The Temptations - All Directions (1972 us, classic soul funk psych, 2012 japan remaster)

The Temptations were Motown's top-selling male vocal group, racking up a ton of mid-60s hits, most of which were written by Smokey Robinson. Unique among the label's acts in that all the vocalists were able to sing lead, they succeeded with a variety of material, from ballads ("My Girl") to heavy R&B ("Ain't Too Proud To Beg"). Producer Norman Whitfield became the group's primary songwriter (with Barrett Strong), and starting around 1969 he led them into Sly Stone-inspired psychedelic funk, with lyrics that were increasingly insightful socio-political statements (including "Ball Of Confusion," which was only released as a single). 

It kept them at the top of the charts, but in fact the band's best records came before and after the psychedelic period: Whitfield's endless orchestral excursions and relentless wah-wah made albums like Psychedelic Shack difficult to sit through. While the band underwent rapid personnel changes, Whitfield moved on, and later produced popular but unambitious albums for Rose Royce ("Car Wash,""Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore")

by David Bertrand Wilson

The Temptations, like many other contemporary vocal groups, often had to cope with frequent changes in personnel. Not only did the outfit handle this well, the original group itself was a product of a line-up change or, more specifically, a merging of two groups: The Primes and The Distants. By the time of this 1972 release, after Motown’s creative prime had passed, many thought that the band, after an 11-year career, was dead. Then Damon Harris replaced Eddie Kendricks and they released Papa Was A Rolling Stone, a magnum opus of pop-funk spanning almost 12 minutes in length, which served as the central pillar of a cracking album that provided the Tempts with a new lease of life.

by Paul Rigby