Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
2. ABC - The Jackson 5
3. Love You Save - The Jackson 5
4. I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
5. Mama's Pearl - The Jackson 5
6. Never Can Say Goodbye - The Jackson 5
7. Sugar Daddy - The Jackson 5
8. Dancing Machine - The Jackson 5
9. Lookin' Through the Windows - The Jackson 5
10. Doctor My Eyes - The Jackson 5
11. Ain't No Sunshine - The Jackson 5
12. Got to Be There - The Jacksons
13. Rockin' Robin - The Jacksons
14. Ben - The Jacksons
15. One Day in Your Life - The Jacksons
16. Farewell My Summer Love - The Jacksons

Disc 2:

1. Can You Feel It - The Jacksons
2. Blame It on the Boogie - The Jacksons
3. Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons
4. Show You the Way to Go - The Jacksons
5. Dreamer - The Jacksons
6. Even Though You're Gone - The Jacksons
7. Goin' Places - The Jacksons
8. Torture - The Jacksons
9. Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) - The Jacksons
10. Lovely One - The Jacksons
11. This Place Hotel (AKA Heartbreak Hotel) - The Jacksons
12. Walk Right Now - The Jacksons
13. Wtate of Shock - The Jacksons
14. 2300 Jackson Street - The Jacksons
15. Nothin (That Compares 2 U) - The Jacksons
16. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough [Live from the 1981 U.S. Tour] - The Jacksons

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4661 in Music
• Released on: 2004-07-05
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Enhanced, Import

Album Description
Although there have been countless compilations over the decades, The Very Best of the Jacksons could well be the most definitive. Split across two discs, disc one primarily features the early Mowtown days and the second, mainly their hits as the Jacksons (as opposed to Jackson 5) released on Epic. Often overshadowed by Michael's subsequent success as a solo artist, this anthology demonstrates why the Jacksons' perfect balance of pop and soul has endured when compared to one-time peers such as the Osmonds. The irresistible funk of 'ABC' and 'I Want You Back' are classics of the period as are the incredible ballads 'Got to Be There' and little Michael's ode to a loveable rodent, 'Ben'. Highlights of disc two are predominantly from their massive albums Destiny and Triumph, released in the late 1970s, early 1980s; 'Can You Feel it', 'Blame it on the Boogie' and 'Shake Your Body' to name but three. It was around this time that Michael began his adult solo career and The Very Best of the Jacksons appropriately ends with a live version of "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" from MJ's Off the Wall. Michael may have gone on to eclipse his family but there can be little dispute that the Jacksons are one of the most important musical dynasties ever. Sony. 2004.

Customer Reviews

Most comprehensive, cross-label J5/Jacksons compilation yet
At the same time that Hip-O in the U.S. released a cross-label Jackson 5/Jacksons compilation (called "The Jacksons Story"), Sony and Universal in the UK issued this title. The differences between the two titles are considerable. First off the Hip-O collection is only one disc, so it obviously does not include many of the tracks that are available here. The first disc of this collection (track list below; Amazon's description only shows the tracks on disc two of this collection) focuses on the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson's years at Motown. It has all of the big hits that the Hip-O disc has but also contains some album tracks and the hit "Lookin' Through the Windows." The one omission is the Jermaine Jackson hit "Let's Get Serious," available on the Hip-O collection but not here.

Disc two focuses on the Jacksons' Epic years. It's here that this disc really trumps the Hip-O compilation. Included here is "Torture," mysteriously missing from both the Hip-O disc and the "Essential Jacksons" disc that Sony issued in the U.S. last year. Also included here are popular Jacksons tracks like "Goin' Places," "Dreamer," and "Even Though You're Gone," the latter two also being missing from Epic's earlier "Essential Jacksons." What's also great about disc two of this collection is that, apart from "Lovely One," it contains the original 45 rpm single edits. (The "Essential Jacksons" disc contains the full length album versions.)

I am giving this collection only 4 instead of 5 stars because the track selection on disc one could have been better. Instead of the Jackson 5 singing "Doctor My Eyes" or "Ain't No Sunshine," it would have been nice to have had other hits like "Maybe Tomorrow," "Little Bitty Pretty One," and "I Am Love" or the popular b-side "I Found That Girl" or the stand-out early Michael Jackson-led "Who's Loving You." It also would have been nice if they had used the original mono mixes for the Motown tracks (they are all stereo here). The stereo versions are much easier to find on cd. Given the focus on single edits on disc two, it's curious that the compilers did not pay attention to using the original singles mixes on disc one.

Classic Material
you know Michael Jackson truly did something incredible in 3 phases of His career. first starting out as a Member of the Jackson 5&also as a Adult Member of the Jacksons&we aren''t even gonna talk about His Greatness as a Solo Artist.this is a truly Ultimate Collection of the Jacksons Work on Motown through sony. you gotta get this ASAP if you are a Jacksons Fan.

THE VERY BEST, DOUBLE COMPLETE ANTHOLOGY
IF YOURE LOOKING FOR A COMPLETE COMPILATION FROM THE JACKSONS THIS IS THE ONE YOURE LOOKING FOR, CD ONE CONTAINS THE HITS FROM THEIR MOTOWN YEARS INCLUDING SOME SOLO RECORDINGS BY MICHAEL, CD TWO THE EPIC YEARS, THE DISCO SONGS "CAN YOU FEEL IT" & "SHAKE YOUR BODY (DOWN TO THE GROUND)" WERE A LITTLE LONGER AND THIS CD CONTAINS THE RADIO EDITS OF THEM, SOUNDS GOOD. HIGHLY RECOMENDABLE.