what can i ever say about the Genius that is Michael Jackson. in my lifetime no other musical figure has meant more or inspired my ears more than this man. he was incredible as a child artist and he had that gut bucket brand of soul in his voice that you just can't teach. the singles represented here showcase the greatness of a younger MJ. great songs,production and a voice that is timeless then and now.
Michael Jackson Gold is a great two CD set with many wonderful songs all performed flawlessly by the great Michael Jackson. We get timeless, beautiful songs by Michael as part of The Jackson 5, too. This is a great two CD set for fans and even newcomers will be enchanted by Michael's singing on these two CDs--he shows a genius of a performer way beyond his years. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done as well.
"Got To Be There," a charming number, starts the CD with Michael singing with other members of his family--but make no mistake about it, Michael is squarely front and center and he handles this very well. The rest of The Jacksons do a great job, too! "Rockin' Robin" shines brighter than silver and gold combined when Michael tackles it; the music that plays fits in perfectly with his vocals and I especially like that electric guitar! "Ain't No Sunshine" gets a most passionate treatment; Michael delivers this like the pro he was and always will be! He never lets go of a single superfluous note and that's grand. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" strikes me as a huge highlight of the first CD; and listen for Michael to do an outstanding job on "Ben." "Ben" moves me with its singular beauty. Nobody could ever have done this better than Michael; he delves deep into "Ben" and I can truly feel the real angst he had in his heart for missing things that he wished he had including more time to play with his friends as a child. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" has a terrific sound that I absolutely love; and I really like "I Want You Back." Great! "Who's Lovin' You" stuns me with its natural beauty; and "Never Can Say Goodbye" is a classic Jackson 5 hit that has Michael front and center once again--what a great treatment they give to "Never Can Say Goodbye!"
"With a Child's Heart" has Michael singing at his usual very best; and there's the theme song from "Lady Sings the Blues" entitled "Happy." "Happy" is very passionate and it showcases Michael's genius as a consummate entertainer. "Just a Little Bit of You" has the spotlight on a somewhat more mature Michael; his voice developed quite nicely and he never falters on this number, either! The music is just right and the rest of the troupe sound so good--not that Michael Jackson ever truly needed backup; but they all sound outstanding anyway. "I'll Come Home to You" is a gorgeous love ballad; it moves me with its beauty. "If N' I Was God" uses the percussion very well and Michael delivers this like a champ! "Who's Looking for a Lover" has a terrific beat; and listen for the meaningful "One Day in Your Life" which Michael delivers with all his heart and soul. "You're My Best Friend, My Love" is another song with a great beat and I love to hear "Call on Me."
Michael Jackson fans will certainly enjoy this excellent two CD set of his wonderful numbers. Michael may have left us but it's abundantly clear that he will live on forever in his music; and I love to celebrate his life and all that he gave to us. Thank you, Michael--and thank you to the rest of The Jackson 5!
This is a great CD compilation of MJ's early solo work!
You are reminded of what a genius and child prodigy he was!
The way he delivers a lyric with such passion and knowingness,
though he was only a preteen on alot of this material..is amazing!
This was some of the music in which I cut my musical teeth on
as a singer!--I won my 3rd Grade talent show (1972) singing
"Got To Be There" to a standing ovation! (-:
I can remember when Michael and his brothers, The Jackson 5,
debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969 when I was 5 yrs old.
He made such an impression on millions, irregardless of race
or socio-economic class, that they were catapulted to
superstardom overnight, and the rest, as they say, is history!
There are the great early solo hits of his:
"Ben", "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "Maria ( You Were The Only One)",
"Got To Be There", etc., as well as great album cuts like
"Ain't No Sunshine", "People Make The World Go Round",
"Dear Michael" and others that really take me back to those
magical childhood days when I spent hours between the speakers
learning every syllable and inflection of Michael's voice to a tee!
Of course, a few years later, my voice changed and I couldn't hit
those notes in a full-throated natural anymore..I had to switch
to falsetto! (-: But Michael's beautiful, rich, other-worldly
tone and range was one of my first vocal teachers.
Now that he's passed away, his music means so much more to me.
I saw him come from nowhere, a young prodigy of immeasurable
and unprecedented talent who became a superstar at age 11,
then on to a teenaged star with his family on a weekly TV
variety show, to selling millions of records with the albums
"The Jacksons, "Destiny" and "Triumph", to his role as
the Scarecrow in "The Wiz"...then there was his transcendent
jump to mega-stardom with "Off The Wall" (1979),
"Thriller"(1982), "Bad" (1987), "Dangerous" (1991), etc.
No matter what anyone may have to say negatively about
him today, Michael Jackson was an innovator,
a true talent, groundbreaker, and a worldwide icon!--Bar None!!
Many entertainers, like myself, cut their musical teeth on
his work and went on to have very lucrative careers because of it!
REST IN PEACE MICHAEL!!--Thank you for all that you were!
His musical legacy will live on forever!
Excellent cd, Michael Jackson at the peek of his profession as a child star. When it comes to entertainers, there is Michael Joseph Jackson, and then there is everyone else!
Michael is definitely the star on this CD. The songs bring back memories of a young man with much talent and the ability to change the world with his music. I'm so glad to have this CD in my collection.
