Meet The Temptations – THE TEMPTATIONS***

The Way You Do The Things You Do/I Want A Love I Can See/Dream Come True/Paradise/May I Have This Dance/Isn’t She Pretty/Just Let Me Know/Your Wonderful Love/The Further You Look The Less You See/Check Yourself/Slow Down Heart/Farewell My Love

Meet The Temptations was the debut album from the legendary Motown vocal group The Temptations, mostly comprising failed singles, although The Way You Do The Things You Do reached the US top twenty. (US:95)

“For a first release on Motown, consisting mostly of failed singles, I wasn’t expecting to have much in the way of praise for this album, but it’s actually fairly decent. The Way You Do The Things You Do is a minor classic, with those clever but simple Smokey Robinson lyrics and a great performance from the group. The best track here is Check Yourself, with passionate vocals and a wonderful segue from slow-ballad to uptempo pop. The rest of the album isn’t up to the same level but none of the songs are terrible, with the group giving consummate, professional yet soulful performances on all the tracks, with nothing sounding rushed or under rehearsed.”

“All twelve songs are nicely done and display the group's harmonizing and phrasing which were a hallmark of their success over the years.”

“This is a surprisingly strong album and shows the early Temptations for the capable group that they were, with some singles I can’t believe weren’t hits. Meet The Temptations has a few good early tracks that are difficult to find elsewhere, and should appeal to fans of The Temptations or early Motown in general.”

“This album showcases what a great lead singer Paul Williams was, a fact which many Temptations' fans are maybe unaware.”

“This is a historic LP that chronicles the beginning of a supergroup. If you are a Temptations purist, then this is a must have.”

“The music is brilliant but sometimes spotty. Still it's far better than one might expect given that this is a debut and that Motown albums are not held in high esteem by most critics. Although, the only hit here is the brilliant The Way You Do The Things You Do, there are many other tracks that approach it in quality.”