The Temptations - Bare Back (1978) [2013, Japan]
R&B, Soul/Funk, Disco | EAC Rip | FLAC, Img+CUE+LOG+Scans (PNG) | 35:02 | 464,42 Mb
Label: Atlantic/Warner Music Japan Inc. (Japan) | Cat.# WPCR-27635 | Released: 2013-03-20 (1978-09-20)
Produced by Brian Holland, and he's imitating the Ohio Players blatantly, from the album cover on down. But the funk's not nearly as fiery as the Players' (title track), and it comes off as a failed attempt to keep up with trends - ditto for the overproduced disco numbers ("Mystic Woman"). The Tempts are at their best here when they stick with their earlier smooth balladeering (the lovely "Ever Ready Love"); the uptempo "I Just Don't Know How To Let You Go" is also enjoyable but slight. Not surprisingly, this was a commercial catastrophe, failing to even chart as a pop record and falling short of the Top 40 on the R&B chart.