RSS
Home
A Tribute: The Jackson 5 - ABC, 1970
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.JPG)
With last week’s news still heavily simmering, I thought it best to start this week’s series of reviews off with my own tribute to the man whose prowess there are few words available to describe. I’ll be honest, Michael Jackson’s solo work never really struck a chord with me as I am more antiquated in my soul preference; yet, I will be the first to underline his genius as a pop songwriter and pop innovator. For me, his work as the disturbingly-beyond-his-years pre-pubescent front man of the Jackson 5 is what resonates most. Of the trifecta of albums that constitutes the most profound work of the group, 1970’s ABC is widely regarded as their crowning achievement, and thus the subject of today’s review.
The follow-up to their 1969 groundbreaking debut, ABC was released in May of 1970 and demonstrates not only a maturing sound but maturing subject matter – remarkable, considering the lack of depth usually associated with the standard family band. In the scheme of things, the Partridge Family and the Osmonds, who often seemed to be pure novelty acts, never could match the caliber of songwriting of the Jackson 5 – more specifically of The Corporation. The closest thing to competition would be the Five Stairsteps, if anything. It’s no wonder, if you closely look at their work on this album.
The album begins with the Corporation-written “The Love You Save”. Immediately obvious is the oft-mentioned effortlessness and emotion with which the young Michael communicates feelings of love – feelings beyond his years. With statements like, “You’d better stop/The love you save may be your own/Darling, look both ways before you cross me/You’re headed for the danger zone”, the point is undoubtedly made. In contrast with the very bubblegum soul of it all, these lyrics are not family band lyrics. This song is both a profession of love and a message of feminist strength with respect to the sexually opportunistic nature of most men. Many think of the Jackson 5 as a bunch of kids with a collection of pre-teen sing-a-longs, but you can see this is a monumental underestimation.
“One More Chance” is the first ballad of the set, and yet another Corporation track. “Everybody loves a star/When he’s on the top/But no one ever comes around/When he starts to drop” starts off this message of introspective criticism. Again, a concept beyond the scope of Michael’s maturity, yet there’s no denying the heart that permeates throughout. One could easily compare him to Little Stevie Wonder, before he dropped the “Little”.
Two deeper messages take a backseat for some light-hearted pop perfection on the heard-'round-the-world hit “ABC”, easily the Corporation at its best. Yet, even with this more adolescent vibe, the message is profoundly transcendent. The idea that an individual’s education isn’t complete without embracing love is beyond deep. It goes to show that even at their most Billboard-focused state, the Jackson 5 used their time in the spotlight for a purpose.
Funk instrumentalism comes rollicking through on the non-Corporation tracks “2-4-6-8” and “(Come ‘Round Here) I’m The One You Need”. The former’s lyrical work is the most adolescent of the set, and also the least inspiring, but the composition is more of a fusion than the straightforward style of the previous three tracks – a rewarding change of pace. On the latter, the boys rework The Miracles’ original, written by the Motown staples Holland-Dozier-Holland. The track is full of progressive soul elements a la Sly, Marvin Gaye, and P-Funk; yet, because it’s an HDH track, it reaches a pleasant hook full of classic Motown cadence.
Fellow Motown resident, Stevie Wonder, becomes the focus of the next two tracks: reworkings of For Once In My Life’s “I Don’t Know Why” and Signed, Sealed, & Delivered’s “Never Had A Dream Come True”. The former, renamed “Don’t Know Why I Love You”, is one of the best showcases for Michael’s vocal, because of its blues soul focus. The mere concept of an 11-year-old boy communicating true-to-form blues emotion is hard to digest. Yet, Michael Jackson wasn’t your average 11-year-old. “Never Had A Dream Come True”, while not living up to the compositional magic that is Stevie Wonder’s original, is pulled off by Michael’s and Jermaine’s channeling of the raw soul swagger of James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Sly Stone, and Stevie Wonder, to name a few.
After the unimpressive “True Love Can Be Beautiful”, the 5 cover the Delfonics original, “La-La (Means I Love You)”. The unexpected smooth soul is a refreshing change in trajectory, all accompanying yet another matured love song. Yet neither song holds up against the cover of Funkadelic’s “I’ll Bet You”. When the perpetrators of pop soul with a dash of bubblegum decide to embrace the progressive funk of George Clinton and Co., it requires an immediate listen. The contrast to the Corporation is overwhelming, both musically and lyrically. Immediately gone are the teen pop gimmicks and fully prominent is a more poetic lyrical delivery and an experimental soul backdrop – yet another reason the 5 were not really a teen pop act.
Before the album closes, the Jermaine-fronted “I Found You” bursts through with mid-tempo balladry; not to mention, it is simply about as honest a love song as is possible. Its most endearing quality remains its deep heart, something not uncommon in the Jackson 5 catalog. The album’s first protest song of sorts then takes the stage to close us out. Reworking the Supremes’ “The Young Folks”, the brothers march out of the speakers as vigilant and worldly, demanding that a stagnant bigoted older generation step aside. And, maybe in some forced way, when Michael says, “You better make a way/You gotta make a way for the young folks”, he was also referring to the musical power of youth that was his Jackson 5. In that regard, this song remains a nice capstone on a soul landmark.
With 1970’s ABC, the world was made to realize that the Jackson family was not a gimmicky sideshow act, but was in every way a gifted troupe of harmonizing brothers who delivered pop soul gems with the best of ‘em. It also ensured that the world paid attention to the tour-de-force that was Michael Jackson, a man with a mind like no other for music and a heart like no other for love.
We’ll miss you.
Related Articles:
Comments
