Victory

by

The Jacksons and The Jackson 5

Edit

This was a good album except that it sounded too disjointed. There only seemed a few songs in which all 6 brothers (yes, all 6 are together) participate. As a result, one gets the feeling that some of them (probably Michael and Jermaine) were reluctant participants and the album comes off as a Various Artists album. However, with that being said there are still some awesome tracks here. Torture with lead vocals being shared by Michael and Jermaine is an awesome R&B song and one of my all-time favorites. State of Shock is the song that did the best on the pop charts as Mick Jagger gives a good and funny performance on this one. However, my favorite song besides Torture has become the 2nd track, Wait. Produced by and featuring lead vocals by Jackie, I just love the overall feel to this song. Several members of the band, Toto, play on this song and they do a good job.

All in all, pick this album up if you love R&B or if you like anything done by Michael Jackson. It's not a bad buy.

It was the spring/summer of 1984, and the global hoopla surrounding "Thriller" was finally on its last legs. Not one to disappear from the spotlight completely, Michael Jackson reunites with his brothers for "Victory." Featuring only 8 songs (3 of which have Michael on vocals), the album teases--but never completely satisfies--the listener. The recording doesn't sound like a brotherly project, and you get the impression that Michael thought he did his siblings a favor by showing up in the studio. "Victory," at times, comes across like a rushed job to capitalize on the success of "Thriller," and it shows through the second-rate material. "State of Shock," featuring a duet between Michael and Mick Jagger, is the worst song I've ever heard from the Jacksons. It's a discordant hybird of 80s funk and low-wattage rock that never takes off the ground. "We Can Change the World" is pretty much forgettable, and new adjectives will need to be created to replace "sappy" when describing Michael's ballad "Be Not Always." But there's some really good stuff, here, and most of it doesn't even involve Michael. Randy stands out pretty well in "One More Chance" (which Janet would later cover as a b-side); "Body" is a funky uptempo stomper, and I really loved "Torture," which features lead vocals from Michael and Jermaine (The video features all Jackson brothers sans Michael. Go figure). If for nothing else, "Victory," gives me incredible childhood memories of the 1980s, but on its own merits, it's a mixed bag. It's not a bust, but I'd hesitate to call it a victory.