Yet it evolved and became fiercer throughout the albums.
At puberty, the artist revealed in his autobiography Moonwalk that he was often made fun of and fans did not recognise his voice. With the Jackson 5, people fell for the purity of his tones and the richness of his high notes. The style is supposed to be as close as what Michael would have done but what really makes the album a proper MJ work is the sound of his voice left completely untouched (unlike MICHAEL). This is true of the new project.Įverything in this album evokes an MJ album, from the choice of the title to its cover. He always chose a song from the album to name his projects and, beginning with Thriller, used only one word titles, each with an edgy quality to them ( Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and Invincible). The title song ‘Xscape’ was recorded in 2001 for Invincible but was not included in the final track listing. Reid wanted to stay as close as possible to Michael Jackson’s way of working even in the naming process. Some of these recordings were made in the 1980s! The production plays on the nostalgia tone of the LP while trying to recreate that unique mix of pop, soul and disco which was Michael’s and Quincy Jones’s print. The Deluxe edition of the album features Michael’s original recordings which are very interesting to compare with the new versions. Reid chose 8 tracks and asked his team to modernise them while keeping the essence of Michael’s style. He then enlisted the cream of the crop in the world of producers like Stargate (Beyoncé, Rihanna), Rodney Jerkins (Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga), Jerome ‘Jroc’ Harmon (Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z, Shakira) and John McClain (who worked on This is It), all under the supervision of Timbaland (Justin Timberlake). Reid, Chairman of Epic Records, went through 40 years of archives and recordings that did not make the final cut. Michael Jackson used to record 70 tracks for an album of 10 songs and he was not afraid of getting rid of anything that did not satisfy him. There was a considerable amount of work put on this album. The Release of Unknown Material Timbaland, LA Reid, Rodney Jerkins and J Roc Would Michael Jackson be happy about it being released? How can you deal with the art of someone who has died therefore cannot work on his own songs? Is it acceptable to use his name as a commercial tool and play with the fans’ nostalgia to increase sales? I. The Production Process 1.
No, the reservations are not about the quality of the content but the whole process and its morality. There was a lot of work done on this album and the quality is excellent though people might not like the new versions of the songs, but that is a matter of personal taste. Fans discover unreleased songs that have been modernised but are still faithful to Michael Jackson’s style, which makes the album instantly better than the very controversial MICHAEL. And you get to listen to Michael’s voice again, as pure and strong and beautiful as the Off the Wall period, but on new material.
Though it is not Michael’s finest work and the music has been transformed by new producers, some of the songs are real pearls that had been hidden for many years and that have received a new lease of life in this album. The answer is YES it is definitely worth it. So is it worth listening to modernized versions of unfinished tracks, when we can always listen to the intoxicating Billie Jean or the impassioned The Way You Make Me Feel? Is it worth listening to the new album of a dead artist? The first posthumous album MICHAEL was a real disappointment, why bother with this one? Everyone knows Michael Jackson’s songs. Xscape (Epic Records and MJJ Music) has been on the market since last May and opinions still diverge. The ‘King of Pop’ franchise keeps selling millions of albums across the world, and among the classic Thriller or Bad a new album has managed to reach the top of 32 Charts in 28 countries. Michael Jackson has been dead for five years now yet the legend is still at the forefront of the musical scene. Michael Jackson’s XSCAPE: Why the Posthumous Album is Worth a Listen Jackson recording in the studio
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