Early on I knew we were in trouble when a stand out from Memphis, Willy Deville’s excellent “Mixed Up Shook Up Girl” stalled on him. The band are being held back, everything felt it was being held back, and the lovely calypso bottom failed to hold
The singing wasn’t good, the versions weren’t great, they piped it too loud. The brothers were good together, and the dancing was excellent, but you can only give the Jacksons so much benefit of the doubt before the truth has to be said: they aren’t good enough without Michael.
Not that the Jackson don’t have 15 hits of their own they can roll out. It isn’t all “Heartbreak Hotel” you know.
Check out the President nailing a couple of lines off the Reverend Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” and doing so with such an infectious smile. This was at a Fundraiser at the Apollo Theater last Thursday
