Search - Temptations :: Reunion

PRICED TOO HIGH

A MUSIC LOVER | 01/02/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I LOVE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING BY BRINGING EXCELLENT MUSIC TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. BUT, THE PRICE ON THIS CD IS JUST TOO HIGH TO BUY."

I expected more

The Fancy One | Westchester County, NY | 05/07/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, let me just say that after actually being fortunate enough to see the Temptations' Reunion not once, but TWICE in 1982 (once at Radio City Music Hall in July and the next time in October at Long Island's Westbury Music Fair), I felt blessed to witness something that I had missed back in the day because I was way too young to remember: Eddie Kendrick(s) and David Ruffin once again in the group that made their names famous. That in itself was a treat. They were absolutely AMAZING to see!!



This is why I can't comprehend just WHY Motown did not give the guys better material and promote the accompanying tour more! The best song on REUNION is undoubtedly the ten-minute long funk anthem "Standing On The Top" (written and produced by Rick James) - with "You Better Beware", an upbeat ballad, as a close second. Okay, I could understand the Smokey Robinson connection to this ("Backstage, "More On The Outside"), because he was the producer who gave the Tempts their first big hits, but these tunes were clearly not some of Smokey's finer works. The other songs ("Lock In The Pocket", "I've Never Been To Me", "Money's Hard To Get") are even less than mediocre - it's totally forgettable stuff that the group recorded during this time period. If you listened these tracks more than once, I give you props, because hearing them one time was enough for me. Because I own the original vinyl that only had seven songs on it, I have not had the opportunity to hear the last two extra cuts that are on the CD ("Like A Diamond In The Sky", "Don't Hold It In"), so I can't make any judgment on them. So for the most part, my review is based on the original LP issued in 1982.



The choice of some of the songs, producers, and the lead vocalists on this album is questionable. You have to wonder just why, other than Rick James and Smokey, no other popular contemporary Motown act (Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder in particular) was recruited to contribute material towards this project. Those guys were very hot during that time, and it seems logical to me that songs written and produced by Richie and Wonder could guarantee more than just one hit song from this album. Okay, maybe they weren't available. But instead you have some Gordy offspring trying his hand at production on a couple of cuts. Why, didn't a reunion of this group warrant a little more attention or perhaps more experienced songwriters/producers to work on this? Or could they even step outside of the in-house Motown Machine to secure the services of other producers, like what was done when Chic produced a Diana Ross album, which turned out to be one of her biggest? Neither could Motown retrieve Norman Whitfield to participate?? Apparently not. Shame on them. Any Tempts fan KNOWS that it was Whitfield's production that successfully carried the group for years throughout their transitional periods (personnel changes and musical tastes). It's evident to me that Berry Gordy Jr. had absolutely no interest in this project at all, thus allowing a golden opportunity to slip away. They dedicated this album to the late great former Tempt Paul Williams, but I'm sure Paul was rolling over in his grave at the travesty that this entire project was.



Dennis Edwards is the featured vocalist on about 90% of the songs ("Standing On The Top" is a group lead), whereas not making it any different from any other Temptations LP that came out since he joined the group. Isn't this album supposed to celebrate the return of David and Eddie? I really love Dennis, don't get me wrong, but why did David only have ONE lead ("You Better Beware", an excellent performance by him) and Eddie had NONE?? Come on, now! Those two guys were the most popular and celebrated leads the Tempts ever had, and this is how a "reunion" with them is celebrated?! If it weren't for them having their picture on the album cover, would anyone even notice that they were there?



Overall, I was expecting a lot more. The opportunity to make this a great and memorable event was missed, and REUNION turns out to be a disappointment. The whole project was just handled badly. As I said, "Standing on the Top" is the big attraction here, and if you can get your hands on "You Better Beware" too, then that's really all you need."

Never been to me

The Fancy One | 02/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this song speaks of life at its best, your ups and downs and helps to take stock of one self. there's a African saying that says the ins and outs of a road is enquired from those who have since travelled it."