THE TEMPTATIONS/A SONG FOR YOU SWX-6161 (-75) JAPAN

 When listening to and posting their twentyfourth album "Masterpiece" a while ago I wasn't all in, liking the arrangements and audio, but not overly enthused by the songwriting. This twentyseventh is a lot more to my taste and apparently also then more to the common taste, as it initially sold better, won the American Music Award for best soul/R&B album and also brought two US R&B #1 hits - "Happy People" and "Shakey Ground". I like the division of uptempo cuts on side one and soul ballads on side two. Also this sounds a lot more classic Temptations than on the "Masterpiece" album and the outcome as I hear it could have been done five or six years earlier. And the audio on this Japanese edition is just smashing. An all catchy and bracing experience. Hard to pick out absolute favs, but if I have to it'll be the up-tempo positive "Happy People", the heavy bass-tight "Shakey Ground" plus the caressing "A Song For You" and "Memories". Still classic Motown as late as 1975. Issued and reissued pretty much all over the world on every possible format through the years. Premiere US on Gordy (G6 969S 1). First Japanese had label as shown here in a fully laminated top flap cover with obi and lyric/info insert. (ÄZÄ*)  (TÖMÖ*)  (ÄIÖ*)