Customer Reviews

Anthology

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Before this set came out, it had been a long long time since anyone got to see a Jackson 5 Anthology collection and unlike the previous anthologies (1976 and 1986 respectively) and several Greatest Hits, this 2000 release is exclusively J5 material (neither early Michael's solo songs nor Jermaine's Daddy's Home). On this cd, we get all the J5 hits (I Want You Back, Who's Lovin' You, ABC, The Love You Save, I'll Be There, Never Can Say Goodbye, Maybe Tommorow, Get It Together, Dancin' Machine, and more) from previous Greatest Hits collections and the great B sides, unreleases, and lp tracks (I'll Bet You, Goin Back To Indiana, Its Great To Be Here, Doctor My Eyes, I'm So Happy, Hum Along & Dance, All I Do Is Think Of You, and extremely rare We Are Here To Entertain You from "MJ: The Legend Continues" documentary). If you own a copy of 1986's Anthology or 1996's badly crafted Ultimate Collection, throw them out and buy this new and improved redo!!! I'll buy it too as well since it is the best Jackson 5ive compilation.

this is a great compilation of The Jackson 5's material.i have alot of there Greatest hits&Albums but rarely has there been something as complete as this.the Anthology that i have on Album came out many many years ago.uncut original recordings.it's very a soulful collection.this is a must have set for folks that dig The J-5.

This is a very complete collection of J5 material. You get all the hits like "I Want You Back", "ABC", "I'll Be There", "The Love You Save", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and many more. Other selections from albums are interesting like the track "Darling Dear" from the groups 1970 THIRD ALBUM. This song is one of my new favourites based on the lyrics and MJ performs them with passion and feeling. "The Life of the Party" is placed on yet another J5 compilation and I still can't figure out why - it's a good filler song but there are better songs from that DANCING MACHINE album that could've been put on here like "She's a Rhythm Child". The Original Lp version of "dancing machine" is also represented here - it's the version that starts off with percussion and then a female robotic voice utters the words "you are now turning me on" - this is a much more effective version than the more widely known single version. Two non album tracks find their home on here - "I'm so Happy" (b-side of "Sugar Daddy") and "Love Song" (b-side of "looking through the windows"). Both are excellent but the later is far more effective and really quite beautiful. The song "hum along and dance" from the GET IT TOGETHER Lp finally makes it's appearance on Cd here - it's a long workout - over 8 mins of pure disco funk! The live version of "daddy's home" from the Japanese only release of "J5 Live in Japan" is a nice version with a neat intro by Jermaine in kinda the same style of Marvin Gaye's "Distant Lover". My absolute favourite track on here is "We're Here to Entertain You" from the groups first outtake album JOYFUL JUKEBOX MUSIC in 1976 - it sounds like a show tune that they might have done in Vegas - but it also is very autobiographical - Mj's singing is marvelous on this one, simply marvelous! (I had some a little input into the making of this Anthology project - i helped get the song "We're Here to Entertain You" on this collection through emails to the producer of this project). This package looks very cool and colorful with a good essay in the booklet (the essay was edited from the J5 box set "SOULSATION). The back cover of the booklet features a flipped picture of the cover of THIRD ALBUM. The sound on this collection is awesome - all the tracks have been digitally remastered and sound very crisp and clear! This is a good overall collection by the J5 but if you have stuff like the SOULSATION box set you already have 94% of the tracks. If you're a new fan - this is the best place to start!

This collection is really a soundtrack of your childhood and teenage years. A recommend this CD to "real" Jackson fans.

the jackson five was the soundtrack of my youth. i hit puberty and heard music with a whole new appreciation. they were all over the place with one hit after the other. i've gotten many a jackson double cd or michael anthology but this one has so many goodies. jermaine solos. micheal solos. album tracks. beautifully digital and with a great booklet. they may have only been the jackson five hit machines for 5 short years but they amassed a huge library of amazing tunes. the last true great motown assembly group.

If you like the Jackson 5 then this album is for you. There are 36 songs on this dual-disc album. It has every single song you can imagine. Personally I am not a huge Jackson 5 fan, but I love MIchael Jackson, and I feel like this album does a great job with the mass amount of songs that the Jackson 5 released. The only problem I have with this album is like most music, is that after a while all of the songs start to sound the same and you really don't realize when a song starts or when it ends, just because it all starts to mesh together, but it is a solid collection of music. I definitely would recommend it to people that enjoy the J5

These brothas were something else back in the day! Nobody ran the '70s better than the Jackson 5 (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon & Michael)! These guys are true legends. ALL the joints on both CD's are the essential jams. You will understand on this set why the brothers were considered the younger Temptations of their time and how they blaze the trail for groups from New Edition to the Boys to New Kids on the Block to N Sync to B2K. Deserving of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? YOU BET YOUR SILVER DIME THEY ARE! Long live the PRINCES OF SOUL MUSIC!