The Jackson 5 - Lookin' Through the Windows/Goin' Back to Indiana

The soundtrack album from the Jackson 5's 1971 TV special Goin' Back to Indiana is largely for completists. Strong new studio versions of "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow" share space with murkily recorded but enjoyable live funk-rock and too much sketch material that doesn't work on record. Its follow-up, Lookin' Through the Windows, stands as one of the outfit's most consistent Motown long-players. It documents the Jacksons' continuing move toward softer soul music on the excellent title track, a Philly-style cover of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "Don't Want to See Tomorrow," and even a version of Jackson Browne's "Doctor My Eyes." "Don't Let Your Baby Catch You" is an edgier cut in the Funkadelic vein, while "E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ne-Moe (The Choice Is Yours to Pull)" makes a final trip to the kid-stuff style of "ABC" and "The Love You Save." An Indiana concert outtake of "Who's Lovin' You" and the Windows B-side "Love Song" expand this CD to nearly 80 minutes. --Rickey Wright Amazon.com

Never received the product

After several back and forth emails about the fact that my purchase was never delivered (and a UPS tracker that said it was tried on 12/17 (but that was it), I gave up and decided to call it a $30 loss. This is the second time this has happened to me w/ Amazon, so Amazon certainly won't be my first choice again. January 12, 2008

Great Music From J5

This was a great walk down memory lane.
The quality was superb.

I wish that obtaining the taped version of the show was easier.
I did a real search for J5 VHS-DVD taped shows and found the show.

This Cd is a must for any real Motown J5 fan.

Peace and Blessings March 3, 2006

Here we go again!!!!

This set use to be my most played Jackson 5 double album/single cd series. The rehearsal numbers for "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow" are damn good to practice your J5 Choreography and Vocal ability. The first album goes downhill when they feature the basketball skit cause it's all pointless action,but it's a funny storyline featuring Jackie being the hero who saved basketball. But the album,without warning,explodes into your soul as the brothers open up with a live performance and sing a series of inspirational grooves with flawless execution. "Stand" has THE BEST drum opening i've ever heard in a song,while "Take You Higher" showcases Tito Jackson's raw guitar playing over a traditional drive from the drummer. The medley of "Walk On/The Love You Save" is really good. I like how both Tito and Jermaine take the forefront and play together on their guitars. The brothers get to speak out on afterwards and they do a MUCH BETTER version of "Going Back To Indiana" (Thank God!!!). After that album is over with,it's time to calm down and listen to one of the best and well-done remakes the J5 has ever done,"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing". Very,very,very excellent track to open up the new album with and I love how Michael and Jermaine,once again,share the song. My other favorites on the "Looking Through The Window" album is the title track,"If I Have To Move A Mountain","Little-Bitty-Pretty-One",and "Doctor My Eyes" kinda grew on me. And,like on all of the double album sets,are included some bonus material which in this particular set includes the live version of "Who's Loving You" which everyone knows was done in the American Dream movie. I'm just glad Michael decided to belt out some "Oh's" and "Ow's" like he did on the Ed Sullivan show which is my favorite part of the song. How about that Michael?!! October 19, 2005

J5 Live!

This is a pretty good combination here! GBTI is an interesting history lesson with a beat that you can dance to. Some of it is off of a 1971 TV special of the same name (which I vaguely recall watching when I was around 6 years old). The skit stuff might work better as a DVD of this special (are you listening Berry Gordy?), but to hear the J5 Live with "Cousin" Johnny Jackson on drums and Ronnie Rancifer on the organ (whatever happened to those guys?) as well as Jermanine and Tito actually playing guitar and bass is amazing. Makes you wonder why Motown didn't let these guys really play their own instruments on their records all along. They really cook it up!

LTTW is a favorite of mine in part for personal reasons. I was visiting relatives in Harlem when I was 7 during the summer of 1972 and this and MJ's solo "Ben" were all over the radio. Back in Charleston, all the kids were digging this LP and I've always felt that "Dont Let Your Baby Catch You Fooling Around" was sadly underrated (originally considered too suggestive when recorded in 1969-go figure)! But childhood memories aside, this is a great CD and will easily explain why the J5 ruled the youth culture of the era. Listen and enjoy. July 29, 2005

Finally on CD

Thirty years after their release, these two albums finally make their first CD appearance. However, they are very different records and listening to them for unity's sake is not advised. The first, the soundtrack to the group's 1971 TV concert special, is hit-and-miss. The new, pseudo-live versions of "I Want You Back" and "Maybe Tomorrow" are good, though abbreviated. The narration and banter that filled the skits are not meant for audio alone; without the visuals (especially on "The day Basketball was Saved"), the tracks are severely lacking. From the live concert portion of the album, their takes on "Stand!" and "Who's Lovin' You" work well, as does "Feelin' Alright," one of the best cuts here. "Walk On/The Love You Save" is great, and "Walk On" is the only J5-penned song that Motown released. The bonus cut "Who's Lovin' You" is awesome live, though the mix is not as good as it appears on the soundtrack to "The Jacksons: An American Dream" soundtrack. The other live songs are not as interesting. The second half of this disc, 1972's "Lookin' Through the Windows" album, was one of the J5's most successful. It contained two hits, the "Shaft"-influenced title track and the energetic cover of "Little Bitty Pretty One." This album is the last standard bubblegum pop from the group, but do not overlook it based on that. For instance, the vocal trading on this album is prevalent, and the group sounds better than ever as their voices have matured; particularly Jermaine, whose earlier raspy voice had now evolved into a silky smooth croon compared at the time to a young Marvin Gaye. The title track is notable in that it is the first time Michael argued with the producers to let him sing HIS way. "E-Ne-Me-Ne-Mi-Ne-Moe" is a standout track, full of energy and soul, musically in the vein of "I Want You Back." The most eye-opening song here is "To Know," with lush horn and string arrangements and beautiful harmonies. The album's low point, "Don't Want to see Tomorrow," (in which Michael recites the title in Spanish, albeit painfully) is filler, but all told "Windows" has some surprisingly impressive music. July 10, 2003

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