Customer Reviews

Triumph

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Of all the Jacksons albums (in my humble opinion) this is the one to own, or at least the one to start with. I bought 'Triumph' in the fall of 2000; I already knew that I was going to like "Can You Feel It" because I had seen the video once, and was amazed by the mystical vibe they were able to accomplish with it all the way back in 1980...anyone remember it?

"Lovely One" (written by Michael and Randy) is one of my favorites - it's a perfectly frenetic blend of funk, disco and pop/R&B that will have you bobbing your head once you get into its groove; lyrically, the song has Michael trying to convince a doubting girlfriend that she is his "lovely" one. I've seen Michael do this one in concert (albeit on TV), but boy did he get the crowd moving...Oh, and yes, this song does sound a bit like it should be called "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" part II...

"This Place (Heartbreak) Hotel" (written by Michael) is easily the highlight of the album - it has elements of mystery, suspense, and pure sonic energy; can't miss this one. Music factoid: In 1991, rapper Heavy D used this song as the basis for his hit, "Peaceful Journey", a somber track dedicated primarily to Trouble T-Roy (one of his dancers) who died in an accident on stage; R&B supergroup Jodeci sang the background vocals...

"Time Waits For No One" is a ballad (written by Randy and Jackie) ready to be remade, it's so shimmeringly beautiful. Michael blesses this track with one of his most tender vocal performances ever, a la "She's Out Of My Life". Honestly though, it kind of ends too soon for me...wish it could have been a little longer.

Trust me, this is a solid album, but I must also mention by name songs like "Walk Right Now" (Prince-like), and "Give It Up" which has a (pun intended) "triumph"-ant feel to it, especially near the end when the marching drums come in. Folks, I highly, highly recommend starting with this one.

I also own 'Destiny' which in my opinion is a lesser album than 'Triumph', but with songs like "Blame It On The Boogie" (a favorite), "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" (ditto) and a decent filler ballad like "Push Me Away", I still suggest getting that one too. I have yet to try out the 'Victory' album, but I've been warned to stay away...but with songs like "Torture" (I remember the 1984 scary video) and "One More Chance" (remade by Janet as a B-side to the 1993 "If" single) it'll probably be my next Jacksons purchase, along with their remixed album, and the live album.

Thanks for reading!

C.H.R.

Sandwiched between the stunning success of "Off the Wall" and what would be his opus, "Thriller," Michael Jackson rejoined his brothers for "Triumph." Jackson really didn't need to; the mammoth success of "Off the Wall" proved that he was a solo star, but working with his brothers on "Triumph" allowed Michael to develop the style and sounds that would eventually be heard on "Thriller."

"Can You Feel It" is a blockbuster single, a brilliant pop/R&B song that ranks with MJ's best solo songs. Strangely, the single was not a top ten hit on either the R&B or pop charts. But it has become an old-school favourite, and its lavish video was an indication of what was to come with Michael's own videos. "Lovely One" and "This Place Hotel (aka Heartbreak Hotel)" did better on the charts and they're still catchy songs, even if like most of the album, they have been eclipsed by Michael's solo success. "Walk Right Now" is also presented here in an album mix and club mix, and it's an underrated club stomper.

"Triumph" is a tight, funky album that is worth hearing, particularly in this re-mastered edition. It is an important album, because it was the precursor to "Thriller," an album that would change Michael, both musically and personally. It was also one of the last occasions Michael worked with his brothers on an album proper, aside from "Victory."

I think Triumph is The Jacksons best album,espically with the timeless classic "This Place Hotel"which is my favorite song and the song that Michael wrote.I also like their hit song "Can You Feel It" and the lovely ballad "Time Waits For No One" which showcases Michael's vocal talent.Triumph also has some good songs to dance too.Like "Lovely One","Walk Right Now","Wondering Who" and "Everybody".I also like "Give It UP".Evey song on Truimph is very catchy and the first time you listen to the album you would to know all the words to every song.

After leaving Motown, the former Jackson 5 moved on to Epic records and released several albums with moderate success. The best of these is "Triumph" which features songs that previewed the rise of Michael to superstardom. Michael either wrote or co-wrote nine of the ten cuts featured with older brother Jackie penning "Your Ways." The songs bear the undeniable signature Michael Jackson-sound of the era. Great tunes are "Can You Feel It," "Lovely One," "Heartbreak Hotel," and "Time Waits for No one.

A good collection from a legendary group.

The Jacksons 1980 release Triumph is.....well something I simply don't know how to put into words.Since I first heard it 15 years ago to today it continues to thrill me more and more hearing it and gets better with each listening.Everything from the bands then new eye popping logo to the cover art depicting the brothers as hi tech celestrial aperitions from with an aura from another world puts this awe inspiring music even higher.Here the band are totally free in terms of writing and production,which they were beforehand but overseen.That sense of independance,drama and intense passion permeates every corner of this album.The musicians on the album are the same but everything is just totally different. Whereas the previous album Destiny features a very earthbound style that is really musically diverse,this coeleses everything into a distinctive sound with a high octane,mildly new wave inflected production that not only defined post disco R&B of the day but succeeds in a soundscape with a marvelous use of studio gloss and downright funkiness."Can You Feel It" really sets the mood,a truly epic plea for cultural unity that,like it's accompanying video clip that combines contemporary funk with the feeling of a modern call to arms kind of secularized gospel.The Jacksons were also obviously effected by Quincy Jones' recent production on Michaels solo album Off the Wall on "Lovely One" and "Everybody",both bass bottom heavy,rhythmic tunes of high funky preportion but again the bands self production is still in a league of it's own.In terms of the era nothing really brings to mind the death of disco then "Your Ways",with it's creepy sense of forboding and uniqueness.Similar is the terrific "This Place Hotel",one of The Jackson's classic;errie,funky and with Michael very much in control of the concept-again returning to the theme of romantic doom. "Time Waits For No One" is the only song here that could qualify as a ballad yet it's yearning,heartbroken lead vocal puts it leagues ahead of most schmaltzier ballads of the era. Continuing with the epic feel are two more amazing songs;"Walk Right Now" is a hard edged dance-funk burner that brims with energy,rhythm and a heavy kick from beginning to end. "Give It Up" has some echoes of Paul McCartney's "Let Em' In" in terms of the arrangement but again there's an otherworldly undertone."Wondering Who" is really probably the most ear catching thing here;it concludes the album with a very early electro-funk tune complete with staccato synths,vocorders and great vocals from Jackie. The fact that he got such a forward thinking tune as his one solo spot on the album says much for the bands collective unity as they recorded this album. There are three bonuses here too.The single version of "This Place Hotel" is interesting but adds nothing to the brilliance of the full version,considering the outro that was edited out for the 45 RPM format. Where John Luongo's disco remixes on the reissue of the previous albums really add to those songs,there's nothing that can truly add to what is already there on "Walk Right Now",although the instrumental version will be great for aspiring musicans to play along with and will score big at kareoke parties. Taken together this album is the most ambitious,musically solid album The Jacksons ever made.And the huge commercial and artistic success of this album laid the groundwork for further success not only for Michael's own upcoming masterpiece Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller but for the entire genre to which this belongs in general.

These days, I've been rediscovering the music of one of my all-time favorite groups, the Jackson 5/The Jacksons. I remember loving these guys SOOOO much and doing the craziest things to try to meet them - ever see that old footage of fans going nuts over them back in the day? Well, that might as well had been me and my girlfriends. I actually chased a limousine down a Manhattan street with a bunch of other screaming, hysterical girls after one of their concerts in 1981, because the guys were leaving the show in it! My kids laugh whenever I tell them that story, but it is a testament just as to HOW big these guys were back then! Michael had OFF THE WALL out the previous year with all those huge hits, and all the publicity from DESTINY was dying down when this album came out.

TRIUMPH, from 1980, is an incredibly solid offering from the Jacksons - the second of their albums where they had full creative control. Taking the best elements from DESTINY and combining them with the best from Michael's OFF THE WALL, this was the result! Yielding four hit singles, TRIUMPH was appropriately named as such because of a near-fatal car accident that youngest brother Randy had, and the degree of his injuries were so extreme that doctors were saying that he would never walk again. Well, as we see, through Randy's determination, he beat those odds and that entire harrowing experience turned out to be an inspirational theme for the group's next album.

Every song on here is tight, no filler at all. Two of the nine tunes are ballads - all the others are driving dance cuts. From beginning to end, it's guaranteed to have you hooked from the pulsating opening song, "Can You Feel It", with Michael and Randy on lead - a little preachy, but it's catchy and makes you want to sing along - to Jackie's "Wondering Who". Jackie is an underrated vocalist and songwriter, so no one should have slept on him! (He co-wrote many of the songs on this.) "Lovely One", the follow-up to the enormously successful "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" was the JAM when I was in high school, and you heard it EVERYWHERE. There is an explosive energy that the brothers are giving off here, and Michael's vocals are ON FIRE! "Your Ways", a haunting but funky tune also written by Jackie, has Mike using his even higher falsetto a lot. "Everybody" sounds like "Get On The Floor" from Michael's OFF THE WALL, but it's good (written by Tito and Michael).

"Heartbreak Hotel", entitled "This Place Hotel" on the CD issue (never knew why the title was altered - you wouldn't confuse it with that Elvis song, not anymore than you would with the Whitney Houston song of the same name) and written by Michael, is definitely a highlight. "Time Waits For No One" is one of the two ballads here and it is gorgeous - think of the gossamer beauty of "She's Out Of My Life" where the subject of taking the one you love for granted comes into play. "Walk Right Now", the tale of a persistent ex-girlfriend, is hot and a definite booty-shaker. "Give It Up", the other ballad here, is an easy, swaying pop groove featuring Michael and Marlon trading off leads and ends with a drumline-like beat. The afore-mentioned "Wondering Who" is disco-funk, an uptempo tune that should have been a single as well. Very addictive!

TRIUMPH was truly a family affair - this is how good it was for the Jacksons as an act, before the phenomenon called THRILLER came along. All of the brothers had their input on this project, and it's obvious that they had a ball in the studio recording it. The energy that Mike puts down seriously rivals any of the stuff he would do on his own. You'll have a ball listening to it, too. This is perfection...the best Jacksons album, hands down.

michael said it himself. He and the Jacksons took the formula set for Destiny and Off the Wall, and combined the elements to yet create another masterpiece, Triumph! This album is just as good as destiny and has some really brilliant classics on it

Can You Feel It-this song has been sampled so much! The intensity and energy in the music is everlasting and the jacksons sing about wisdom and equality among different races of the world.

Lovely One-in a groove that is reminiscent of shake your body down to the ground, this song is really exciting and the build up makes the piece stand out! The melody is extremely catchy in the verses and chorus

Your Ways-This one grew on me. What I love about it is that when the verses are sang in one way, all of a sudden, the chorus hits you and is sang another way! I love the chorus a lot!

Everybody-this song reminds me a little bit of Get On The Floor from michael's off the wall album, but it's just as good though it gets a little repetitive. The production is great though

Heartbreak Hotel-THE masterpiece of the album! Michael wrote this song all by himself and you can completely tell from the way the song is filled with sheer brilliance. The haunting pianos and strings and lyrics are what makes the song so exciting. Definitely one of the best masterpieces of michael's career

Time Waits For No One-michael's vocals shine the most on this song on the album. You can feel the sad emotions in his voice. It's a song about heartbreak, and the music goes perfectly with it too

Walk Right Now-produced in a way that reminds me a little bit of the Supremes Touch Me In the Morning, the stacato chorus with it's beat and vocals is what makes the song so exciting and anticipating as it plays! A true classic

Give It Up-A mellow disco song in which michael sings in a high pitched voice. The jackson's backing harmonies blend perfectly with the music. Definitely one of my favourites

Wonderin Who-a great way to end the album with it's funky machine driven beat!!

get this album today!

Nobody here had given this album and bad review and I just
can't disaggre with them.A breathtakingly open-ended embrace of
techno-funk/pop,pop-jazz and irresisably catchy melodies that
were oh so prevelant on Michael's solo "Off the Wall" of roughly
the same vintage.It was in this 1979 through '81 period when
The Jackson's hit musical peak.An above-average impersonation
of a Quincy Jones production lets you know all five brothers in
the group had an independant hand in making this a pretty magical
album.Notable is Jackie's soulfully cold vocals on the album's
closer "Wondering Who",a ruthlessly creative techo-pop project
never before heard on a Jackson record.The opener "Can You Feel It" brings the whole brood together for a soulful march with a
humanitarian message and the forboding "Your Ways" with Randy's
plucky persussive "grab bag" in the mid-section is a dry run for
what brother Michael would achive two years later on "Thriller".
The ballad "Time Waits For No One" is the groups best slow jam
thus far."Give It Up" is a a Jacksonized take on Paul McCartney's
"Let 'Em In" (or it really sounds like it) and "Walk Right Now"
is the most frenetic dance track of the bands career.Listening
to this it's hard to believe Berry Gordy not giving The Jacksons
creative control of their music,since results like this would
be enevitable.If your a fan of Michael's "Thriller" and want some
of his group activities in your collection,pick this up-it's right on the road and getting mightly close (if not better)!

This album didn't get the publicity it deserved in 1980-81 in part because of the disco backlash of the era keeping a lot of good Soul music of the time away from pop stations and audiences, relegating things like this to Black American radio stations and British soul fans.

With that said, TRIUMPH is one of the best unified post J5 Jackson Brothers efforts. CAN YOU FEEL IT was probably the last truly great song the brothers did together as a group, with that brilliant bass line and (as usual) uplifting message (BTW, the spectacular video predates MJ's spectacular THRILLER videos of a few years later). Also, the lovely GIVE IT UP and TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE are stellar examples of MJ balladry. Admittedly THIS PLACE/HEARTBREAK HOTEL is no classic, but it's listenable and not a bad song. WALK RIGHT NOW is also decent. On the whole, not a bad track on this album.

THILLER, unfortunately, has done for this album what SAM COOKE LIVE AT THE HARLEM SQUARE did for SAM COOKE LIVE AT THE COPA. An excellent album leaving a really good one in the historical dust. It shouldn't be that way. If you like THRILLER, rediscover TRIUMPH. You'll be glad you did.

By 1980 The Jacksons had released 3 albums, ''The Jacksons'', ''Going Places'' and ''Destiny'', under the CBS label. Their fourth album became the most successful of the four. The album peaked at No. 10 in the US chart and No. 13 in the UK.
Michael Jackson's studio album ''Off The Wall'' had already been release to the public, enjoying considerable success. Triumph is a good set and at this point in time the last good record from The Jacksons. The follow-up ''Victory'' did nothing for the group and is, in my opinion, an utter bore.

The album opens with the dramatic, over-the-top ''Can You Feel It''. A fanfare holds the listener's attention, soon we are introduced to a disco-like beat and introduced to the message of the song-we should all live in harmony. The subject is often repeated within Michael Jackson's solo works- ''Heal The World'', ''HIStory'' etc. ''Can You Feel It'' is a favourite among listeners of ''Triumph'' with its over-dramatic sound and the catchy chorus. Personally it's a fave of mine as well as the video accompany the song. By 1980's standard the music video was impressive. Lifted as the third single off the album and landed at a disappointed No. 77 in the US chart.

Next up is ''Lovely One'', the first single off Triumph. A fusion between the ''Off The Wall'' sound and that of the ''Destiny'' album. The typical story of a guy wanting a girl, yet the girl is playing hard to get. It landed at No. 12 in the US and it was the most successful single off the album.

Your Ways'' is among the best songs on ''Triumph''. Michael Jackson's eerie vocal and up-beat chorus bland incredible well together. My favourite unreleased track from a Jacksons album ever. ''Everybody'' is a call-out for everyone to get on the dancefloor and dance your booty off. Not one of the great track on the album. The sweet vocals work quite well with the beat. The sound is quite dated at this point. A nice upbeat track, but not by any means a masterpiece.

''This Place Hotel, formerly know as ''Heartbreak Hotel'', was written solely by Michael Jackson. The sound effect and the ''horror'' sound might have inspired Rod Temperton to write ''Thriller'' for the record of the same name. The ''scream'', in the beginning of the song, is credited to his sister LaToya Jackson. Not the most impressive start to begin your singing career with, but hey everyone has to start somewhere right?. ''This Place Hotel'' is a story of revenge-boy meets girl, dumps girl and have to face the consequences some 10 years later. Released as the second single. It managed to climb to the No. 22 on the US chart.

''Time Waits For No One'' is a lovely ballad. Michael Jackson opens the track with his vulnerable singing and sets the pace for the rest of the song. A bit sugary, but a nice melody. A favourite among fans, not a personal favourite of mine. Too sappy for my liking.

''Walk Right Now'' is among my favourite Jackons' songs ever. The trampy chorus and the prominent bass guitar carry the tune though-out the song. The subject is familiar to Jackson. A girl refusing to take no for an answer. She hammers, battles and screams, but it does no good, she is told to ''Walk Right Now''. One of best track on ''Triumph''. It was released as the fourth single.

The two final songs ''Give It Up'' and ''Wondering Who'' are the weakest songs on the album. They are the main reason why this album don't get that perfect 5 stars. They are mediocre at best.

I consider ''Triumph'' to be a better set than those of several Michael Jackson solo records. It is rarely given notice by the public in general. It is simply quite underrated in my opinion. ''Triumph is a good buy if you are a huge admirer of MJ's solo works-''Off The Wall'' and ''Thriller'' and also if you like a bland of pop perfection with a twist of disco type of songs.

Overall Rate: 9,5/10