Puzzle People – THE TEMPTATIONS***

Can’t Get Next To You/Hey Jude/Don’t Let The Joneses Get You Down/Message From A Black Man/Its Your Thing/Little Green Apples/You Don’t Love Me No More/Since I’ve Lost You/Running Away(Ain’t Gonna Help You)/That’s The Way Love Is/Slave

A generous helping of late 1960s psychedelic soul from The Temptations, plus some rather dubious covers. Puzzle People includes the US No. 1 hit single I Can’t Get Next To You plus the US No. 20 Don’t Let The Joneses Get You Down. (US:5 UK:20)

“I'm not quite sure what to make of this. Even with some in your face scorchers such as I Can't Get Next To You and Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down, it feels like Norman Whitfield tried too hard to consolidate rather than press for the gold. Hey Jude belongs in the same mould as In A Mellow Mood, It's Your Thing finds Dennis, struggling to put his mark on someone else's song. Message from A Black Man, powerful and defiant as it is, might have worked better on a less self conscious LP. Good outweighs bad only by the tightest of margins here.”

“Several Temptations classics from their psychedelic soul period. There are tracks here that might appear to be filler such as Little Green Apples, Hey Jude, and even It's Your Thing. But the arrangements, both musically and vocally, lift these tracks into something special.”

“Eclectic, psychedelic, funky soul from The Temptations, even by their standards this is varied, ranging from the light social consciousness of Message From A Black Man and Slave, through the rocking dance floor orientated I Can't Get Next To You, to the cheesy but innovative covers of Hey Jude and Little Green Apples. There’s never a dull moment here.”

“This is one of the cornerstones of psychedelic soul, ranging from the political defiance of Message From A Black Man to the funk of Slave, to driving jams like Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down, to a fun quasi-barbershop reworking of Hey Jude. Diverse, eye-opening and fun.”

“Norman Whitfield and The Temptations were a match made in musical heaven. The Temptations were on a roll with new member Dennis Edwards. This album covered it all - love, respect and pride. A faultless listen from beginning to end, and in my personal opinion the best album they made.”