It would be a gross understatement, of course, to say that the Temptations loom large over the history of American pop music. It would be even more of an understatement to say that they loom large over the musical heritage of my home state of Michigan. These guys, along with Berry Gordy, for all intents and purposes defined the Motown sound. Forged in 1961 of members of rival bands the Distants and the Primes, they re-named themselves "The Temptations" after learning that "The Elgins" had, fortuitously, already been claimed. And the rest is history... The band's best known numbers, from their "classic five" period, are represented here, of course: "The Way You Do the Things You Do," with Eddie Kendricks on lead, was the band's first top twenty hit. At producer Smokey Robinson's suggestion, David Ruffin sang lead on "My Girl," which gave the Temptations their first #1 spot on the pop charts. Ruffin would sing lead on most of the band's singles (the bulk of them written and produced by Norman Whitfield; Eddie Holland and Barrett Strong assisting with songwriting duties) until his firing in 1968 - Ruffin had by this time become a heavy cocaine user and was demanding top billing over the rest of the band - most notable among them "Since I Lost My Baby" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." David Edwards took over lead vocals following Ruffin's departure, and Whitfield steered the band into a funkier sound that borrowed heavily from Sly Stone. Much of the band's work from this period ('68-'71) today feels a bit forced, and certainly dated, but singles "I Can't Get Next to You," "Ball of Confusion" and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" hold up pretty well... It was in 1972, though, that the Temptations truly settled into their new form with "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "Masterpiece." After attempting to re-direct the band into more political territory, ála Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield, Whitfield was dismissed as producer, and the Temptations, left to produce their own material, lost their footing and fell from the charts, eventually making their way into the state fair and casino circuits. Remarkably, they weathered this turn of events reasonably well and remain a going concern to this day, Otis Williams being the lone surviving original member.
Some other thoughts:
#399, The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication: I find it hard to get all that excited about the Chili Peppers' work after Uplift Mofo Party Plan. I liked Mother's Milk well enough, as well as Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but much as I hate to say it, they really were at the top of their game when they were strung out on heroin (to be fair to Flea, he was never a junkie). That said, Californication isn't a bad record, and there are numbers that recall the funky spontaneity of their mis-spent youths, particularly "Get On Top," "I Like Dirt" and "Right On Time." And hey, don't get me wrong, more power to 'em for getting off dope and finding success...
#400, Nas' Illmatic: While essentially produced by committee (no fewer than six producers, including DJ Premiere, Pete Rock and Q-Tip, lent their talents to the record), Illmatic somehow retains a cohesive and generous feel, with heavy reliance on simple, functional beats and judicious use of samples giving the spotlight to Nas' precise and incisive rhymes.
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