What's the most underrated song done by the Jacksons?

I'd have to go with 'Torture'.

Why 'Torture' wasn't a bigger hit (#17 pop / 13 black) beats me. Mike and Jermaine doin' a song together after 9 years, the public should have eatin' that up. Jackie does a good job on songwriting/production. I think Mike and Jermaine (mostly Mike) not being in the video hurt the charts/sales.

-----

Now, underrated album, what's your pick?

I'd have to go with the album 'Torture' appears on, "Victory." This album get's hated on too much. Yes it could have been better, hell, it should have been the greatest Jacksons album ever, think about it. Not only this being the onlt album to feature all six brothers, Mike was coming off of "Thriller", Jermaine off of "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy" and the band as a whole Triumph and the Motown 25 show. I think, because expectations were too high, is why this LP get's hated on, but in actuality, there is not one bad song on this LP.

Hell, I used to believe what people were saying. I never used to listen to 'Be Not Always' 'We Can Change the World', 'State of Shock' and that 'One More Chance' was the best tune on the LP (by the way, it's not even Randy's best tune on the LP, that belongs to 'THE HURT'), cause I'd listen to others and already have my mind made up. But if you really just sit down and listen, it's just like the album cover ... trippy.

Their most underrated album is definitely their self-titled debut IMO. Destiny and Triumph are obviously their two masterpieces, but The Jacksons is the next best album by a long shot. Four of the five Gamble & Huff songs are great (and I don't dislike "Think Happy"). I particularly like the singles: "Enjoy Yourself" is appropriately joyous and "Show You the Way to Go" is my all-time favorite Jacksons song (and my favorite involving Michael period). "Style of Life" and "Blues Away" showed that they could write great songs on their own. Even the "filler" is pleasant. It's not a stone-cold classic, but it's a very good album nonetheless.

AlexdeParis said:

There self-titled is the first that came to mind and then I said to my self "this album isn't underrated, it's overlooked, a difference." I don't know anyone who doesn't like there CBS debut, but I know a bunch who don't care for Victory, hence, why it's underrated.

So is this a "Victory Appreciation" thread in disguise?

funkpill said:

Looks like it, don't it?

Timmy84 said:

Of course, I'd vote for Goin' Places before Victory.

AlexdeParis said:

Goin' Places is another gem.

funkpill said:

'Victory' appreciation, whatsoeva do you mean Morphious?

LittleBLUECorvette said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I was talking to one of my friends about this album. I love it but at the same time, it sounds like it's own demo. The sound and feel of the entire album, is as though they did it in their bedroom's home studio. Maybe that's why I like it, cause it does not have that "album feel to it".

Time Waits For Noone.

I sometimes feel, this is not much known.

graecophilos said:

It's the perfect pop ballad.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I dislike Torture. Sounds like Modern Talking.

Most underrated J5 album is Skywriter

Most underrated Jacksons album is The Jacksons

Most underrated songs are (J5) "If I Have To Move A Mountain" and (Jacksons) "Time Waits for No One". Both of these songs could have been hits if released as A-side singles.

SONG will be :

Everybody

This should have been a single and video. YES it does sound like Get On The Floor, but this one is much layered and catchier than that. Its alot more gritty and you cant ignore that lard handclap that is CLOSE to the Linn Drum effect Prince used @ the same on Delerious time. I love the background vocals and the horns...the lyrical arrangement and Michael singing in his regular voice and falcetto to and fro with no thought.


Album will be The Jacksons in my opinion...it wasnt bad..wasnt bad at all...even though Goin Places had Different Kinda Lady...The Jacksons had Think Happy, Blues Away, Enjoy Yourself and Show You The Way 2 Go....it came close to the Destiny album in my opinion in terms of production and soundwise..maybe not so much in songs.

The song Wait on Victory is fun pop.

For me, it's Everybody. Under-rated song off a very under-rated album.

People who haven't heard Triumph, look at me weird when I say I prefer it to "Off The Wall" - but people who have heard it, understand.

...

For me, the song is a tie between Blues Away (Jacksons), and Give It Up (Triumph):

Blues Away






Give It Up








...

Militant said:

Yeah, I know. I get the same reaction. The productions on both Off The Wall and Triumph are very similar by the thinnest of hairs. "Everybody" sounds akin to "Get On The Floor" too.

graecophilos said:

Great song!

Militant said:

Very extremley underrated tune



I know...its alot more upbeat full and "album" sounding than Off The Wall...I consider the Jacksons albums (except for Victory) to be MJ albums to be honest....imo Triumph is the next album after Off The Wall instead of Thriller.

Timmy84 said:

Woah Time Waits For No One is one of his best tracks...especially the climax at the end of the tune

Can't decide on just one song so (in no particular order)...

The Jacksons

Push Me Away
Blues Away
Time Waits For No One
Give It Up
Lovely One
Do What You Wanna
Thats What You Get (For Being Polite)
Dreamer
Even Though You're Gone
Everybody
Heartbreak Hotel (titled 'This Place Hotel' on the album credits)
Walk Right Now
Good Times
Different Kind of Lady
Heaven Knows I Love You Girl
Bless His Soul
One More Chance

Going Places. This was an excellent album that did not sell. Different Kind of Lady written by The Jackson, I've Got to Find Me A Girl, Jump For Joy, I must have been the only one to buy it; well I begged my mom to buy it because at that time, I had to have anything Jackson.

paisleypark4 said:

OMG, I use to love that song. I have got to recoup my Jackson album (now cd) collection.

yoco said:

I brought Going Places too, I must have been the second person to ever buy the album. Those 4 albums that the Jacksons did after they left Motown are wonderful gems. Unfortunately, too many people think those songs were not commercial enough(which is ok by me, the less commercial the more of a hidden gem it is to me ) and hence they didn't get the exposure they deserve. Having said that Destiny and Triumph didn't do too badly sales wise.
[Edited 7/25/09 1:39am]

What I love about the earlier records of MJ and his brothers was that both the quality of ballads and dance music were superb. The amount of times I have cried to a MJ/Jacksons ballad is unaccountable. I remember first hearing "Time Waits For no" and being haunted by that song for days. I also remember being outside somewhere and someone playing "One Day in Your life" in their car and tears started rolling down my eyes, I had just been jilted by my first love. Since MJ death the ballad that has really played on my mind is "Even Though You're Gone" which sums up the situation perfectly.

I think in his latter years MJ lost the ability to make and sing really great, soulful ballads. Songs like childhood Earth Song and even "You are Not Alone" just don't give me the same feeling as "She is Out of MY life" or even his child hood ballads like "Gotta Be There"
[Edited 7/25/09 1:39am]

Even Though You're Gone and Good Times are the 2 I'm having the most trouble listening to now in the last month

Bless His Soul is terribly underrated though, as is Music's Takin' Over.