Within po-faced music cliques, any band that has the temerity to leave your actual playing of instruments and song writing duties to others, is instantly dismissed as manufactured. This is blatantly absurd and for irrefutable proof, look no further than The Temptations who rightly rank alongside The Beatles, Velvets, Clash, Smiths and Nirvana as one of the greatest groups in pop history.
'At Their Very Best' does exactly what it says on the tin. Spanning four decades, this double CD charts The Temptations legacy, ranging from artful Smokey-penned hits such as 'The Way You Do The Things You Do', through mind-blowing masterpieces like 'Cloud Nine' to a selection of slightly less inspiring recent offerings.
During the early stages of their Motown career (196466), the temptin' Temptations were teamed with that supreme craftsman, Smokey Robinson. All the Smokey hits are here, with the emphasis on deftly spun gossamer balladry, 'My Girl', 'Since I Lost My Baby' and 'It's Growing'. Simply swoon at the guys' complex doo-wop derived harmonies, Robinson's exquisite vignettes and David Ruffin's husky 'Sam Cooke-like' croon.
Norman Whitfield succeeded Robinson in 1966 as Temps producer and songwriter. Check out the likes of 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg', '(I Know) I'm Losing You' and 'You're Everything' to hear how he injected a frisson of urban grit into the Temps' sophisticated sound. Ironically, the biggest hit in the first two years of their partnership was a ballad, the brooding, regret etched 'I Wish It Would Rain', whose dramatic moodiness was heightened by the subtle use of sound effects.
By '68, Whitfield was tuning into the burgeoning psychedelic movement, with a particular fondness for Sly And The Family Stone's unique fusion of rock 'n' soul. Possessed by this pioneering spirit, he and new wordsmith Barrett Strong, embarked upon a radical new direction.
During the next 5 years The Temptations released a succession of cinemascopic soul symphonies, including 'Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)', 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone', and 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)', that lyrically and musically bulldozed the boundaries of soul and helped inspire the next generation of black trail-blazers.
Whitfield's departure in 1975, coupled with countless personnel changes, meant that The Temps would never burn so brightly again. Hence, the spot-on decision to include only a handful of post-70's tracks here.
Tragically, four members of the classic Temps line-up are now deceased, with Otis Williams the sole survivor. However, the best of their 60's and 70's repertoire dazzles to this day. Timeless.
