Diana Ross Presents / ABC
Gary, Indiana, brothers the Jackson 5 scored pop and R&B; No. 1's with their first four singles for Motown, three of which are collected here. The mythical claim thatDiana Rossdiscovered the Jacksons might have helped gain attention, but their talent clearly spoke for itself. A quartet of writer-producers, including company head Berry Gordy, devised a sound that melded the new funk with smooth soul. "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "The Love You Save" were influenced bySly and the Family Stonewhile proving their own new, terrific thing. Both kids and adults embraced it: that 11-year-oldMichaelwas a precocious talent amid a strong group dynamic made the 5 undeniable.After the quickly assembled debut LP carrying the Ross credit, their identity as an album act was solidified by 1970'sABC, which found them thoroughly convincing on everything from school-days riffs like the title tune to a cover ofFunkadelic's "I'll Bet You." The idea of a group "growing" from disc to disc may be clichéd, but this CD shows it was both literally and figuratively true in the Jackson 5's case. The rare outtake "Oh, I've Been Bless'd" is included as a bonus track.--Rickey Wright