Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or view the full album index here.
THE JACKSONS | The Jacksons Live!
Epic (1981)
Selected by Brandon Ousley
At start of the 1980s, the Jacksons were experiencing a major resurgence on the pop front, thanks to their 1978 breakthrough Destiny and its slick 1980 follow-up Triumph. Not to mention, Michael Jackson’s post-Motown bid for solo ascendancy and freedom exploded with 1979’s groundbreaking Off the Wall.
When they hit the road to embark on their 1981 U.S. tour, in support of Triumph, the stakes for bringing their top-grade professionalism and showmanship to the center stage were high. In addition to performing selections from one of the most irresistible catalogues in pop music history, the brothers turned this elusive tour into an otherworldly extravaganza of high-scale drama, full-throttled pop-funk energy, dazzling pyrotechnics, and of course, futuristic galore.
Culled from recordings captured on several stops of their highly-publicized 1981 tour, The Jacksons Live! tracks both the history and meteoric success of a matured family group, working at the peak of their stage prowess. While some will assert that it resembles more of a memento of in-concert highlights than a complete live show, it serves as a fascinating testament to the brothers’ enduring legacy as consummate performers. The only glaring drawback is that an official video document of this legendary tour still hasn’t materialized yet.
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