The Essential MJ

Following Michael Jackson's sudden death, pretty much every audiophile expected a sudden run on his discography. And everybody knew exactly which album would disappear: Thriller. After all, to everybody and his sister, this was the uber album of all time. They liked it because, well, everybody else was listening to it. But aside from the chi-ching of the cash register, is there anything else to be said for Thriller? Michael’d been recording since 1969; he must have had other good albums, right? Right. And you shouldn't let your ignorance make you miss out on some really fabulous music. Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 Motown (1969) This is pure Motown pop jewelry where you can easily see the impression James Brown left on Michael. However, each track is pure pop honey which, like the much of the music produced at that label during the era, easily and wonderfully stands time’s test. “Born to Love You" is a time machine that pleasantly shimmies and slides you back to the ‘60s. There’s so much funk in “Nobody" that you mistakenly feel you can get a ‘fro embarrassment free. The prize here is “I Want You Back"- naïve, simple, high-spirited, hook-laden. Listen to the song while standing in front of a mirror and watch that stupid smile blossom on your face. And listen to Michael’s vocals echo through time via Mariah, Beyonce, etc. ABC The Jackson 5 Motown (1970) Oh! And there’s that smile again. From the opening “buh-buh buh buh-buh" of the title track, something primal lurches and you find yourself once again zipping away to the wonderful world of pure pop. Once again, the songs here were written by Motown’s in-house musicians. It’s a small sample of the kind of magic place it must have been to have produced so many catchy tunes, not just for the Jacksons but for pretty much everybody else. Much like the earlier album, ABC also has its share of well-executed covers. “Never Had a Dream Come True" is a Stevie Wonder song. “(Come ‘Round Here) I’m the One You Need" was written by the famous Motown writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and made popular by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. “One More Chance" and “La-La (Means I Love You)" are ballads that, if you think about it, are strange material for a pre-teen. But realize that these songs by the Jackson 5 have an earnestness that’s just endearing. Third Album The Jackson 5 Motown (1970) It’s a testament to the perfection of “I’ll Be There" that Mariah Carey’s cover is almost a note-for-note version of the song. And like the Jackson 5 over a decade earlier, audiences ate it up and Carey had success with the song. The funk still moves the feet with the Bo-Diddly-made-approachable “Mama’s Pearl". “The Love I Saw In You Was Just a Mirage" and “Darling Dear" were Smokey Robinson covers, just to remind you that the kids haven’t strayed too far from Motown. Elegant, smooth, but emotionally ridden thanks to Michael, it’s well known that Robinson was scratching his head in wonder at the kid’s talent. “The game of love/Is such a beautiful game/If you’ve got time, little girl/I’d like to explain," sings Michael. And even if you are a guy you certainly listen. It certainly sounds like the 12-year old knows what he’s talking about. Dancing Machine The Jackson 5 Motown (1974) It’s said that Off the Wall was MJ’s disco album. Maybe so, but he certainly had a lot of practice with albums like Dancing Machine. The opening strings, female backing vocals and thumping beat of “Forever Came Today" are unmistakable dance floor fare. And this is the MJ we all know. He’s now 16 and his voice is recognizable as the superstar he’s going to be. And if you’ve ever seen the Jacksons perform on a TV special in this period of their career, especially “Dancing Machine," you’ll see Michael’s dancing come of age too. Sadly, at this point the siblings are unhappy with their record label. Two albums later they leave Motown for Epic. Destiny The Jacksons Epic (1978) Motown kept ownership of the name Jackson 5, hence the change to simply The Jacksons. However, the move seems to have been the right one because now they are writing their own material. And as you listen to Destiny, you can feel the build-up to the tidal wave that will come later in Michael’s solo work. “Blame It On the Boogie" is the stand out track. The song features, aside from the engaging hooks, Michael’s trademark ejaculations; “hee-hee", the extra syllable “uh!" at the end of each line and that howling “whoo!" “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" is just crazy. There’s a syncopated, dragged out beat that just makes you want to jerk your body one way or the other. Repeatedly!! And this song is just as valid today as it was then. It leaves you astounded. Off The Wall Michael Jackson Epic (1979) Michael Jackson mumbles something for about seventeen seconds. Then the world explodes. With the opening track of Off The Wall, “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough", Michael Jackson makes everyone take notice that he really, truly is a musical force. It’s argued by some critics that Off The Wall is actually a better album than Thriller. They find it more cohesive and the latter a little more erratic, possibly because Thriller was created to appeal to as wide an audience as could be reached. ‘Wall is certainly the smoother recording. Rhythms and hooks go down effortlessly. “Rock With You", “Off the Wall" and “Girlfriend" are gracefully enjoyable. What is noteworthy to us Filipinos is “Workin’ Day and Night". A cursory listen gives you an idea of the world wide impact Jackson had. People have made whole careers by ripping off Michael Jackson. Thriller Michael Jackson Epic (1982) Off the Wall had you tapping your feet, which eventually would lead you to the dance floor. “Gotta Be Startin’ Somethin’", the first track from Thriller, grabs you by the hair and drags you happily kicking and screaming to the floor. Thriller is jagged. It has edges, elbows and head-butts. In “Billie Jean" MJ is accused of impregnating a woman; “Billie Jean is not my lover/She's just a girl who claims that I am the one/But the kid is not my son/She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son". And vocally, MJ doesn’t just doesn’t croon, nor does he just yowl. He growls demandingly. With all the silly dancing that the “Thriller" song has engendered, it’s nice to remember that the album had ten top ten hits. “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" is just so hook laden that the song itself is a PYT. “Human Nature" is a tune that seems have created a little tsunami of its own, with numerous artists recording similar sounding atmospheric songs. If you’re thinking of getting a copy of Thriller and Off The Wall, try finding the Bonus Tracks version. It has a behind-the-scenes commentary from producer Quincy Jones. Bad Michael Jackson Epic (1987) All right, Bad isn’t as good as Thriller, but how many times can you pack an album with pure pop hits? Still, Bad is good. MJ’s social conscience marches front and center with “Man in the Mirror". Sappy, but his vocal’s earnestness gives it an immediacy that you just can’t look away from. It’s said that Bad was MJs response to the then burgeoning Gangsta Rap. “Smooth Criminal" has an assailant sneaking into an apartment and murdering the resident. Not exactly Chronic stuff but pretty harrowing; “As he came into the window/Was a sound of a crescendo/He came into her apartment/He left the bloodstains on the carpet/She was sitting at the table/He could see she was unable/So she ran into the bedroom/She was struck down/It was her doom." The toughest sounding track is “Dirty Diana". Diana is a horny groupie just asking for it. Michael, of course, declines and remains faithful to his loved one waiting for him at home. Well, MJ may not be OG, but he is B-A-D. Thanks Michael, and Godspeed. - GMANews.TV