Released: 1980
After putting out increasingly awful and commercially unsuccessful albums in the late 1970s, the Temptations were back on Motown Records. Even better, Louis Price was kicked out the group and Dennis Edwards returned.
Edwards, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, and Glenn Leonard then proceeded to put out what is easily the best album of their time together as The Temptations in Power.
This is commentary on how bad the other albums were, but also on how good this one is.
The title track is a beast. A BEAST. It’s got some of the best protest lyrics the Temptations would ever sing. Franklin’s voice rumbles “power” throughout, Edwards does his best preacher-man vocals, Leonard sweetly tempts you with his falsetto on the glories of power, and Street sings about the greatness of the deal you’re about to get.
All you need to do is give a little power to the sly, wicked politician.
And I cannot stress enough how good/ominous the lyrics are. They are pretty blatant at points warning of the dangers of power and the fascist outcomes that can result.
I'll make you all the master race
Just put me in my godly place
We'll march the world down in defeat
Take the fields of oil and the lands of wheat
With lyrics like that I’m actually shocked “Power” did as well as it did as a single (#11 R&B, #43 pop). I mean, I love this song, but I wouldn’t call warnings of fascism radio friendly.
The rest of the album doesn’t touch politics, whatsoever. The song “Power” was more than enough. Every thing else here is love songs and for the most part they are delightfully good.
“Struck By Lightning Twice” is a fun love song about bad luck. Edwards has the lead, but Franklin is there like a foundation propping him up. And those classic Temptations harmonies are in fine form.
Street gets his showcase on “Isn't the Night Fantastic”, which again has Franklin buttressing the lead singer. Is this secretly Melvin Franklin’s best Temptations album??!?!?! Anyhoo, “Fantastic” has a nice Yacht Soul feel that is perfect for the whimsically lovely song title. The lyrics are once again good and creative.
Here we are dancing among the stars
We’re right between Venus and Mars
Oh we also have two slow jam classics, which to this point we haven’t really had from the Temptations. R&B slow jams really developed in the early 70s when they were busy in the throes of psychedelic soul and funk. When slow jams were fully formed in the late 1970s, the Tempts were mired deeply in mediocrity.
So with “Shadow Of Your Love” and “Can't You See Sweet Thing” the Temptations throw their hat into the slow jam ring and do so with gusto. Edwards tenderly handles “Shadow” which is appropriately sparse with a bass guitar and hazy strings handling most of the instrumentation. A song about shadowy love should be whispery as this indeed is. “Shadow” segues directly into “Sweet Thing”, which has Leonard using his tenor/falsetto to ultimate effect. The final minute or so of the song is a great example of a slow jam finding its groove and riding on out.
“How Can I Resist Your Love” and “Go For It” are the two quasi-duds, relatively speaking. They aren’t bad by any means, just not on the level of the other songs. And given what we’ve seen from the Temptations over the previous four years, having two okay songs be the worst songs on the album is a miracle. On those other albums, they’d be the best things there.
Power concludes with “I'm Coming Home”, which is mindless disco fun. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
ALBUM GRADE: B
This album reached #13 R&B and #45 pop and is probably the best they released during the 1980s. There’s only one that can approach it, but even then I think that mystery album comes up short.
Anyways, even when the songs are just average, the whole production has a pep that the Temptations hadn’t exhibited in years.
Song Scores
Power: 9/10
Struck By Lightning Twice: 7.5/10
Isn't the Night Fantastic: 7/10
How Can I Resist Your Love: 6/10
Shadow Of Your Love: 8.5/10
Can't You See Sweet Thing: 7.5/10
Go For It: 6/10
I'm Coming Home: 7.5/10