The Temptations – Psychedelic Shack

The twelfth studio album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, Psychedelic Shack was released in 1970. All of the songs were composed by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield. It almost completely abandoned the "Motown Sound" formula, instead delving fully into psychedelia. Along with the hit title track (which reached #7 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #4 on Cash Box, and #2 on the US R&B charts), the album also features the group's original version of "War" which became a major hit for Edwin Starr later in 1970. Psychedelic Shack was one of the last albums completed before the third incarnation of The Temptations (Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams) broke apart. During the recording of the album, Paul Williams, suffering from sickle-cell disease but also from five years of heavy alcoholism, was frequently unable to perform, so the group hired Richard Street, an old friend of Otis Williams and lead singer of minor Motown act The Monitors, as a stand-in. Also, the group's general frustration over their lack of creative control and their treatment at the hands of Motown resulted in an increased amount of infighting and set the stage for Kendricks' imminent departure in early 1971. All Music reviewer Amy Hanson gave the album a rating of four out of five stars, stating that "This is an absolutely outstanding album - one which has stood the test of time, sounding as fresh as it did upon initial release."