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The Jackson 5 - Pre-History: The Lost Steeltown Recordings Audio CD

A fair review of the The Jackson 5 "Pre-History: The Lost Steeltown Recordings" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Jackson 5 reviews here, or go back to the The Jackson 5 tabs.

The Jackson 5 Band: The Jackson 5
Title: Pre-History: The Lost Steeltown Recordings
Rating:
Release Date: 1996-06-04
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Let Me Carry Your Schoolbooks 2: I Never Had a Girl 3: Monologue 4: Michael the Lover 5: We Don't Have to Be over 21 (To Fall in Love) 6: Big Boy 7: You've Changed 8: Jam Session, Pt. 1 9: My Girl 10: Jam Session, Pt. 2 11: Under the Boardwalk 12: Soul Jerk 13: Saturday Night at the Movies 14: Tracks of My Tears

Shake It Baby -Shake it Shake it baby!
Mostly low-budget R&B, but some good stuff shines. The J-5's debut recordings (along with drummer "Cousin" Johnny Jackson) were somewhat poorly recorded at Steeltown Records (actually the home of producer Gordon Keith) in the Fall of 1967. The very 1st J/5 record "Big Boy" is here with the "killer bass line" that MJ would later describe in his book "Moonwalk. " They try their hand at doo-wop in "I Never Had a Girl. " Joe Jackson himself joins his sons on "Jam Session #1," a weak approximation of Jr. Walker's "Cleo's Back. " The Motownesque "We Don't Have to Be Over 21 to Fall in Love" is about as awkward as it sounds. The rehearsal tapes that were added to this CD are unspeakable, with one exception-the lively and rocking "Jam Session Pt. 2. " (where the title of my review comes from). Also recommended on this CD are "Micheal the Lover" and the entertaining "Let Me Carry Your Schoolbooks. " The latter is not as juvenile as it sounds. As a whole, this is mostly for collectors and completists, but worthy of a listen.


Wonderful - but flawed
The studio recorded material - basically the first half of the disc - is presented in the best quality possible, and thankfully NOT overdubbed with new instrumentation as has happened on a number of other discs where this material has been collected. In one respect this is a wonderful collection of the Jacksons' pre-Motown work. Sadly though the disc is flawed, as the rehearsal taped material on the second half of it DOES suffer from the overdubbing problem. It is actually quite hard to find this material in its original, pristine state - I have come across it on only two or three occasions on budget European releases - and it is sad that this collection falls down here, despite the contrary claim on the rather misleading sleeve note!.


Soulful
Big Boy,You 've changed are two of the Jams. the Jackson 5 rocked on this disc. the group was sounding Soulful on this disc. Michael Jackson has always been Bad!this is a Very Important disc. hearing Music from this disc you knew these Guys would Blow Up.


J-5 Early Stufff is worth a listen
While half of these are obviously rehearsals used to take up space, there are good things here. This is an interesting (to say the least) early look at some long-lost tunes from the J-5. "I Never had a Girl", their first ballad, has a raw appeal and sounds like a dress rehearsal for "Who's Loving You. " "Jam Session pt. 2 " , which is a forerunner to ABC, sound like the J5 cutting loose in a sanctified church! Lots of fun! "Michael the Lover" good and funky and "Let me carry your Schoolbooks" is a funny, funky tale of Mike defending his girlfriend from schoolyard bullies. Worth a listen, and not just for historical reasons.


PRE-MOTOWN MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!
It's biggest hit is "Big Boy" which is so bluesy it just wouln't fit the motown sound because it is to soulful. This is an awesome CD presenting the Jackon 5's first 14 songs ever recorded. It also features some other outstanding material including "Michael the Lover", an early version of "You've Changed", "We don't have to be over 21 to fall in love" which almost has a motown glow, "I never had a girl" which suffers from a keyed out melody. About half of this collection was never released (the other half on STEELTOWN singles) and on the label it says that the sound wasn't improved on for "historical" reasons making the last half sound somewhat strange, the music is great but the vocals have not been mixed up making it hard to hear the singing. I just wish they mixed up the song called "Under the Boardwalk" because what I could hear sounds awesome but would be a whole lot cooler if the vocals were turned up. An interesting begin for one of the most creative and musical families that became world famous musical geniuses!!!!!!!.


You can see a complete list of all The Jackson 5 discography, or go back to the The Jackson 5 tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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