Post by janebse on Oct 9, 2004 18:16:58 GMT -5
The Temptations and the Four Tops
Temptations croon classics without effort
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By Jeffrey Lee Puckett • October 5, 2004
jpuckett@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
As the rock, soul and rhythm & blues acts that dominated the 1960s continue to ease into retirement and beyond, there's one group of artists that maintains its luster better than most — those that recorded for Motown Records.
Motown was always a machine, churning out acts that were polished down to the last belt buckle. They were built to last by perfecting the look, moves, voices and, above all, the music.
The 2004 version of the Temptations that performed at the Louisville Palace Sunday night boasted only one original member in Otis Williams, but the sound and feel of the group have been gracefully maintained.
More important, the set list approached monumental. Here's the first 30 minutes, in order:
"I Can't Get Next to You," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Ball of Confusion," "I Wish It Would Rain," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "Standing on the Top – Part 1" and "Get Ready."
That list represents some serious history, and it doesn't even include a finale that featured "Don't Look Back" and "My Girl." If anyone needed reminding, the show firmly established that the Temptations' legacy is among the finest in pop music.
Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon and G.C. Cameron performed with a professional fire, singing with passion and twirling elegantly in matching lavender suits. Williams, who co-founded the group in 1961, must be tired of the routine, but he never lets on.
That's the Motown way: You give the people what they want, and give it to them good. The Temptations, along with Smokey Robinson, led the way.
The Four Tops, another staple of Motown's classic period, opened with a set that was fun but not nearly as exciting as the Tempts'. The group seems to have never recovered from the 1997 death of Lawrence Payton and Levi Stubbs' health problems, which prevent him from performing.
Still, "Bernadette" was a scorcher and Payton's replacement, former Temptation Theo Peoples, did a fiery version of Heatwave's "Always and Forever."
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Ah, yes, the Temptations are on fire. There's nothing old about them. They are the world's best. I'm really looking forward to my next concert. I understand their holiday concerts are already sold out.
Temptations croon classics without effort
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett • October 5, 2004
jpuckett@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
As the rock, soul and rhythm & blues acts that dominated the 1960s continue to ease into retirement and beyond, there's one group of artists that maintains its luster better than most — those that recorded for Motown Records.
Motown was always a machine, churning out acts that were polished down to the last belt buckle. They were built to last by perfecting the look, moves, voices and, above all, the music.
The 2004 version of the Temptations that performed at the Louisville Palace Sunday night boasted only one original member in Otis Williams, but the sound and feel of the group have been gracefully maintained.
More important, the set list approached monumental. Here's the first 30 minutes, in order:
"I Can't Get Next to You," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Ball of Confusion," "I Wish It Would Rain," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "Standing on the Top – Part 1" and "Get Ready."
That list represents some serious history, and it doesn't even include a finale that featured "Don't Look Back" and "My Girl." If anyone needed reminding, the show firmly established that the Temptations' legacy is among the finest in pop music.
Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon and G.C. Cameron performed with a professional fire, singing with passion and twirling elegantly in matching lavender suits. Williams, who co-founded the group in 1961, must be tired of the routine, but he never lets on.
That's the Motown way: You give the people what they want, and give it to them good. The Temptations, along with Smokey Robinson, led the way.
The Four Tops, another staple of Motown's classic period, opened with a set that was fun but not nearly as exciting as the Tempts'. The group seems to have never recovered from the 1997 death of Lawrence Payton and Levi Stubbs' health problems, which prevent him from performing.
Still, "Bernadette" was a scorcher and Payton's replacement, former Temptation Theo Peoples, did a fiery version of Heatwave's "Always and Forever."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ah, yes, the Temptations are on fire. There's nothing old about them. They are the world's best. I'm really looking forward to my next concert. I understand their holiday concerts are already sold out.
