Customer Reviews

Looking Through Windows / Goin Back Indiana

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This set use to be my most played Jackson 5 double album/single cd series. The rehearsal numbers for "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow" are damn good to practice your J5 Choreography and Vocal ability. The first album goes downhill when they feature the basketball skit cause it's all pointless action,but it's a funny storyline featuring Jackie being the hero who saved basketball. But the album,without warning,explodes into your soul as the brothers open up with a live performance and sing a series of inspirational grooves with flawless execution. "Stand" has THE BEST drum opening i've ever heard in a song,while "Take You Higher" showcases Tito Jackson's raw guitar playing over a traditional drive from the drummer. The medley of "Walk On/The Love You Save" is really good. I like how both Tito and Jermaine take the forefront and play together on their guitars. The brothers get to speak out on afterwards and they do a MUCH BETTER version of "Going Back To Indiana" (Thank God!!!). After that album is over with,it's time to calm down and listen to one of the best and well-done remakes the J5 has ever done,"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing". Very,very,very excellent track to open up the new album with and I love how Michael and Jermaine,once again,share the song. My other favorites on the "Looking Through The Window" album is the title track,"If I Have To Move A Mountain","Little-Bitty-Pretty-One",and "Doctor My Eyes" kinda grew on me. And,like on all of the double album sets,are included some bonus material which in this particular set includes the live version of "Who's Loving You" which everyone knows was done in the American Dream movie. I'm just glad Michael decided to belt out some "Oh's" and "Ow's" like he did on the Ed Sullivan show which is my favorite part of the song. How about that Michael?!!

First of all, Looking Through The Windows is my very favorite Jackson Five album. It was the first one that I ever owned and I can never get enough of listening to this. Recently, I finally decided to get all of the Jackson Five albums on CD.

What bothers me is that this CD and Dancing Machine/Moving Violations takes 10 - 14 days to ship. What's up with that? That is really unforgivable. Heck, even the Third Album/Maybe Tomorrow Skywriter/Get It Together Cds are now out of print. This just boggles the mind.

Anway, as for the music, Looking Through The Windows is a great album. Sure, the Jackson Five were getting older and the 'bubble gum' sound was getting a bit old, but as a last effort for the genre it can't be beat. I think it stands up much better than the follow up, Skywriter. Now there is an album that is a real disapointment. The Jackson Five would start to bounce back with Get It Together, but the damage was done.

Goin' Back To Indiana was never one of my favorite albums, but the live section (recorded at thier '71 Gary, Indiana return concert) is really the best part of the album and worth the price just for that. It really shows that the Jackson Five were just as electric live as they were on TV.

Highly recomended CD but try and find it elsewhere or buy it used. The 10-14 day wait is absurd.

UPDATE: Well, it looks like this disc along with Dancing Machine/Moving Violation are on their way to being discontinued. Less than a week after I purchased Looking Through The Windows (and it still hasn't shipped) the Amazon listing was updated to show that you can only now get this used. What a bummer. I checked some other CD websites and many of them have had both Windows and Dancing Machine on back order since last year and are still waiting (in some cases over three months) for more stock to arrive. Yep, my guess is that the Jackson Five catalog is slowly being discontinued. Snatch up what you can now because they may not be around for much longer.

I want to say congrats to Harry Weigner at Motown for re-releasing the Jackson 5 catalog, with some albums that never have been on Cd before.

"GOING BACK TO INDIANA" is the soundtrack to the 1971 TV Special of the same name. The first 3 cuts r from the segment filmed in the studio, with the J5 rehearsing and Bill Cosby acting stupid, and a fun stage number with sports stars called "The Day Basketball Was Saved" which clocks in at about 8 mins, but it's entertaining nonetheless - the rest of this album is taken from the famoust 1971 concert where the boys returned home for a packed show - the most notable numbers from this portion of the album are "Feeling Alright" which was never a studio track the group did, but they sure know what to do with it onstage, and the very funky and laid back "Walk On" which is coupled with "The Love You Save". As a bonus cut on this disc, they've included another number from the Gary Concert, "Who's Loving You" which works well here and previously appeared on the 1992 Soundtrack for the movie "THE JACKSONS: AN AMERICAN DREAM" but the version here is a new mix to correspond to the mixes on the rest of the disc.

"LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDOWS" is a very mature yet satisfying album by the Jackson 5. It was released in 1972 shortly after the release of Michael's "BEN" album and JERMAINE's self titled solo debut album. All the songs on this album have been available on Cd before with the exception of "To Know" which is one of the most beautiful songs not only in the J5 cannon, but the entire MOTOWN catalog!!!!! The title track was the real hit here and was also the first time young Michael took control in the studio, instead of being told what to do by the producers. This album also contains a song where you can hear the first hint of Michael's changing voice, "Don't Want To See Tomorrow". The group also does an outstanding number on the Jackson Browne song "Doctor My Eyes". Other strong tracks on the album include "Children of the Light" (which is very pretty), "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (very short but very strong!) and the outtake from a few years back "Don't Let Your Baby Catch You" which was pulled from the vaults when this album was being assembled - it was originally done for the first album back in 1969. Also included on this disc is another bonus track, "Love Song" which didn't appear on any album but only appeared on the b-side of the "Looking Through the Windows" single. I absolutely love this song and think it should've been on the album in the first place, it's a very catchy and beautiful track that should definitely be taken note of. All in all this is an excellent double album and it's well worth the value!!!!!

Huge J5/MJ fan, JUSTIN OSTOFOROFF

This is a pretty good combination here! GBTI is an interesting history lesson with a beat that you can dance to. Some of it is off of a 1971 TV special of the same name (which I vaguely recall watching when I was around 6 years old). The skit stuff might work better as a DVD of this special (are you listening Berry Gordy?), but to hear the J5 Live with "Cousin" Johnny Jackson on drums and Ronnie Rancifer on the organ (whatever happened to those guys?) as well as Jermanine and Tito actually playing guitar and bass is amazing. Makes you wonder why Motown didn't let these guys really play their own instruments on their records all along. They really cook it up!

LTTW is a favorite of mine in part for personal reasons. I was visiting relatives in Harlem when I was 7 during the summer of 1972 and this and MJ's solo "Ben" were all over the radio. Back in Charleston, all the kids were digging this LP and I've always felt that "Dont Let Your Baby Catch You Fooling Around" was sadly underrated (originally considered too suggestive when recorded in 1969-go figure)! But childhood memories aside, this is a great CD and will easily explain why the J5 ruled the youth culture of the era. Listen and enjoy.

Thirty years after their release, these two albums finally make their first CD appearance. However, they are very different records and listening to them for unity's sake is not advised. The first, the soundtrack to the group's 1971 TV concert special, is hit-and-miss. The new, pseudo-live versions of "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow" are good, though abbreviated. The narration and banter that filled the skits are not meant for audio alone; without the visuals (especially on "The day Basketball was Saved"), the tracks are severely lacking. From the live concert portion of the album, their takes on "Stand!" and "Who's Lovin' You" work well, as does "Feelin' Alright," one of the best cuts here. "Walk On/The Love You Save" is great, and "Walk On" is the only J5-penned song that Motown released. The bonus cut "Who's Lovin' You" is awesome live, though the mix is not as good as it appears on the soundtrack to "The Jacksons: An American Dream" soundtrack. The other live songs are not as interesting. The second half of this disc, 1972's "Lookin' Through the Windows" album, was one of the J5's most successful. It contained two hits, the "Shaft"-influenced title track and the energetic cover of "Little Bitty Pretty One." This album is the last standard bubblegum pop from the group, but do not overlook it based on that. For instance, the vocal trading on this album is prevalent, and the group sounds better than ever as their voices have matured; particularly Jermaine, whose earlier raspy voice had now evolved into a silky smooth croon compared at the time to a young Marvin Gaye. The title track is notable in that it is the first time Michael argued with the producers to let him sing HIS way. "E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ne-Moe" is a standout track, full of energy and soul, musically in the vein of "I Want You Back." The most eye-opening song here is "To Know," with lush horn and string arrangements and beautiful harmonies. The album's low point, "Don't Want to see Tomorrow," (in which Michael recites the title in Spanish, albeit painfully) is filler, but all told "Windows" has some surprisingly impressive music.

Finally,Motown re-releases The Jackson 5's original albums,and none I've been waiting for to be on CD more than LTTW.The first J5 LP I've ever owned,I've played it until it was so scratched,that hearing it in crisp clean digital makes it sound as fresh as when I got it 20 years ago(a cutout item I picked for my 10th birthday) The album itself may have the production line feel of most Motown recordings,but the performances are fantastic.The fantastic title track(written by actor Clifton Davis who also wrote Never Can Say Goodbye) emulates Issac Hayes production ala Shaft in its accents and cresendos.Jackson Browne'sDoctor My Eyes is a surprisingly strong performance from Michael.The buried treasure on the album is If I Had To Move A Mountain,a go for broke love song with a strong arrangement,and an emotional delivery from MJ Going Back..is an interesting album featuring live recordings of the group sans the studio polish,showing the J5 as a tight little combo.I Want You Back sounds very energetic and even makes the amazing studio version sound anemic My only complaint with the whole reissue series is the lack of details in the linar notes,as well as not replicating the original artwork,besides that,the return of these classic albums in remastered sound is all the more welcome

Lookin' Through The Windows contains good songs, but Goin' Back To Indiana isn't so good with Introes, Medleys...

This was a great walk down memory lane.
The quality was superb.

I wish that obtaining the taped version of the show was easier.
I did a real search for J5 VHS-DVD taped shows and found the show.

This Cd is a must for any real Motown J5 fan.

Peace and Blessings

The Jackson Five experienced success right out of the box with their first four singles hitting number one and their next two peaking at number two. To capitalize on their immense popularity, Motown produced a television special that centered around a homecoming concert the band performed in their home state of Indiana. The resulting album, Goin' Back To Indiana, is a great snap shot of the band. They had cut their teeth on the road and despite their young ages, they exhibit an experienced professionalism. The first three songs are from the special with Bill Cosby and Tommy Smothers providing some comic relief before and between stellar versions of "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow". "The Day Basketball Was Saved" is a goofy number that certainly loses something without the visual aid that television provided. It is excessively long and doesn't really work well on the album. The homecoming show segment kicks off with three cover songs. The first two are roof raising versions of Sly & The Family Stone's "I Want To Take You Higher" & "Stand" and the third is a great take on Traffic's "Feelin' Alright". "Walk On" is a funky, Isaac Hayes' styled song that is combined with a rolling "The Love You Save" for a nicely contrasted medley. The album closes with a let it all hang out version of the title track. Lookin' Through The Windows is a mellower album that show a maturation in the band's sound. Michael's voice is changing, so the teenybopper angle that some previous songs took, no longer fits. The album opens with a great version of "Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing" and then moves into the stirring title track which has a really original sound. "Don't Let Your Baby Catch You Crying" has a tight pace and "To Know" is yet another beautifully sung song. They follow with two covers, a soulful version of Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes" (which was top ten hit in England) and hyperactive version of "Little Bitty Pretty One" which made its way to number 13. "E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ne-Moe" is a fast paced song while "If I Have To Move A Mountain" is a breath takingly beautiful song that the harmonies just soar on. "Children Of The Light" is an inspirational song that has a peace and love sentiment to it and "I Can Only Give You Love" has on point trading vocals between Michael & Jermaine.

The first disc coughs up J5 live and it sounds amazing. Its clear they were real musicians and had the energy and style to pull off such fusions as "Walk On/The Love You Save". But the second disc is the heart stopper. Songs such as "Looking Through The Windows" are so simplistic and breezy you not only listen to them you marvel at its pure pop elements. The whole disc is great and has to be enjoyed in a whole sitdown. When was the last time a cd drew you in so deep you had to sit and listen to the nuances before you really understood the content!