Customer Reviews

Destiny

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many people simply do not understand why this album is so good. Let me break it down. After leaving Motown (Last Album there was Moving Violation -- which was excellent by the way), Jacksons moved over to Epic. Had 2 good albums, "The Jacksons" & "Going Places". Both were not big sellers. Then they hit paydirt with this one. This Album, I believe was released during their 10 year in show business. This had the funkiness that had always been in the Jacksons, but because of the bubble gum tunes that they had previously recorded, there true potential never came out.

"The Things I Do For You" -- Hey, who hasn't been there, you know you have been tired of someone who hasn't appreciated what you do. This is another groovin side.

"Blame it on the Boogie" makes you want to dance, but for those of us who REALLY REMEMBER -- (PRE "THRILLER" or "VICTORY") The Jacksons were some serious brothers. 10 foot afros, serious sequined jumpsuits, spins, dips, the woodpecker dance(Leg bent, bent over, head moving like a woodpecker, arm pointing straight out...this same move is recreated in the new movie with "Remember the Titans" with Denzel Washington, those of us who remember our roots do know about all of this). "Shake your Body Down To The Ground" is the song EVERYONE danced to ---Grandma, Uncle Billy, Cousin Jeff, Ned the wino, Miss Jane up the block, y'all know what I'm talking about. Hell everyone wanted to be the Jacksons! Even the Osmonds ripped them off when their barbershop quartet gig wasn't working!

If you really want to remember Black America as it was back in the day, community, family reunions, block parties, and loving you some Jacksons, get this Album. And really listen to the song "Destiny". It's a song that I think really captures what was in Michael's heart at the time. Reminiscence y'all.

When The Jacksons left Motown in 1976 for Epic, the driving force was to gain creative control over their music. Despite getting some songwriting credits, their first two albums for Epic were masterminded and controlled by the production team of Gamble & Huff. After the initial success of their first Epic album, The Jacksons, their second effort, Goin' Places, stiffed. The band decided that they finally would take complete control of their music for their next album. Epic relented and the band entered the studio in control of their own destiny for the first time. The album took its title from that change and Destiny turned out to be major breakthrough. Michael asserted his creative forces and the album's style is precursor for his Off The Wall album. The band updated their sound to mirror the disco trends of the day. The opening track "Blame It On The Boogie" is a magical dance workout that practically begs you to get up and move. "The Things I Do For You" is another high energy track. "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" was the big single on the album peaking at number seven and becoming their first ever to reach platinum status. They slowed things down on the title track and the pretty "Bless His Soul". Not only did Michael step up, but so did youngest brother Randy who displays his multi-instruments skills. The album was the highest charting album in seven years eventually reaching number eleven. Destiny proved that the band was capable of writing and producing their own music and never again would they not be in control of their music

Destiny is the first album written and produced by the Jacksons, and it is an excellent introduction of what lay in store for the jacksons, especially michael's blossoming solo career. The vocals are strong, clear and soulful, the melodies are soothing and catchy, the music is pleasing and exciting to listen to, the perfect harmonies add the icing to the cake, and the live instrumentation is the root of the freshness on this record. Here is a review of each track

Blame It On the Boogie-a simple disco track that isn't so fast, but it gets you moving anyways! It's a big club hit, and you can hear the excitement and energy in michael's voice, and it blends in perfectly with the groove of the music

Push Me Away-A soft ballad with strings and hints of pianos and michael's loneliness in the voice completely wins listeners over

Things I Do For You-a fast dance song that fits in well with the dance music of the late 70's, but in a timeless way. The melody is extremely catchy and michael's vocals are so loose and fit in with the music greatly. The sounds on this song set the blueprint for what was to come with michael's off the wall CD

Shake Your Body Down To The Ground=okay who doesn't know this song? It was very popular and it has been sampled in recent years, by Shaggy for example. It's a little bit long, but nonetheless, very exciting as the song progresses and the layers of instruments keep on building as the song plays.

Destiny=being a 20 year old myself, I can truly relate to the words michael sings on this masterpiece. You can hear the pain and emotion in his voice and feel it so much it makes you cry. And the music equals the emotion too. It really does.

Bless His Soul=the music for this song is so beautiful and so timeless. The chorus is great, and the bridge is awesome as michael's voice gets edgier when he sings "the life you're living is dangerous" hmmmm I wonder if this was the inspiration for the song Dangerous in 91...

All Night Dancing-this is the funkiest and most upbeat song on the album. It's a mixture of funk, blues, soul and disco! Michael is really belting out the rawness in his vocals and totally losing himself in the song. Nothing short of a masterpiece

That's What You Get For Being Polite-A perfect and mellow way to end the album. With it's horns and superb production, michael's smooth honey-butter vocals tells the tale of a man being dismissed of love, because he's too polite. A true masterpiece

So there you have it. A great collection of songs from the Jacksons. This is recommended to ALL, and I mean ALL lovers of great and classic r&b, hip hop and dance music, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. This one's for all the youngin's too, this is real r&b music, forget the mess you hear on the radio these days.

Sometimes an groups artistic pinnacle arrives the same time as their commercial breakthrough.Or in this case,rebirth.The Jacksons and this album holds a very important place in my pop music education.When I was 13 and first saw the mini series The Jacksons - An American Dream (The Complete Miniseries) my mom presented me with her old vinyl copy of this album for me to hear. It was the first album I listned to all the way through and remember how strongly the music impacted on me at that point.A few years later I got the original CD of this and still listened to it but found that particular CD had exceptionally bad sound,even for an old style "Digitally Mastered Analog Recording". So.......here we are 15 years later and FINALLY a version with remastered sound has finally arrived! So has this album held up as well with me as it did when I first heard it?The answer is !@(#* RIGHT!!!!!!Despite Michael Jackson's completely tarnished reputation in the years since I first heard it this album stands out even more in fact to me now as a masterpiece.Especially since I understand more about music since that time and the musicians.AND WHAT INCREDIBLE SIDEMEN!!!!Greg Phillinganes,Roland Bautista (of EWF),Michael Sembllo (of Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove) as well as Laudir De Oliveira of Sergio Mendes Brasil 77 and jazz/R&B orchestrater Claire Fisher. These musicians not only shaped much of the greatest music of the era but also helped the Jacksons persue their new musical vision. Musically this album has roots in 70's funk,Northern Soul,pop jazz and some good ol' rock n' roll kick for good measure. The sound was so distinctive it became the basis for what the band and Michael would achive later on "Blame It On The Boogie","Things I Do For You" and "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground" still resonate with all the power they always had.What really gets me now are the albums surprises.The title track is actually a lot closer to being a contemporary 70's country tune then an R&B number,excerpting Tito's blistering rock guitar solo at the end.But it also brings to mind a recurring theme about this album-lyrically it has the feeling of a blacks mans version of Pet Sounds;the concept of teenagers confronting time and adulthood. And,despite the Jacksons' consistantly rose colored,utopian view of love and the world these songs themes of broken hearts,uncertain relationships and what the future holds shows a personal maturity to match the music backing it up."Push Me Away" is an absolutely incredible ballad.Not only does Tito offer up another amazing (and very jazzy) guitar solo but Fishers transendant strings make this very adult themed tune stand out all the more.Still impressive,but on a more epic level is "Bless His Soul",where the usually helium voiced Jackie duets with Michael in an unusually deep,gritty tone-one that he began introducing pretty much as soon as they band arrived at Epic from Motown. "All Night Dancin" is pretty much a straight rock n roll tune,very much in the Huey Lewis vein and Michael and his brothers pull it off with gusto to match,even if it's a forgotton song sometimes it's still a favorite.Michael's own signiture style of romantic anxiety pops up on "That's What You Get (For Being Polite)";it's pretty clear by the end the "Jack" he talks about in the song is really him,especially what we know of MJ today. Now if the fact the bonus cuts are just rehashed remixes of hits your really in for a surprise. These are actually high octance latin disco-funk remixes curtesy of John Luongo;with the resequencing of the song structure,added purcussion,vocal echoes and odd foghorn like sound effects they work both as headphone music and something to kick booty on the dancefloor as well. This is a fantastic revisit of a deserved classic and really brings out,to me at least how some things only get better and better the more times you hear them.

In 1978, The Jacksons released their third album, Destiny, on the label Epic. The record sales for the two former records, The Jacksons and Goin' Places, had been disappointing yet the album Destiny changed the general perception that The Jacksons couldn't land a hit album. The brothers wrote most of the material together except for the song Blame It On The Boogie, I believe. Michael Jackson's solo career was non-existent at the time, however Destiny and the 1980-release Triumph have footprints of Michael Jackson's influence, which can also be heard on his solo efforts: Off The Wall and Thriller.

Lifted as the first single, Blame It On The Boogie established the return of The Jacksons to the top of the charts, landing the group a top 10 hit. The 1970s vibe shines through the song from the funky beat to the seductive lure of the dance. Undoubtedly, a refreshing track which still manages to have people going nuts on the dancefloor. Up next is the lovely Push Me Away, demonstrating The Jacksons' ability to create dreamy ballads. It may not be the most memorable track on Destiny, nevertheless it displays the vulnerability in Michael Jackson's voice. The bass-heavy Things I Do For You , a dance track with massive power and energy, is a stomping, funky offering, showcasing The Jacksons' talent to write brilliant up-tempo songs, which is also evident on the Triumph album. The third single Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) managed to score The Jacksons a top five hit. The full-out, disco-inspired cut is slowly built up until it finally explodes in a mix of guitar, bass and horn arrangements. Used as a sample numerous times since its release, it is no wonder that Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) is considered a Jacksons classic.

The title track Destiny opens with a raw guitar sound, stating the mood for the rest of the song. Overall, the morality of the song is that city life and material goods will not ensure you happiness, instead the simple life is to be preferred. Bless His Soul tends to follow the same pattern as Destiny - the desire to ensure one's happiness. The character of the song wants control of his own life, however he is constantly pressured to satisfy other people rather than listening to his own needs. Perhaps an autobiographical story for Michael Jackson? Returning to the main theme of dance obsession, All Night Dancer bubbles of energy. Michael Jackson's ''hey hey hey'' ad-libing during the break is refreshing and simply encourages you to get on the floor, dancing your cares away. Still, the song doesn't have the same potential as Blame It On The Boogie, Things I Do For You and Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), but it is still a strong record. The remaining song That's What You Get (For Being Polite) tells the story of Jack, a confused guy, who tries to do his best - yet he is uncertain of how to live his life.

Destiny was the first Jacksons album which marked their true ability to work together as a group. Destiny and Triumph are extremely good records; however they are highly underrated. Some might disagree but the two Jacksons albums are actually better than several Michael Jackson solo-offerings. If you are unfamiliar with The Jacksons, Destiny is an excellent choice to raise your awareness of this brilliant group. Their music is often overshadowed by Michael Jackson's solo career, however it shouldn't be forgotten that The Jacksons have also released superb material.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

By 1978, things weren't going good for the Jacksons. Their relationship with CBS/Epic Records was in no way as suceesful as they hoped it would be. The Jacksons's last album,Goin Places, had flopped. The Brothers felt that the time had come for them to write and produce a whole album. Epic Records was in fact giong to drop them, but Michael and his Dad, Joe, were able to convince them not to. If Destiny had failed who knows how Michael Jackson's career would have turned out. Well, the brothers proved they could write their own songs. The public seemed to agree since Destiny became the first album by any member of the Jackson family to sell over a million copies. The album is funkier than their last 2 albums( The Jacksons and Goin Places) and it boasted 1 hit single, the hugely popular,"Shake Your Body". "Blame It The Boogie" will put you in such a good mood; its such a happy pop dance song. There are some nice mellow ballad,"Bless His Soul" and "Push Me away". "All Night Dancin'" is a solid funky rocker as is the title track. A Good buy. Get it.

This is a great album! Some songs really make you wanna dance (just about all songs). It's easy to like and even love, maybe because of the energy in this quallity music.

This is the album to get for Jackson fans. Probably the last great album the brothers did together. Everything else after this sounded self-concious, like they knew they had to top this album, or worse..Thriller. It was the first time they were given the freedom to write and produce an entire album. "Blame it on the Boogie" chugs along at nice pace with a chorus that just screams sing along. "Push Me Away" is a lovely ballad, one of their best ever. "Things I Do For You" is another dance floor classic that segues right into "Shake Your Body", 7:59 of pure dance delirium. God that song just made you feel so damn good when you heard it, you just had to dance. It was and still is the most remarkable thing they have ever done. Only "Dancing Machine" comes close. Side 2 is more experimental for them. "Destiny" almost flirts with folk music, with the acoustic guitars..but then the electric guitars come blasting thru..it is reminiscent of the guitars in "I Am Love". Nice song. "Bless His Soul" slows things down to a bit..but the pace picks up with "All Night Dancin"..another nice dance song..but does not top "Shake Your Body". "Thats What You Get For Being Polite" ends the album on a high note. Again, a nice sing along song. Epic really needs to get on board and release a greatest hits and rarities album of the Jacksons. I also remember a Randy Jackson solo single released on Epic around the same time as "Off the Wall" called "How Can I Be Sure" it was backed with a duet with Janet (way before her debut came out) called "Love Song For Kids"..no lie. I no longer have this 45 but rest assured I am kicking myself.

This is one of the best albums ever!!

Why? Why not!!

The Jacksons are a bit before my time, but I'm glad I can still appreciate this muasic, because in my opinion, there is no music out there half as good as this!! This is what music should be about, pur fun and fantasy and exhileration!!

Being a long time Michael Jackson fan I'm trying to be real modest and not biased with my review, honeslty this is some of the best music I have ever heard!

'Blame It On The Boogie' is one of the best songs I think Michael Jackson ever wrote with his brothers. And let me tell you there are lots. I love everything about 'Blame It On The Boogie' and it almost makes you wish the 70's disco days are long one. The funk in this song is somethin' else, Michael has got his groove on in this song. I love it!! Now, what about the rest of the CD? It further displays why the Jacksons were at the time one of the top groups to emerge in 70's. And why they had to leave Motown to make it on their on as pure musicians.

They write all the songs on this CD, and I believe they surpass anything that they had done previous to this album. Anything Motown, anything! Michael Jackson has an amazing voice and his brothers do as well.

'Push Me Away' is a beautiful song. I love the horn they incorporate in every song, well maybe not every song, but darn close to it! Ggreat vocals by Michael here, it's hard to believe that a twenty year old has such great control over his vocal chords!

Of course 'Shake You Body (Down To The Ground)' is an all time classic. Great beat, great funk riff and one of the best songs on this CD! Pure fun!

'Destiny' I love because it's simple and Michael's vocals are incredible. A beautiful song with a great message. It's kind of funny listening too because of it's message, and comming from twenty three years later and seeing everything Michael Jackson has been through, it attains more meaning.

I highly recomend this CD because it shines from beginning to end! Not a single falt on the entire album!

Five Out Of Five

I got this LP as a kid when I asked for the "Shake Your Body" 12" single,so I thought Ok I will check out the whole album. This Lp made such an impression on me, I was only 9...yet Michael's vocals were something I had never heard before.."Blame It On The Boogie" is pure, joyous disco. "Push Me Away" is a gorgeous, paradise..."Things I do For You" gets you movin' and groovin'..this is a classic..."Shake Your Body" was a big radio single, and I loved dancing to this infectious track. (I love the remix version with the almost eerie sound effect - right after the chorus- this was why I wanted the 12" remix). "Destiny" was one of the songs that i just loved hearing Michael sing, his voice is so sincere, aching, fragile yet strong and moving; love the climactic guitar ending. "Bless His Soul" is simply a journey to heaven: you'll never hear the Jacksons in this setting again. "All Night Dancing" blows the doors off. I swear this track gave me the disco/funk injection I carry to this day. Sweaty, urgent, in your face boogie-funk; I dare you to sit still. Michael's insistent vocal carries me through this workout, I was just blown away, I never heard anything like this...I never made it to the final track "That's What You Get" - i was obsessed with the previous 7 tracks...The LP cover art was intense: crashing waves, lightning, tornado looming in the background; yet the J5 are unmoved perched atop the cracking stone which bears the album title. (This was a gatefold Lp, so open up to see some groovy pics.) This was the album that hooked me to Michael, before "Off The Wall" exploded unto the world. Essential MJ.