Change Is A Comin'

The first disc coughs up J5 live and it sounds amazing. Its clear they were real musicians and had the energy and style to pull off such fusions as "Walk On/The Love You Save". But the second disc is the heart stopper. Songs such as "Looking Through The Windows" are so simplistic and breezy you not only listen to them you marvel at its pure pop elements. The whole disc is great and has to be enjoyed in a whole sitdown. When was the last time a cd drew you in so deep you had to sit and listen to the nuances before you really understood the content!

Finally on CD

Thirty years after their release, these two albums finally make their first CD appearance. However, they are very different records and listening to them for unity's sake is not advised. The first, the soundtrack to the group's 1971 TV concert special, is hit-and-miss. The new, pseudo-live versions of "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow" are good, though abbreviated. The narration and banter that filled the skits are not meant for audio alone; without the visuals (especially on "The day Basketball was Saved"), the tracks are severely lacking. From the live concert portion of the album, their takes on "Stand!" and "Who's Lovin' You" work well, as does "Feelin' Alright," one of the best cuts here. "Walk On/The Love You Save" is great, and "Walk On" is the only J5-penned song that Motown released. The bonus cut "Who's Lovin' You" is awesome live, though the mix is not as good as it appears on the soundtrack to "The Jacksons: An American Dream" soundtrack. The other live songs are not as interesting. The second half of this disc, 1972's "Lookin' Through the Windows" album, was one of the J5's most successful. It contained two hits, the "Shaft"-influenced title track and the energetic cover of "Little Bitty Pretty One." This album is the last standard bubblegum pop from the group, but do not overlook it based on that. For instance, the vocal trading on this album is prevalent, and the group sounds better than ever as their voices have matured; particularly Jermaine, whose earlier raspy voice had now evolved into a silky smooth croon compared at the time to a young Marvin Gaye. The title track is notable in that it is the first time Michael argued with the producers to let him sing HIS way. "E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ne-Moe" is a standout track, full of energy and soul, musically in the vein of "I Want You Back." The most eye-opening song here is "To Know," with lush horn and string arrangements and beautiful harmonies. The album's low point, "Don't Want to see Tomorrow," (in which Michael recites the title in Spanish, albeit painfully) is filler, but all told "Windows" has some surprisingly impressive music.

Live & In The Studio

The Jackson Five experienced success right out of the box with their first four singles hitting number one and their next two peaking at number two. To capitalize on their immense popularity, Motown produced a television special that centered around a homecoming concert the band performed in their home state of Indiana. The resulting album, Goin' Back To Indiana, is a great snap shot of the band. They had cut their teeth on the road and despite their young ages, they exhibit an experienced professionalism. The first three songs are from the special with Bill Cosby and Tommy Smothers providing some comic relief before and between stellar versions of "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow". "The Day Basketball Was Saved" is a goofy number that certainly loses something without the visual aid that television provided. It is excessively long and doesn't really work well on the album. The homecoming show segment kicks off with three cover songs. The first two are roof raising versions of Sly & The Family Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher" & "Stand" and the third is a great take on Traffic's "Feelin' Alright". "Walk On" is a funky, Isaac Hayes' styled song that is combined with a rolling "The Love You Save" for a nicely contrasted medley. The album closes with a let it all hang out version of the title track. Lookin' Through The Windows is a mellower album that show a maturation in the band's sound. Michael's voice is changing, so the teenybopper angle that some previous songs took, no longer fits. The album opens with a great version of "Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing" and then moves into the stirring title track which has a really original sound. "Don't Let Your Baby Catch You Crying" has a tight pace and "To Know" is yet another beautifully sung song. They follow with two covers, a soulful version of Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes" (which was top ten hit in England) and hyperactive version of "Little Bitty Pretty One" which made its way to number 13. "E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ne-Moe" is a fast paced song while "If I Have To Move A Mountain" is a breath takingly beautiful song that the harmonies just soar on. "Children Of The Light" is an inspirational song that has a peace and love sentiment to it and "I Can Only Give You Love" has on point trading vocals between Michael & Jermaine.