​Moving Violation was the Jackson 5's final album at Motown Records. This album is special for several reasons – it was Jermaine's last album with the group until the Victory album 9 years later, you hear Michael's voice in the final stages of changing, and lastly, the music is quite good! Since the J5 were leaving Motown on a bad note, Motown refused to promote this album, which is a shame because the tracks here are almost consistently good. All I Do Is Think Of You was featured on this album. If it had been promoted better, the quiet storm ballad could have been a hit. But more on that later.

The album picks up where Dancin Machine left off but boldly continues that in that musical direction. While Get It Together and Dancin Machine took tentative steps toward dance music while retaining the J5 bubblegum sound, Moving Violation is unapologetic as it ventures deep into funk and dance grooves, finally abandoning the group’s bubblegum sound.

This might have been a risky move at the time but I feel it was necessary. The group’s young fans were growing up right along with them. They couldn’t sing ABC and I Want You Back forever. I mean literally. Michael couldn’t. With his voice maturing, the music had to follow suit.

On a similar note, you hear the change in Michael's voice begin on Get It Together and Dancin' Machine, but there were still hints of “baby Michael,” though the high notes were becoming reduced as he lost his range.

​By the time this album was recorded, there was no more “baby” in Michael's voice, and it only makes sense that there shouldn't be any more “baby” in the music either.

​If you watch the group’s live performances from this time period, you’ll see that the musicians dropped the key of the trademark J5 hits. Michael was also creative about losing his range. Rather than even risk the high notes, Michael would growl, hiccup, shout, squeal and do other antics. As an adult, he put these vocal ticks on his solo albums.

Aside from a few growls on Honey Love, there's none of that on this album. Even the falsetto cry Michael introduced us to on the Off The Wall album hadn’t been developed yet. This was Michael singing naturally; raw and from the soul.

Even though the “little Michael” high notes were now a thing of the past, I think it was clear here that Michael was still very much a great singer, and his voice change didn’t automatically doom the group.

Jermaine was already gone by the time this album was released. This is one of the group's first performances without him. Listen also to how Michael adapts to his changing voice. You can tell Off The Wall and Thriller were around the corner.

Falsetto is a very popular tool, especially in soul music. Legends from Marvin Gaye to Prince to Michael Jackson have among the most recognizable falsetto voices in music history. 

Every man has the ability to pull off a falsetto, which is a manipulation of the vocal cords to expand your vocal range. 

But in this era, it is not considered "masculine" to use this part of the human voice. This is a real shame, because some of the best male singers in history (Freddie Mercury, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, etc) were known for their high soaring vocals.

In 2002, there were four major questions before Justin Timberlake dropped his first solo album, Justified.

1. Could he make it without his N'Sync buddies?
2. Could he succeed in his attempts to create true R&B grooves?
3. Could he nail almost an entire album using the airy falsetto sound, a technique he rarely attempted with N'Sync?

     4. Was he still crying over Britney? 

That last one is a half joke, but was a real concern to some people at the time, believe it or not. Ahh, good ole' 2002. 

I'll briefly review my favorite Justified tracks, but I will first go on record as saying that I've always had a soft spot for this album.

The reason? It sounds like the 2002 version of Michael Jackson's classic Off The Wall album. A 21 year-old Michael Jackson released Off The Wall in August 1979 and it generated several hits including “Don't Stop Til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You,” “Off The Wall” “Girlfriend” and “She's Out Of My Life.”


Just as Justin was taking big risks with Justified, Michael was doing the same thing when he recorded Off The Wall. He was experimenting with his songwriting and attempting to create his own sound, one that was different from the sound he had with his brothers, The Jacksons. All of the Michael Jackson trademarks we eventually came to know and love (the hiccups, the falsetto, the growling) all came to the forefront on this album.

​With Quincy Jones producing the project and songs written by Michael, Rod Temperton, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Tom Bahler, Off The Wall had no chance of losing.

Despite this, Off The Wall was Michael's first adult solo album and his teenage solo albums at Motown didn't do well. A lot was on the line here. Looking back at it now, I can't see Off The Wall being a failure. But back then, it looked like somewhat of a possibility, especially considering Michael's one attempt at becoming a movie star failing with The Wiz just two years prior.

The influence of Michael's sound is all over Justin's album. The lush grooves and melodies of the songs strongly recall the sound of the Off The Wall album, and, just as Michael did, Justin developed a habit of sliding his voice into a crying falsetto over the instrumentation.

As I alluded to earlier, falsetto is considered a real crack in masculinity. But the good news is that a lot of women are attracted to that form of vulnerability, which is why Smokey Robinson and Prince could seduce basically any woman they wanted. A  good falsetto vocal could express a wail of hurt that a baritone never could. It's amazing how such a soft and quiet voice generates real power with women and record sales. 

Michael used the falsetto sometimes throughout his career, (Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Butterflies) but Justin took this one part of Michael's sound and expanded on it, using it twice as much as his moonwalking idol.

Michael used to layer his background vocals, which resulted in him sounding like a small choir of twin brothers, some with higher and lower voices. Throughout the album, Justin delicately stacks his background harmonies the same way.

Quincy used his "Killer Q Posse" to record Off The Wall. The Killer Q' Posse consisted of John "JR" Robinson on drums, Louis Johnson on Bass, Greg Phillinganes on keyboards, Bruce Swedien as the engineer and Rod Temperton as the head songwriter. The Neptunes used the digital technology available to them to record the Justified songs, but they still played real instruments enough to give the songs an authentic funk feel that I'll elaborate more on later.

Justin and the Neptunes had been listening to Off The Wall and Thriller very carefully. They understood the Michael Jackson sound of those albums.

I also have to point out that the Neptunes originally wrote some of these songs with Michael Jackson in mind, but his then-manager rejected them, so the songs instead were recorded by Justin and Usher.

​
​Senorita:

A brilliant hybrid of latin and funk soul, punctuated by Pharell Williams' live drumming and the use of a live trombone. The melodic melody to the bridge of the song (“When I look into your eyes, I see something that money can't buy...) is a real play out of the Rod Temperton songbook. The falsetto harmonies during that part strongly recall Michael Jackson. 

Like I Love You:

The album's lead single. It's a standard catchy pop tune. Again, Pharrell adds some real funk to the track by playing live drums, and the song is driven by guitar. The grooves of the song may stay with you when it's over. But again, it's those Michael Jackson influences that make it stand out. Justin explodes into his “Michael Jackson” voice during the bridge. “I JUST WANNA LOVE YA, BABEH!!" Justin also incorporated Jackson-esque harmonies as his background vocals.


Last Night:


While Justin showed the Jackson influences in spurts on the previous songs I mentioned, he went all-out on this one. I could so easily hear Michael singing this song. “Remember girl when I was your maaan.”  The Michael-Meter is exploding here. There's nothing bad I can say about this track. It's one of my favorites.


Cry Me A River:

The Neptunes produced the majority of the tracks on the album, but it was Timbaland who was behind the boards for Justified's biggest hit, “Cry Me A River.” It's a dark track, haunted by Timbaland's thumping beat and beat-boxing. Legend has it that this song was written about a certain lady named Britney Spears. Certainly, this song was a hint of what was to come on Justin's future albums, as he and Timbland would collaborate almost frequently and this overall sound became more of a focus.


Rock Your Body

This was one of the Neptunes-penned songs that was supposed to go to Michael Jackson for his “Invincible” album but instead wound up here. It's another song that strongly mimics the post-disco sound and melodies of an Off The Wall era song. I initially liked it, but it got overplayed. However, here is a great recording of Pharrell teaching Justin the bridge of the song.

I'll never forget riding in the car with my mother in the fall of 2001 and hearing You Rock My World for the first time. Michael Jackson hadn't released a new single in a long time, and we had to really listen hard to make sure we were fooling ourselves. But there is no mistaking Michael's voice.

I liked the groove of the song...it reminded me of Michael's earlier music from back in the day. I remember feeling excited....the King of Pop was back!! I was also excited when, a few weeks earlier, Michael made a surprise appearance with N'Sync at the Video Music Awards. Michael had also been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame earlier that year as a solo artist. It seems he had been easing his way into a comeback, and now things were official with a new single out.

I'll never forget sitting down after school and listening to the album from start to finish for the first time. Early on in the experience I was really enjoying myself. I remember thinking to myself, "This is another Dangerous!"  The album is front-loaded with R&B and street songs, which gradually give way to the pop tracks during the second half.

Once Butterflies hit radio waves, I'll never forget my sister and so many of my high school buddies saying this exact sentence; "Michael sounds black again!"

To be fair, Michael never entirely abandoned his R&B and Soul roots, but he no doubt paid more attention to the pop universe after Thriller launched him into supernatural orbits. So I can definitely understand why so many black people I knew were saying that. Invincible appeared to be a long-awaited return to form for Michael.

But the album as a whole left me somewhat disappointed. I've never quite got in tune with this album, and after listening to it in its entirety the other day for the first time in probably two years, I realize what the problems are.

I remember the premiere of most of Michael Jackson's videos, and You Rock My World was no exception. While it was entertaining, it wasn't anything we hadn't seen from him before. With his fedora and recycled dance moves, the video resembled a modern remake of Smooth Criminal. Chris Tucker is my favorite comedian and he had great chemistry with Michael, but that's the only fresh thing about the video. Marlon Brando makes a cameo but he's only on screen for a few seconds and has one line. My feelings then are the same as they are now; Michael was capable of producing something much better and more original. With each album Michael re-invented himself and set the bar higher. But this time he failed to do so.
​

​At the time, I thought this was an album of all-new Michael Jackson material. But this is only half true; while Michael's voice being on the tracks was new, many of the tracks themselves were not. Here are a few examples..

Heaven Can Wait is a great song, and it was nice to hear Michael return to an urban R&B sound, which he gradually abandoned over the years. This is my favorite song on the album, particularly his growling and pleading during the climax. I view this song as a sequel to The Lady In My Life from Thriller.

I liked the '90s feel of the track. With Teddy Riley producing, it sounded like it wouldn't be out of place on a BLACKstreet album.

But thanks to the internet, I now I know why it sounds like a BLACKstreet song...it originally was!! Here is a link to the demo. There's not much difference between the BLACKstreet version and Michael's.

Aside from You Rock My World, Butterflies is likely the most popular song on the album. It wound up being a hit without a video, which says a lot about the strength of the song. Butterflies was released as a single at the perfect time and should have been promoted better. During the fall of 2001, the neo-soul sound was replacing modern R&B. Maxwell, Angie Stone, Jill Scott, D'Angelo and others dominated radio waves. Floetry, another popular neo-soul act, wrote the song. With its Bacharach-era horn arrangements and Michael's confident voice soaring in falsetto, Butterflies was a winner. 

But like some of the other songs here, it's basically a cover song. Floetry's original demo of the track is not too different from Michael's version. If you really listen, you can hear some of Marsha Ambrosius' original background vocals and adlibs still intact on Michael's version.  

This would have been another surefire hit and in my opinion should have been the lead single. No one would have expected a track like this from Michael Jackson, and it would have been a brilliant surprise track for a comeback. Carlos Santana is the featured guitarist here and was on top of his game. What a missed opportunity! 

The song tells a nice story of loyalty between two lovers. I love the latin grooves and guitar showmanship of Santana, but I'm no fan of Michael's singing here. All he does is growl, snarl and stutter through the track.

​But the song is another cover song, and like Butterflies, it sounds almost spot on like the original version. They basically just added Michael's voice and Santana on guitar.

​Another favorite of mine. These are the kinds of R&B ballads we'd been missing from Michael. One can't help but notice how age and time have affected Michael's voice and style. 43 year-old Michael sung this differently than the 23 year-old Michael would have, but that's not a bad thing. The song was recorded in a low key, giving Michael's voice plenty of space to shudder, hiccup, float, growl or whatever else he attempts to convey. The song is a tropical groove. Like an older Jackson ballad (Liberian Girl) we're greeted by birds at the start of the song.

Dr. Freeze is my personal favorite producer to work with Michael. The three songs they collaborated on, (Break of Dawn, Blue Gangsta and A Place With No Name) are all among my favorite Michael Jackson songs of all time. Freeze has a knack for melodic grooves and patterns that repeat themselves and hook you in.

On each song they collaborated on, Freeze sang the background vocals and did so in a thick, choral way that added more depth to the songs. (Freeze said in an interview that Michael loved Freeze's background vocals so much  that he just left them as is)

But unlike the other demos, this one came a long way. Michael and Freeze actually put in some work here and completely reworked this song...the only remains of the weird demo are the chords.

​On Invincible, there are times when Michael ends up sounding like a guest singer on his own album. There are only two songs written and produced by Jackson alone - Speechless and The Lost Children.

R. Kelly, Babyface, Rodney Jerkins, Teddy Riley, Andre Harris and Dr. Freeze all make contributions to this album, and as a result the Michael Jackson magic gets lost at times. For starters, Michael started having other people singing background vocals with him. Those signature Michael Jackson harmonies are solely missing on this album; You Rock My World may be the only song where he sung all the vocals.

We only get a signature "Hee-Hee" one time on the whole album, and that was on the song, Privacy. The different producers and writers on the album were leading Michael in different directions and it was as if he wanted to please all audiences so he allowed them to have their way. The result is an uneven collection of songs, especially on the second half of the album.

When you reference Michael's earlier solo albums, you'll notice that he worked best with just one producer. This is why Off The Wall, Thriller and BAD were so consistent as albums- the tracklists were shorter, and Michael was able to establish a set sound with Quincy that flowed throughout those albums.

Hiring all of these outsiders was a mistake. You Are My Life is easily the worst song Babyface ever wrote in his life. How the hell did this weepy song make the album? The R.Kelly contribution, Cry, is a blatant remake of Man in The Mirror, right down to the repeating "Woo!"s at the climax of the song.

Break of Dawn was a brilliant song, as was Butterflies. I can't help but feel that if Michael worked solely with Dr. Freeze or Andre Harris, the entire album would have maintained the sound of those songs. That's the album we thought we were going to get, and the album we needed.
​

​Timing is everything, and the bottom line is that they took too long working on Invincible. Each of the Rodney Jerkins tracks already sounded outdated by the time the album was released.

The digital bouncy beats produced by Jerkins sounded just like the material he was producing in the late '90s for artists like Joe, Destiny's Child, Brandy, etc. You Rock My World was recorded in October 1999, and you can tell by listening to it. By 2001 when it was released, the song was already two years old.

Also, Rodney and Michael were attempting to mimic the sounds that Timbaland had been using during the late '90s and early 2000s. The sharp hi-hat patterns on Heartbreaker are the same ones heard on the Jay-Z song Jigga What?​ Likewise, the "burping" bass effect on Heartbreaker was borrowed from Pony by Ginuwine. (Both songs were produced by Timbaland). But again, by 2001, Timbaland had already long moved on from that digital percussive sound. 

R&B had changed by 2001 and the neo-soul sound was taking off, which is why Butterflies was one of the few songs on the album that sounded current at that time. Invincible (especially the Rodney Jerkins-produced tracks) would have fared much better if it had been released in 1999. 

​While Invincible is MJ's most flawed album in my opinion, that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot to like about it. Michael's last true R&B albums were Off The Wall and Thriller (although both albums had their pop moments). Some of the songs on Invincible (particularly Break of Dawn, Heaven Can Wait and Butterflies) were the most soulful we've heard him since those albums. This was the closest thing to a pure R&B album we had from Michael since Thriller. 

I like how Michael tried new things vocally on this album. An obvious example being the song 2000 Watts, where Michael's voice is oddly pitched noticeably deeper. To this day, fans disagree about whether his voice was digitally deepened as an effect for the song or if Michael naturally sung it that way. Regardless, it's a standout moment. Michael's crying falsetto on Butterflies is another. These are vocal surprises no one expected. 

Speaking of vocal surprises, Michael's speaking voice also underwent a temporary change around this time. His voice on the intro to You Rock My World is not the childish whisper we're used to hearing from Michael. He also spoke with a more resonant voice in the music video. If this was a ploy to realistically embrace a new audience and appear less weird, I think it was an admirable attempt. The elusive Peter Pan persona was not winning people over in the 2000s.

You Rock My World wasn't a bad song, and it was a nice modern twist on the sound Michael had when he worked with Quincy Jones. The structure of the song and the way he sung it reminds me of Remember The Time, however. 

Speechless is another album highlight. Because he wrote and produced the track by himself, it is one of the few "pure Michael" moments on the album. We needed much more of this.

Speechless and Butterflies remind you that the man could still sing. Both songs (especially Butterflies) showed that Michael still had the same falsetto voice that accompanied the lush grooves on Off The Wall and Thriller.

Speechless opens in acapella, a rare treat for a Michael Jackson album. As his adult career went on, Michael become more a dancer who sang rather than a singer who danced. Some of these songs are a good reminder that although he adjusted his style as he aged, he could still sing as good as anybody.

More so than the music, Invincible reminds me of exactly what was going on in my life at that time. I was in the 10th grade, learning how to drive, and I had my first date just days before the album dropped. America was still recovering from 9/11, and Chris Jericho had just finally won "the big one" by defeating The Rock at WWE No Mercy.

Even though overall the album disappointed me, it reminds me of what life was like as a 15 year-old during that breezy fall of 2001.

I got word that legendary singer Damon Harris passed away a few hours ago. For those who don't know him, Damon filled the shoes of the late Eddie Kendricks in The Temptations in 1971. There's been no confirmation on the cause of death yet, but I'm assuming it was prostate cancer, which Damon had been battling since 1999. Billy Wilson of the Motown Alumni Association confirmed Damon's passing.

If you're not a Temptations fan, you should be. This is a group where every singer has a unique tone and style, yet they blend so well together and any of the five singers can take a lead. The original (or "Classic 5") lineup of The Temptations included the gravely-voiced David Ruffin, baritone Paul Williams, baritone/second tenor Otis Williams, bass singer Melvin Franklin and Eddie Kendricks singing the first tenor/falsetto parts. With their sharp outfits and graceful choreography, The Temptations were excellent showmen and considered by some to be the first "boy band."  Their harmonies were unmistakable, featuring Melvin's thunderous bass voice on the bottom with Eddie's delicate falsetto on top.

Just My Imagination turned out to be Kendricks' swan song with The Temptations. For personal and professional reasons, Eddie quit the group in 1971 for a solo career. The Tempts initially replaced him with Ricky Owens, who, according to founding member Otis Williams, danced awkwardly and made a horrible debut on stage. (By this time, Otis and Melvin were the only original members remaining. Dennis Edwards replaced David Ruffin in 1968 and Richard Street previously succeeded Paul Williams).

Eddie's departure from the group is what opened the opportunity for Damon Harris to join. Born Otis Robert Harris Jr in July 1950, Damon was a huge fan of Motown while growing up. But no one had an impact on him more than Eddie Kendricks. He developed a pure falsetto singing voice that was a spot-on impersonation of his idol and sung in different vocal groups as a teenager. In 1971, Damon, who lived in Baltimore, heard from a friend that the Tempts were at a hotel in Washington and  were looking for a new tenor. Even though Washington is 45 minutes south of Baltimore, Damon made it there in 15. 

Damon auditioned for the group and was immediately well-liked by everyone but Otis, who at first spoke out against Damon out of frustration. During Damon's audition, Otis sat turned away from the frustrated 20 year-old with his chin tucked into his palm. "I didn't know whether he was going to laugh or not," said Damon. "I got mad and consequently, I sang the hell out of the song." Damon was voted into the group, where he nervously addressed everyone as "Mr. Williams," "Mr. Franklin," "Mr. Street," and "Mr. Edwards" until Otis jokingly told him to stop. (Upon joining the group, Damon decided not to use his real name because the Tempts already had a member named Otis).

It took a while for the young singer to get over his jitters. "I was shocked," he once said. "I felt undeserving. It was Eddie's position." Though the other Temptations were a decade older than him, Harris caught on well with the dance moves and blended in with the group's sound because of his uncanny impersonation of Kendricks.

Later that year, Damon debuted nicely on Take A Look Around on The Solid Rock album. Have a listen.

During the live shows, Damon tore into the songs that were Eddie's trademarks, including the driving rocker Get Ready, the sweet The Way You Do The Things You Do, and the gorgeous ballad, Just My Imagination. However, Damon left his own stamp on the group during his time as a Temptation. Though he was only in The Temptations for a short time, Damon was there during times of triumph and tragedy for the group. With Damon's falsetto soaring high, The Temptations won three Grammy Awards for Papa Was A Rolling Stone. His vocals are also present on Superstar, (Remember How You Got Where You Are), Plastic Man, Love Woke Me Up This Morning, Masterpiece, and other tracks recorded by the group from 1971 until 1975. While attending Damon's wedding in 1973, the group was informed that former Temptation Paul Williams died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. There were also problems in the recording studio with Norman Whitfield and Jeffrey Bowen, who were producing hits for the Tempts but also becoming increasingly difficult to work with.

By 1975, Damon was not the sweet and easygoing guy he was when he first joined The Temptations. According to Otis Williams, Damon developed a bad attitude and talked back not just to Williams, but Motown Founder Berry Gordy, Jr. "I do not like his attitude," Berry told Otis. "You all get rid of him."  The other Tempts' patience finally ran out when Damon made arrogant statements onstage during a concert. "The change that came over him was caused by the usual thing: the inability to deal with suddenly having money and being a star," Otis said in his memoirs. "A couple times we tried to talk to him, but nothing seemed to penetrate."

For his part, Damon was shocked that the ride ended so quickly and suddenly. "I’ve only just recently learned why,” Damon said several years ago. “I always thought it was something I said to Motown’s Berry Gordy. Turns out it was a problem with Otis that I had no clue even existed. I was crushed. I kept asking myself what I was going to do now. I had a new marriage and a new son to support. I wanted to be a Temptation until I got old. I was on the top of the world and then, brutally and without warning, at 25 I was yesterday’s news.”

As new Temptation Glenn Leonard filled Damon's shoes in The Temptations, Damon joined the group Impact but they broke up after two albums that failed to make a splash. In 1978 he released his only solo album, Silk. The album consisted of breezy, light pop tracks that fit Damon's ethereal falsetto to a tee. Listen to the title track and hear it for yourself.

Note how Damon's lead vocals are delicately layered during the verses, an effect also used by Harris' former label-mates Marvin Gaye on Give It Up and Michael Jackson on Don't Stop Til You Get Enough.

During the late 1970s, Damon ran into his idol Eddie Kendricks and surprisingly found himself angry at his hero. Damon didn't hesitate to speak his mind. "I told him, 'Eddie, you should have never left the group. You took something from me as a fan.'"

Damon's father died from prostate cancer eight months after he left The Temptations. Harris discovered that he had the same condition during the late 90's and succumbed to it a few hours ago. “Look, cancer is what it is. I know my time is now very short, and I’m just thankful to have God and to be able to somehow have the care that I have,” he said in December. He was disillusioned about the possibility of death, even refusing to reach out for help from Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder or anyone else from his musical past. "I’m realistic," he said. "You can say you hope to see me here in five years, but I’m telling you I don’t expect that. I’m preparing as best as I can.” 

The parallels between Damon Harris and Eddie Kendricks are shockingly alike, but they don't end with their similar voices and success with The Temptations; at times both men had issues with Motown, Gordy, and Otis. They both bravely fought cancer until they couldn't fight it anymore. Over 30 years of chain smoking resulted in lung cancer for Kendricks. After getting a lung removed, Eddie briefly thought he beat it but the cancer had already spread to the other lung. I've read that Eddie used to educate young people on the hazards of smoking before his death. Similarly, Damon Harris founded the The Damon Harris Cancer Foundation to help spread the awareness of prostate cancer. He tells his story in the video below. 

The Temptations released their 49th album last year. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm a huge fan of those brothers, but I'm not too happy with their recent releases and current line-up. For those reasons, I sat this one out. Last week, I finally decided to give the new album a listen and I was knocked out. I needed some  exciting new music in my life, and the album was a pleasant surprise. I can't stop listening to it. I saw The Tempts in concert back in 2007, and I'm going to make sure I see them again.

For those who don't know, Otis Williams is the group leader and the only original member. He is a 2nd tenor/baritone, and many suggest that his voice is the key to their sound. To this day, fans have mixed feelings about Otis, blaming him for the frequent line-up changes over the years. But others (myself included) respect him for starting the group and keeping them together for all these years.

Before I start my review, I'll have to reveal the line-up for people who are unfamiliar with the present Temptations. The group has always had the same format--5 singers with unique styles, any one of whom can take a lead. In addition to Williams, the group consists of..

Bruce Williamson-- The growling baritone, filling the shoes of the late David Ruffin.

Terry Weeks-- 2nd Tenor/Baritone, serves as a secondary lead singer and youngest member of the group.

Ron Tyson--The group's 1st Tenor/Falsetto

Joe Herndon--Bass Singer. He sounds identical to the Temptations' original bass man, Melvin Franklin.

Those masculine harmonies sound the same no matter what singers enter and exit the group.

Now for the music. Most of the songs here are adult contemporary R&B, with some throwbacks to traditional soul.


A Change has Come-- The music on this celebratory track is a fusion of hard rock and funk, while the lyrics express the joy of Barack Obama becoming president. Bruce Williamson takes the lead, singing the track in his usual aggressive style. Not a bad song, but not a great one either. The great music begins to emerge on the next track.

One Kind Of Lady-- Here is where the album really picks up. This is the polished, melodic form of R&B that is missing from today's radio. Bruce Williamson finally proves that he can sing without screaming, as he cushions his raspy vocals on this track. Williamson is counter-pointed by Terry Weeks on lead, and the group's harmonies are as gorgeous as ever. There's a synthesized horn solo towards the end of the song. The song has everything going for it. This track has a smooth groove and gets repeated listens from this reviewer. 
***** (5 Stars)


Let Me Catch Your Diamonds-- This ballad is another gem led by Terry and Bruce. Again we have synthesized horn arrangements. You can't help but notice the beautiful piano chords during the verses. The huskiness of Bruce's voice gives the delicate song an edge. In fact, his passionate vocals remind me of GC Cameron, who preceded him as lead singer. The harmonies are excellent as usual, but this time around, Ron blesses the listener with his sweet falsetto ad-libs.
**** (4 1/2 Stars)

Hold Me--This track is opened with a narration by the purring bass singer, who sounds almost identical to Barry White. We have another ballad here, but like the previous one, it's very charming. Terry sings the lead, while Ron tackles the bridge. Otis does a rap, and even sings a bit of lead towards the end. Again, we've got another smooth track. Soul music at its best.
**** (4 Stars)

Warm Summer Night--This is a dance number in the tradition of R. Kelly's Step In The Name Of Love. Ron sings the lead, often alternately between his natural head voice and falsetto. His voice has a silky smoothness reminiscent of Ronald Isley. There are steel drums on this track, giving it a rare Caribbean feel. There's also a charming piano solo. This song has a lot of alluring qualities. The only setback is that the entire group isn't singing the backgrounds here--it's only Ron and Odeen. 
**** (4 Stars)

First Kiss--The track opens with Terry hitting on a woman sitting by herself. The amusing dialogue is followed up by the song itself. There are hints of autotune in Terry's voice, which was unnecessary.
Fortunately, things pick up a bit when Bruce's earthy voice enters the track on the second voice, sounding more than a little like David Ruffin. Terry pushes his voice into a breathy falsetto on the bridge. It sounds to me like Bruce brings the best out of Terry. Good tune, but not an excellent one.
*** (3 Stars)

Shawty-- It's a nice song despite the ridiculous title. It's also much better than other R&B tracks of this day and age, and miles above most of the songs on recent Temptations albums. Terry takes the microphone again for this one. This is a smooth groove for a nice summer night.
*** (3 1/2 Stars)

Still Here With Me-- This song has something of a lonely feel to it.
I could imagine the group recording a song like this during the years when Ali-Ollie Woodson was the lead singer. Terry doesn't disappoint on the lead vocals. He's returned to using the Donny Hathaway-esque tenor that made me a fan of his back in 1998. The group's harmonies make a powerful statement as well. There's an excellent saxophone on this track, giving the song a jazz vibe.
*** (3 & 1/2 Stars)

Soul Music--Terry and Bruce tackle the lead on this one. I personally don't care at all for this one. It isn't memorable to these ears. However, I love the bass singer's Don Cornelius impersonation. "Love...Peace..And SOOOOUUULLL!!!"
* (1 Star)

Woman--Ron Tyson sings the lead in his honey-laden falsetto. It's a relaxing tune. Many critics have pointed this song out for having the best hit potential on this album. Although it's a nice song, I don't agree with that. There are better songs available in this collection, but this one does rate somewhere among the best. Like Warm Summer Nights, only Tyson and the bass singer provide the background vocals. Where was the rest of the group? The Ron Tyson songs in this album are basically Ron Tyson solo tracks with an assist from the bass vocalist on backgrounds.
*** (3 1/2 Stars)

Listen Up-- A rough mix demo of this track leaked to the internet long before the album's release. I didn't enjoy the song, as it attempts to be a modern Ball of Confusion. But now that I can hear the finished product, I like it a lot more. There's more vocals and instruments here than on the demo I heard last year. Bruce sings his behind off on this one. The harmonies are gripping as well. Listen up.
*** (3 Stars)

Going Back Home-- I really like this one. It's an excellent closer for the album. Terry brings the song's lyrics to life. From beginning to end, this one is a great ride. Wonderful song.
***(3 1/2 Stars)

In addition to the great music, there are a few things about this  album that surprised me. 

                                                                     New Bass Singer?

First off, the group's bass singer, Joe Herndon, was not featured on this album. I heard that he was ill. He was replaced by Odeen Mays, who played keyboards for Kool and The Gang. I should have known something was up because when a rough mix demo of Listen Up leaked to the internet almost two years ago, I noticed that "Joe" sounded strange. He sounded a little "lazy," almost as if the other Tempts dragged him out of bed to complete the song. His voice was deep as usual, but lacking gusto.

I figured that maybe he just wasn't putting his all into it since it was an unfinished demo. Now I know why he sounded a little strange--it was a different guy!! 

It's doubtful that casual listeners will observe the difference. However, I think some fans will notice the change when they hear the opening of Hold Me, where Odeen gives the opening narration. When he speaks, he sounds like Barry White, not Joe Herndon. 

The funny thing is that Odeen Mays isn't even a real bass singer. From what I've heard on his other recordings, he's a tenor. But he's got enough range to sing those canyon-deep bass vocals, so I can hear why he was hired--his voice proved to be a fitting bottom for the group's trademarks harmonies. I can't help but wonder if Joe Herndon will receive royalties for an album he didn't record?


                                                                Welcome back, Terry

Terry Weeks has returned to singing in a tenor voice, something else that makes this album special. On recent albums, he tried to sing in an earthy baritone voice that just isn't him. He impressed me when he made his Temptation debut on Phoenix Rising, where his singing reminded me of Donny Hathaway. He's returned to that style. Thank you, Terry.

                                                                Ron Still Has It...Kinda

Ron Tyson's falsetto voice has been "hit or miss" during the last 10 years. On some live performances, he sounds great. But in other shows, you can tell that his age is catching up with him. On the recordings, he still has the goods, no doubt because of countless takes to get his vocals perfect. On this album, he croons nicely, but uses his falsetto a little less than normal, preferring to sing in a "safe zone" by employing his natural tenor a little more often. I saw the Tempts in concert back in 2007, and Ron sounded great. It's sad to listen to his falsetto decline, though. 

                                                                       Final Thoughts

This was a terrific album---their best in years!! The sound here was a throwback to Phoenix Rising and Ear-Resistible, which are two of my favorite Temptations albums of recent years. (The latter album won them a grammy). The group hasn't been the same since the dismissal of Bo Henderson. Bo and Terry had young voices with an old school influence, so they had an appeal to both generations of Temptations fans. Former bass singer Harry McGilberry left the Tempts in 2003 and died three years later. He had more charisma and a stronger voice than Joe Herndon, the current bass singer. Since Harry and Bo left, the albums have suffered badly, both in sales and quality. That's why I was in no hurry to give this one a listen, but it was certainly a breath of fresh air. If the group keeps making music like this, they'll have more chart success. I hope lightning can strike twice on their next release.

-Temptations Forever

^^A pic of The Tempts at the concert I attended in Memphis, TN in May, 2007.

From left to right: GC Cameron, Ron Tyson, Otis Williams, Joe Herndon and Terry Weeks.