The Jacksons: Live

by The Jacksons, The Jackson 5

Overview

It's easy to forget, in the wake of a decade of bizarre behavior, rumors, and innuendo surrounding Michael Jackson, that the Jacksons were once known solely for being a major music franchise. This live album, which was pretty obscure in its original double-LP vinyl version, is a reminder of how great an act they were, and captures what was just about the end of Michael Jackson's work with the family group, all of it very much on a high note. Live opens with a pounding, powerful rendition of "Can You Feel It" and, with one exception, never lets up, pushing on through a high-velocity and high-articulation version of "Things I Do for You" and a soaring "Off the Wall." There's an unfortunate lag where Michael Jackson slows things down for "Ben" (arguably the nadir of his Motown career), but "This Place Hotel" and the far more effective ballad "She's Out of My Life" make up for that lapse. The last section of the album, commencing with Off the Wall's "Rock with You," is practically a live rendition of that album, and so bracing as to almost exhaust the listener, and the preceding medley of their early Motown hits is just about worth the asking price of the disc by itself. On the down side, there are no notes and barely any credits, and the volume is set a bit low, but it pumps up beautifully with virtually no excess noise. The album is worth tracking down as an artifact of a simpler, more unabashedly joyous time in music, as well as the family's history. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	02/01/2008
Label:	Epic / Sbme Special Mkts.
UPC:	0886972394121

Tracks

1. Opening/Can You Feel It
2. Things I Do For You
3. Off the Wall
4. Ben
5. This Place Hotel
6. She's Out of My Life
7. Movie and Rap
8. Medley: I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save
9. I'll Be There
10. Rock with You
11. Lovely One
12. Working Day and Night
13. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
14. Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Jackson 5   Primary Artist
The Jacksons   Primary Artist
Wesley Phillips   Horn
Bill Wolfer   Keyboards
David Williams   Guitar
Michael McKinney   Bass
Cloris Grimes   Horn
Roderick "Mac" McMorris   Horn
Jonathan Moffett   Drums
Alan "Funt" Prater   Horn

Technical Credits

The Jacksons   Producer,Performer
Bill Schnee   Mixing
Bob West   Composer
Jackie Jackson   Composer
D. Black   Composer
Joe Gastwirt   Remastering
Elliot Willensky   Composer
Clifton Davis   Composer
Don Black   Composer
Donald Black   Composer
James Sheppard   Composer
Walter Scharf   Composer
W. Scharf   Composer
Leon Ware   Composer
Mike Reese   Mastering
Robert Rogers   Composer
Rod Temperton   Composer
Warren "Pete" Moore   Composer
Randy Jackson   Composer
Richard Brooks   Composer
Michael Jackson   Composer
Hal Davis   Composer
William Miller   Composer
Willie Hutch   Composer
Tito Jackson   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Tom Bahler   Composer
Wade Bowen   Composer
Johnny Bristol   Composer
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Marvin Tarplin   Composer
Arthur Ross   Composer
M.L. Procise   Mixing
The Corporation   Composer
D. Jones   Composer
T. Jackson   Composer
Berry Gordy, Jr.   Composer