni tykkäisin :D ehkä lämpenen tälle. Kyl tää menee mut not my favourite
Interesting album. Weird version of a Motown classic
Very easy listening. Pretty outstanding album.
The Temptations classic soul meets Sly & the family stone type of groove. I enjoyed it. Probably 3,5 star album, but maybe more leaning towards 3 than 4.
I was relatively sure that I would fancy this album, but I was partly wrong. I did like this but in the same time this didn't rise to level I expected, not even close.
I love soul, old school r'n'b and Motown/Stax sound, but was very surprised how unpolished this album sounded. I'm probably more familiar with Temptations latter sound or something, because these felt stripped down and basic.
finally a record that i was hoping to pull. Isley Brothers are my favorite, but Temptations are one of the most important Motown groups to ever exist. album 9 in 1969 shows just how much material and experience these guys have at that moment. breaking the crest of the 60's with a bold title of Cloud Nine. it starts with power and energy and never lets up. giving a great cross section of this time in America. this record is them on top of their game. i had more but it got erased. essentially this is a short but concise record that has a huge impact for what a drastic direction change this group was making. 4/5
Luistert lekker weg
Goes hard.
Um lindo presente em uma manhã chuvosa de segunda feira. Extremamente agradável e cativante. Acho que sou a minoria quando digo que prefiro as faixas mais tradicionais do som Motown nesse álbum do que as faixas mais infusas com o toque Funk. Pelo menos é a impressão que tenho lendo as reviews! Um ótimo disco, mas não me vejo colocando ele pra rodar com alguma frequência. As faixas nele? Claro, adicionei grande parte delas na minha playlist. Mas o álbum em si, como um todo, não tem tanto valor de replay assim. 3/5
Does a lot of interesting things, but the sound isn’t for me.
Beautiful voices but this was bland The equivalent to having soggy biscuits in your tea 3 ⭐️
Smooth all the way through. But nothing made me hit repeat so a solid 3 star.
we grew up listening to the Temptations, I feel kind of bad saying I wasn't blown away by this record but what do I know - they are fundamental and essential listening for sure, just not my favorite album
Some classics, but this one doesn’t speak to me as much as others in this genre.
A tale of two sides of a band. The three songs that lead off the album - especially the title track and Runaway Child - break the mold. There's a real charge to start thing off before the album settles I to pedestrian fare that they and other have done better. But the first three tracks warrant it's inclusio on this list if they fall short of elevating the album yo truly classic status. And the house band is smoking throughout.
Een gezellig potje klassieke soul uit de stal van Motown. Altijd leuk natuurlijk. De verleiding is groot om hier de volle punten aan te geven, maar daarvoor moet er eigenlijk wel iets op staan waarvan je echt uit je stoel opveert. En tja, dit album biedt constante kwaliteit, maar meer ook niet. En die cover van I heard it through the grapevine mist de energie die we van andere versies kennen.
Eerder kregen we All directions met Papa was a rollin' stone. Hier veroorzaakte met name de hit een dikke 4. Nu een album zonder zo'n hit. (Of heeft Cloud 9, met ook zo'n aanstekelijke baslijn, hogere ogen gegooid dan in mijn beleving?) Ik merk al snel dat ik die hit nodig heb. Ook omdat Papa was a rollin' prachtig is opgebouwd. Het lijkt er op dat Runaway Child bedoeld was als de troef met de langere uitgewerkte compositie. Maar dat nummer doet mij weinig. En dat huilende kind helpt mij niet om er wel in te komen. Dit album biedt verder weinig wat mij bij zou blijven. Het voelt soms zelfs saai en ouderwets. Maar dit album is ook een paar jaar eerder gemaakt dan All Directions. Dus wellicht waren ze, met dit negende album, gewoon nog niet zo ver? Of hebben ze gewoon te veel albums gemaakt? Want als je meer dan 40 albums aflevert, dan heb je waarschijnlijk geen selectie gemaakt...
We kregen al eerder het album met Papa was een Rollende Steen en dit biedt wederom een verzameling funky soulnummers. Lekker uptempo, het swingt, je wordt er vrolijk van. Toen twijfelde ik door wat langzamere meuk en het eigenlijk iets te lang uitgesponnen Papa aan de 4, die ik wel gaf. Nu heb ik er minder moeite mee. Lekker weer een vrolijke 4. Prima plaatje, dat ik best nog een keer op kan zetten (ook al doe ik dat waarschijnlijk niet, omdat het wel iets aan de gedateerde kant is).
Really solid album, always loved this genre of music. Anyways excited to hear more of this kind of music, heard a few hits that were fun. Love if this came on at some point on.
Ate my review, but this is fine. The Temptations are obviously great, and every song is above par, but nothing makes this explode. It's a neat mix of funk and motown, but ultimately kind of forgettable? Never mad to put it on, will almost never feel the need to.
Half of this felt like a 60-70s Blacksplotation soundtrack. It was good, just...funky
This feels really reminiscent of Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul. Ironically both released in the same year, I wouldn't be surprised if they were recorded in the same studio. The guitarwork, drums, and general instrumentals sound near identical. The guitar distortion sounds EXACTLY the same. That is not a bad thing, I love Hot Buttered Soul - and I like this too. Nothing here particularly stood out to me that is worthy of a mention, but I really enjoyed listening to this start to finish. The easy listening length time didn't hurt either. I feel like this record would be best enjoyed on vinyl, outside on a Sunday afternoon with a glass of wine, roast in the oven, and some friends. Favourite: Why Did She Have To Leave Me
Perhaps due to some really strong competition in the soul genre on this list, I just didn’t find myself getting as engrossed in this one as I have with others. I wanted to find something that I really engaged with here and was gutted when I got to a track that I was enjoying more than the rest only to find that the album had actually finished this album and Spotify had moved me on to different songs from the band
Incredible vocals throughout this album, bass singers like this fella are always a treat. Instrumentals never missed the mark. Wasn't a great deal of variety in sound and styles. Pretty wild to have an almost 10-minute track, in an album of otherwise exclusively 2:30 to 3:30 minute songs. Favourites: Cloud Nine, Hey Girl, Runaway Child Running Wild
An interesting genre of black music, presumably made for a contemporary black audience, which is now probably only listened to by extremely elderly black people and white dorks (me).
Look i I've listened to this album like 3 times now and each time I've taken notes by hand and then lost them so this is what you get. 7/10
This feels like two albums. Side A is well crafted: Cloud Nine is a great opener and a fantastic track (albeit with some weird production value, the vocalist sounds like he is moving away from the mic at times), I Heard It Through the Grapevine is fine but Marvin did it best sorry fellas. Run Away Child, Running Wild is a cool jam until they got a crying child which really threw me off, but that doesn't stop this from being a really solid track. Side B is filled with shorter songs that are definitely here as a backup in case the band's venture into psychedelia didn't pay off. I'm sure this side would have hit hard in 1969 (or maybe not idk) but to me, these are very serviceable pop songs that I am struggling to recall to memory after three listens. One great side, one side of background music and tastefully short. Highlights: Cloud Nine, Run Away Child, Running Wild
funk just rocks
Enjoyed the first 4 songs more than the second four. I can appreciate this album for what it is and the era it reflects but not really something I’d listen to ever again.
3.5
Piola, una onda medio rara mezcla de nirvana con algo mas
I mean, it's alright. Worth a relisten but not something I'd go back to readily.
First listen
Another gem <3 loved it.
It's just so damn good. Seriously they turned in a soul/funk Motown album, and it hits all of those marks so damn well. First off the Temptations are awesome, even their early stuff is good but this is just perfection. Second, They did a version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine that is a wild take and I'm here for it. Third, It's got some classic Temptations sounds on the back side of the album so if you aren't in the more funk from them you are covered as well. Seriously it's great, it feels of it's age but doesn't feel tired. A great album.
Decent soul album. Has its highs and lows. “Runaway Child” was an upsetting listen, but I loved “Why did she have to leave me.” The falsetto lead songs were a little grating and out of key at times. Not bad, not amazing.
Dig the jam at the end of Runaway Child. Guitar tone on Gotta Find A Way is nice. The album was 35 minutes long and I was glad that it wasn’t any longer. Obviously solid tones and music but in general I only really enjoyed parts of each song. Great tones and musicianship.
Not the best temptations albums
Ik was op de hoogte van The Temptations' transformatie van een classic soul ensemble naar psychedelische contreien. Wat ik niet wist - maar wat me totaal niets verbaasd - is dat dit vooral kwam doordat ze hoorden en zagen dat opperbaas Sly met zijn revolutionaire, progressieve sound het volk voor zich won. Dit schijnt het eerste album te zijn die echt een andere weg in slaat, al is later werk van ze in dit straatje bekender bij mij. Met het hele verhaal erbij, en de staat van dienst van de groep, had ik er toch eerlijk gezegd iets meer van verwacht. Het is funky, de dynamiek is als van ouds, maar echt heel veel experimentele vernuftigheden hoor ik nou ook weer niet. Gewoon een prima soul plaat, maar overstijgt het genre niet, zoals ik dat wel enigszins had gehoopt. 6,5/10 Highlights: Cloud Nine Runaway Child, Running Wild
Temptations staan altijd hoog op mijn lijstje van favoriete soul-artiesten. Cloud Nine stelt dan ook niet teleur. Het is funky en houd van de variatie in zang en zangers. Gewoon goed. 7/10 Highlights Why Did She Have To Leave Me
Nice album by a great band.
Great record
hideous cover
It is said this was the Temptation’s first foray into psychedelic soul. I am very happy they did. I loved this album and enjoyed all the music, harmonies, and lyrics. Well worth many more listens!
I've always been a fan of 60s and 70s soul music. Particularly the Motown and Stax catalogues. I hadn't heard this one all the way through, but knew several of the individual songs. A solid album - the first after the departure of the legendary David Ruffin, and the first to venture into psychedelic soul. Enjoyed the whole album, but I'm hoping we get another one at some point, as I really like both their earlier "classic 5" era, and their later, more psychedelic era. This one was more of a bridge between the two.
This was fun, started off strong then started to fade a bit. But do we really need another version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"?
Started out strong with the funk vibe I wasn’t expecting, but then got a little samey for the last 2/3.
Very danceable. I enjoyed listening to this a lot but wouldn't reach for this to listen to again, just because I'm not so into the genre
Standouts Cloud Nine
Me gusto, algunas canciones las noto algo monótonas o muy parecidas a las demás, pero esta bien
4/5 Unbeatable vocals, beautiful songs. Nothing more uplifting than the temps. Top 3 Songs: Love is a hurtin’ thing Runaway Child, Running Wild I heard it through the grapevine
Highlight Song/s: Why Did She Have To Leave and I Need Your Lovin' I am relatively new to Motown music, so it's been a little hard to get into. But It gets better and better every time I listen to a new Motown album. The second half is definitely a lot better than the first and it really does redeem the album. So soothing, Amazing vocals, Great basslines, good horn sections and really melodic. Good Album.
An easy four stars. This kind of music is a balm after some rough albums. How anyone could prefer The Beach Boys *Surf's Up* to this is beyond me, but diff strokes diff folks, as Sly says. Not five stars b'c it's not that peak early Temptations that we all adore - we ALL, damnit. But they're trying something new here, and it mostly works. In fact, listening adjacent to *Surf's Up* is appropriate, as in both cases you're seeing an established (and more musically conservative) group try new things, both musically and politically. The Temptations land it beautifully. By comparison, The Beach Boys are lost at sea.
Knew almost all the songs, but never listened to this album. This is why I'm part of this service. Thank you.
6/10 Nice tight album. Maybe missing some big tracks that really grabbed me, but I loved the second half of really solid Motown. Not the biggest fan of their cover of Heard it through the Grapevine. And not happy about the track with a baby crying. Don't do it! It's horrible. Lost a mark for that.
Let me start by saying the child-like voice exclaiming “I want my mama” on Runaway Child, Running Wild scared the crap out of me as I sat alone in my house with this on in the background. I guess I did not realize The Temptations recorded music after dosing. There are some very psychedelic sounding songs on here. Those actually make this album sound like many others of the day. They threw in some soul music too, but the trippy songs took away from the overall listening experience.
Not a fan. Heard It Through the Grapevine, not a personal favorite, was brisk and forgettable. Hey Girl is a pale imitation of recordings by Billy Joel and Freddie Scott. I found the second have to be standard Motown faire with little innovation or spark. I don’t find this album to be revolutionary.
good
Listening on headset, and it's super annoying to have the drums hard panned to the right. What a dumb choice. The music is fun, but the panning ruins it
Quality songs, very cool.
Not great but still good funk (is there bad funk?). There are better versions of I Heard It Through The Grape Vine, but I feel like this is the original
Cloud nine was a great song. Good lyrics but it was a bit slow for me. I like the faster, upbeat soul/funk
Not really my thing. Not horrible though.
All the Temptations albums sound pretty much the same, but they declined over time.
Our psych record has precisely on psych song
i really liked this! since i’m catching up i’m not spending too much time reviewing/taking notes on my albums. however, i knew after the opener that this would be a great set of tracks. super groovy and funky. peak for sure. 5/5.
Classic, just not mine
Great! Didnt expect it to be as funky and finger snappy as it was
Some funk early on, some motown soul later, something for everyone. Their version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" lags far behind Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & The Pips and even Creedence Clearwater Revivals versions though.
S'ok, but not really my thing
How have I never heard of this. Funky AF for the first three then drops down to traditional Motown. Good anyhow.
good
Them streets are rough, no doubt … all seems like a grind. So yeah, where is Cloud Nine?
These fellas have a lot of trouble in their relationships.
I love oldies like this. Great album, lots of meaning and feelings are in this.
nice funky songs. nice orchestrations and vocal harmonies. Just sad that the songs are really repetitive in the themes and rhythms. 6,5/10 fav songs : Don't Let him take your love from me & I heard it through the grapevine
Nothing great
First three songs - funky, dancing around the house doing chores. This is great! The rest of the album didn't maintain the funk - nice, but more lovey-dovey Motown grooves that felt more dated.
I enjoyed some of these, but as the album went on, I enjoyed the totality less.
Just ok.
Würde ich wahrscheinlich nicht in meiner Freizeit anhören, aber sehr funkig über 50 Jahre alt, man merkt es am Sound, aber musikalische Ideen sind viel moderner einmal hören reicht nicht, aber ich will irgendwie kein zweites mal hören ich bin jetzt irgendwie mehr drin in der musik gefällt mir doch irgendwie sehr schöne stimmen wow
Whoever wrote these songs had some relationship issues.
Kind of went in one ear and out the other
3/5 best song cloud nine
Absolutely fantastic. Surprised I haven't heard it before. A joy the whole way through. Best: Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me Worst: Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)
Quite unremarkable, no really standout tracks. Forgotten almost all of them instantly. It's groovey and consistent, but lack any tight hooks. Best song: Cloud Nine Worst song: Love Is a Hurtin' Thing Cover check: Trippy and cool, fits the vibe very well
Cloud Nine" is the ninth studio album by American musical group the Temptations. Progressive soul and pyschedelic soul are the Wiki-listed genres. Yeah and this album is nearly split in half with those two genres. They recorded this album for the Gordy (Motown) label. The album marked a turning point in the group's career as it's to first to feature vocalist Dennis Edward's as a replacement for David Ruffin who was fired for drug use and it began their delve into psychedelic soul under the direction of producer Norman Whitfield who was convinced by member Otis Wilson they should follow the style of Sly & the Family Stone. The bandmembers, all vocalists, included Edwards (tenor/baritone), Wilson (2nd tenor), Eddie Kendricks (tenor/falsetto), Paul Williams (baritone) and Melvin Franklin (bass). The album polarized fans but proved successful reaching #4 in the US and #32 in the UK. Drums and a wah-wah guitar open "Cloud Nine." Forceful vocals with Edwards, Kendricks and Williams taking lead vocals. Driving guitar and beats. Mostly interpreted as a song about the best way to deal with the problems of being poor and Black was to ride Cloud Nine (do drugs). They're pretty good at this pyschedelic soul thing. An organ. More wah-wah guitars and hard-hitting drums with hi-hat are the instruments of choice in the first half of "Run Away Child, Running Wild." Doo-wop backing vocals in a song about a lost runaway. Midway through the song, it goes straight pyschedelic instrumental jam highlighted by a droning organ fade out. On side two, the group takes an about face and returns to their earlier soulful roots. "Love is a Hurtin' Thing is a short soulful ballad. Horns and an added flute. Congas are added to "I Need Your Lovin.'" Kendricks using his falsetto and great backing vocals. The band picks up the tempo in "I Got to Find a Way (To Get You Back)." A horn and string intro. Edward's on lead vocals. This is an album split into two parts with the first side their pyschedelic soul exploration with harder edge guitars and drums, longer jams and more serious lyrics and the second side staying the course with soulful and romantic ballads. Each great in their own respect. The backing band and instrumentation was excellent. And, of course, the vocals were outstanding. They would continue on the pyschedelic soul track. This album marks their transition into that realm and contrasts it with their straight soulful side. An very good album.
Not for me
I was curious about the Temptations move to psychedelic soul, but ended up being a little underwhelmed. I don't think the Band wrote any/many of the songs so it doesn't really come across as a natural progression, more like a Whitfield producer project. Also the mix of older Motown and the newer material as they transitioned on this album was a bit odd.
Well that was fun. Had no idea that this era of their work was so funky. Almost Clintonesque in parts
Ground-breaking psychedelic soul, joy and darkness combined
not a genre of music I personally enjoy. I can see how it is an influential album, but there were no songs that stood out to me.
Motown was amazing. Really, no notes. Just not enough of the hits.
Breezy listening
Different than what I was expecting from The Temptations, but I like it.
Thought I'd enjoy this far more than I actually did :(
The Temptations are one of the pillars of Motown and one of my favorite groups from the that classic Motown era. They put out so many great songs and this album is absolutely stunning. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-cloud-nine-by-the-temptations?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
The Temptations - Cloud Nine (A8, V7.5)
Not bad
Nice motown sound 3/5
A beautiful album that bridges Motown and funk. I much prefer the A-side but solid all-around.
A style of music very much of its time. I can totally understand why they were a big band, as they did what they do extremely well. It's really my sort of thing, but I'd be happy enough to have any track appear on a various album. Got to be a 3
Very enjoyable listen. Are these as good as anything in this genre? I reckon they might be!
If stuff like this comes up I enjoy it at the time, then I instantly forget about it. It's very good for what it is, but just not my everyday listen.
4,5 O álbum começa com uma pedrada e depois dela se rola ladeira ACIMA! Amei!
Bueno
Listened Before? N Interesting sound from the Temptations and a piece of their history I was unaware of. Not really my style of music but still interesting. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Cloud Nine
Solid album. Listening with headphones was a little harder because of the panning of instruments to a single ear (drums exclusively on the right, guitar exclusively on the left, etc.) but on speakers it won't be an issue. It is a good recording detail to seat you in the middle of the whole group, but it is jarring for the whole album to be set that way. Song standout for me was Runaway Child, Running Wild. A nine minute and thirty seven second track, pretty long in an era of singles and hit chases, while being a striking warning to not take what you have for granted by illustrating runaway regret. The usage of wailing was chilling and impactful, it'll leave a stronger impression than the majority of love songs on the album.
Groovy, enjoyed it quite a bit. We'll conveniently ignore the fact that it has one of the worst versions of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" I've come across.
Boring
The Temptations are solid. Cloud Nine is a great funky soul album. It starts off upbeat and really gets you going. This album has a lot: up-tempo beats, some slower ballads, etc. so some good variation. I appreciate The Temptations for putting their 9.5 minute long "Runaway Child, Running Wild" track, which is largely instrumental, up at the front of the track listing. Many bands put their "freeform" solo stuff towards the end of an album when the vibe is running thin, so I enjoyed it hitting earlier in the experience and I liked it better for that. All the other songs are pretty short and keep the album moving so the pacing was good, although I think it suffers from some "samey" songs in the back half (I will say this about a lot of albums). Standouts were "Cloud Nine," and "I Need Your Lovin'." Overall, the album is good. I had some issues with the mixing at points and some of the lyrics weren't coming through very well. It's light and easy to listen to. A solid effort, though nothing earth shattering for me. I've been trying to find that funk/soul album that really makes me go "Oh yeah, I get it now" and I had high hopes for this one, but it didn't quite get there. I'd still call this a pretty strong average 3/5 on my scale.
Obviously very influential. A classic that makes me move my head. Don’t know that I would put it on repeat though. Solid 3, would go 3.5
Very solid but no major standouts. Feel like I can't put less than a 4 though.
good stuff
There’s no doubt some fantastic Motown songs but scattered across several artists. This album was a bit of a departure from the usual sound and sometimes benefitted from that. Would I listen again , perhaps after lots of others first
Quite enjoyable listen.
An example of a temptation would have been to support Man City in the FA Cup final so that extra EUROPA space was available via the league. I resisted that temptation and kept my soul in place! This album has funk and seems to me a good example of the genre. I got bored as the album went on but resisted the temptation to skip tracks.
Much like the other album of theirs on here. Starts off funky as hell and you think you’re onto a winner (loved Runnaway child, the drum recording was incredible), and then it descends into average soul and Motown standards about (delete as appropriate) losing/missing/regaining your girl. More funk lads, that’s the good stuff!
The Temptations aren't really an album artist but they're still classic. Favorite track: Cloud Nine
7/10…motown / 60 soul
Love the sound here, true soul. Inspired so many other legendary acts. 7.2/10
Not my favorite Temptations album but it's still the Temps
It's difficult to give Motown, let alone The Temptations, below a 4 or 5. They all interwove their huge range of voices so seamlessly. This is after they removed the talented but very abusive and troubled David Ruffin (he is mostly responsible for Tami Terrell's death, the young duet partner and friend to Marvin Gaye). 1969 was a huge transition year in many different ways, and it was musically for The Temptations as well. They start sprinkling in the funk/rock in this album and began to really think about what kind of message and music they want to put out there. I'm not super fond of the long "Runaway Child" but I can hear the seeds planted for some of my favorite Temptations, like "Ball of Confusion" and the masterpiece "Papa was a Rollin' Stone", so I appreciate the album as a stepping stone to those.
Without listening to them too much, it seems like the Temptations dabble in a few different subgenres, and all of them are enjoyable to listen. I can't pick any specific standout songs on the album but I just bopped back in forth in my office chair throughout. Easy 3.5/5, will say 4 because I never wondered how much time was left.
This was a bop. Cloud 9 was especially good but all of these jams were fun and made me want to dance.
Look, you can't have a Motown record with the classic, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and give it a bad rating. I'd round up from a 4.5 to a 5 for this one because it's a great record, but unfortunately there is that weird child having a break down in "Runaway Child, Running Wild". So I'm rounding down to account for that.
Very enjoyable. Nice tone and vocal techniques! He effortlessly hits G5 in “I gotta find a way”. From how the vocalists sing, I won’t be able to guess it was released in 1969 at all. Music wise, it has some variety around a theme. Love some layered percussion too. And I truly appreciate shorter albums now. If I skip the 8.5 minute song, it will hit differently.
Love this era and band and sound and style. It grows on you the more you listen and there’s depth and emotion and a passion for the musicality of it throughout. Going with a 4 because while it’s a very solid album I try to save 5’s for something that blew me away or is so stacked with hits you can’t ignore them.
the temptations are chill. easy listening album, enjoyed this while taking a lunch time walk on Friday. Coming back after the weekend, I don't really recall much of the album, but it was fine.
Kinda agree with the haters from back in 68 on this one. Found it pretty boring with not many memorable melodies. Especially considering the previous temptations album we had.
Tough to rate this one because while it is good, I know it’s not as good as The Temptations’ other work. On top of that, having one track take up a third of the album adds an extra level of difficulty. I could hear arguments for a four, but I think a three is where this one is for me.
The temptations have such a weird history. They have had so many members and so many hits, but it's been going on for so long that the great ones are scattered few and far between. Their lows are never really that low, but I was expecting some bigger highs on this album. Decent sound, but it's not a greatest hits that I was hoping for.
17/05/2025 Yeah it was a decent album.
I Liked this album. The vibe felt light, although there were a few hard time songs, and a lot of the subject matter is about lost/leaving love. I liked the interplay of the different vocal ranges and found myself doing the little temptation shuffle a few too many times. I got the sense that it's not their best work as it didn't feel like a cohesive album from them, but overall a worthwhile listen. 3.25
Good fun , very Friday vibes
I like the song about the guy pleading with the woman that he has feelings for dang they got a 10 minute song on this, i didn't know their game as someone who often listens with one headphone off, this mixing fucks me up BUT THATS MY FAULT I KNOW
Awesome
Other than the generic love lyrics in like all of the songs, this was really good vocally and musically, bass was really nice throughout as well as the drums and the psychedelically aspect of the guitar on runaway child (despite it being one of the weaker songs on here for me). I wasn’t a fan of their rendition of grapevine as well, much worse than Marvin Gaye’s one but I think that mostly comes down to it being a much shorter version with less care put into it. Other than that I like all of the songs but my favourite was the first one by far. Overall 7/10.
R & B
Classic Temptations
Really nice upbeat album. High quality and only 35 mins, can’t go wrong
This bangs so hard.
Feels like a Saturday afternoon drive with the windows down. Very fun, warm vibe. Easy listening.
Good rock n roll
True pioneers and a strong sample of genius
Had no idea The Temptations were doing Superfly / Shaft type soul music , predating the stuff I knew. Half is more straight forward pop vocal stuff but great production all around and a breeze to listen to
Enjoyable listen. Good stuff.
# Album Name: The temptations # Artist: Cloud Nine # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Great vocals and bass lines. Pretty good listen overall. First half of the album is quite strong. The 2nd half dragged. Probably dropped in quality a tad. Id give this a low 4. # Top Tunes: Cloud 9 / runaway child # Would I listen to it again? Only parts
schon ein paar feine Sachen dabei
Listened to a few songs, but the genre is not really for me.
Niet voor mij
A lovely album. I liked every single track - though some more than others. It's certainly going into my regular rotation. I particularly enjoyed Runaway Child, Running Wild.
Man, I'm actually on a roll of good, classic albums. I don't even know if I have notes on this. It's just good.
It’s a really good album, but unfortunately the lead singer’s voice is a bit grating to my ears. I am sure I am alone in that opinion, but still.
Foruten I Heard It Through the Grapevine var det ingen låter på albumet jeg har hørt før, noe som avslører mitt fravær av kunnskap om The Temptations. Litt masete album som vil veldig mye egentlig, ikke engang versjonen av I Heard It Through the Grapevine kjente jeg igjen umiddelbart. Gøy møte, selv om dette ikke er musikk jeg kommer til å oppsøke igjen.
Awesome! Why can't things sound like this anymore? The ambience and room sound are so good. Classic mix of love songs and some relevant and topical lyrics.
A fun, if maybe a bit unremarkable, soul album. Great for putting on in the background when working, cooking, etc. for a mood boost.
omit the crying kid from track 3 and we'd be at a solid 4
Aight
It’s pretty good and enjoyable.
funky
I like the original Motown Temps more than the funkier stuff.
Fantastic album, mix of well known songs and smooth grooves
Pretty good 3.4
absolutely glorious
Most of it sounds the same. It is good for its time, but isn't a repeat in my view.
Wasn’t really into this, but it was by no means bad. It just feels like paint by numbers via ChatGPT of an exploitation movie soundtrack.
I had fun listening to this one. Great voices and cool energy.
It was fine. I get that you can point back to this one and say this inspired a lot of shit, but really, it was just pretty boring .
Cool sounds, motown + early funk, The Temptations branching out
2.5 Idk it’s the Temptations. It’s fine, but kinda in one ear and out the other. Didn’t hit me deeply at all.
I prefer their other album on the list, but this is still good
Oli tylsä.
Täsäkin genressä on hienoja lauluja mu niit ei ollu nyt tässä
Tasapaksu ja aika mitäänsanomaton levy. Ei hirveästi herättänyt tunteita suuntaan tai toiseen.
custom_rating:7
The lyrics to a lot of these songs are weirdly depressing! Wonderful, I like it a lot! 4.5/5 (or 4/5) because I didn't like all of it and it feels a bit disjointed as a whole album.
Decent funk. I can get behind this.
I love Motown!!!
It's a nice album. Nothing too special to note. The longest track, "Runaway Child, Running Wild", is arguably the best song on the album. The rest of the album is good but not great. When it gets to the 6th track, it loses steam. 3 stars for "Cloud Nine".
bery bery nice. paar woni gspeicheret han aber au die woni ned han ez gsi. so als album experience und vibe esch sehr sehr nice gsi. perfekt gsi för en sunntig obe zum lose während em choche
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
First listen. Interesting in that it is the transitional album between the old Temptations sound and the psychedelic new Temptations sound. It has elements of both. However, the new sound songs don't do it for me. I'm sure my dad has this album.
Tempted, seduced, at times spaced out. Will tap in again.
Incredible vocal talent, love the guy singing in the lowest register possible. The dynamic of funk and Motown soul is refreshing. The songs are all about love, but still remain fresh. 4 by the skin of its teeth, and for its crowd pleasing tendencies.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 33 Tempting me on Cloud Nine! Well this was quite an enjoyable introduction to a complete album by The Temptations, having only been familiar with their big hits (My Girl, Get Ready, Ain’t Too Proud To Beg) and I can say I wasn’t expecting the potent fusion between funk and Motown soul. Apparently this record marked a significant change in sound direction for the group (psychedelic soul), along with a new line-up, earning them their first Grammy after 8 previous releases. To my ears it is a very good album, however I would hesitate to say great, not that it was undeserving of its accolades for the time given what came after it in the 70’s funk scene. 🎧 Classic Track: Cloud Nine 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Hey Girl 🚫 Skip Track: I Heard It Through The Grapevine Their rendition of ‘Grapevine is quite underwhelming and if you’ve read any of my other reviews you know how I feel about covers in general… This was a pleasant change of pace from the string of electronic and rock albums I have received from the list as of late, which had my fingers snapping and head noddin’ along to the excellent vocal harmonies. Hit the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)
Solid. Saved one song (Hey Girl) - hit an itch. Some of the songs had a generic Motown sound with meh vocals. Didn't save the title track, but I like the opening with the funk groove.
Rock solid. Love teetering the line of Funk and Psychodelic. A long way from MoTown(which also rips). Not many groups can venture into such varying genres and crush - but here they are. Under appreciated on many fronts
Clean, slick, smooth.
Good album that apparently marked a change for the group into funkier territory. And of course, I’m all for that. This was really good, not great, but definitely the top end of very good.
Very much enjoyed the first half but trailled a little. Loved y fact that a 35 minute album has 10 songs and one is 9 minutes.
Funky, soulful, fun! Motown harmonies! Enjoyable listen!
liked it but didn’t love
It’s a nice album that is great music for having on in the house while doing chores or hosting friends. It’s not something I would pig on to listen to just by myself typically. The Temptations are a icon of the Motown scene and they don’t disappoint here.
Started off well, enjoyed the title track. 'Grapevine' not a patch on Marvin Gaye's version. Thereafter petered out into generic cheesy soul. Didn't do much for me.
Interesting album. More popish than their earlier work. But again, you can groove to it
Real problems and real emotions
Coming off a string of 1 star albums, I'm feeling generous to this today.
Lots of layered vocals, pretty fun
Pretty cool. Didn't know the sly and family influence til I read the wiki, but its obvious. The motown house band's psychedelia goes well with their rock solid funk, and the percussion works either way. Billy Joel was right about it all being rock and roll in the end if nothing else. Love the traded vocals, especially with really good tenor and bass to do silly parts. The guy who replaced ruffin does good with the raspy lead stuff. Socially conscious and all, but pretty dark about it, title track feels just like Nas almost 30 years later - life's a bitch and then you die, thats why we get high - on cloud 9.
This was sweet and catchy.
Heard a different album from them before (also from the generator). It's a charming album but ultimately nothing special 2/5
Nice Motown Funk
couldn't get into it
Didn’t hit for me
It was enjoyable to listen and would listen again. a few notable tracks. not necessarily my jam by still good. 3.5 stars
Good listen again but will not go back to it
Not my cup of tea
No one did R&B any funkier!
eu gosto dos álbuns produzidos pela motown e esse daqui parece ser uma das primeiras idas psicodélicas de soul. "runaway child, running wild" é uma música que toma um espaço muito central num álbum que é muito leve, divertido, mas pouco engajante. a capa é linda pqp.
The combination of elements from traditional soul and psychedelic rock make for an album that sounds very stereotypically 1960s. Who doesn’t love the combination of fuzzy organ and guitar?
Enjoyable, but nothing stood out as notable or remarkable. I'd definitely listen again, but probably not on purpose
Cool album that is split between funky psychedelic soul and standard Motown fare. First half has 2 excellent psychedelic soul songs: the single (Cloud Nine) and the lengthy excursion (Runaway Child) - both awesome in their own right and demonstrating the group’s range of possibilities. The rest of the album is just solid Motown soul with quality singing and instrumentals, particularly bass. I would have preferred more of the first half.
Very good LP. A bit of a transitional record, with the psychedelic leanings. Great vocals, as ever. Solid, with some superb songs, including the title track.
Psychedelic soul. Still wonderful to listen to.
It's kinda alright, didn't blow my mind nor did I find it particularly interesting. I feel like most of the songs featured in the album may have far better covers of them made by other bands or artist.
Songs added to likes song playlist: Love Is A Hurtin' Thing I Gotta Find A Way Hey Girl Why Did She Have To Leave ME
Questi sanno suonare
Solid in every way, but not groundbreaking
- Jazz-rock-soul? - Litt kjedelig og formløst. - Flinke vokalister. God harmonisering. - Love is a Hurting Thing og Hey Girl var bra, men litt kjedelige.
Actually really enjoyed this album
The Temptations have such a cool unique sound. I really dug this and I'd play it again for sure. 4/5
I enjoyed but not my genre. I'm not sure if I'd revisit it. 2.5/5
An album by the Temptations is not gonna be bad, that’s kind of a rule. I listened to this one cooking dinner for my love and it fit. I think I liked this one more than the other one I listened to.
not my fave gorillaz album
p177. 1969. 3 stars. Fine example of late 60s Motown production line soul. Unfortunately Motown was focused on singles, so there is a lot of filler here - and how many covers of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" does anyone need?
Gotta be in the mood.
Sounded like originals of classic dew wop songs. I prefer the more polished versions.
Had a fun dance party