Jacksons Together Again (The Best Of Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5ive - Michael Jackson)

Member Name: benlepensive

Product:	The Best Of Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5ive - Michael Jackson
Date:	17/09/09 (23 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: all the hits

Disadvantages: dated

Now that the hype is slowly dying down surrounding his death, we can perhaps reflect on his music away from all the mass exposure. A lot of people will want to remember Michael for his early stuff, when he was in the Jackson 5. At that stage he was innocent, youthful and ready to take on the world.

There are twenty songs on this album and the album pretty much covers his days with the Jacksons. Don't expect any newer solo material from this album, it is all older stuff.

'I Want You Back' seems a fitting start to the album, a chirpy melody and such keen vocals in which he really takes bold strides to pull of all the high notes. You can hear the teenage longing in his voice and it sounds genuinely real. Can I be honest and say I don't like 'ABC'. I really don't like songs where people count from one to three or have to spell things out, I find it over simplifies the meaning of the track. Good tune yes, annoying though.

'I'll Be There' is a record to play when you need to huddle up to a loved one. It has been done to death on X Factor, but it remains a defiantly strong ballad. At the opposite end of the spectrum, 'Never Can Say Goodbye' is a delightful and sweltering piece of pop music, with enough clout to give it some dancefloor appeal too.

I do enjoy 'Aint No Sunshine' which manages to be soulful, mellow and moving and really captures the emptiness of losing someone special. While we are in depressing territory, 'Ben' serves as a timely reminder of his heartbreaking voice, an intense vocal which goes from being so delicate to so pained in a matter of moments.

My final tip is 'Skywriter,' a none too widely discussed song from the Jacksons. A slinky disco vibe surrounds this one and the vocals are breezy and lift at unexpected moments, giving it a futuristic edge.

This is a solid hits package and worth inspecting.

Summary: super