Temptations

The Temptations may restore my faith in institutions. The days of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks and other former Temptations may have passed, but THE TEMPTATIONS are still alive, making beautiful, soulful music. Their recent appearance at Bowen Fieldhouse was big showbiz, for sure, but it was also a hot soul band with plenty of horns and a cookin' rhythm section, great arrangements and choreography rehearsed to perfection, and five marvelous Motown singers. My biggest complaint was that they did not play long enough, and my next biggest complaint is that some of their routines in between tunes were too long. After that I run out of complaints and have only compliments. They did a good mix of tunes, some old and some new, all good. They made it clear that they are not the Temptations of 1964 but of 1974. This is no nostalgia act. Their sound is modern, and they can make a big production number like "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" sound just as good live as it does whizzing out at you from your quad rig. The five singers tossed the lead work around, displaying plenty of versatility and drive. I usually don't get off on slow, sweet Motown, but I heard some moving, soulful soprano work that I just really dug. And they can rock, too. The bass player understands that word FUNK, while the lead guitarist had his hard electric chops in a soulful sizzle. All in all a great SHOW with plenty of satisfying music, too. Tower of Power was the other act, and they turned in a good, long set of East Bay rockin' soul. Five horns and a good organist packs quite a punch and Tower of Power had plenty of that, plus some good though overly-long solo work. I think that most of their material was their own. and it was good. Not enough hits, yet, but give them a few more years. At six years old, this is a mature band, ready to break through big and really turn some more white kids on to soul music.