What You Don’t Know
The Jackson 5
Dancing Machine, 1974 (iTunes)
Motown Records
I’ve always avoided listening to this album because I disliked the title and cover art so much. It looked like a such a post-prime, we’re-out-of-ideas, made-for-tv album. Yeah…that was my bad.
First, my friend Maggie played me the epic two-part 7 1/2 minute, “I Am Love,” which didn’t fit my misguided description at all. Still I resisted. Then I heard “The Mirrors of My Mind” as the opening track on a DJ Argyle Mix CD. I pulled out the record, recorded that track (and gave it 5 stars in iTunes) and then put the record away. I finally listened to entire album the other week and the jewels just keep coming.
“What You Don’t Know”, like a lot of songs on this album having really surprising mixes of instrumentation. It’s hard to separate it all out but there’s definitely more traditional Motown elements like tamborine and a full horn section (with prominent baritone sax – so lovely) but there’s also prominent electric guitar (:20) and some synthesizers flitting around in the background (3:15). And it comes together lovely.
This is track is definitely going to be in my set at tomorrow’s I Love Vinyl party. Come on down!
This album also contains “If I Don’t Love You This Way”, the track sampled on Mos Def’s “U R the One.”
Songs are available for two weeks.
