Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Pleasant
#656. I think maybe this is one of those things you would have had to be there to get it. It's probably better in context. Because I can see that it's good, but I just don't really care, if that makes any sense. 3/5: solid
Love the baritone Fun and funky
Good album, interesting to hear their shift in sound from the more mellow style of "My Girl" to a more funk sound with songs like I Gotta Find a Way and Cloud Nine. Thoroughly enjoyed Cloud Nine, I Gotta Find A Way, Runaway Child, Running Wild.
this was not what I expected from a Temptations album-still have solid harmonies but the additional funk vibe was a welcome surprise
Bien. Est-ce que je vais réécouter ? Je ne pense pas.
okee
Hard to not love the Temptations. I prefer the funkier stuff, and 'Heard it through the grapevine' somehow jarred a little but otherwise solid and reliable
I did not like their cover of Heard It Through The Grapevine. The rest of the album was decent mix of funk and soul.
⭐︎3.5 モータウンの代表グループらしい。 サイケっぽさもある。一曲だけ気になる曲があった。気になる曲二曲かと思ったら、長尺の一曲だった。 子供が母親の声を呼ぶ声が印象的な曲だった。
Easy listening, not too exciting
This album was okay but certainly not the best of the Temptations in my opinion. 3 stars or C.
Fun album. Not completely my style but enjoyable and upbeat
A solid but very by-the-numbers soul album.
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.
it was pretty good, but i wished it had more otis
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
I love The Temptations in their motown era, but this was fun and groovy.
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.
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.
This was awesome to listen to, the mix is actually quite impressive given the year.
Starts strong then slowly becomes kind of unremarkable. Favourite Song: Runaway Child, Running Wild
A truly soulful and funky album
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
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…
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
3.5
First listen
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
Great record
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.
Me gusto, algunas canciones las noto algo monótonas o muy parecidas a las demás, pero esta bien
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.
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
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
All the Temptations albums sound pretty much the same, but they declined over time.
Our psych record has precisely on psych song
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.
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.
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
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.
Whoever wrote these songs had some relationship issues.
3/5 best song cloud nine
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.
Motown was amazing. Really, no notes. Just not enough of the hits.
Thought I'd enjoy this far more than I actually did :(
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
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
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.
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
Quite enjoyable listen.
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
Love the sound here, true soul. Inspired so many other legendary acts. 7.2/10
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.
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.
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
R & B
Classic Temptations
Feels like a Saturday afternoon drive with the windows down. Very fun, warm vibe. Easy listening.
Niet voor mij
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.
I like the original Motown Temps more than the funkier stuff.
Pretty good 3.4
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.
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 .
Tasapaksu ja aika mitäänsanomaton levy. Ei hirveästi herättänyt tunteita suuntaan tai toiseen.
custom_rating:7
Decent funk. I can get behind this.
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".
Tempted, seduced, at times spaced out. Will tap in again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.
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.
liked it but didn’t love
Lots of layered vocals, pretty fun
This was sweet and catchy.
couldn't get into it
It was enjoyable to listen and would listen again. a few notable tracks. not necessarily my jam by still good. 3.5 stars
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.
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.
Questi sanno suonare
Solid in every way, but not groundbreaking
I enjoyed but not my genre. I'm not sure if I'd revisit it. 2.5/5
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?
Sounded like originals of classic dew wop songs. I prefer the more polished versions.
I was kind of disappointed by this album's recording of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."
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.
I think I just don’t love this era of music, not terrible, just not particularly interesting.
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.
Had higher hopes for this one
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.
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
Soulful and funky but also forgetful
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.
This was fine. This was a pretty weak version of "I heard it through the grapevine", though.
Soul legends
-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
Pleasant enough, but not a lot to catch my attention. Standouts Cloud Nine I Heard It Through the Grapevine 3/5
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
Good version of heard it through the grapevine- quite distressing the child wailing though
3 out of 5. When this album gets funky it gets funky.
Quite liked it. Very smooth. Nothing particularly standout to me. 5/10
Good vibes. Pretty alright. Probably won't listen to it again
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.
classic
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.
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.
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.
Cloud 4 or 5 really.
3 stars
Not my thing. Seemed repetitive.
We are so 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.
Noice. 3.5 stars
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
Love me some crooning.
Good
Favourite song - Cloud nine 2.5 stars
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
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.
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
War ganz okay. Funky
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.
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.
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.
aggressively-earnest feel-good "love you girl" album the funkier front half is much stronger than the back half
3 stars
Not my kind of music. But they’re pretty talented.
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.
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
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
***An enjoyable album
Favorite track: Cloud nine other picks: running child, running wild, i heard it through the grapevine (marvin cover)
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?)
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.
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.
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)
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
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
Good vibes. Simpsons: No
Pleasant vibes.
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
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
Funk pioneers. Tasty album!
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
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
It's good. Can't quite bring myself to go to 4*, though. 3.5*.
Boring
ok
This finished strong but was a mixed bag with a disappointing version of Grapevine.
Pretty fun album and it's not too long so I don't get bored of it. Some lovely harmonies in there Title track and Love Is A Hurtin' Thing are standouts As with most albums in this genre I'm not likely to give this a listen any time soon but it was enjoyable nonetheless
Old school classic.
Motown with a little bit of psychedelic flair. Glad I heard it I guess but didn't really speak to me. I'm guessing there's better Temptations records on this list.
Best Song: Cloud Nine Worst Song: Runaway Child, Running Wild
I enjoyed the musicality of this record, but overall it wasn't my favorite.
Does not deliver on the promise the album art makes. My standout tracks: Cloud Nine, Love Is a Hurtin' Thing, I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back)
First half was funky and cool. Second half was second rate Motown leftovers. An album worth hearing though.
classy, fun. nothing iconic but a good listen 6/10
solid if a little unmemorable
Motown fun
Fun and upbeat without being overly sweet or old fashioned. Gets a little repetitive. 2.5/5
This was good, but i felt like the entire second half was them just begging this one girl to stay. Girl stand up! she doesn’t want you! i also preferred the more classic sound to the more psychedelic. 1.) love is a hurtin thing 2.) don’t let him take your love away from me 3.) hey girl
So this is an album of two halves - the first side is the Sly Stone inspired “psychedelic soul” side, and the second side is the temptations sticking to their more traditional “My Girl” sound. I was into the first song, “Cloud Nine,” and psychedelic soul seemed like a goer at this point, but then I wasn’t too keen on the version of “I heard it on the grapevine” in the new style. It seemed like two things that shouldn’t be together. Then the following song I wasn’t too fussed about until the instrumental where I got into the Sly Stone style grooviness. Side 2 is the “My Girl” sound - I guess they didn’t want to try too much new stuff to quickly - and it’s not really a sound I really feel moved by. It’s a bit too… is “cheesy” the right word? “Old fashioned”? “Inoffensive”? Yeah. I think that’s it. It’s a bit too eager to please and bland. Overall, I didn’t mind it though. 3 psychedelic stars.
Classic…
Favorite tracks: I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Hey Girl, Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love. Pleasant on the ears, great backing vocals with a couple duds in the tracklist.
love the temps. good start to the psych rock era which i love solid record
Not bad. Preferred the 2nd half of the album to the first.
The themes were a bit repetitive - all about lost love.
This is nice, some good soul/motown (?) moments. 3*
Not my favorite stuff by them, but still good.
I'm not a big Soul enjoyer, but that sounds pretty generic to me. Anyway, what do I know.
The Temptations never delivered a masterpiece, but I'm always happy when it's playing. The 10 minutes song "Runaway Child, Running Wild" is especially a blast!
Timeless
dat was nu eens een tof plaatje van uit de tijd toen R&B nog focuste op goeie muzikanten en goeie zangers/zangeressen ipv twerkende opblaaspoppen
It was good. It was kinda straight down the line for me. Not bad, not amazing. Favorite song: cloud nine
Un funk muy escuchable
not my style but it was fine
Pretty solid.
classic album!
Lots of fun. I haven't listened to a lot of Motown so it might take a few listens to get it.
Pretty good album, I liked the more psyche influenced pieces. Will likely listen again!
I think the lyricist was having some relationship troubles when he wrote for this album.
A nice old sound but the album doesn’t have much to offer in 2024 and it’s not to me at least clear how it différents from other temptation work I’ve heard
Old soul/funk is always a good time.
Pretty enjoyable, but all a bit samey and not always interesting. Was a bold choice to make one song over a quarter of the album, but it is perhaps the best song on the album, so that's fair.