Elemental Music’s affordably priced reissue series brings classic 1960s and 1970s Motown titles back to record stores worldwide, making these albums accessible to a new generation of listeners. For those seeking clean, newly pressed, and largely faithful recreations of these vintage releases complete with pristine jackets and vinyl—rather than chasing original pressings that are increasingly scarce in comparable condition, these reissues fill a meaningful gap in today’s collector and listener market.
Elemental’s reissues were sourced from 1980s-era 16-bit/44.1 kHz digital masters, which many Motown enthusiasts and mastering engineers regard as among the best-sounding transfers available for these recordings, as numerous original tapes have been lost or damaged over time.
Each title in the new Motown reissue series is packaged in a plastic-lined, audiophile-grade white inner sleeve and includes a faithful recreation of a period-appropriate Motown company sleeve, complete with catalog imagery highlighting many of the label’s best-known releases from the era. In my listening, the pressings have generally been quiet, well-centered, and free of obvious manufacturing defects.
The Temptations, Puzzle People
1969’s Puzzle People by The Temptations works best as a complete album listening experience. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the group’s take on contemporary pop material such as “Little Green Apples,” but it’s the album-opening No. 1 hit “I Can’t Get Next to You” that remains the main attraction—it still hits hard. More topical tracks like “Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down” and “Message From a Black Man” land with real weight and conviction. Backed by the legendary Funk Brothers, Puzzle People also serves as a clear bridge to the more expansive Psychedelic Shack that followed the next year.
Where to buy: $29.98 at Amazon
The Temptations, Psychedelic Shack
A harder rocking album, this again finds The Temptations psychedic soul mode driven by producer/composer Norman Whitfield and backed by The Funk Brothers. Psychedelic Shack is a classic of the period delivering strong messages for the times — such as “You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth”– some of which feel remarkably timely and prescient for the times we are living through right now.
A near-mint original pressing of Psychedelic Shack on Gordy Records typically sells for $50–$60 today, so access to a clean, newly pressed copy at a lower price has obvious appeal—especially for newer listeners who prefer buying brand new pressings. I can also attest that genuinely clean copies of popular soul titles like this are far from easy to track down, even when you’re willing to spend the money.
Psychedelic Shack notably also contains the original version of the protest song “War” which was near simultaneously re-recorded by then-new Motown artist Edwin Starr (a much heavier production which became a massive hit). There is a fascinating backstory on the rationale for The Temptations version not being released as a single (easily found on the internet) but its ultimately a good thing as this version almost feels like a demo for Starr’s bigger hit.
Psychedelic Shack is one of the better Temptations albums start to finish so I have no problem recommending this for those who are new to their music. This new reissue sounds a bit thinner and flatter than my original copy, ultimately losing some dynamic punch.
Where to buy: $34.65 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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