The extraordinary talents of
Michael Jackson are evident on this compilation set featuring his first-ever charted single "Got to Be There." Though he was a juvenile at the time, his sound was far from it --
Jackson soars with control and conviction. There could not have been a more appropriate song to showcase
Jackson's vocal ability.
Jackson injects a calmness even as he steps into his high notes. The Billboard R&B and pop charts received the single at number four. The teeny-boppin' single "Rockin' Robin" presents him in a playful, anxious mode. It showed at number two on both charts. "I Wanna Be Where You Are" displays him in a constant, urgent rhythm -- an early taste of what was to come from the world's greatest entertainer. It fared at number two and 15 on the Billboard R&B and pop charts, respectively. Much could be said of every selection but that would be redundant, because the child prodigy shines on all. The remarkable aspect of this compilation is that
Jackson was very much an adolescent housing a sound so intriguing and refreshing. ~ Craig Lytle