The Jackson 5 Album: “Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5/ABC [Bonus Tracks]”

Below you will find a lengthy analysis of the opening song on this record "I want you back." If a single song can generate this kind of response, imagine the musical content of the entire 21 song record.

This song obliterates me. All the performances are incredible, including, to quote a friend, Michael's astounding, dumbfounding lead vocal.

The bass part sounds to me as if it came straight from the composer and arranger, but in any matter it's stuffed full with inventive ideas and super fonky! Given the calculated nature of this recording I would expect the arranger to have worked out the bass part note for note. The recording is a careful tapestry of many sounds that blend together to give the overall effect. The intro is a good example. The melody played by the bass is wonderful, but that melody is doubled by other instruments plus other things are woven around that melody, all indicating that the arranger wrote it all out note for note, the bass player serving to faithfully play the arrangement.

(Un)fortunately, any excellence in other portions of this song is obscured by Michael's unbelievable vocal. So much stuff, so much soul, so much range and flexibility. This vocal is way in the unbelievable range for any artist. But to come from a brand new 11 year old is, as my friend put it so well, "dumbfounding." (If this selection does not feature sound clips, look at other Jackson 5 records here on Amazon to hear the mentioned snippets.)

*He sounds a little hoarse and that increases the authority.

*The way he uses subtle, rhythmic vibrato on the word "me" in the phrase "won't you please let me back in your heart." (Hear this on the Amazon snippet.)

*The pause and surprise attack on the word "back" in the same phrase. (Hear this on the Amazon snippet.)

*The screaming with 100% authority.

*The drifting out of tune on the words "now, baby, yeah" in the phrase "Yes I do now, Oh oh baby, yeah yeah yeah yeah, Nah Nah no no." (Is there a technical term for this "drifting out of tune" vocal technique?) (Hear this on the Amazon snippet.)

*The authority and inventiveness and soul of the scatting on that same phrase and other scats in the song, including the various fun "Huh"s.

*The natural way he does the call and response sections with his brothers.

*The perfect timing all over the place, including jumping on some of the responses a little early.

*The exciting vocal build on the phrase "All I want, all I need, all I want, all I need!" with the fantastic atonal exclamation on the second "all I want."

And on and on. You could almost analyze every single note the guy sings. The fact that this guy could do this at 11 years old shows beyond any question that singing at this level requires talent given to you directly by God. You can't get it and you can't learn it. God either gave it to you or He didn't. My guess is that some genius worked out most of this stuff and recorded a track for Michael to sing along with during the session. I mean God given talent or not, Michael could not have come up with that stuff on his own, atonal, drifting out of tune, etc. But to even sing along and get these results....incredible. Plus, who was that singing genius that came up with all that stuff?

Other great parts of the song are the pervasive background vocals, the excellent call and response, the subtle, almost inaudible use of strings and background vocalizing, and the various guitar parts that weave an interesting tapestry.

One thing that I think is ground breaking but at the same time takes away from this arrangement is the calculated, restrained drum part. The drum part sounds completely canned, written out and played note for note. It's not exuberant; instead it's carefully restrained. To my ears it sounds too mellow for this joyous, raucous romp. But it's groundbreaking because this style of drumming became prevalent later and today in the 2000s you rarely hear any drum pyrotechnics in favor of a steady drum beat that does not break the flow of the song.

I wonder if all the vocals on this recording are Jacksons? I assume they are and that shows the talent of this family and the quality of this product.

Excellence and analysis of each individual part aside, the real value of this song, besides Michael's vocal which you simply can not retire to the background, is the overall sound. Each part is carefully calculated and blended to create a unique, exuberant, joyful, new, and instantly recognizable sound that's unlike anything that had been heard before. Though each part is worthy of study, perhaps the best way to listen to this song is with a 6 inch speaker through an AM radio in your car. And isn't that the way it was meant to be?

Larry Brown

I'm only 22 years old and i am a big fan of the Jacksons history. When I bought this album,it showed me exactly what was to come out of this group years later down the road. The first song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da is the perfect 2 start off a debut album. The next 3 tracks,"Nobody","Can You Remember?",and their classic single "I Want You Back" (which in my opinion would be the only J5 song 2 sound good without any drums playing in the background). A standout track on the first album is "Born To Love You" where Michael and Marlon do their own vocal-trade off. Considering I like 2 sing all of Marlon Jacksons' parts on their songs. The follow-up album was also pretty good,but the lack of hit material after the song "2-4-6-8" is why this review is only 4 stars,but HEY!! it's still a good CD 2 own in your collection.

The Jackson 5 exploded on to the music scene in late 1969 with one of the greatest singles of all time, "I Want You Back". The song is as perfect a three minute single as you could record. The five brothers from Gary, Indiana had been honing their craft on the road for a few years before being discovered by the Motown label. Although Diana Ross gets credit for discovering the band, it was really Bobby Taylor form the label's virtually unknown Bobby & The Vancouvers that brought the brothers to Berry Gordy's attention. History aside, their first album is titled Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 and band does their mentor proud with a stellar debut that is mostly made up of cover tunes, but shows off the brother's picture perfect vocals. As mentioned, "I Want You Back" is the centerpiece of the album and the song shot to number one on the charts. Their cover of The Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You" shows off young Michael's impressive vocal skills while their take on Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" allows Jermaine to shine. Other great tracks include "Nobody", "You've Changed" and a killer remake of the Four Tops "Standing In The Shadows Of Love". While their first release showed they had talent, ABC confirmed that these Indiana kids were something special. Combining the group's perfect vocals, The Corporation's supreme production and a stellar list of songs, ABC is an R&B gem. The album contains two number one singles, the title cut and "The Love You Save", and they are only the tip of the iceberg. What made Michael so impressive of a vocalist at the tender age of 12 is that he could interpret songs and convey feelings that someone of his age probably have never felt. On "One More Chance" he pleads for a chance at redemption, in Stevie Wonder's "Never Had A Dream Come True" he sings of failure and missed chances, in the plaintive "Don't Know Why I Love You" he sings of blind devotion and he expresses the joys of pure and unrequited love in "True Love Can Be Beautiful". "I'll Bet You" has a Sly Stone funkified soul sound and sounds like nothing else the band has done and they do a good job on the Delfonics' "La La (Means I Love You)". Jermaine takes over the lead vocal duties on "I Found That Girl". Even though they could sing about more mature themes, they were still just basically teenagers and they show that on the nursery rhyme like "2-4-6-8" and the declaration of their youth in "The Young Folks". Motown proclaimed that they were the "Sound of Young America" and this was never truer than with the J5 and ABC is the pinnacle of the band's career with the label.

The Jackson 5 will always be giants amongst giants; and this album proves it! Despite the incredibly sad and untimely death of Michael Jackson, something I am still trying so hard to understand, we can still take comfort in the incredible musical legacy he left to us both as a member of The Jackson 5 and as a solo performer. This CD features The Jackson 5 but even from the start it was clear that Michael had genius, in fact it was a type of genius I rarely hear and enjoy. The sound quality on this CD is excellent.

We get all the songs from the first 2 Jackson 5 record albums entitled "Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5" and "ABC." There is one wonderful song after another; I love them all and it's hard to know where to begin! "Zip a Dee Doo Dah" has The Jackson 5 squarely front and center--and that awesome late 1960s/early 1970s beat is just so good! Michael's voice is clear and very easy on the ear; I really like this opening tune. "I Want You Back" is a classic Jackson 5 number; Michael and the rest of the family do this one to perfection--and beyond! "I Want You Back" is easily a major highlight of this album. The percussion and the guitars work really well to accompany their vocals on "I Want You Back," too. "Standing in the Shadows of Love," originally recorded by The Four Tops, is very well done; they never miss a beat and that's grand. "My Cherie Amour" surely made Stevie Wonder proud; this gets the royal treatment indeed! "Chained" showcases The Jackson 5 doing a magnificent cover of this Marvin Gaye song; "Chained" shines brighter than silver and gold in their capable hands. "(I Know) I'm Losing You" speeds up the tempo a bit for a song that just plain sounds good even if the lyrics aren't all that happy; and listen for "Stand!" "Stand!" gets a very spirited arrangement that works very well; and I also like their very famous hit entitled "The Love You Save." "The Love You Save" is another huge highlight of this CD.

"ABC" is one of the catchiest tunes I've ever heard; The Jackson 5 made this an instant classic with their sublime singing and the music that accompanies their vocals is perfect. Michael couldn't have done this any better; his performance on "ABC" is absolutely flawless and I'm amazed. "2-4-6-8" has Michael up front and center for some pretty awesome singing; and "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" stuns me with its power. Great! Now THAT'S music!

"La La (Means I Love You)" by Thom Bell and William Hart completely charms me with its beauty; The Jackson 5 cover this with a very sensitive arrangement and this number sparkles when they do it. "I'll Bet You" has a great flavor and I also enjoy "I Found That Girl." The album ends with a nice bonus track; we get an outtake of "Oh, I've Been Bless'd" and it will leave you wanting more.

And more is what we all can enjoy with other CDs by The Jackson 5. They never let their fans down; they gave blood to make each and every song shine so brightly and their artistry was very, very special. Their popularity to this day proves it! I highly recommend this CD for their fans. People wanting to discover their talents, as well as Michael's talent early on, would do well to get this CD with all these awesome songs.

No I must be hones, I'm totally biased towards The Jackson 5. I love them, I always have and always will. I was in Parson's Junior High in Queens when J-5 hit like a thunderbolt out of the blue. The Beatles had come and morphed on, the Monkee's were a joke, Motown was Motown but their current roster was for adults. Then came "I Want You Back". It was if someone had dropped a bomb! Sure there'd been the Everly Brothers, but 5 brothers who not only could sing but play music AND DANCE LIKE THAT!!!!???? Never been seen before. But beyond their talent and charisma their emergence marked a watershed moment in American Musical history and popular culture. Before the J-5 NO Black artists were seen in the pages of Tiger Beat, Teen Beat or ANY of the mainstream teen girl magazines. It just wasn't done, it couldn't be done, it would NEVER be done. But just as Michael opened up MTV decades later, him and his bro's did the same in 1969. I was bussed from an all Black School to an all White one. To see pre-teen white girls arguing over Michael vs. Tito Vs. Jermaine would've been the stuff of Science Fiction just 2 years earlier, but now it not only wasn't fiction but absolute fact.

Kids today may think of Michael as some weird old something or other who chased kids and overdosed. Those things may be part of the story but certainly not all of it. Michael was a pioneer, just surely as Jackie Robinson was and he paid a heavy price for it. Had there been no Jackson 5 there'd have been no Michael, and no "Thiller" nor all the myriad copycats that came after either. Never in all my years have I heard someone so young in complete control of their craft. Listen to his nuance and control on "Who's Lovin' You". Smokey who wrote it, couldn't touch it, the Tempts couldn't get within the same zip code as that masterpiece. He was a marvel, wunderkind, prodigy. Listen to this collection to see how good he truly was.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this double shot 5 stars is the remastering. Many of the songs sound thin and hollow. I wore both these albums out as a kid. I KNOW how they're supposed to sound, they needed to do a more meticulous job on these. Still all the songs are here, mebbe not as I remember them, but they're here.

Worf