Band: The Temptations
Album: Anthology
Why Rolling Stone gets it right: Well, the Temptations are one of the best vocal groups of their time period.
Why Rolling Stone gets it wrong: I think this is reasonable.
Best song: "My Girl" is great.
Worst song: "My Baby" isn't so great.
Is it awesome?: Sure.
This record isn't really in my wheelhouse. The Temptations, like other vocal groups of the time, are simply a nice group for the local oldies station. "My Girl" is a perfectly pleasant song and one that everyone loves.
The first disc has the classic vocal style of the band while the second disc has their funky, later work. Both are pretty good, but I can't speak to them much because it's all oldies to me.
1 comment:
To sweep the Temptations under the oldies carpet is almost akin to sweeping the Beatles under there. For a long time they were Motown's flagship, working with two of the most influential producers/song writers in the history of R&R, William Smokey Robinson and Norman Whitfield. Dylan regards the first as one of the greatest Pop poets of all time and the second was instrumental on politicizing Motown. Especially Whitfield’s material sounds fresh and some times controversial even today. Ball Of Confusion, Psychedelic Shack, Cloud Nine, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, though highly indebted to Sly Stone and George Clinton, are gems (dare I say masterpieces) in Funk-Soul writing if you ask me.
And that’s not even mentioning the extraordinary vocal talent of one David Ruffin or Eddie Kendricks.
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