Temptations
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First published in 1988 to wide critical acclaim this edition includes an additional chapter which updates the reader as to what has happened over the last fourteen years. It is also the book upon which the American Mini series was based. I have noted on several occasions how much I prefer the autobiographies of male soul stars to that of their female counterparts, and this book is no exception. Surprisingly male writers seem more prepared to share their innermost thoughts and feelings than females who usually prefer to describe the jewellery, clothes and makeup they wore at different concerts. Women also tend to use their publications to bitch or score points against other divas that might have offended them in some way. This is not to say that Otis Williams is not critical of his contemporaries or the music industry, but his arguments are always balanced. His complaint, which just about every other Motown star has also commented upon, is that Motown tied the Temptations to unjust contracts whilst they were still naive about the music industry and that their talents never received fair remuneration. This criticism is tempered by his gratitude to Motown for giving the group their first chance and making them stars in the first place. The main thrust of the book is the relationships which existed within the group themselves, and how drugs, alcohol and excessive ego's threatened their very existence many occasions. As with the Motown dispute Otis tries to balance the negative aspects by continually reminding the readers of the positive contributions different renegades made to the group. On the whole it appears to be a very honest account of what took place, but this said it is only one man's perspective and the views of Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin I suspect would be somewhat different. My only suspicion about Otis's version is that as different members were evicted from the group, for whatever reason, replacements seemed to be already lined up to take their places. My cynicism may be misplaced here as this might be common practise for groups of the Tempts stature. USA Today describes the book as "One of the most detailed looks at Motown so far". I have to say that on the whole I disagree. Inevitably Motown had to have a high profile in a story about the Temptations, but in my view there are better books that explain Motown as a company. The focus of this story is exactly where it should be, on the rags to riches transformation of five very talented ghetto singers. It covers their highs, their lows, the dynamics of the group and the insidious influence of outside pressures on both their professional and private lives. The story is well told and simply written in a way that keeps the reader involved from start to finish. I can only commend Cooper Square Press on their decision to republish this volume. |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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