The Jackson 5 - Third Album [Clear Pink Japan Import]

Third Album caught the Jackson 5 at the top of a dizzying 1970, and this Japanese import serves it up on clear pink vinyl.

Motown's hit machine was running hot, and producers The Corporation and Hal Davis shaped a record that leaned towards maturity without losing the bounce. It reached number one on the soul albums chart and number four on the Billboard 200, and its lead single gave the brothers their fourth consecutive US pop number one.

That single is 'I'll Be There', a slow-burning ballad on which young Michael sings with a gravity well beyond his years while Jermaine answers in warm counterpoint. 'Mama's Pearl' bounces with finger-snapping energy, 'Goin' Back to Indiana' tips a hat to their Gary hometown, and an ambitious, churchy take on 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' shows how comfortably they could handle a big ballad. Covers of the Delfonics and the Miracles let the brothers' harmonies shine too.

More than half a century on, it stands among the group's finest long-players, balancing bubblegum joy with genuine soul depth. Michael, Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon sound like a group fully in command of their gifts. The pink pressing makes a striking addition to any Motown shelf, and the songs still sound like summer on a transistor radio.