By 1973, the Various Jackson brothers were getting pretty fed up. They saw themselves as no longer a vehicle for pre-teen pop, something that was completely understandable, as they were all growing up themselves.
They wanted to do more mature, sexy, dance-oriented or funky music, but were fed a succession of poppy numbers or slushy ballads by Motown. Unfortunately, this album signified the beginning of the end for them at Motown. I am not sure if this was a coincidence, but take a look at the lads on the sepia-tinged cover - dressed up as aviators, they look miserable as hell. They were all writing their own songs by now, but, for some reason, Motown didn’t let them record their own stuff.
As it happened, though, personally, I think this album is more diverse than one may have expected it to be. There is some great funky pop on here. I like the album a lot and feel it was their best thus far. Despite the boys’ complaints and apparent dissatisfaction, this was their least blatantly poppy and most mature album to date.
First off, the opening two tracks, both singles, were really good ones. I remember liking them both at the time as did many people, so they still had a hit in them. At that time I was around fourteen and obsessed with the charts, so these two songs have good memories for me. Skywriter was actually a funky-ish number that I am sure would have appealed to the boys (they sing it with a real vibrancy) and Hallelujah Day was a catchy pop song with a singalong chorus. The former track had an absolutely killer clavinet riff and to be honest the track really cooks, one of their forgotten corkers, for me. The latter had a great piano-bass intro and some great vocals. It was probably the group's last great pop-soul single, the last one with that unbridled, typically Jackson 5 youthful vitality.
The surprisingly good, diverse quality continues on the broodingly soulful pop funk of The Boogie Man. Touch had been covered by The Supremes in the previous year. It is given a suitably harmonious treatment here. The single Corner Of The Sky has a vaguely funky, rhythmic backing and some uplifting vocals along with some Elton John-like harpsichord (I think) featuring on the intro. All the boys contribute vocally. It is a move towards a more mature Jackson 5 sound and is a proper soul-pop single. I like the flute bit in the mid-song backing too. I Can’t Quit Your Love is a punchy, brassy Diana Ross & The Supremes-style number that had been a funky but unsuccessful single for The Four Tops in 1972. Bobby Taylor also recorded it in 1973.
Uppermost also has some funky, groovy percussion and a deeper, more soulful vocal from Michael. World Of Sunshine is also infectiously funky, while having a breezy, sixties poppiness to it at the same time. Ooh, I’d Love To Be With You is a superb, laid-back, harmonious sweet ballad. You Made Me What I Am ends this lively album on an upbeat note. All most enjoyable. The group might have been cheesed off, but you can’t detect it in the performances.
