Reviews (page 8 of 14)
Good start to an album but it trailed off. Clearly can hear how their influence permeated funk and then got into other genres in the 80s and 90s
This album slaps! Also, I heard they have better ones!
I was kind of disappointed by this album's recording of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."
I WANT MUH MOMMMAAAAA Heard Through the Grapevine is classic Hey Girl=My Girl 2.0? Old School Motown Funk, Gotta love how it gets ya dancin'!
It’s not bad, but nothing is really speaking to me.
3.5 Good sound but it all kinda blurred together.
Way more jazz infused than I thought, some very loving and painful songs in a groovy way
it's groovy.
eNJOYED
I really love the funk sound and the pioneering sound of the record, but I didn’t truly connect with a lot of the tracks. I barely know anything about The Temptations, but I’d love to dive into more of their catalog.
Shite
Have I not listened to the temptations before? This was good. Fun hearing a 3 minute Grapevine after CCR.
Psychedelic, funky soul/R&B. A unique sound combination that rocks and has great harmonies. Not their most famous songs, but well worth listening to. A very high 4 for me.
This was awesome. The only aspect I didn't like was the strange phrasing used in "heard it through the grapevine". I liked the longer psychedelic tracks as well as the more classic motown sound towards the end of the album. It would have been cool to hear this when it first dropped since it contains such a departure from their previous sound
I think I just don’t love this era of music, not terrible, just not particularly interesting.
Lekker!
Bardzo podobna do poprzedniej płyty tego zespołu. Melodyjne, spokojne, ale jakoś nie zostaje na dłużej w głowie. Każda piosenka jest zbyt podobna do poprzednich, abym była w stanie je rozróżnić. Przez jakiś czas myślałam że to ciągle ten sam kawałek. 6/10
Good stuff, I liked it more than I expected, having no idea that psychedelic soul was a thing. High 3 to low 4.
OVERALL: I never looked at the lyrics or even paid much attention to them, because that's not the point of the album. It's supposed to be fun and nice to listen to. Pretty standard for a soul album, but the production is usually pretty good, especially on the last few tracks. It's also surprisingly short, only taking 30-40 minutes, and around 1/4 of that is spent on Runaway Child, Running Wild. It's barely a 4, but some songs like I Gotta Find A Way and Why Did She Have To Leave Me bring it up from a 7/10 to a 7.25/10. Pretty solid, despite being kinda generic. If you're enjoyment is centered around lyrics, you probably won't like it, but if you're focused on sound than you'll probably love this. Good example of an above average / "I guess it's pretty good" album. SONG AVG: 8.01 PERSONAL RATING: 7.25/10 Cloud Nine: Pretty nice, but the vocals sound a bit awkward. Really nice intrumental. I feel like every thing I like about the vocals are instantly cancelled out by the vocals five seconds later. The production is really good, though. 7/10 I Heard It Through The Grapevine: This isn't Marvin Gaye, and it's considerably worse. Still pretty good, great vocals, but I simply prefer the production of the Gaye version more. The production is pretty mid tbh. Also uses a fade out outro. 5/10 Runaway Child, Running Wild: I feel like the Curtis Mayfield song was inspired by this. Pretty good overall, the only complaint I have is that it goes on for way too long (almost 10 minutes). Very nice and funky instrumental, and the vocals are pretty nice as well. The child screaming is weird though. I don't really like the thing that happens at 5:42 and at other parts, but it works well when other stuff is happening. The intro has weird backing vocals and the loud noise thing, but is fine otherwise. There isn't enough stuff happening to justify it being over 10 minutes, but when stuff is happening it's usually really good. 8.75/10 Love Is A Hurtin' Thing: Basically perfect production and absolutely incredible vocals. Way too short. I guess the lyrics are not impressive at all, but it sounds way too good for that to matter. This should be way longer than two and a half minutes, very good. Also uses a fade out outro. 9.5/10 Hey Girl: The intro sounds like a commercial. Kinda like the last song but a bit worse. The outro is pretty good, and the production is very good, but it feels too much like a background song in a restaurant. 8/10 Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go): This feels like peak soul. Great vocals, incredible instrumental, but the most stereotypical soul lyrics of all time. Pretty much perfect is every way other than the lyrics, my only complaint is that the piano is out of place and it uses a fade out outro. 9.84/10 I Need Your Lovin': Pretty good. Hey Girl but slightly better. 8.15/10 Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me: Really good production, mid vocals. The production is way too good for this song, carries so incredibly hard. 7.25/10 I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back): Wait, this is the second to last song? Perfect production and really nice vocals, very energetic. Incredibly fun and enjoyable to listen to. I'm probably being too lenient with this rating but who cares. 10/10 Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love: Kinda mid. The instrumental can be pretty good, but it's usually nothing special. Still sounds good. The vocals are pretty standard. 7/10
Had higher hopes for this one
Classic but no Jimmy
Started great and they’re amazing vocally but outside of 3 songs it becomes essentially the same song over and over again. It gets repetitive and mundane. Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing Cloud Nine Runaway Child, Running Wild I Need Your Lovin’ Gonna Keep On Trying’ Why’d she have to Leave Don’t let him take your love from me Hey Girl Gotta Find A Way Heard it through the grapevine(it’s honestly the third or 4th best version)
Great psychedelic soul album! Soulful and funky. It was a ground breaking album and paved the way for a variety of future Motown artists. Wasn’t a fan of their version of “Heard It Through The Grapevine”. “Hey Girl” is a nice one.
Not quite a Motown record, not quite a funk record, and not quite a soul record. Not quite obvious why it's on the list.
What a weird inclusion. It doesn’t feel ambitious enough for it to be the factor and the arrangements are rarely more than fine. Feels a lot longer than what it actually is.
Lekkere soul en funk plaat! Sowieso kende ik The Temptations wel en ik vind hun stemmen al echt fantastisch, maar ik kende dit album niet! Maar ff he, wat is deze versie van Heard it through the grapevine?? Dit is echt vrij dramatisch zeg.. Kan natuurlijk niet tippen aan de Gaye versie die we allemaal kennen. Het is wel echt anders dan de Gaye versie, veel funkier. Sowieso is dit hele album echt een funk blauwdruk. Komt uit 1969 he? Besef dat even! Dat er toen al zo hard gefunkt kon worden! Eerste helft van het album is iets sterker dan de 2e helft, maar het album luistert heerlijk weg en is eigenlijk precies lang genoeg dat ik me niet ga irriteren ofzo. Ik heb hier echt van genoten, sowieso een lekker soul of funk album dan heb je me al bijna! FAVO: Cloud nine, Run away child, running wild, Hey Girl, Gonna keep on trying till I win your love
Not bad by any means, but doesn’t resonate as strongly as I expected it would. Slight disappointment. It’s a shoulder bopper in most places that loses its effect by the end. Doesn’t have the hits I’m familiar with so maybe that’s a factor. Kind of found myself disassociating waiting for it to end after awhile. Again, not bad, but surprisingly forgettable. Not spectacular by Temptations standards to me, it’s decent but that’s me being nice because I have a soft spot for the group.
Solid as heck.
Overall: 6/10 I've realized by doing this project that I don't enjoy soul as much as I thought I did and that's honestly a bit dissapointing. The vocals are great and I enjoyed the funkiness of the early tracks. It's also a very easy listen at just 35 minutes. I think it's the constant strings that started to get grating to my ears. Maybe I just need to listen to more of this type of music outside of the project cause I'd like to enjoy these albums more than I have. Fav Song: Cloud Nine Least Fav Aong: Love is a Hurtin' Thing
It was good
I think I'm in a bit of a minority as I actually prefer this style of 'The Temptations', as it has moved to a raw, harder sound - really picking up on the funk explosion that was really taking off about this time. Don't get me wrong, the early Temptations stuff (e.g. My Girl) was still good and I am a big admirer.
Soulful and funky but also forgetful
I don't like this type of music it is good but not for me. 2/10
late 60s groovy dance music. perfect for late-night clubbing and romantic get-togethers. with a new producer, the band departed from classic soul to something more colorful and crazy. songs of love and social awareness. the album is very nice to listen to, but i feel like some songs sound samey. even as the self-proclaimed funk addict, sometimes these songs just feel too similar or go for much longer than i'd like. there's plenty of gold in here though, especially with those wah-wah guitar solos and bongo drums.
I liked the music, but some of the songs were actually pretty bad. Great vibe over all though
Honestly, it was fine but I wasn't in the mood for 60s bopping. I feel like a lot of other bands can and have done these songs better
I did enjoy this, but I think I was expecting to recognise a track or two and didn't. I may have to give it another listen without that thought in my head. I like the sound of it though.
Neither the funk grooves nor the vocal hooks fully stand out, but it's a nice listen
Faniliar with the Temptations for their Motown hits- this was more funky than I was used to hearing them. Im actually surprised that I didnt enjoy this more- there were some parts I liked and some I thought felt forced. Overall- decent album, but didnt capture me.
Funky
Like how the drums are recorded. Not every song captures but magically talented group
Good soul/funk album.
This was fine. This was a pretty weak version of "I heard it through the grapevine", though.
Soul legends
Strong side A, weaker side B. Solid all around.
-more 60s-70s Motown soul stuff… not bad at all but feels comparatively, well, soulless compared to like What’s Goin’ On I guess -idk it didn’t really stand out to me that much. he (they?) has (have?) a very nice voice though… Gonna Keep On Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love is a banger -Favorites are Cloud Nine and Gonna Keep Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love
First half was funky dynamite. Second half unfortunately dragged it down a bit with subpar motion soul.
Pleasant enough, but not a lot to catch my attention. Standouts Cloud Nine I Heard It Through the Grapevine 3/5
So schön - das erinnered mi a mini früeh Chindheit und macht mich glücklich.
He es isch scho guet gspielt aber mir chli zu jammy. Und de guy mit de tüfe stimm nervt mi. Cha mer richtig vorstelle d lüüt hend da de lustigsti scheiss ever gfunde
ui dasch glaub geeeeile scheiss. oyeah mega früene funk time. jo cloud nine seeehr geil. wiso hend alli grapevine auno ufgnoh? marvin version unschöagbar. die isch cool aber najaaa. jo nai höred uf nai marv untouchable running child running wild isch seeehr geil. sehr papa was a rolling stone. sehr lang aber s groovt. harmonisch irgendwenn chli eisiitig sie hämmeder de eint akkord. bass cool. hasses dass d funk brothers amel nöd einzeln gnennt werded. de bass isch sooo geil. glaaub ehner nöd jamerson? love is a hurtin thing tönt mega noch jamerson noch dem wo gspielt wird. und de bass tönt identisch wie im letste track. vo dem her vlt doch er. oh mein gott ich lieb de bass. string arrangement super. hey görl au wieder guete song. aber seehr schmalzig etz die letste zwei. jo etz nöd hammer findi. tönt schön noch motown und so aber jäöö.
hmm also d produktion selber natürlich nöd aber d lieder töned uf mich moderner als 69, coolio heard it through grapevine hend sie sicher ihres eigete ding drus gmacht, s het aber chli d magie verlore bim prozess hahaha sini chrazig stimm isch insaaane s hetmi aber trz chli verlore gad bi run away child HAHHAHA wie höch er singt love is a hurtin thing recht cool, dasmal jz aber fast z churz? hahaha jap di 2. hälfti scho sehr love-zentriert, aber finds sehr schön hobbla ehm teilwiis sehr schön, mit paar coole element aber leider doch für mich chli flach
come for the funky title track, mostly stay for the funky title track
Było ok. Pierwszy utwór mnie zachęcił i myślałem, że to materiał na czwórkę, ale dalsze utwory mnie trochę uśpiły. Były ok, ale nic specjalnego. Runaway Child strasznie się ciągnie, wynudziłem się przy tym. A potem to już tak tylko grało w tle. Ok, może kiedyś spróbuję sobie przypomnieć, ale tęsknił nie będę.
Oh my god I listened to this 2 times and I barely remember anything. I know it's a me problem but I just don't want to try third time. In few days i will see if I was wrong and there was something sensational on this album. But I didn't suffer listeining to it.
This is why I am doing this project. I was aware of the Temptations, but had never considered listening to a full album of there's, but now I don't see me listening to anything else but Temptations records for the foreseeable future.
Some interesting tracks, side one in particular but a lot of standard soul ballads, whist a minor step into psychedelic soul the balance of the album sounds pretty run of the mill.
Decent Soul
I like it, but it doesn't stick. I had to play it twice to pick a favorite song. Favorite song: don't let him take your love from me
Sounds like these guys have a hell of a great time singing at a random bar near the sea. I would like to be at that bar. Stand-out: Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me
Pretty nice, just doesn't hit much.
This album feels very like the 70s (came out in '69...nice) - funky bass lines, crunchy guitar, soulful singing - lots of songs that are fun to vibe to. Unfortunately other than that, this album doesn't do a whole lot for me. I enjoyed it. But it felt...fine. Actually 2.75 out of 5 Liked songs: "Cloud Nine" , "Runaway Child, Running Wild" , "Hey Girl" , "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me" , "I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back)"
liked songs: Cloud Nine, Runaway Child, Running Wild, I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back) I liked several of these songs, especially the ones that pushed the boundaries of 60s music. I really disliked the drums being panned hard to the right; I don't know how anyone ever thought that was a good idea. 3.25
Very soulful and very cool. Really enjoyed the listen. Nothing really super special sticks out for me though. This is a 3 from me but bordering on a 4.
This was fine, but felt really dated too.
Groovy, funky, ideaal voor dit lenteweer! Kende geen enkel nummer (behalve de covers), maar wijs album! 3.5
I jammed into this, and I am not ashamed
Fun listen but nothing really stood out or captured my attention
Der Sound, den ich mit den Temptations in Verbindung bringen. Keine bekannten Songs. Lässt sich gut hören. 3/5
man. fine.
Really solid motown and funk record but missing a few standout songs.
Such a great first half! The rest are good, although a bit by the numbers. 3.5
Great album, plenty of beautiful harmony and vocal runs but a real grit to it too. The only thing I really dislike is runaway child, running wild, as it turns into almost a parody of the genre.
Absolutely love the soul/funk sound from this time. The Temptations in any of their classic lineups are, well classic. Put the 2 together and you have just excellent music. If this don’t make you just feel good then I feel sorry for you. 5 Star.
me gustó, gran banda aunque tienen mejores
Too bad. I had expected a bit more from the album. The music was funky and good. But it didn't carry me away as much as I expected. 3/5
V easy listening although it didn't really do too much to capture my attention
The opening title track honestly blew me away and I was sat for a whole album of the same. So I was a little disappointed after one listen, but a second listen with fresh ears and tempered expectations helped. How could you not be in a good mood after listening to The Temptations?
It is closer to a 3.5, but it sounds so cool for Motown, having that psychedelic swirl. So I will go 4 stars
very cool aound. they don’t produce albums like this anymore. Rich bass lines and well crafted songs.
The Temptations is a group I primarily know through their hits. I expect this to be full of love songs exploring different aspects of it and what it does to people. There's probably going to be some consistently squeaky clean performances with great harmonies, though lacking in any edge or grit what so ever. I expect to enjoy it on a surface level, but it will probably not have much staying power. Could still be surprising. Cloud Nine I like the bassline. Starting off with a song about their journey from their humble roots to a successful time in their life seems a solid way to open it. Unsure about the mixing. Great delivery on the vocals by everyone involved. Nothing in the song really sticks out too much though. Fine. 3/5 Heard it through the Grapevine Iconic song, probably not the most famous version of it however as many artists have their own cover of it. I kinda hate the mixing on this. Boring instrumentally. While the performances are good it feels a bit formulaic. Average. 2.5/5 Runaway Child, Running Wild It's sad when I really can't focus on the song because of my distaste for how it's mixed. Seems a common problem with the album. I feel the storytelling is sufficiently vivid, with decent worldbuilding. The backing vocals is really the highlight for me. I think the song has a lot of potential, but is let down by a boring instrumental and dated production. Might work for some people, did not work for me. Really wanted it to be over by the end. 1.5/5 Love is a Hurtin' Thing Succeeds at being a soul song. Their voices are nice, the chorus is sufficiently powerful. A bit rough recording wise, showing its age. Doesn't really do much else worthy of mentioning. Average. 2.5/5 Hey Girl Predictable lyrics. Don't want to repeat myself so I won't. Basic song with a premise seen time and time again. Lead singer does a great job on the chrous. Not great. 2/5 Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go) I like the backing vocals. Limited and basic. Not exactly challenging. Probaly fine as background music, but not much else. Average. 2.5/5 I Need Your Lovin' I think the bassline is pretty good. Impressive voice. Predictable and bland. 2/5 Don't Let Him Take Her Love From Me There's a nice guitar sequence at the start. The vocal melody for the chorus is decent, the horns echoing it also works well. Average. 2.5/5 I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back) I guess there's a decently dancable rhythm there somewhere in here. Sax sounds muted and awful. There's a lot of effort put into the lead vocals. Sounds like they had fun. Fine. 3/5 Gonna Keep Tryin' Till I Win Your Love I'm having some fun with the bassline. I can't stand the sharp trumpet. Nothing stands out. Just bland and edgeless, coasting along on a formula that has been present the entire album. 2/5 Did not expect to be as bored as I was by this album. Genuinely felt 3x longer than it was. So safe, so formulaic, blander than white bread. Yes there are some soulful performances, yes there is chemistry within the group, and yes they play their parts competently. Is that enough to make something that holds up today? Not for me unfortunately. I do understand that for the time the production was probably fine, and that there was difficulties for black artist to get access to the funds and equipment needed, but to my modern ears it just doesn't sound good. It really does not help that most of the songs are different varations on the same theme. Would not revisit, but open to hear a different project from them as they are obviously talented. Fave track. I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back) Least fave track. Runaway Child, Running Wild
Another 4.5 I wish there was a way to do half stars. I enjoyed the songs but for some reason it wasn't gripping me as I expected it to. This might be another relisten down the line tbh
I WANT MY MAMAAAAA I WANT MY MAMAAAAA traumatizing but overall good tunes Easy listening and finding myself unknowingly bopping
Good version of heard it through the grapevine- quite distressing the child wailing though
Not for me. Not into funk.
late 60s soul is tbh kind of a blind spot for me, i have stronger impressions of the periods before and after. this record is an A side of really overtly post-psych motown updates (including a very strange heard it through the grapevine cover that i like a lot tbh), and B side of music that is not nearly as obviously out there but still a delight and i can definitely believe it indicates an uptick in ambition, or at least recording technology. honestly maybe remembered for slightly misleading reasons but im sure its hard to go wrong with temptations harmonies and motown melodies even on relatively forgotten records, this is pure delight in ways that dont need to be explained rly. aaaaaaaaaah! the temptations!!!
Really dug this funky album. Just so cool. Favourite tracks were Cloud Nine, Why Did She Have to Leave Me and I Gotta Find a Way. This genre/era is fast becoming a favourite.
I have discovered a new genre I do not like, which is this psychedelic/funk/soul combo. It doesn't surprise me that this is influenced by Slh and the Family Stone, which is another album I didn't particularly enjoy. I can hear that it's good music, it just isn't music for me.
3 out of 5. When this album gets funky it gets funky.
More like cloud 4
Quite liked it. Very smooth. Nothing particularly standout to me. 5/10
Good funk and soul here. Didn't move me like some of the other Temps albums did, but still a very worthy listen. Best thing for me about this was getting to the "recommended songs" and discovering Skull Snaps! Great to groove to.
pretty good album, I liked it
Good vibes. Pretty alright. Probably won't listen to it again
Everybody playing and singing on this album is supremely talented, knew that going in. But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed listening to most of these songs top to bottom.
So funky, so soulful. The Temps were some of the best who ever did it. A vocal group where each guy had a special voice and new exactly where they fit in. And this is that special album where they're trying to tackle current issues. Which still hits even if we aren't in that same space. Dennis Edwards replaces David Ruffin, which is just such a sad situation. Ruffin was the voice for a time, but Edwards also brings a lot to the table. A little gruffer but all soul still. And the backing band totally crushes here. Hits all the right notes.
Worst. Album. Ever.
It's a fine soul album. I wouldn't consider it a classic and won't hurry to put it back on the stereo. I don't think it's one of their best. The first song listed on the album cover is I Heard It Through the Grapevine and I was hopeful to hear something that I hadn't before, but compared to Marvin or Gladys (whose versions both preceded this one) I don't know why they bothered.
These guys have many classic singles but “Cloud Nine” is not one of them. With that being the tentpole for the album, the whole thing collapses! I can safely say there is not a good song to be found anywhere on this album. “Runaway Child, Running Wild” is especially dumb, and this has to be the worst cover of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” ever recorded. I think I’m just more of a Four Tops man.
Nice and funky. Not many standout tracks, but a good listen overall.
Enjoyable Will I listen to again: 30%
A little goes a long way. Don't get me wrong. They're all good songs. It just is so achingly arch in places.
The album runs the gamut of soul, R&B and funk, with a lot of variation in style and sound from song to song, without an overall theme or harmony. Some are really good, some less so. Low 3.
It was a good album.Cloud Nine was the best song.
- groovy - really good bass - little bit repetetive - really nice soul music
I liked it alot. Wish it was longer
I haven't had a ton of exposure to Motown and I honestly don't understand why that is because this album is so good. I know who The Temptations are, of course, but have only listened to a couple of their biggest hits. The main ding for this album is that it's too short. Just as I was really getting into a groove, it was suddenly over.
classic
This is pretty good, pleasant all the way through. The funky numbers work more for me than the ballads but it's all listenable.
Proof that the Temptations are one of the greatest vocal groups of all time. Just wow.
Great R&B album.
It's good but not great
Didn't much enjoy this. I think that's just because I'm not a fan of the style: couldn't fault it musically.
Come on… who doesn’t like The Temptations? Seriously, let’s see a show of hands! I dare ya!
Meh
The coolest couple you know just invited you to a dinner party
This album is praise as a step forward into the future of Motown on side one, while keeping solidly in their traditional, doo wop styled songs that carried them successfully through the bulk of the sixties. I wish they would’ve dived fully into the future; the songs that kick off the album are fire. The second side is just mostly boring except for a few exceptions.
Like most people, my only knowledge of the Temptations was My Girl. I was excited to take a listen to this, but it was just... forgettable. I'd give it a 3 if it weren't for the whining in "Runaway Child, Runaway Wild". That was grating and awful and I just had no interest in it.
Much more of a Stax guy than a Motown guy but there are just some great cuts here.
7.5/10
A good pairing for Valentine’s Day. Love songs that aren’t cheesy. Heartfelt and soulful. I like the temptations a lot.
Contains all my favorite Temptations tracks, so it has to be my favorite of theirs. The definition of soulful. Dennis Edward’s voice rocks. Standout track is: “Don’t Let Him Take Your Loge From Me”
Started out strong but the end seemed to not the same caliper. Standouts were Run Away Child, Running Wild and Cloud Nine for me. Their version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine just didn't work as compared to the other versions out there. When they were in the funk grove I dug it - when it went more to the Motown Soul side, I wasn't as impressed.
Ah what a gem. Glad I put this on when I started cleaning the bathrooms…dance party!
Cloud 4 or 5 really.
3 stars
Not my thing. Seemed repetitive.
George Russell talking
We are so back
Great music and quite complicated! But the lyrics are very sad
Puro soul del más sabroso. Increíble, pone de buenas y hace que parezca que el mundo es un mejor lugar.
Not my fave, but still a sucker for Motown sound.
This feels like a "I guess you had to be there" albums. Maybe in 1969, this would've been awesome. I'm just not feeling it now.
I've really struggled with this one. I love it – there's a load of great songs and sounds. But is it a 5? I'm going to say no. I've listened a lot, and love it, but I don't love it 5*s. There are many superb songs. Of course "Cloud Nine", "Runaway Child" etc. But also songs from the second side, e.g. "Why Did She Have To Leave Me" and "I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back)".
No está mal, pero en 1969 hay muchos lps mejores.
Oldies, but goodies. It's funny to hear the Grapevine, which I think most people are more used to from Creedence.
This is really good and sounds more like James Brown than the temptations.
Funk smooth and easy to vibe with
Old school rnb jams but not my favorite album
Fantastic album and got me nicely in the Friday mood. Not a bad track on the album.
Beautiful start to my weekend
Couple of very cool psych-soul tracks and then a bunch of more safe songs.
Some very fun songs done only how The Temptations can do it.
Rating: 8.5/10 So damn funky and soulful.
Lovely melodies and good vibes
really enjoyed this album, will listen again, vocals gorgeous and rhythm so fun.
Noice. 3.5 stars
Not something I would have ever listened to without this list. A strong set of funk-Motown crossover. Favourite tracks are Cloud Nine and Runaway Child Running Wild.
A fine soul album, nothing too special caught my attention. Sonically it's good, with nice mixing and separation. Vocals are pretty good, but the melodies are a bit plain and not inspiring. Classic soul themes regarding the lyrics. All in all, don't think I would listen to it again.
Fun, harmless, funky, didn't regret listening
This album had quite a few surprises from what I was expecting from the temptations. Quite a bit more funky in spots from the My Girl days. The industry back then was also very weird. It all seems to be very label driven and songs were just reused almost annually. "I head it through the Grapevine" had huge success with two different artists in the two years prior to this album, so 3 artists in 3 years all singing the same song. All versions are quite a bit different, and I know there even a couple other covers later on. It's one of those songs that just got everywhere. As a kid from Grapevine who watched the California Raisins I may have paid a little more attention than your average kid to this song. The rest of this album is pretty interesting too. I'm an era of 3 minute tracks there is a 9+ minute epic of Runaway Child, and had it not been for the kid crying midway through it would have been my favorite on the album. All other songs do their best to say what they need to and efficiently move on to the next, and that is appreciated. Favorite track "I gotta find a way to get you back" 5/5
4 sterne
Not much to say about this one, just a sweet blend of funk and soul. Low 4.
Solid tracks, especially in the first half. Not much else to say. 7/10
Love me some crooning.
I listened to it in the background so i didn't pay great attention but the album itself and the resulting spotify radio was amazing
Fun enough, although there's no real stand out songs, no My Girl or Get Ready. The Heard It Through The Grapevine cover is a interesting change, but pales in comparison to the original or even to The Slits version. Better than Clarence Clearwater's version though.
I need to listen to more soul this is good!! The vocals are amazing all the way through. I think 'Runaway Child, Running Wild' is my favourite. Very easy to listen to, and very mood boosting.
Didn’t listen to any Temptations beyond “My Girl”. I see now that was a mistake. Great songs with some great R&B funk production. Will definitely keep this in rotation.
Good
Favourite song - Cloud nine 2.5 stars
This music is pure joy. It might not be the musically brilliant but that shouldn’t take anything away from how uplifting and joyous this album is. It constantly made me feel upbeat, put a smile on my face, and was enjoyable to listen to. It’s fun. It’s soulful. It’s hard not to like. It’s not great funk or Motown, but it’s worth listening to.
This was a pretty good album, I haven't ever really listened to a full album by these classic Motown staples, but it was a pretty good album, had a couple of catchy tunes and I didn't hate any of it! Solid album 👌
first half was better than the second half - fun cover of i heard it through the grapevine and the title track was good 7/10
Constant surprises. Shifts from song to song in style and energy. Amazing.
This one’s got funk, soul, and just the right amount of edge. It’s got that Sly and the Family Stone vibe but with cleaner grooves. The vocals hit hard, and the rhythms keep it moving. It’s fresh, bold, and full of energy.
It’s aight. Nothing really stood out to me. I wasn’t really turned off by anything though, either, except for maybe the way track 3 dragged. Not a must-listen.
2.9 Slightly disappointing after enjoying the previous Temptations album on here. It was ok, but nothing more than that. Didn't think much of the Grapevine cover. First track probably the peak of the album which is always a shame.
I agree with some of the other reviewers - the Funk songs are significantly better than the uninspired Motown tracks. Still not a bad listen.
The Good: Cloud 9 The Bad: Try figure out where the hell to find Cloud 9 The Ugly: Realizing that Clouds 1 through 8 are the same…. and yet not… This is the first time I am finding it difficult to write anything about an album… not that it is bad, but it certainly isn’t great, in my most humble of opinions. For me, The Temptations or R&B RoyalTY (yup, capital R, T and Y), so this funked out version just isn’t my thing. I get what the producer was after, and I understand how important it is to have raison d’etre, but come on… it’s The Who would just go Pop on you, or Motorhead switching to R&B rap because that is what De La Soul is doing… So, you can guess this album ain’t getting no 5* from me… they should feel happy with the 2* am about to dish out…
Album was fairly decent, not the best they did
Not really my jam but groovey
Listened to most. Not a lasting impression. Would need more from me and I'm not motivated.
Thought I would like this more than I did. Apparently the good version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" is by Marvin Gaye. 2.5
Cooler Soul wo die Hüfte in Schwingungen kommt. Auch gut wenn man das Album durchhört und automatisch Youtube weitere Songs der Band abspielt und man es nicht mitkriegt, völlig gefangen im spitzenmäßigen Soul-Sound 4 Sterne
War ganz okay. Funky
Really great stuff on here, I had never heard some of these tracks. Love Cloud 9, overall a 4 for me.
Fantastic album. Funk/soul grooves that prepare the way for Papa Was A Rolling Stone a few years later. They still have one foot (each, so 5 feet) in their Motown sound as well, so some of the songs are a blend of the Motown pop over their new funk/soul rhythm section sound. I think I have to go 5 stars on this one.
Funky soul. Was a bit jazzy
Not my favorite but some of the songs grew on me
Alright album, not my favourite style, nothing stellar and memorable but a decent listen nonetheless.
Soulowe zamułki, nic co mnie porywa, ale dość przyjemnie się słucha w tle. Zmęczony jestem taką niewyraźną muzyką.
Full of lovely tunes for relaxing and getting in the groove
I didn't expect to go into this liking it as much I did. It's just not the kind of music I usually listen to, but surprisingly I liked it. The vocals were great but my favorite part was the instrumentals. An overall good album. My favorite song was I Heard it Through the Grapevine. :D
I enjoyed it but also nothing really stood out.
Catchy AND snappy. My favourite kind of album.
great opener and a decent cover of heard it through the grapevine. not much else to say about this album though, feels pretty run of the mill for its time
It was alright.
Wow, I really enjoyed this. So funky and full of soul.
I love the temptations!
don’t often get my head nodding in the first hook it’s a good sign for the rest. very good but annoyingly short, an extra couple of tracks may have ended up as padding though.
aggressively-earnest feel-good "love you girl" album the funkier front half is much stronger than the back half
3 stars
Good for a Sunday morning while making breakfast!
Not my kind of music. But they’re pretty talented.
A good listen, catchy and groovy
It’s a fine album. Nothing great for me personally, I’m definitely a much bigger fan of 70’s soul, but you can’t have that without this. It’s still fun to listen to, just not my personal favorite.
I can get around this, funky, jazzy and full of soul. This album is more my pace, had it lingering in the background whilst doing housework and didn’t feel the need to skip anything.
I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit. Grew up working at the family business That was started by my Grandfather, down near The Packard Plant, and employed 3 of his children, One of those being my Father. 3 of my siblings worked for the same business until my brother passed away, and my cousin who was a co-owner, decided to sell the business upon his retirement. My sister and a cousin stayed with the business until there retirements, and a niece and nephew are still with that company to this day. My mother played for The DSO, and gave private lessons in her music room, to keep herself busy, when she wasn't at rehearsal, or performance. I'll also add that this album came out the year that I graduated high school, and chose to follow my mother's footsteps, and go on to study music, and was still doing work in the industry all over the globe, until health issues made me recently retire. Let's just say that I had a blast singing along to every song on this album. For so many reasons, this album gets a 6 star rating from me.
Nice! Enjoyed listening but probably not the type of music I'd frequently listen to.
6/10 Pleasant to listen to, to me nothing on the album stands out.
Fine but not the temptations I know and love. Also the heard it through the grapevine just sounded weird to me
Very good album. I like the Motown stuff. Their version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is very different (but really good) than the others I am accustomed to (Marvin Gaye and Gladys Night and the Pips as well as CCR)
Good me movin', but I don't really like it at all Didnt even listen to all songs
Songs blended together and sounded generic motown. At the time couldve been revolutionary, to me a little boring.
Some review here said it and its hard to unhear. One side is a great Psychedelic Funk side while the other has schmalzy 60s pop songs. The Psychedelic side sounds great but is too short and the Motown-side sounds dated, but that's not really relevant in 2025. Some good moments, especially Runaway Child, but the Temptations went on to do better when they leaned more into the Psychedelic Funk later on.
Heard it through the grapevine.
I had to stop listening after the attempt at Heard it through the Grapevine. I then flipped to Marvin Gaye.
strong title track, then sat through a 10 minute song without even realizing, track 5 and currently 5 for 5. very good, very cohesive, can see how this is a classic. will be adding to library and maybe on vinyl. fav was probably title track, very easy listen too not really any skips
Pretty good actually, I liked it. Funky, and the title song was the best of them.
7.5/10 Pretty good this. A mixture of pure soul and some more experimental psychedelic stuff Excellent production, good vocals Some of it reminded me of Isaac Hayes in his pomp Best: Runaway Child, Running Wild
Solid funk and soul. The album has Norman Whitfield’s stamp all over it
A fantastic album that I listened to three times in one day (granted it's easy to do when the album is only 35minutes). A heck of a first step in this journey. My favorite track is "Runaway Child, Running Wild" minus the 10 second portion of a child crying. Truely a timeless album.
My favorite period of my favorite Motown group began with this album. Norman Whitfield, who had already produced singles for The Temptations, took full control of production. This coincided with David Ruffin’s departure and the arrival of Dennis Edwards. “Cloud Nine” featured the five Temps sharing lead vocals, often trading lines within verses, to an increasingly funky, psychedelic soul sound. The Funk Brothers added wah-wah guitars and intense instrumental vamps to the traditional Motown sound, and the lyrics introduced social commentary to the more familiar love songs. The title track kicks things off and we’re in Sly & the Family Stone territory; the 9-minute “Runaway Child, Running Wild”, which builds to an organ- and guitar-fuelled crescendo, is stunning and points the way to the even more powerful workouts to come in the early ‘70s. The ballads were still here but times were getting tougher and, with Whitfield’s encouragement, so were The Temptations…
Good. Not always super interested in Motown though.
Love me some Tempts, and this album is great, but they were never the same after David Ruffin left. Some gems on here, but some filler too.
I waited a day to listen to this album because I wasn’t feeling Motown. But boy was I wrong. This album is Motown but it’s more funk, all genius. Enjoyed the hell out of the is album.
I must have really been in the mood for this one tonight
This album helped create funk, and disco. While it had some low, disappointing moments, it had a lot of fun, catchy moments as well. Favorite Song: "Run Away Child, Running Wild".
It's fine. The funk songs are fun, but the soul ones don't do much for me. The overall album feels uneven.
I do enjoy some Motown jams but I’m just not a fan of The Temptations’ psychedelic era.
I have never heard this side of the Temptations, but I liked it a lot.
I wasn't sure what to expect with later Temptations--I associated them with the song "My Girl," and admit I'd never heard the song "Cloud Nine." That said, the first few tracks on this album are pretty spectacular; the rest are somewhat uneven (examples: "Love is a Hurtin' Thing" is pretty skippable; "Don't Let Him Take Your Love from Me" is pretty great). I'd probably honestly give this a 2.75, but I round up for the overall sound and production.
Classic Funk/Soul. Really enjoyed it. Contains both fun and beautiful songs. I'm assuming this is the OG of funk sound.
Best: I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back) Worst: I Need Your Lovin' Liked songs: 90%, 9/10 Low 4, 80/100 The definition of just a funky, fun album. The pacing is phenomenonal and the album never drags at all. There's really not a whole lot to say about it for me other than just how fun of a listen it is, which is really the best compliment I think you can give a funk record. Can't give it any higher than low to mid 80s just because there's not a song that particularly grabs me. Still a really fun record.
pretty groovy
sei lá não me pegou muito não eu entendo a pira do motown com uma pegada mais diferenciada mas achei chato
achei a capa mto linda pqp soulzinho DELÍCIA! um toque de psicodelia ainda, cê tá doido. bão demais. as letra tbm fortíssima.
Harmonizing to the max and doing it oh so well. Masterclass of R&B!
I will always love the Temptations. This seems to be a bit more politically introspective than some of their earlier stuff I've hear. I like it! Also has some real funk to it - especially in comparison to earlier stuff like My Girl. The funkier the song, the better, in my opinion. Highs and Lows: Runaway Child, Running wild is an excellently fun song. I'm not often a fan of a 9 minute song, but it kept me hooked with that beat the whole way. Love is a Hurtin´Thing is a dip in fun and sound, sadly. Hey Girl is like My Girl, but worse.
Always a good time with the Temptations. Breezy and cool soul tunes that keep you grooving. Good cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". All around feel good music.
This is some good music. The Temptations were cooler than you. I give it a four.
***An enjoyable album
Favorite track: Cloud nine other picks: running child, running wild, i heard it through the grapevine (marvin cover)
This album struggled to hold my attention, unfortunately so gets a low rating from me. I think this is the original I Heard It Through The Grapevine and it doesn’t have the catchiness of the cover versions. Rating: 2
I was hoping for the psychedelic funk to be more psychedelic and more funky
Just really boring. The Temptations had been better in the past and they would be better in the future. They find themselves in a creative lull, producing one of the soulless covers of “I Heard It From The Grapevine” in existence. I don’t recall hearing any of these songs on the oldies station when I was a kid and there’s probably a good reason for that. 2.3/5
Not sure how to feel about this one- I liked the earlier hits and this is a mish-mash of earlier styles and early 70s funk (before such a thing existed?)
Here's the roller coaster ride I just went on: Track 1: what the?? This is the Temptations? I guess I've never properly given them a chance, cuz this is crazy interesting! Track 2: a decent cover of a great song. Works for me. Track 3: this is blowing my mind! I guess I totally had the wrong idea about this band. This might be heading toward 5 stars. I need to go read the Wikipedia page... Then as I read while still listening, the music reverted to the more typical Temptationd stuff, just as the Wikipedia page said it would. I'm disappointed that it became so much less daring.
oh yeah whats up
Iconic songs, but a regular album nonetheless.
Some good jams on here, but not for me
I didn't find what I thought I would in this one. Obviously incredibly skillful but I couldn't hear a ton of depth here. Likely me today.
This started off strong, then kind of fell apart for me. Some clunky songs on the back end. Great voices.
James Jamerson's bass work on this album makes it worth listening to.
Actually, a really nice album. The songs weren't popular but were very melodic, so they were enjoyable to listen to. The main person always had something to yap about and the background people were repeating things, but it's okay, good album overall.
Interesting mix of funk and r&b. I online the bass vocals and the mix of strings and percussion. It has that 70s soundtrack song sound for many tracks. Their cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine sucks.
Soul, 1969 -> 3
Good group out of the 60’s-70’s. Motown at it’s finest.
Classic funk album, nice groove, great singers, a bit boring on side b, but I think it's normal for records from that period. Just overall good album.
A very, very strong start. Sadly the back half is a lot less interesting. Also this was the 3rd version of "heard it through the grapewine" I've had in the last 10 albums, and it's getting a bit much.
Cloud Nine is an okay album but is one that didn't really leave much of an impression on me. In every aspect in nearly every song, they were all handled well enough but didn't exactly do anything all that memorable or even interesting, this causes this album to lack it's own identity as it just falls in the sea of late 60s early 70s R&B albums that were more than prevalent during those times. Track 3 was probably the most interesting, helped by the fact that it was the longest but it was mainly that one song with all the interesting stuff. This isn't a bad album, just one i probably won't think about that much ever again. Best Song: Runaway Child, Running Wild Worst Song: I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back)
Perfect display of Motown..
A pleasant surprise with that psychedelic soul groove and clear Sly influence. I wanted a few more tracks to stick as keepers, but it earns a 4 to encourage more listening.
Didn't expect the Sly Stone/Funkadelic sound. Beauty. Unmistakeable James Jamerson on the bass
typ ganska generiskt, va dock lite upprörd när ja lyssnade B)
Unexpected
I had only listened to "My Girl" from them, which I love. These songs are a similar vibe, really nice easy listening happy oldies. Not crazy about a song in specific yet
I found it interesting that the endings of all the songs were fadeouts. I think I will keep my eye out for how other artists might end their songs. The vocals were beautiful. They have a good way of keeping you entertained at many sections even when certain loops are very simple at repetitive. An example of this is in Runaway Child, Running Wild where the bass is the same all throughout the song, but you might never notice.
Shits bumpin
Interesting blend of soul and funk, and enjoyed a couple listens through, but felt it was mostly solid rather than spectacular. 3.5
Temptations are good, but this was aight
Old school r&b. The title track was absolutely fantastic and the rest of the album was very enjoyable as well.
Great album, great version of Grapevine. Drums sound a little thin and hear mostly snare and percussion. Bass Guitar is nice.
doesnt do anything all that special. has a lot of duds but some highs.
I did not use a private spotify session for this one. I never got into this, I tried. Not for me. I did appreciate the wide range of voices.
Not a great fan of this genre of music but at least this albm has some interesting arrangements sometimes. Generally ift is just the same old collection of love-oriented rambles; I wish they would get rid of the high voice and have more of the bass one. Does not inspire and very much a product of its era.
This was enjoyable, but I’ve previously docked Creedence Clearwater Revival a point for a Grapevine cover that’s nowhere near as good as Marvin Gaye’s, so for consistency this is a 3
Good vibes. Simpsons: No
Pleasant vibes.
nice and short and easy to listen to, but nothing is making me want to come back to this in the future
Short, sweet, solid album.
An interesting transitional album, including some psychedelic tinged numbers like Cloud as well as the more traditional Temptations sound i.e. Gonna Keep on Tryin A solid effort overall
Great funky 60s record. My only complaints are that the second half isn't as good as the first half and that they pan some of the instruments too hard to one ear which makes it a little harder to listen to with good headphones on.
This was a rad album! I wasn't expecting it to be so psychedelic. That was a fun twist. The first half of this album is really wild. The songs are harder and more psych, the lyrics are about social issues. I was all in for the first half. The second half is more of your standard Temptations. Songs about love and heartbreak and it's a little more traditional sounding. Still good, but that first half really got me. I love how the bass drives every song. Its truly playing that driving rhythm section and letting everything lay on top of it. The keys are really fun and cool, while the guitar has fun licks and rides throughout. This was really fun!
High 3. Love 60s soul
Good soul music but nothing special. An enjoyable album though. High 2/low 3.
++: Cloud Nine, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Hey Girl, I Need Your Lovin', Gonna Keep on Tryin' Till I Win Your Love +: Runaway Child, Running Wild, Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go), Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me, I Gotta Find a Way (To Get You Back) +-: Love is a Hurtin' Thing 7,0/10
Pretty unremarkable and ultimately disappointing. I didn't like their version of Heard It Through The Grapevine at all. I wouldn't want to listen to this again so a 3 would be too generous. There's got to be a better Temptations album out there. 2.5/5
Not really my type of music, but I can see the appeal and why The Temptations were so popular. FAVORITE SONG: Cloud Nine
Very pleasant to listen to
Runaway Child, Running Wild did not need to be nine minutes long but the rest of the album was decent
I found it odd to have The Temptations so close together, but this and 'All Directions' really does show their versatility. I mean, it's all the same sphere of music, but you can tell them apart easily. Kind of dated, but classic.
Funk pioneers. Tasty album!
Uuuu jako sam uzbuđena oko ovog, ajmo! Koja fina peglica, jako volim ovu kombinaciju soula i psihodelije, vjerojatno najdraži dio tih kasnih 60ih i ranih 70ih. Volim ja i njihove kasnije albume, ali brijem da mi ovaj najdraži, definitivno njihova dobra faza. Najdraže pjesme - prve tri! Moram priznati jedino da mi sporija sredina albuma ne leži toliko kao ostatak i samo zbog toga će biti 4/5 ili 8.5/10.
Mislim, iz svemira je prepoznatljiv ovaj fini Motown zvuk. RnB, soul, funk, apsolutno previše tamburina, vrhunski groove na bassu, jako fine pozadinske gitarice, super back vokali Vjerujem da je sve ovo puno bolje zvučalo uživo, ovako dok to slušam uz posao mi je onak fina pozadinska muzika, ali ništa više od toga Ali evo fun fact, uvijek sam mislio da je I heard it through the grapevine original pjesma od Creedance Clearwater Revival, ali oni su cover napravili Nije ni the temptations original odsvirao nego netko iz Motown recordsa par godina prije Ma, bit će trojka
7.5/10 Prijatan album koji mi vise nekako ide za pustiti u pozadini, iako me na trenutke privukao blize zvucnicima. The Temptationse nisam bas puno proucavao ali navodno ovaj album oznacava neki njihov novi smjer psihodelije koji ce se tek cuti u naredna dva albuma. Ovdje ju ne cujem, samo ugodan upbeat soul, odlicne vokalne sposobnosti svih clanova i zaljubljivu muziku punu nježnih lyricsa. Nije lose. I Need Your Lovin' i I Gotta Find A Way su mi bas super, ali cuje se da su sve stvari sa istog albuma, ili barem iz istih godina. Ljubav i zelja za nekim je ovdje prakticki jedina tema koja se provlaci kroz svaku pjesmu (kao sto i naziv albuma sugerira), ali nije mi uopce corny i ima taman prstohvat zdrave patetike u lyricsima. Respect.
Oddly this was slightly disappointing. I thought it was gonna be better because I do like the group but I guess it was... Just my imagination... Running away with me Solid but not amazing. Grapevine cover was poor
Close to 4
Fun album that makes you want to get up and dance. Very happy and wind sections are strong. well produced and better than most in this genere
Makes hard times sound soooo smooth.
Iconic couple of songs, and the rest was okay. 3.5
It's good. Can't quite bring myself to go to 4*, though. 3.5*.
I enjoyed the listen.
Found this kinda boring tbf
Boring
I listened to nearly half of it!
Loved most of the songs on this album. A few skips, hence the 4.
ok
Matige muziek, goede muzikanten.