Search - Jackson 5 :: Anthology

Great stuff, but available elsewhere

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 07/08/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As with most J-5 collections, this is great stuff, but it is easily available elsewhere. Once you have the J-5 boxed set "Soulsation" and "Pre-History" (the latter consist of the rare J-5 recordings for Steeltwon Records in 1967-68), that's all you really need and everything else is just repetitive.However, there are a couple of very rare trax on this collection. There is a live version of the J-5 singing and playing Sly Stone's "Sing a Simple Song" and the Delphonics' "Can You Remember." Both are from the J-5's 1969 debut on the "Hollywood Palace" show. Disc 2 also includes Jermaine singing "Daddy's Home" circa 1973 live in Japan. Since the J-5 usually did not record playing their own instruments live, that makes this collection interesting and worthwhile."

Finally, A Budget Release Of Long OOP Material

Michael Topper | Pacific Palisades, California United States | 11/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although the single-disc "Ultimate Collection" collected all the hits, The Jackson 5 were (surprisingly) always more than a singles act. For the past decade, all but three of their original Motown albums have been OOP on CD, which means that all of their best work--including the seminal mid-70s albums "Get It Together" and "Dancing Machine", which saw the group's image finally mature out of their bubblegum beginnings--has been unavailable for some time other than on the expensive "Soulsation" box set. This two-disc anthology finally includes not only the exuberant hits, but nearly all of the best album cuts as well, including such classics as the 9-minute psych-funk jam "Hum Along And Dance" and the original uncut version of "Dancing Machine". There's even a cut from an ultra-rare Japanese live album released in '73. The only essential song missing here is the title track to "Skywriter"; otherwise, this collection perfectly traces the evolution of the group from the makers of instantly catchy bubblegum soul hits to innovators of hardcore funk and early disco, with artfully psychedelic production touches inspired by The Temptations. If you ever wondered how Michael Jackson built his reputation--and where most of his best work still lies--this new release is essential material; you might be pleasantly surprised at how meaty some of the material on disc two is."

This Is Where It All Started...

Michael Topper | 06/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Jackson family legacy...Right from the start of the first disc you can hear the amazing talent and potential J5 had and reached. When little Michael starts to holler, "Oh, baby, give me one more chance...", you start to get memories of how things used to be. I personally consider this collection a masterpiece and it should be in every classic R&B lover's stereo. Seriously, can you think of any other kid singer that was better than Michael? I don't think so. Just take a listen...With every track you get to hear how the brothers matured musically. From bubblegum formulaic favorites like "ABC" and "The Love You Save" to the more adulterated funk of "Get It Together" and "Dancing Machine", you'll be hooked after the first couple of listens. The music, although sounding quite dated, really brings you back to that time when not everything was computerized, and it makes the music that much more special."