LP Review: Maybe Tomorrow
Previous LP: Third Album (C+) Next LP: Lookin' Through the Windows (B-)
Released: 1971
LP Charts: #1 R&B (6 weeks), #11 pop
Maybe Tomorrow witnessed the first significant cracks in the Motown machine backing the Jackson 5.
Now obviously there was much to criticize from the jump with the Jackson 5. On Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 (C), the main critique was how slapdash the operation was. Luckily the monstrous “I Want You Back” covered a multitude of sins. I have no real complaints about ABC (B). A well-executed album. On Third Album (C+) there were some really bad misfires that undermined the triumphs like “I’ll Be There” and “Darling Dear”.
On Maybe Tomorrow, though, there is no feeling out process. There is no good execution. There is no undermining. It’s just a pitifully weak album running a concept into the ground, which is unsurprising since this was the Jackson 5’s FOURTH ALBUM in the span of 18 months. Plus they had a Christmas album thrown in too! (I don’t review Christmas albums).
FLOPS, ETC.
Maybe Tomorrow opens with a title track sought to keep up the success of their ballad “I’ll Be There”. And to its credit, “Maybe Tomorrow” did try to lightly expand the group’s horizons. The song itself was 4:46. Easily their longest song released as a single and there is prominent sitar and strings. However, the song is warmed over. And any buzz it generates is solely because of the heroic vocal effort put forward by Michael. Unsurprisingly it was their first flop single reaching only #20 on the pop charts. Inexplicably it somehow still climbed to #3 R&B.
Never fear, there’s much worse to be found here.
“She’s Good” is a treacly ballad, but at least it’s still average. “The Wall” sounds like it hit one. “Petals” sounds like more of “The Wall”. But worse.
Jesus Christ, why do they always saddle Jermaine with the really slow and boring ballads? “Sixteen Candles” is awful. “(We've Got) Blue Skies”? The hell we do. This song sucks too. “My Little Baby” finally gets us back to average. Such a low bar. “Honey Chile” is decent too… wait, nope. They have Michael speaking/singing in a country bumpkin accent. That makes the song mediocre. Stick to the Martha & the Vandellas original.
On “I Will Find a Way” they finally found a way to give Jermaine a mildly uptempo song to sing on his own. It’s average.
TRIUMPHS!
Okay, we’ve gone through all the awful… so much awful… let’s end on the two triumphs!
“Never Can Say Goodbye” (#1 R&B, #2 pop) was a great ballad that instantly became a standard. Hell, Isaac Hayes had his own version out like two months after the Jackson 5’s original was released. Despite being a ballad it does have a lightly danceable beat. No surprise that Gloria Gaynor turned this into one of the greatest disco songs ever.
The Jackson 5 version is great to cool down a party when its nearing closing time OR to barbecue to. FYI, the song sat at #2 on the pop charts for three straight weeks blocked from the top spot by Three Dog Night’s “Joy To The World”.
On the funk tip, we have “It’s Great To Be Here”, which should have been the follow up single to “Never Can Say Goodbye” instead of “Maybe Tomorrow”. The song has a fucking insane breakbeat and some righteous fuzz guitar.
ALBUM GRADE: D+
So we have two great songs. One kinda good song that’s only kinda good cuz Michael had too sing above and beyond the call of duty. And the other eight songs range from really awful to mediocre? What a shameful album. Notably it was their worst performing LP. Sure that meant it “only” topped the R&B charts for six weeks, but it did only reach #11 pop after their first three LPs all made it to the top 5 there.
Thankfully, Motown would respond by giving the boys a fucking break. Their next studio album wouldn’t be released for another year. The quality dramatically improved as we shall see.
Song Scores
Maybe Tomorrow: 6/10
She’s Good: 5/10
Never Can Say Goodbye: 8.5/10
The Wall: 5/10
Petals: 4/10
Sixteen Candles: 3/10
(We've Got) Blue Skies: 2/10
My Little Baby: 5/10
It’s Great To Be Here: 8/10
Honey Chile: 4/10
I Will Find Away: 5/10
Previous LP: Third Album (C+) Next LP: Lookin' Through the Windows (B-)