LP Review: Triumph
Released: 1980
LP Charts: #1 R&B (2 weeks), #10 pop
I LOOOOOOVE this sweet spot of Jacksons musical history that produced Triumph.
Let me explain…
The end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s was a whirlwind for the Jacksons. At the very end of 1978, their album Destiny dropped and over the course of 1979 the album went platinum as the brothers displayed their collective writing and production skills. Later that year, Michael struck out on his own to record Off The Wall with Quincy Jones. That little ole album eventually went nine-times platinum as it sold like hotcakes over ‘79 and into 1980.
Hell, even the exiled brother Jermaine had a gold solo album with Let’s Get Serious in 1980. A decade after they first burst onto the scene, America was now having a second wave of Jacksonmania!
Anyhoo, I call this a sweet spot because all the brothers were confident in their abilities and Michael was a superstar, but not THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS PERSON. That meant that he was still in touch with reality working with his siblings to make a fucking great album.
Yes, Triumph lives up to its grandiose title and yes, it is a group effort. Not a bunch of untalented brothers clinging to Michael’s coattails. Don’t get me wrong, they wouldn’t have made it THIS far without Michael, but they were making worthy contributions to the cause.
The opening song, “Can You Feel It” (#30 R&B, #77 pop, #6 UK), was the first of many anthemic, savior songs to grace Michael’s discography. However, he co-wrote the song with his oldest brother Jackie and sings the lead vocals along with Randy. Obviously, Michael has the more powerful voice, but Randy’s limited, lowkey singing actually gives the song more power and weight when it reaches its bombastic heights.
You need those subtle refrains from Randy to make Michael and the choral backing vocals really hit their mark.
“Lovely One” (#2 R&B, #12 pop, #29 UK)—written by Michael and Randy—completes the dance saga begun by Marvin Gaye’s ad libs on the extended version of “Got To Give It Up”. The Jacksons turned Gaye’s ad libs into “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)” then into “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” and finally “Lovely One”. This latest is the weakest of these dance songs, but it’s still a blast.
Jackie pens “Your Ways” all on his own and it is an amazingly weird song musically. Not dissing Jackie, but the lyrics aren’t anything too special on their own. They’re fine. But the way the lyrics mix with the haunting music? Magic! Lots of keyboards and synths creating this spooky and ghostly song that Michael sings almost entirely in a falsetto.
“Everybody” is the LP’s weakest song, but even it is a good disco-funk track. The fact that it’s relegated to filler status is a sign of how strong this album is.
Side 2 begins with the cinematic spectacle of “Heartbreak Hotel” (#2 R&B, #22 pop #44 UK), the only song that Michael wrote on his own. You can clearly see the theatrical elements that would come to fuller life on Thriller here. This songs stands on its own merits though, not merely as a curio to fans of that impending blockbuster album.
The opening 15 seconds are just dramatic orchestrated strings that end with a woman’s scream and horns blasting. From there tons of instruments flood the field with an energy and zeal that doesn’t abate for about five minutes. Finally, during the song’s outro, we get about 45 seconds of a cool down that’s just strings and acoustic piano setting you down gently.
Awesomely, the moving “Time Waits For No One” immediately picks up where “Heartbreak Hotel” left off. An electric piano and Michael softly open this ballad. Of course the track picks up steam until around the two-minute mark where all the brothers chime in for some great group harmonies. Best of all, the song lasts just 3:23 knowing that part of its power is its brevity.
Soon as that ballad ends the disco-funkin’ “Walk Right Now” kicks up a storm. Written by Jackie, Randy, and Michael this song was a disappointment in the US (#50 R&B, #73 pop), but was yet another smash in the UK (#7).
Okay, now we’ve come to my favorite song on the album. Not the best, but my favorite: “Give It Up”. A ballad co-led by Michael and Marlon, it has that rock-solid piano riff emblematic of Yacht Rock. It also some has weird instrumental tricks. There’s plucks of a harp, taps on a vibraphone, and marching band drumming on the outro. It all works, I tells ya.
And how about his for an opening lyric?
I don't know what you do to me
But this feeling is here to be
The album closes on the absurdly electro-funky “Wondering Who”. Jackie gets the solo spotlight and damn does he make the most of it. This song has so many synth noises going on plus a vocoder, it’s hard to keep track of. A fantastic closer giving you something different and wondering where the hell Jacksons were going from here after such a wall-to-wall banger.
ALBUM GRADE: A
Unfortunately, the Jacksons weren’t going all that far despite the achievements of Triumph.
It was their first album since Maybe Tomorrow in 1971 to top the R&B charts and their first since Lookin’ Through the Windows in 1972 to crack the pop top 10. Seven of the nine songs were co-written by some combination of the brothers. Only two were solo authorships (one by Michael, one by Jackie).
Still this was to be the last cohesive Jacksons album.
Enjoy Triumph well cuz the next album from the Jacksons would be a mess as Michael was then THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON ON EARTH and a reluctant participant. Hell, even the other brothers were reluctant participants. A recipe for disaster.
Song Scores
Can You Feel It: 8/10
Lovely One: 7.5/10
Your Ways: 8/10
Everybody: 7/10
Heartbreak Hotel: 9/10
Time Waits For No One: 8/10
Walk Right Now: 8/10
Give It Up: 8/10
Wondering Who: 7.5/10
A stellar album, one of my favorites. Was just playing Everybody the other day, great tune to me that reminds me of On The Floor. The LP in very Quincyish in it's production values, also reflected in Your Ways.