Solid Rock - THE TEMPTATIONS***

Take A Look Around/Ain't No Sunshine/Stop The War Now/What It Is/Smooth Sailing From Now On/Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)/Its Summer/The End Of Our Road

The Temptations Solid Rock album was released at the height of the group’s psychedelic soul era which producer Norman Whitfield had steered them towards. Recent personnel changes were not for the better according to some critics. (US:24 UK:34)

"Take A Look Around isn't often mentioned as one of their better tracks, but it's a good balance between what Whitfield wanted the Temptations to be and the group’s own inclinations. The vocal harmonies are kept front and centre; the psychedelia, while low-key, is there in the harpsichord and the burbling arrangement.”

“The record delicately balances Whitfield's more pop and funky tendencies well. By this point in The Temptations' story, producer Norman Whitfield had taken over the plot with his ornate arrangements and impeccable production aesthetic. Solid Rock lacks a huge single, but that's a good thing, as this ends up being one of their more consistent records. Their take on Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine builds well and features stunning guitar work. Stop The War manages to work, even at twelve minutes in length it never overstays its welcome. The second side boasts some of the group's diamonds in the rough.”

“It is pretty fun in the beginning but lacks some kind of kick into it, the lyrics are quite poor and there is little originality.”

“This is a significant album in the history of the Temptations, as it is the first produced after the departure of Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. However, Damon Harris wasn't exactly a smooth replacement for Kendricks, and replacing the solid baritone voice of Paul Williams with the whiney high tenor of Richard Street completely ruined The Temptations sound.”

“Like a lot of the Motown albums of the era, it feels more like a Norman Whitfield solo album than a Temps album. It was released during the height of his psychedelic soul era and it's terrific. The standout tracks are Stop The War which has a beat and tempo that could be charted as a bell curve--it's gradually builds and gradually fades; as well as Superstar and Take A Look Around which is an appeal against the destruction brought by drugs to the inner city.”