Cloud Nine

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.

It was surely a groove. Added 3 songs to playlist.

The definition of groovy. Some interesting vocals. Feels extremely 70s. Nice chill album to have on in the background. Did not blow me away.

Could be mistaken for thinking you are listening to an extended play of one song they are so similar. Not unpleasant, just not really anything to get excited about.

Something a little different to my normal listen. Good to get some variety.

The sweet sound of The Temptations. They seem to get a bit grittier towards the begining of this album, but we still get some of the classic Temptations starting with "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing", and it remains mostly that classic relaxed love story for the remainder the album. Love the instrumentation.

There was nothing that I recognized from this edgier collection from the Temptations. Good funk/soul numbers about hard times and troubled relationships. 3.5

Really enjoy the funk of Cloud Nine, rest of the album doesn't carry the same energy unfortunately

First time hearing this one. Knew this singles, loved Cloud 9, but the album as a whole not as daring. Would probably go 3 1/2 if I could, but will settle for 3.

Another repeat artist? I feel like I've gotten quite a bit of those lately. Oh well. I've been needing some more soul albums in my life, so revisiting the Temptations will do. This one's pretty good. Admittedly, I did like All Directions more, but Cloud Nine is far from a bad album. It's the earlier of the two albums and I can kind of tell. This doesn't really feel as refined as All Directions. Still, this is a perfectly acceptable soul album. The singing is pleasant and, well, soulful. The sound is also quite good. There are light psychedelic elements in there, but it's still a nice soul album through and through. The writing is pretty decent. This is some good stuff. It's nothing too groundbreaking or even special, but it doesn't need to be. Sometimes all a man needs is 34 minutes of some nice soul music, and this provides that. 3/5.

A funky album. I'm ashamed to say I didn't know that the "Heard it Through the Grape Vine" that I'm familiar with was a cover. Wild. Overall I'd say it makes for good listening and I'd enjoy popping on a record of it for an evening, the album in general was kind of flat and the songs all sounded similar to my ears. Favorite song: "Hey Girl" Most representative of the album: "Cloud Nine"

The temptations have some classic songs but they are not on this album. The marvin Gaye cover has been done a lot and to be honest it's just...fine. nothing amazing here to be honest but was an enjoyable listen 3*

Pleasant enough 3.6

Solid enough but nothing that really wowed me. A 3 because I honestly expected a little better.

Mostly enjoyed

Not bad

Good record. Lots of strings and backing vocals.

Ok

Some good stuff here. I quite like the long 9 minute song that takes you on a journey. The rest doesn’t wow me. But it was a pleasant listen. 3/5

Not bad, very classic sound. All great sounds. But none of them stood out to me.

I feel remiss giving this a three given the source! But I got this album when I was much younger and I wasn't vibing with it then either. Sad, mostly for me.

Soild Motown funk album, there versions of through the grapevine is disappointing though. Maybe just highlights how good Marvin Gaye is though. Good album worthy of the list, not sure I’d be rushing back to this one though.

Very enjoyable!

It's interesting that the albums from the Temptations in this list don’t feature the earlier hits that have stood the test of time ("Papa Was a Rolling Stone" excepted) so we have explored more into their experimental era. I appreciate that creative part of it, but I just don't love this lots and feel that it's just kind of dated in a bad way.

It’s decent doo-wop. I like the range of vocals from the group. They have a singer for every octave, and their voices all hit the mark. I had never heard this version of ‘Heard It through the Grapevine,’ but I think I still prefer the Marvin Gaye version, and not just because I have heard it more. I don’t know what it was about ‘Runaway Child, Running Wild’ that caught my attention. Maybe it was the wailing child right in the middle of the track. I found it interesting that they would have such a long instrumental outro on that song, seeing as they’re mainly a choral group. The instrumentals are great, but it always seemed to me that the band intended them to be strictly supportive of the vocals.

Pretty average for me. I'm not a huge fan of 60s soul music, but it's not the worst genre. Sometimes all the hard singing can got annoying to me, but not a deal breaker as far as listening to it goes. The instrumentals were good. About all I can say.

Nothing to complain about here. Decently groovy with some good vocals. Nothing stood out as great though.

I thought I would like it more

V pleasant

Pleasant listen but very similar to most of the other Motown varietals on this list

decent but boilerplate soul/ Motown songs, but I particularly enjoyed the psychedelic / funky songs like "Runaway Child, Running Wild". You can hear the influence of Sly and the Family Stone on these songs.

Decent but not my favorite RnB album.

3/5 It's an alright album, a bit monotonous.

I accidentally came into this one with too high expectations knowing some of The Temptations work. I don't know why, but I found it sort of... like too basic. It wasn't quite energized enough or poignant enough or canon setting. In short, without offically badmouthing a good and talented band, it was sort of MEH overall. I think this is a classic example of a well known band that has fabulous hits that also made lots of other albums for true fans, but not casual listeners. It is like an old joke about people going home after a holiday "Yeah, it's been fun! It's been nice! ... Not much fun or very nice but yeah..." And so to does art imitate art and while this is no doubt someones all time favorite, that someone is a super fan.

Que cosa rara

Didn't notice it finished, it didn't catch my attention

Fun good album 7/10

Mid

Made for a fine afternoon of driving around and not paying all that much attention to this music. 2.5

This was good! I like the earlier stuff by the Temptations better though.

Enjoyable album, pretty funky. Medium 3

Dejlig plade! Man bliver helt i godt humør.

Similar to other reviews, I enjoyed the funk songs but wasn't into the later Motown songs

Not as good as many of their contemporaries. Terrible cover of Grapevine. But still a nice sound, a comfortable 3.

Great group, not their strongest album

They were the best at what they did for the longest time !

lowkey fantastic, but so incredibly difficult to get through this very short album and i'm not sure why! perhaps it is the similarity between tracks that gets a bit boring after a while... 3/5

Groovy and soulful.

Good recommendation. They made their own niche really, still wearing suits and doing dance routines but singing psychedelic soul with political lyrics. I enjoyed this though maybe it's not the most consistent album. Extra star just for the bass vocalist.

Is this the wildest swing between first and second tracks in the history of music? The opener is fire and the bass, the rhythm and the melody are spectacular. Then we get the version of a classic that is so inferior to the Marvin Gaye version it's laughable, maybe it's the original I don't know but I couldn't stomach it. The rest kind of passed me by. Like eating too many donuts, eventually the consistency of the sweetness became slightly unpleasant but generally I have to say it's average but wildly varied.

Solid Motown album.

Thought this was going to be really interesting after the first couple songs that were pretty psychedelic and fun. Unfortunately it gets a little tedious after that, expected more after I read the wiki about how this was a big change for them and a pioneering psych-soul album. Still worth a listen, fun album.

I spent the whole time thinking I should have been listening to the four tops after Abdul Fakir’s death last week. This was solid and some good arrangements and covers. Good but not great.

Their version of ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ was interesting.

I love the Temps, especially this era, but Motown wasn't really an album-oriented outfit back in the '60s. That wouldn't change until Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. This is pretty typical for a Motown album from that era: a couple of bangers, a couple of remakes, and a bunch of filler, which often seems highly derivative of other Motown hits. I really wanted to like this one more. Greatest Hits Volume Two offers up a much better sample of their psychedelic soul period.

Not really my cup of tea but solid, can see why they were so influential

I was expecting more from The Temptations, to be honest. Average, but fine!

I like the Temptations but i think there are other bands which have more depth and perform the same type if music.

3.3. I heard it through the grapevine that this album isn’t very good.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I like how they used their different voices throughout the songs, or at least some of them anyway.

Cloud Nine by The Temptations delivers a solid collection of tracks featuring great harmonies and smooth vocal performances. The album showcases the group's signature blend of soul and pop, with each member contributing to the rich, layered sound. Tracks like Cloud Nine and Runaway Child, Running Wild highlight their ability to mix emotional depth with catchy rhythms. While the album overall is enjoyable, it doesn’t always push the boundaries of the genre. Some songs can feel formulaic, lacking the innovation that might set it apart from their previous work. The production is polished and well-executed, but it occasionally leans towards a safe, conventional approach. Despite these minor drawbacks, Cloud Nine remains a testament to The Temptations' vocal prowess and harmonisation skills. The interplay between the voices is a standout feature, elevating even the more routine tracks. The album flows smoothly, maintaining a cohesive feel from start to finish. Cloud Nine is a good, solid effort from The Temptations, with enough highlights to make it worth listening to for fans of the genre. It may not be groundbreaking, but its strong harmonies and consistent quality make it a worthwhile addition to their discography. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 5 STAND OUT TRACK - Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)

3/5

Loved the fact I was listening to this while driving through Motown. My mom was/is a big fan of Motown so I listened to a lot of this stuff growing up. This absolutely deserves to be on the list.

Nice production and harmonizing, could've used more dynamic lyrics. Half the damn songs are about a girl leaving the singer, guy needs to up his game.

Really funky and great vibes

Too same-y, content wise, and not much sticks out as extraordinary, but it is thoroughly decent.

I would say that there were no songs in this which I disliked. But by the same token I am not sure I heard anything I loved. Overall liked the sound though.

This feels blasphemous but I really wasn’t entertained

Unexpectedly edgy in the first half and more of what I was anticipating in the second half. Neither is better than the other: a strong blend of tradition and experimentation, built on a foundation of powerful vocals and hypnotic rhythms. Best song: Hey Girl

I respect the talent and the artistry but I guess The Temptations are not so much my thing. It's good. It's probably phenomenal... but none of these songs especially grabbed me.

Os Beatles do Soul, como chegaram a serem descritos no período, a The Temptations em 1969 lançaram esse álbum que era uma partida do seu estilo clássico, motivadas pelo novo paradigma que alguns nomes, como Sly Stone e sua família, estavam criando na música da época e pela saída de um dos seus membros, o David Ruffin. Com isso, eles adentraram no Soul Psicodélico, pero no mucho, ainda mais considerando que somente o primeiro lado do disco parece ter assumido 100% esse novo estilo, com o segundo, bem mais fraco, soando muitas vezes como um Soul beirando o genérico que a Motown fazia na época, mas com carisma bom o suficiente para não afetar tanto minha avaliação sobre esse álbum. Apesar da inconsistência de ser extremamente top-heavy, ainda é um bom álbum.

3.5 favorite: title track least: the 10 minute song

good vibes, perfect 3.5/5 album too bad this website can’t handle that

классика соула, вернуться по настроению. но все таки есть перекос на игру голосом немного в ущерб музыке, которая есть но на "подпевках"

Catchy and fun - quite liked this!

Schubidu

Fine! Not my favorite Motown album but the title track is a heater

Funky, groovy and soulful. What's not to like? Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Cloud 9 Date listened: 22/06/24

I love the funk but the other stuff is just ok...

Definitely enjoyed this album but there weren’t any tracks that stood out to me. 3.5/5

I thought I would like this more. For me it was pretty good but a little disappointing.

Very solid and groovy album. The songs are a bit same-y and the album is rather short. Enjoyable though. 3/5

I was really sure I was going to like this more than I actually did, since I love this genre of music. Unfortunately for some reason I just didn't love it all that much and had a hard time connecting with it, especially in the beginning. However, there was a nice four song stretch mid way through that I really liked (from Hey Girl to Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me), but maybe that's just because I left work around the time that those songs started. I also liked Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love. Not a game changer for me but happy and pleasant enough! 3

Day166 - i like the psychedelic soul description i was into cloud nine and runaway child running wild but the rest maybe a little to much of sad sack songs

Groove baby! 7/10

This would be good music to dance to.

I started out liking it, but then wasn't so bothered as it went on.

Decent but nothing stands out

I mean yeah, that was kinda fun I guess.

The Temptations are cool & I'm always down for 60s soul music...unfortunately this album was kinda boring as hell. Nice enough for me to say I don't have a negative opinion, but didn't do anything to excite me.

Enjoyed this v much and would go for 7 out of 10. Slightly unmemorable perhaps so I'm rounding down rather than up. But I really liked it!

It was OK, I enjoy psychedelic but it didn't blow me away

Not bad for expanding outside their Motown comfort zone.

110/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Men don’t be yearning and begging for their girl to come back anymore, that’s the real problem. They made simping classy

Good but not outstanding.

funky

Соул-музыка, которая не сильно запоминается при прослушивании. Есть однообразность в звучании.

Classic soul. But not my kind of music.

Pretty fun!

Some enjoyable mo-town for a friday.

That was fine?

groovy and smooth. An enjoyable listen

What the fuck is bro on about in half these songs. I understand that The Temptations did not write a lot of (if not all??) of these tracks, but lyrically, this is some 1960s nice guy fuckshit. Besides that, this was fine. Instrumentally pleasant for sure, but this was extremely by the books. My knowledge of soul is limited, but this sounds like soul at its default settings to me. Not offensive, but sometimes boring. Vocals are great, mix is great, and nothing (aside from dated lyrics) feels poorly executed. Not one I would really go back to if I were in the mood for a soul record, but I respect this project's place in the soul music canon.

Álbuns de jazz e blues costumam ser mais agradáveis mas este é bastante desinteressante. Tem a pior versão do I Heard it Through the Gravrepine que eu ouvi. O álbum lucra por não se estender muito, visto que não tem nenhuma música marcante, mas também não tem nenhuma cantiga especialmente má. Tendo em conta a indiferença darei um 5 ao álbum. Nota: 5/10 27/05/2024

I enjoyed this. It had good rhythm and was catchy. Nothing in it particularly stood out to move the needle, but a good listen over all. 3.5/5

enjoy the funky beats

Not a bad Motown album, although I'm not sure it's the best I've heard by the Temptations.

I feel very neutral about this one. 3/5

When I read "psychedelic soul" I was concerned, but this was much better than I was expecting.

These guys knew what they were doing and they did it so well. I can't deny the importance of these songs, 3 stars!

Strange that "Grapevine" is one of my least favorite tracks on this album. Better than expectations overall.

Was hoping for better. Found myself tuning out.

Not bad, enjoyed the baritone.

3.5

A great classic. Not really my thing but enjoyable listening. Great voice and music.

Really interesting to hear this from the Temptations, who you normally associate with a more doo-wop kind of sound.

Classic

Motown classic. Run Away Child, Running Wild is an epic classic, though the album gets a bit middling after that.

Kind of enjoyed the chilled out music here, but it wasn't anything remarkable. It's a pretty middle of the road three star album for me.

Didn't do it for me. I don't need my Temptations jammy and psychedelic. I want the tight soul music of the early years.

After about 20 seconds I thought "Oooh yeah, I'm going to love this!". But the next 24 minutes just kind of washed over me in wave of 60s soul bass. Maybe I caught it on the wrong day? I like all of the ingredients, but nothing really hit home. Including a cover of 'Heard it through the grapevine' which I wouldn't have spotted if it wasn't for the track being listed.

Very enjoyable soul and funk. The standouts for me were the extended funk number “Runaway Child, Running Wild” and the light and airy doo-wop song “Why Did She Have to Leave Me.” This funky bass throughout the album is so good.

"Cloud Nine" is one of the best R&B / soul songs of all time! Kind of a shame that the rest of the album doesn't come close though. I'm listening to these others and I'm really missing the energy that that song brings. I really hate the panning choices. Percussion isolated to one ear is one of the worst things you can do at a mixing board, and thankfully this trend only happened for a very small period of time. The child crying "I want my momma" in the middle of "Runaway Child, Running Wild" really surprised me, and not in a good way! I do appreciate this 1969 entering the 70's sort of "experimental but not too much" approach though. This was a hard rate for me. I want to be generous and give it a 4 because of the pull behind "Cloud Nine", but really no other song comes close on the record to that one. Mix that with poor production choices and I have to give it a 3.

The temptations are amazing this album is only very good

there are a few great bops on here. the rest is alright

Runaway child is odd - great groove with lyrics that aged poorly. Grapevine is great - it's neat to see how the song has grown from this version.

The title track is a decent little track with great energy, however the cover of Heard it Through The Grapevine isn't anywhere near the heights of Marvin Gaye's, it doesn't have the right vibe. Overall some great R&B and soul tracks with fantastic vocals. Favourite Track: Cloud Nine Least Favourite: Heard It Through The Grapevine

Funky

Nice album if not their best.

Sweet, silky, clear, soulful. Satisfying. I'll listen again. Good choice. 39 minutes! Sweet.

Nice background music, but not really more.

This album starts off super strong, title track and Runaway Child, Running Wild are both fantastic tracks. However, after Love Is A Hurtin' Thing and Hey Girl, the album quality dips into a seemingly random assortmant of love songs that sound alike. I also am not a fan of the production as a whole. But still, great vocals and killer 1st half of the record

It glides along without becoming noticeable.

Ok

A fine album but forgettable. A few surprises thrown in there like runaway child that make it more groovy that a typical Motown.

Middle of the road between motown and funk. Tried listening to it a few time but nothing really grabbed me. A decent funk album if you are in the mood. I think I preferred the funkier songs to the more motown-sound. Weak 3?

Good - overall enjoyable but I found it a bit forgettable

CLOUD NINE is an album carried **heavily** by two songs: the title track and "Runaway Child, Running Away". The rest of the album, meanwhile... I mean, to tackle those first, the songs from the fourth onward are just fine Temptations fare. Good, but nothing spectacular. Kind of underwhelming, honestly, in the face of its stand-outs. And, boy, that "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" cover sure does exist, dunnit? But "Cloud Nine" is a great piece of Sly inspired music, and "Runaway Child, Running Away" is a damn sprawling epic work of psychdelic soul that helped pave the way for their daminger sprawlinger epicer "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone". It's a trip and a half, I tell you what. The album's absolutely worth hearing alone jusr for those two. And, y'know, based on those songs merits I wanted to say that elevated this album as a whole to a 4. But, like everything else that aren't those songs are so "it's fine" that I'm really feeling it's more a 3. This isn't an INNERVISIONS and "Living In The City" or HUNKY DORY and "Life On Mars?" case here, y'know? So anyway, that was my group's 100th album. A bit of a squib for the only 100th album we're ever gonna get, but there's always hope our next milestones are better bangs.

Asides from Runaway Child, Running Wild, this is just your average Motown Hitsville record with the usual shitty 60s "Stereo" mix.

Funky muthr fukers

It’s a lovely smooth radio kind of album

2024-04-07...

could i write poetry to this? n

It’s got that psych funk sound of the post HDH, post 67 Motown. Not bad, but falls off a bit after the first half.

I like the first half of this album much better than the second. The first half is like a cool blend of motown and funk, it's great. The second side is pretty much a straightforward motown record. Not bad but nothing really stands out to me. I'd like to give it more but 3/5 is where it lands.

Hou normaal wel van soul, maar vond een heel album hiervan niet heel bijzonder

decent. groovy. 3/5

Fine background funk / Motown.

I enjoyed the title track Cloud Nine the most. I hadn’t listened to the groovier The Temptation songs before and I was grooving. At I Heard It Through the Grapevine, it started to lose me a bit- it was not my favorite version but definitely a take so I could appreciate it. Runaway Child, Running Wild has some vocal moments that I find really intriguing like the “I want my mama” cry blending into the groovy sound. I didn’t love the song but definitely stood out to me as an experiment. The latter half of the album was less standout and I kept forgetting what I listened to. Last I’ll say I like the album art and how it fits the record. Solid

Legit Motown sound. 3.2

Great Motown sound.

Pretty nice funk, but nothing stood out too much.

Not sure why my previous rating didn't save. It might have been my most insightful yet. The psychedelic soul is good, but maybe a bit too much for me.

There are two tales here. Cloud Nine is weirdly psychedelic/funky, Grapevine is a troubling cover, and Run Away Child is a bit overdone (I think there was a "help me momma" in the middle that was quite a bit of a head scratcher. Then the album becomes a bit what you expect... 7 straight, sweet, short motown pop soul. Though none of them are super memorable, they are all solid.

It was a good listen, of course, although nothing really caught me. I probably wouldn’t put on again..

Not their best effort, but its got that Motown groove you just can't get anywhere else.

Decent album but not their best

Ain't no Herbie Hancock, but pretty good for cooking or moving through the world

Funky delicious

Fathers of groove.

Thought it was good, I’ve always like this style of music as a sort of background ambience, but not something I’d go out of my way to listen to

Legendary group with great musicians behind them. Good quality songs but hard to maintain there best

Title track saves the day…rest is ok. A couple more classics on the horizon for the Temps but they were nearing the end. Big part of music history.

Upbeat throughout as you’d expect from a classic soul album. I’m sure this was one of the forerunners in the genre but I can’t help think it all just blends into one.

funky beats, I like "don't let him take you love from me"

Not really into R&B, but I was able to appreciate the funk aspects of the songs. Of course the vocals are great. I support long songs, but Runaway Child is too long for what it is imo.

Clasico de la Motown

6/10 This is fun. 3/7/2024

The first half of this album is pure fire! Funky, soulful, rocking even. A perfect first side of an album. It does tail off a little for me on the second side...BUT the consistently bad ass bass and strong vocal harmonies and passion of the vocals keep it fresh for me. A strong album. Favorite tracks: Cloud Nine, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Runaway Child, Running Wild, I Need Your Lovin'.

I was looking forward to this one for some reason, but it disappointed me. Kind of boring - not unpleasant but didn't interest me as much as I expected.

B- Cloud Nine 3 I Heard It Through The Grapevine 3 Run Away Child, Running Wild 3 Love Is A Hurtin' Thing 4 Hey Girl 4 Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go) 3 I Need Your Lovin' 3 Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me 3 I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back) 3 Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love 3 I expected way more. C'mon, fellas!!

Очень средний скучный соул.

Definitely a tale of two halves. The first half is different, experimental, and awesome. The second half is some classic motown, which just doesn't hit as good after the first half. Wishing the first half was more, or by itself.

Liked the funky almost shaft like blacksploitation songs on the first half of the album as well as the more old school stuff on the second.

This was a nice listen, there's something about older albums like this that feel so nostalgic.. even though they're decades older than me.

bueno 3,5

Skön soulig funk, najs.

Fairly solid but no real standouts.

Not great, kind of forgettable. 2.8

This was totally fine but it really didn’t scratch that 60s soul itch for me. I’m sure this is seminal to Motown and black music and the 60s music scene but I guess I just didn’t find it quite as fun as Smokey Robinson or Barbara Lewis. By no means a bad album I can’t stress that enough.

Fun little album

I had no idea The Temptations ventured into this style of music. Interesting listen

The Temptations, classic R&B but this album was just ok for me

Well worth a listen or two. Perhaps could be improved by trimming down runaway child to about half the length and remove the faux crying from the track? Vocalists in the group are an odd mix - lead singer is great - this variability is most jarring in Love is a Hurtin Thing. A prolific band with longevity - would be interested to know if this indeed the definitive work to listen to if dipping in.

This was good, but not as good as the previous one we listened to in the challenge. It was great to listen to as I chipped away at my work. Funky Friday!

I enjoyed this one more than the previous Temptations album - maybe I was feeling a bit more funky today? CCRs heard it through the grapevine still wins for me though - just sayin

Who doesn't love the Temptations sound? Although I always appreciate their history and everything they've brought, I didn't think this album was anything special or exciting.

Это, типа, госпел джаз? Ладно, википедия пишет "прогрессив соул". Ну я как обычно в жанрах ничего не понимаю. Соул соулом, а мне как-то никак. Омерзения не испытываю, ничего не испытываю. Как бэкграунд для фикса багов сойдёт, три звезды.

An unfortunately somewhat weak beginning to the Temptations' foray into psychedelia; side A is relatively inconsequential fluff (with a confusing potential message about drug abuse?) and a rather poor cover of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"; side B moves into more traditional Temptations material, though none of it particularly memorable. This LP doesn't hurt the ears, but it also doesn't inspire, with relatively weak stereo mixing and a lack of funk and oomph subsequent Temptations records would have.

Strong first song, the rest are just okay.

nice n jazzy just not my style

Decent in places

Cool

Pretty good album. The first few songs are pretty funky for a band I associate with doowop—I like it. The second half is a lot more of the more traditional stuff I was expecting, which is also pretty good. I’m more familiar with the earlier Temptations songs with the other lead singer. But the new guy has a cool rasp to his voice. It’s got a James Brown feel to it. The bass singer’s voice is also cool. I personally prefer the Marvin Gaye version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” but their version isn’t bad. A couple things I didn’t enjoy about the album—the falsetto guy’s voice gets very grating. Some of my favorite singers are famous for their falsetto, but this dude sounds like a whinier child Michael Jackson. The other issue I had is “Runaway Child, Running Wild” going for 9:30–completely unnecessary. I was crying for my mama by the end. I’d probably pick a few tracks rather than listen to the full album again, but I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on.

Enjoyable. Favourite track: Runaway Child, Running Wild.

I love The Temptations and lean toward the funk over the soul even though both are good. I had never listened to a complete Temptations album prior and while I liked it there were some surprises. I didn’t completely love this version of Heard it Through the Grapevine - surprising, right? Some tunes left me hungering for a tastier baseline that what it delivered. Other tunes were the perfect thing for grooving in my kitchen while cooking. A true mixed bag.

Bot too many outstanding tracks, but it's the Temptations.