Reflections

by

The Temptations

Edit

I'VE LISTERNED TO THE TEMPTS SINCE THE TIME THEY HAD DAVID RUFFIN AND EDDIE KENDRICKS. THROUGH THE YEARS THEY HAVE LOST AND ADDED MEMBERS DUE TO DEPARTURES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.THIS CD IS VERY SWEET ON SOME CUTS, LIKE Ooo BABY BABY, AIN'T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING,TRY IT BABY,AND HOW SWEET IT IS TO BE LOVED BY YOU. THEY ALSO JAM ON A LOT OF OTHER CUTS WHEN THEY WANTED TOO. THE ONLY SONG I RELLY DID'NT CARE THAT MUCH ABOUT WAS WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED BECAUSE NO ONE CAN ARRANGE THAT SONG LIKE THE ORIGINAL FUNK BROTHERS DID FOR JIMMY RUFFIN. YOU WILL LIKE THIS CD IF YOU LIKE GOOD HARMONY AND SWEET VOICES. THEY CAN STILL SING THIS OLD SCHOOL MUSIC THE WAY WE LIKE IT.

The problem that I have with this release is that none of the remakes is fresh. The arrangements do not differ too much from the originals and the sparseness of backing instrumention gives the album an "unplugged" feel without the soul. Even the vocals pale to previous albums from this incarnation of the legendary quintet. The Temps sound as if they are auditioning in front of Paula, Randy, and Simon!

As has been the case in the past decade or so, Otis Williams is the sole survivor from the group's heyday.

It's a shame that this follow-up to the 2004's four-star "Legend" is so weak.

If the guys want to know how to rework hits, they need to look no further than Dionne Warwick's 1998 release, "Dionne Sings Dionne," a masterpiece wherein the vocalist takes many of her signature songs and totally restructures them to satisfy a diverse and contemporary audience.

If the Temps were trying to appeal to a younger demographic, as well as their fan base, they failed grandly.