Before the popularized term of Boy Band, there was The Jackson Five. A group of five brothers out of Gary, Indiana, The Jackson Five (originally consisting of Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael Jackson) were overflowing with talent. Signing on with Motown, they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There.”
A part of the success that came in the early ‘70s, as the siblings grew up, so did their musicality. In fact, by 1973 the boys were a bit frustrated with the musical direction of the band; especially with each member having original compositions of their own to offer. All part of growing up, The Jackson Five wanted to shed the Bubblegum Pop of their younger years and spread their wings. Doing just that, on September 12, 1973, they released the album Get it Together.
Their second album in ’73, the first being the transitional Skywriter put out in March, Get it Together was a huge turning point for the band. To start with, it was the first album where you truly noticed a change in Michael Jackson’s voice. Now slightly deeper, Michael shows off a tenor singing style that fits the new songs very well. This is while the songs, even though they still did not feature the songwriting of the five brothers, were amply more mature. Full of lyrical content an older audience can connect with, the actual mood of the music was significantly different as well. Featuring a lot more Soul and Funk, it even had a bit of a Disco vibe… which preceded the genre’s popularity by quite a few years.
So, was this new chapter in The Jackson Five a hit? Perhaps not in terms of charted success, considering it was their lowest positioned album as The Jackson Five, but for those who were paying attention, they knew it was something special. A very thoughtful collection of songs, of course, you had the hit “Get It Together,” the original version of “Dancing Machine” (which became a hit on the 1974 album of the same name), but also a great cover of Diane Ross & The Supremes’ “Reflection.” However, perhaps the most astounding gem here is the thoughtful tone of “It’s Too Late to Change the Time.”
Get It Together is a massively important piece of the Jackson Five history, not only for changing the band’s artistic direction but also acting as a stepping stone for each member’s future solo work. That is why it is delightful to learn that Elemental Music has selected the album for reissue as part of their 2024 yearlong schedule of Motown releases. Arriving on August 16th, this new limited edition pressing gives you the original album in crystal clear audio, but also presented in a red-colored vinyl. Similar to the 2019 LMLR pressing, this new Elemental Music edition also features a die-cut of G.I.T. on the outer cover and the band imagery printed behind it on the inner sleeve. Very appealing, it is the type of quality a collector hopes for.
One of two Jackson Five albums being released this year by Elemental Music, the other being 1970’s Third Album which came out on October 11th, it is highly recommended for fans of ‘70s Soul and R&B to check them out. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this Limited Edition vinyl copy of Get It Together 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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