Release date pushed back to Jan 11

piepie1976 said:

I still can't believe THREE FAKE SONGS are going to officially be a part of his cannon come December. MICHAEL JACKSON!!! Can you imagine if some fake ass Beatles songs made it onto their albums...or some fake ass Elvis tracks?! I can't believe this is actually going to happen to the biggest name ever in music. Tragic.

I can't help but wonder if this was happening to those artists, would their families be handling it the same way the Jackson family have?

sony paid milions for the cascio tracks , and teddy said he only had vocals to work from.

so mike never sang it to the beat ? and its incomplete , it really sounds retarded .

there goes my hope for a coherent album cause some songs arent mike , others are from the 80s and other from the early 2000s and like 2 from the late 2000s .

i was hoping for somekind of decent work but overal its mediocre at best.

So Shanice is doing vocals on Behind The Mask...

I wonder if it's just background vocals....

Im still upset and angry about michael being gone...

bboy87 said:

So Shanice is doing vocals on Behind The Mask...

I wonder if it's just background vocals....

I would assume it's background vocals - in the same way she did on Keep The Face.

bboy87 said:

So Shanice is doing vocals on Behind The Mask...

I wonder if it's just background vocals....

Way to plant seeds of doubt...

[Edited 11/19/10 0:53am]

Militant said:

MattyJam said:

I'm sorry, but your attitude stinks.

How is it the estates fault that some of the songs have leaked? That happens with every single major album release. I can't wait for the album, but then unlike you, I have some self-control and have managed to restrain myself from listening to every snippet which appears online.

So come Monday 13th December I will have a whole albums worth of new MJ songs to enjoy, while you can just continue to bitch and moan about how it doesn't live up to your expectations.

Yes, yes, you're so much of a better person than me because you don't listen to leaked material. Fuck off with that bullshit, and LMFAO at you getting a superiority complex and thinking anyone here gives a fuck about your worthless opinion.

I certainly don't, enjoy my stinky attitude, I'm sure I'll cry myself to sleep tonight because some random guy on the internet thinks I have a bad attitude.

A whole albums worth of NEW MJ songs? Aside from the three fake songs, the 1 song that already came out officially 6 years ago, and the one that is pretty much identical to the version that leaked 2 years ago? Have a blast. I'll keep listening to better material like "Do You Know Where Your Children Are", and "Blue Gangsta" which I will shortly have my hands on.

Lets just sum up your original post, shall we?

First you get you panties in a knot over fan speculation that DYKWYCA is the same song as Hollywood Tonight. Only, it turns out you were wrong and that Hollywood is a completely different song altogether.

Then you have the audacity to dismiss Much Too Soon purely based on the fact that it leaked onto the internet a month before the albums release. This happens with every major artist releasing a new album. If you don't like it, don't listen to the leaks. But you can't listen to all the online snippets and then go crying like a baby about the fact that you don't have anything new to listen to when the album drops.

You then moan about the Cascio tracks, in spite of the fact that we haven't even heard Monster yet. And the majority of fans seem to agree that KYHU is a legitimate MJ vocal.

Finally, you bitch about the fact that Another Day and HMH (both excellent songs) were included, in spite of the fact that you ironically chose two previously leaked and fairly mediocre tracks in your ideal tracklisting (Escape and Blue Gangster). Another Day and HMH are both top draw material and deserve to be heard. We've heard about 1min 20sec of Another Day and it already sounds better than the majority of Invincible.

bboy87 said:

So Shanice is doing vocals on Behind The Mask...

I wonder if it's just background vocals....

The way they reported it, you think she finished the song singing in a "duet" but it's only hinted at how much she contributed to the track.

Vanilli said:

"Hold My Hand" has officially hit the Billboard R&B chart, debuting at No. 53. It debuted at No. 94 on the Canadian singles chart.

LINK: http://www.billboard.com/...ckson/4902

interview brad buxer

http://info.sonicretro.org/Brad_Buxer_I ... ember_2009)

Brad Buxer Interview (Black & White, November/December 2009)
Brad Buxer Interview is a four-page interview with one of Micheal Jackson's former collaberators. In this interview there are a few Sonic-related questions and Micheal Jackson is confirmed to have worked on Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This interview was published in the French language Black & White magazine.

Translation provided by SegaLoco
Page 74
Brad Buxer Musician, Arranger [Dangerous, HIStory]

Keyboardist and arranger on all albums since Dangerous, Music Director of the Dangerous and HIStory Tour, Brad Buxer was the closest and most loyal artistic associate to Michael for over 15 years. In a quiet and unassuming nature, this incredible musician, now an airline pilot, did, however, never speak about his work with the King of Pop. In tribute to his late friend, Brad speaks for the first time ...

Black & White: How did you come to work with Michael?
Brad Buxer: In 1986 I toured with the Stevie Wonder's band. But as you know, Michael was a big fan of Stevie and, therefore, it was paying serious attention to the musicians who worked with him ... Until 1991, so I toured with Stevie but in the meantime, thanks to him I could get to know Michael. I will never forget my first encounter with him. A current immediately passed between us. Musically speaking, we were on the same wavelength, we spoke the same language. And purely human, we instantly became friends. Bonds were created naturally, and they have only strengthened over time ....

Black & White: Soon Michael and you got involved in the creative process
Page 75
of what would become the album Dangerous ...
Brad Buxer: Yes. Before Teddy Riley is working on the album, with Bill Bottrell, we recorded several demos, including those Who Is It, Black Or White or Heal The World ...

Black & White: Dangerous was the first album recorded without Michael by Quincy Jones. Why do you think he did this?
Brad Buxer: Let me be clear: Michael was not angry with Quincy. He has always had an admiration for him and an immense respect. But with Dangerous, Michael wanted to control the creative process from A to Z. Simply put, he wanted to be his own boss. Michael was always a very independent, and he also wanted to show that his success was not because of one man, namely Quincy. However, Quincy still had a lot of opinions. This showed when we finished Dangerous and Michael called Quincy to help him at the end. Quincy still had a lot of opinions about the album. And when Quincy said we had a masterpiece, Michael was no longer hesitant to release the album ...

Black & White: One of the great successes of Dangerous is Who Is It. But the structure of this song reminds many Billie Jean. Was this conscious on the part of Michael?
Brad Buxer: No, I do not think so. I never really paid attention but now that you say is true, Who Is It and Billie Jean are very close. However, despite all the qualities of Who Is It, I do not think it comes close to Billie Jean. No song is better than Billie Jean, I think ...

Black & White: In the studio, Michael gave you a lot of freedom?
Brad Buxer: Absolutely. Michael was not one of rigid, it was always open to my suggestions and ideas. He gave me full confidence. Most often, I sang a melody, and I found the arrangements to accompany him. Regarding arrangements for strings or sheets of synth, I tended not to do, and intervened when he found that the direction in which I was not good. Even if a musical point of view, Michael was a genius, he knew he could not do anything and he had the intelligence to delegate some things. Sometimes, he knew exactly what he wanted to hear me sing all the parts of a song. Other times, he let me play until he hears something he likes. This is particularly what happened to songs like "Who Is It or Stranger In Moscow.

Black & White: Is that Michael sometimes wrote the lyrics of a song before a melodic idea?
Brad Buxer: No, it's almost never happened. Michael was still writing the lyrics at the last minute, on a piece of table. It was one of his hands. [laughs] He expected that often the instrumentation of a song is completely finished before writing lyrics. And it made us crazy
Page 76
sometimes! For example, Michael wrote the lyrics of Black Or White in 20 minutes in the studio while we waited to do his voice making. [laughs]
[Bottom of Page: He hit so hard that the false bilum disintegrated under his feet!]

Black & White: Did you sometimes feel that Michael was frustrated not knowing how to play an instrument?
Brad Buxer: Not really. But once he asked me to give him piano lessons. I told him: "Ok Michael, do it seriously. Every day, you'll sit with me for 15 minutes and there will be a little lesson. But he never had the patience to apply themselves to this discipline. [laughs] I think he knew he did not need to play an instrument to express his talent. While he may not have played an instrument, he was still a fantastic musician. He instinctively understood the music. It was just part of him ...

Black & White: Can see clarify the rumor that Michael had in 1993 composed the music for Sonic 3 video game, which you will be credited?
Brad Buxer: I've never played and I do not know what the developers have kept the tracks on which Michael and I have worked, but we did compose the music playing Michael called me at the time for give him a helping hand on this project, and that's what I did. And if he is not credited for composing the music, because he was not happy with the result sound coming out of the console. At the time, game consoles did not allow an optimal sound reproduction, and Michael found it frustrating. He did not want to be associated with a product that devalued and his music ...

Black & White: One of the surprising things in the music of Sonic 3 is that you can hear the chords of Stranger In Moscow, which is supposed to have been composed later ...
Brad Buxer: Yes, Michael and I had made the following arrangements for the game, and it has served as the basis for Stranger In Moscow. More than any other song that I worked with Michael, Stranger In Moscow is where I made my most artistic leg. I'm not credited as co-composer on this track, but I have worked closely with Michael on the composition and structure of this song ... I also played virtually all instruments ...

Black & White: Did that not bother you that Michael did not include it in the song credits as co-composer?
Brad Buxer: No. I did not ask to be. When you have the opportunity to work with such a musical genius, be credited or not, it does not really matter. I had a great opportunity to working with Michael all these years. I'm probably the musician with whom he worked most of his career. I was a musician and arranger from 1989 until 2006. It shows how we were on stage, him and me ...

Black & White: You also play almost all instruments on Morphine ...
Brad Buxer: Yes, but unlike Stranger In Moscow Michael knew exactly what he wanted to hear each instrument pure. He sang all the parts, whether the piano in the middle of the song, or those sheets of synth on the chorus. Everything is his. On this song, so I simply carried out his ideas. With two sound engineers, it has even been singing the word "Morphine" on the chorus. It was very fun ...

Black & White: Can you tell us about In The Back, appearing on The Ultimate Collection? It is a truly exceptional piece ...
Brad Buxer: I'm glad you mentioned this song because it's one of my favorites. This title is unbelievable and it proves once again how Michael was a genius ... Like morphine, I play almost every instrument on this song, but all ideas are Michael. What a pity he did not write the words as such deserved to be completed 100%. It is also Beautiful Girl, by the way ... We worked so hard on In The Back ... We recorded a lot of parts that are not on the version you know. Bill Preston [legendary keyboardist who worked with the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, Editor's note] is by example from the studio to play the organ. But Michael did not finally kept this part ...

Black & White: Do you experiment a lot while recording a title?
Brad Buxer: Yes, because Michael loved finding new sounds that the human ear had ever heard. Often, he repeated: "Brad, get me a sound that hurts really bad." That meant he wanted something that shakes him inside. Even if we had much use of machines and computers to design some sounds of drums, sometimes we find more ideas ... organic, I would say. For example, we came banging on the lid of a grand piano with a baseball bat-ball kick to design a specific drum. [laughs]

Black & White: You've recorded new songs with Michael after Invincible. You can tell us about?
Brad Buxer: Yes, the newest piece on which we worked, Michael and me, From The Bottom Of My Heart, the title was out to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina ... Overall, the songs we recorded during the latest years are of exceptional quality. Contrary to
Page 77
popular belief Michael was not an artistic decline. He bubbled with ideas. And these songs on which we worked are more original and more creative than we've done together.

[Under picture: The video took place in a theater, but the roles were reversed ...]

Black & White: Michael has never been lacking inspiration?
Brad Buxer: No. At no time in his life Michael has been lack of inspiration ... Plus he went through many trials, as has been the case in 2005 with the trial, and this had a positive influence on creativity.

Black & White: Do you think we will hear in the near future these songs recorded during the last years of his life?
Brad Buxer: I am not allowed to speak, but it is very likely ...

Black & White: Are you staying in contact with Michael afterwards?
Brad Buxer: Last year, he called me to work with him again. The problem is that having spent my pilot's license, I had just been hired by an airline. And projects like Michael were quite vague and did not even have a label behind him, I could not risk giving my resignation and losing one job like that. I needed to know where I was and there, in this case, it was not the case at all. Having 51 years today, I might never be committed again later. To my regret, so I had to refuse to work with him again.

Black & White: What are the best memories you keep of Michael?
Brad Buxer: All those laughs we had together ... I remember the races we were in the corridors of the hotel when we were on tour, or the food fights in our rooms ... But mostly, I always remember his smile when we listened to a song completed. There was a lot of pride, love and respect in this regard. And the feeling was mutual ... For nearly 20 years, I have been fortunate to count Michael among my best friends. We had the same age, him and me. Needless to say I miss him terribly ...

motownlover said:

interview brad buxer

http://info.sonicretro.org/Brad_Buxer_I ... ember_2009)

Brad Buxer Interview (Black & White, November/December 2009)
Brad Buxer Interview is a four-page interview with one of Micheal Jackson's former collaberators. In this interview there are a few Sonic-related questions and Micheal Jackson is confirmed to have worked on Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This interview was published in the French language Black & White magazine.

Translation provided by SegaLoco
Page 74
Brad Buxer Musician, Arranger [Dangerous, HIStory]

Keyboardist and arranger on all albums since Dangerous, Music Director of the Dangerous and HIStory Tour, Brad Buxer was the closest and most loyal artistic associate to Michael for over 15 years. In a quiet and unassuming nature, this incredible musician, now an airline pilot, did, however, never speak about his work with the King of Pop. In tribute to his late friend, Brad speaks for the first time ...

Black & White: How did you come to work with Michael?
Brad Buxer: In 1986 I toured with the Stevie Wonder's band. But as you know, Michael was a big fan of Stevie and, therefore, it was paying serious attention to the musicians who worked with him ... Until 1991, so I toured with Stevie but in the meantime, thanks to him I could get to know Michael. I will never forget my first encounter with him. A current immediately passed between us. Musically speaking, we were on the same wavelength, we spoke the same language. And purely human, we instantly became friends. Bonds were created naturally, and they have only strengthened over time ....

Black & White: Soon Michael and you got involved in the creative process
Page 75
of what would become the album Dangerous ...
Brad Buxer: Yes. Before Teddy Riley is working on the album, with Bill Bottrell, we recorded several demos, including those Who Is It, Black Or White or Heal The World ...

Black & White: Dangerous was the first album recorded without Michael by Quincy Jones. Why do you think he did this?
Brad Buxer: Let me be clear: Michael was not angry with Quincy. He has always had an admiration for him and an immense respect. But with Dangerous, Michael wanted to control the creative process from A to Z. Simply put, he wanted to be his own boss. Michael was always a very independent, and he also wanted to show that his success was not because of one man, namely Quincy. However, Quincy still had a lot of opinions. This showed when we finished Dangerous and Michael called Quincy to help him at the end. Quincy still had a lot of opinions about the album. And when Quincy said we had a masterpiece, Michael was no longer hesitant to release the album ...

Black & White: One of the great successes of Dangerous is Who Is It. But the structure of this song reminds many Billie Jean. Was this conscious on the part of Michael?
Brad Buxer: No, I do not think so. I never really paid attention but now that you say is true, Who Is It and Billie Jean are very close. However, despite all the qualities of Who Is It, I do not think it comes close to Billie Jean. No song is better than Billie Jean, I think ...

Black & White: In the studio, Michael gave you a lot of freedom?
Brad Buxer: Absolutely. Michael was not one of rigid, it was always open to my suggestions and ideas. He gave me full confidence. Most often, I sang a melody, and I found the arrangements to accompany him. Regarding arrangements for strings or sheets of synth, I tended not to do, and intervened when he found that the direction in which I was not good. Even if a musical point of view, Michael was a genius, he knew he could not do anything and he had the intelligence to delegate some things. Sometimes, he knew exactly what he wanted to hear me sing all the parts of a song. Other times, he let me play until he hears something he likes. This is particularly what happened to songs like "Who Is It or Stranger In Moscow.

Black & White: Is that Michael sometimes wrote the lyrics of a song before a melodic idea?
Brad Buxer: No, it's almost never happened. Michael was still writing the lyrics at the last minute, on a piece of table. It was one of his hands. [laughs] He expected that often the instrumentation of a song is completely finished before writing lyrics. And it made us crazy
Page 76
sometimes! For example, Michael wrote the lyrics of Black Or White in 20 minutes in the studio while we waited to do his voice making. [laughs]
[Bottom of Page: He hit so hard that the false bilum disintegrated under his feet!]

Black & White: Did you sometimes feel that Michael was frustrated not knowing how to play an instrument?
Brad Buxer: Not really. But once he asked me to give him piano lessons. I told him: "Ok Michael, do it seriously. Every day, you'll sit with me for 15 minutes and there will be a little lesson. But he never had the patience to apply themselves to this discipline. [laughs] I think he knew he did not need to play an instrument to express his talent. While he may not have played an instrument, he was still a fantastic musician. He instinctively understood the music. It was just part of him ...

Black & White: Can see clarify the rumor that Michael had in 1993 composed the music for Sonic 3 video game, which you will be credited?
Brad Buxer: I've never played and I do not know what the developers have kept the tracks on which Michael and I have worked, but we did compose the music playing Michael called me at the time for give him a helping hand on this project, and that's what I did. And if he is not credited for composing the music, because he was not happy with the result sound coming out of the console. At the time, game consoles did not allow an optimal sound reproduction, and Michael found it frustrating. He did not want to be associated with a product that devalued and his music ...

Black & White: One of the surprising things in the music of Sonic 3 is that you can hear the chords of Stranger In Moscow, which is supposed to have been composed later ...
Brad Buxer: Yes, Michael and I had made the following arrangements for the game, and it has served as the basis for Stranger In Moscow. More than any other song that I worked with Michael, Stranger In Moscow is where I made my most artistic leg. I'm not credited as co-composer on this track, but I have worked closely with Michael on the composition and structure of this song ... I also played virtually all instruments ...

Black & White: Did that not bother you that Michael did not include it in the song credits as co-composer?
Brad Buxer: No. I did not ask to be. When you have the opportunity to work with such a musical genius, be credited or not, it does not really matter. I had a great opportunity to working with Michael all these years. I'm probably the musician with whom he worked most of his career. I was a musician and arranger from 1989 until 2006. It shows how we were on stage, him and me ...

Black & White: You also play almost all instruments on Morphine ...
Brad Buxer: Yes, but unlike Stranger In Moscow Michael knew exactly what he wanted to hear each instrument pure. He sang all the parts, whether the piano in the middle of the song, or those sheets of synth on the chorus. Everything is his. On this song, so I simply carried out his ideas. With two sound engineers, it has even been singing the word "Morphine" on the chorus. It was very fun ...

Black & White: Can you tell us about In The Back, appearing on The Ultimate Collection? It is a truly exceptional piece ...
Brad Buxer: I'm glad you mentioned this song because it's one of my favorites. This title is unbelievable and it proves once again how Michael was a genius ... Like morphine, I play almost every instrument on this song, but all ideas are Michael. What a pity he did not write the words as such deserved to be completed 100%. It is also Beautiful Girl, by the way ... We worked so hard on In The Back ... We recorded a lot of parts that are not on the version you know. Bill Preston [legendary keyboardist who worked with the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, Editor's note] is by example from the studio to play the organ. But Michael did not finally kept this part ...

Black & White: Do you experiment a lot while recording a title?
Brad Buxer: Yes, because Michael loved finding new sounds that the human ear had ever heard. Often, he repeated: "Brad, get me a sound that hurts really bad." That meant he wanted something that shakes him inside. Even if we had much use of machines and computers to design some sounds of drums, sometimes we find more ideas ... organic, I would say. For example, we came banging on the lid of a grand piano with a baseball bat-ball kick to design a specific drum. [laughs]

Black & White: You've recorded new songs with Michael after Invincible. You can tell us about?
Brad Buxer: Yes, the newest piece on which we worked, Michael and me, From The Bottom Of My Heart, the title was out to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina ... Overall, the songs we recorded during the latest years are of exceptional quality. Contrary to
Page 77
popular belief Michael was not an artistic decline. He bubbled with ideas. And these songs on which we worked are more original and more creative than we've done together.

[Under picture: The video took place in a theater, but the roles were reversed ...]

Black & White: Michael has never been lacking inspiration?
Brad Buxer: No. At no time in his life Michael has been lack of inspiration ... Plus he went through many trials, as has been the case in 2005 with the trial, and this had a positive influence on creativity.

Black & White: Do you think we will hear in the near future these songs recorded during the last years of his life?
Brad Buxer: I am not allowed to speak, but it is very likely ...

Black & White: Are you staying in contact with Michael afterwards?
Brad Buxer: Last year, he called me to work with him again. The problem is that having spent my pilot's license, I had just been hired by an airline. And projects like Michael were quite vague and did not even have a label behind him, I could not risk giving my resignation and losing one job like that. I needed to know where I was and there, in this case, it was not the case at all. Having 51 years today, I might never be committed again later. To my regret, so I had to refuse to work with him again.

Black & White: What are the best memories you keep of Michael?
Brad Buxer: All those laughs we had together ... I remember the races we were in the corridors of the hotel when we were on tour, or the food fights in our rooms ... But mostly, I always remember his smile when we listened to a song completed. There was a lot of pride, love and respect in this regard. And the feeling was mutual ... For nearly 20 years, I have been fortunate to count Michael among my best friends. We had the same age, him and me. Needless to say I miss him terribly ...

Hopefully, some of the material they worked on will be released in the next couple of years

aiden said:

Vanilli said:

Well that's embarrassing..... It's Michael Jackson!! Thanks for clearing that up for me.

That youtube clip actually had the opposite effect of what it intended to do.

The Breaking News clips sound just like him when you compare it to the other clips.

I believe that Breaking News is Michael Jackson 100%.

MattyJam said:

Lets just sum up your original post, shall we?

First you get you panties in a knot over fan speculation that DYKWYCA is the same song as Hollywood Tonight. Only, it turns out you were wrong and that Hollywood is a completely different song altogether.

Then you have the audacity to dismiss Much Too Soon purely based on the fact that it leaked onto the internet a month before the albums release. This happens with every major artist releasing a new album. If you don't like it, don't listen to the leaks. But you can't listen to all the online snippets and then go crying like a baby about the fact that you don't have anything new to listen to when the album drops.

You then moan about the Cascio tracks, in spite of the fact that we haven't even heard Monster yet. And the majority of fans seem to agree that KYHU is a legitimate MJ vocal.

Finally, you bitch about the fact that Another Day and HMH (both excellent songs) were included, in spite of the fact that you ironically chose two previously leaked and fairly mediocre tracks in your ideal tracklisting (Escape and Blue Gangster). Another Day and HMH are both top draw material and deserve to be heard. We've heard about 1min 20sec of Another Day and it already sounds better than the majority of Invincible.

I didn't get my panties in a knot. Many people, including MJStar reported that the songs were the same. I thought it would be ridiculous if true. I'm glad it's not true. So that's that.

I didn't "dismiss" Much Too Soon. Frankly, it's a nice song but nothing spectacular. I'm not upset that it leaked, actually. I have no time for the Cascio tracks, the leaked clip of Monster shows that it's fake as fuck. KYHU is not a legitimate MJ track for shit. It may have more legit vox than BN, but it still has way too much of the imposter, and what about the ridiculous cut and paste adlibs from Earth Song?

I like Another Day and HMH, but I prefer Xscape and Blue Gangsta. They are better songs. Sue me. I don't agree that the clip of Another Day is ANYWHERE NEAR the top draw stuff on "Invincible". I like at least half of that record better than another day.

Finally, my MAIN and ORIGINAl issue is that there's shitloads of better songs that could have been picked for this album, and pretty much everyone else here from Timmy to bboy to seeingvoices agrees with that.

However, it doesn't mean I'm not still excited for this album, because I still am. I just think it could, and SHOULD have been so much better. But that's life.

Militant said:

MattyJam said:

Lets just sum up your original post, shall we?

First you get you panties in a knot over fan speculation that DYKWYCA is the same song as Hollywood Tonight. Only, it turns out you were wrong and that Hollywood is a completely different song altogether.

Then you have the audacity to dismiss Much Too Soon purely based on the fact that it leaked onto the internet a month before the albums release. This happens with every major artist releasing a new album. If you don't like it, don't listen to the leaks. But you can't listen to all the online snippets and then go crying like a baby about the fact that you don't have anything new to listen to when the album drops.

You then moan about the Cascio tracks, in spite of the fact that we haven't even heard Monster yet. And the majority of fans seem to agree that KYHU is a legitimate MJ vocal.

Finally, you bitch about the fact that Another Day and HMH (both excellent songs) were included, in spite of the fact that you ironically chose two previously leaked and fairly mediocre tracks in your ideal tracklisting (Escape and Blue Gangster). Another Day and HMH are both top draw material and deserve to be heard. We've heard about 1min 20sec of Another Day and it already sounds better than the majority of Invincible.

I didn't get my panties in a knot. Many people, including MJStar reported that the songs were the same. I thought it would be ridiculous if true. I'm glad it's not true. So that's that.

I didn't "dismiss" Much Too Soon. Frankly, it's a nice song but nothing spectacular. I'm not upset that it leaked, actually. I have no time for the Cascio tracks, the leaked clip of Monster shows that it's fake as fuck. KYHU is not a legitimate MJ track for shit. It may have more legit vox than BN, but it still has way too much of the imposter, and what about the ridiculous cut and paste adlibs from Earth Song?

I like Another Day and HMH, but I prefer Xscape and Blue Gangsta. They are better songs. Sue me. I don't agree that the clip of Another Day is ANYWHERE NEAR the top draw stuff on "Invincible". I like at least half of that record better than another day.

Finally, my MAIN and ORIGINAl issue is that there's shitloads of better songs that could have been picked for this album, and pretty much everyone else here from Timmy to bboy to seeingvoices agrees with that.

However, it doesn't mean I'm not still excited for this album, because I still am. I just think it could, and SHOULD have been so much better. But that's life.

We haven't heard songs like Hollywood Tonight, Best of Joy or Behind The Mask yet.... these tracks could be amazing and totally make the whole project a worthwhile experience for the fans.

A lot of fans talk about unreleased songs and what they would like to see on an album... but what are they even basing it on?? A title?? We haven't heard these songs and we don't know if they're any good.

I also think many fans have unrealistic expectations. The estate were always going to drag out the release of Michael Jackson's unreleased music. If Jimi Hendrix is still releasing new albums then you can bet your bottom dollar that we're going to be getting new MJ releases in 30 years time as well.

After 9 years of almost complete silence, I'm just happy to be getting SOMETHING.

MattyJam said:

aiden said:

Vanilli said: Well that's embarrassing..... It's Michael Jackson!! Thanks for clearing that up for me.

That youtube clip actually had the opposite effect of what it intended to do.

The Breaking News clips sound just like him when you compare it to the other clips.

I believe that Breaking News is Michael Jackson 100%.

It's 100% MJ and so are the other 2 tracks in question probably. I kinda feel embarrssed for the army of fans who are insisting it's not their Michael!!

[Edited 11/19/10 5:41am]

motownlover said:

sony paid milions for the cascio tracks , and teddy said he only had vocals to work from.

so mike never sang it to the beat ? and its incomplete , it really sounds retarded .

there goes my hope for a coherent album cause some songs arent mike , others are from the 80s and other from the early 2000s and like 2 from the late 2000s .

i was hoping for somekind of decent work but overal its mediocre at best.

It's ridiculous,isn't it? Why is it so hard for them to simply find 12 good unreleased tracks and compile an album??!! How hard can that be?! We know that there are dozens of unreleased MJ tracks from his entire career...from the 'OTW' era,from the 'Thriller' era,from the 'Bad' era,etc.This project should have been really easy to put together! There was no need to alter/change the vocals,or have someone else sing and pretend to be Michael

EmeraldSkies said:

tangerine7 said:

Here's what Michael Jackson's Vision DVD Box-Set package looks like. (not me in photo) Looks like he works in a store because you can see in the background what looks like to be where products are shipped and stocked,perhaps..

for some reason I thought it would have been packaged in a long box. I thought I saw it like that somewhere.

Receieved my copy of 'Vision' today (3 days early, thank u HMV) - great packaging and amazing pics in the booklet also great work done on menus/intros, unfortunately most videos are heavily DNR'd and contrast boosted and only in NTSC (shame as it's lesser quality than PAL), nice that some of the videos are in widescreen format, unfortunately I just didn't get the 'Once More Chance' video, seemed that the point was to avoid any close-ups or shots of his face. Nice package in all though and great to have TDCAU prison version, The Triumph & Another Part Of Me on DVD at last & really shows the potential of how good 'Ghosts' could look if released on DVD.

[Edited 11/19/10 5:45am]

[Edited 11/19/10 5:52am]

To me, I don't care if Hollywood Tonight and Best of Joy are tracks on par with Billie Jean, if they're surrounded by crap like Monster and Breaking News, the album sucks in my book.

I'm willing to wait to hear the final album versions, but I'm not holding out hope they're different.

Seriously, I can see how people think Breaking News and Keep Your Head Up are Mike, but I can't see it all with Monster. Nothing like Mike. At all... Breaking News particularly could be something special with Mike's trademark lush background vocals, beatboxing integrated into the beat of the track, and an extending ending with original ad-libs. Keep Your Head Up also has a nice melody and could have been great. But as for the leaks and the stream that appeared on Mike's website, they're horrible. Going from Hold My Hand, Another Day and Much Too Soon to Breaking News and Keep Your Head Up only magnifies their flaws.

At any rate, I do admit that I am excited to hear Best Of Joy and Hollywood Tonight. Brad Buxer was behind two of Mike's most crtically acclaimed tracks: Stranger In Moscow and Who Is It. I'm really excited to hear how his track came out. I'm hoping Best Of Joy is a traditional R&B ballad in line with Butterflies or Break Of Dawn.

[Edited 11/19/10 5:47am]

MattyJam said:

paisleypark4 said:

MattyJam said:

That youtube clip actually had the opposite effect of what it intended to do.

The Breaking News clips sound just like him when you compare it to the other clips.

I believe that Breaking News is Michael Jackson 100%.

deaf...

I know right?! Deeeeaaaaaaaffffff!

Please excuse my ignorance, but wtf are 'cascio' tracks?

bigd74 said:

Please excuse my ignorance, but wtf are 'cascio' tracks?

I hope someone would come and explain it to you properly!

MattyJam said: We haven't heard songs like Hollywood Tonight, Best of Joy or Behind The Mask yet.... these tracks could be amazing and totally make the whole project a worthwhile experience for the fans.

A lot of fans talk about unreleased songs and what they would like to see on an album... but what are they even basing it on?? A title?? We haven't heard these songs and we don't know if they're any good.

I also think many fans have unrealistic expectations. The estate were always going to drag out the release of Michael Jackson's unreleased music. If Jimi Hendrix is still releasing new albums then you can bet your bottom dollar that we're going to be getting new MJ releases in 30 years time as well.

After 9 years of almost complete silence, I'm just happy to be getting SOMETHING.

Agreed on the first point. I really hope Behind The Mask hasn't been remixed to shit as I really like Greg's version.

And I don't mean to be a downer. Surely you understand mine (and others) frustrations though.

As for what we're basing it on - it's not just a title but rather the people involved. Clearly I'll take a Buxer, RedOne, Darkchild, Riley, Quincy, or a self-produced MJ track over a Cascio track. There are so many incredible producers and co-writers that worked with Michael that I'd take over Cascio or Akon (although I do like HMH, for the record).

And of course it's frustrating that, on an album that only has 10 songs - 1 of them already got released. No doubt it's a classic, and I'm willing to accept the possibility that it could be a different version, but you know what I mean.

The Hendrix estate isn't really a good comparison, as there wasn't a great deal of unreleased Jimi music. The recent Valleys of Neptune album was mostly alternate takes of known songs. A better comparison is the Tupac estate, and frankly (I'm biased as I have a personal involvement with them and have worked with the Shakur family) they did an incredible job from 1996 up until 2004 when for some bizarre reason they let Eminem produce the entire "Loyal To The Game" album and he screwed it up. I know it's early days for the MJ estate, but they could do with taking a page of the Shakur family's book.

Both Breaking News and KYHU are obviously Mike.

A lot of fans have just gotten whipped up into a frenzy by the power of suggestion. I swear half of these people aren't actually properly listening to these songs.

There is only one person who can sing like that. And it's Michael Joseph Jackson.

MattyJam said:

That youtube clip actually had the opposite effect of what it intended to do.

I believe that Breaking News is Michael Jackson 100%.

The "FAKE!!!" fanboys forget the fact that voice can change. Also, the "Cascios" (whoever the f they are/were) probably didn't a) have the proper facilities to record anything and b) for sure weren't producers.

Also, that Youtube clip compares recent recordings with stuff from DECADES ago.

Michael Jackson planned album of classical music

aiden said:

It's 100% MJ and so are the other 2 tracks in question probably. I kinda feel embarrssed for the army of fans who are insisting it's not their Michael!!

[Edited 11/19/10 5:41am]

I feel even more embarrassed for the other fans who think it's him singing those 3 tracks. It's so sad that some fans, even after all these years, still can't recognize his voice. I bet some of you still think that Michael Jackson is the one singing 'Mamacita.'

But habits and skill do not just disappear. Sorry.

[Edited 11/19/10 7:33am]

[Edited 11/19/10 7:34am]

Fiona01 said:

Both Breaking News and KYHU are obviously Mike.

A lot of fans have just gotten whipped up into a frenzy by the power of suggestion. I swear half of these people aren't actually properly listening to these songs.

There is only one person who can sing like that. And it's Michael Joseph Jackson.

Look, you're entitled to your opinion but I've been listening to MJ damn near every day of my life since 1989.

It doesn't sound a thing like him. It's not the tonality as much as it's the pronunciation. The way he sings his own name doesn't sound like him. And the "OBITUARAAAYYYYYYYY" is just not MJ's style. It's more boyband style. Then there's that weak-ass vibrato that sounds exactly like Jason Malachi's and nothing like any known MJ vibrato on any song. Then, on top of that, you've got blatantly sampled breaths and adlibs from all kinds of other MJ songs. Honestly, if MJ recorded lead vocals for these songs, there would be adlibs from these very songs that they could have copy and pasted. But they resorted to using ones from other songs. Doesn't that raise a red flag to you? Don't the sampled "Earth Song" adlibs on KYHU make you realize that the people behind these tracks have no fucking idea what they are doing and think they can get away with augmenting these songs with imposter vocals? Plus, we know James Porte is on the song. I only hear two voices on this song - MJ, but mostly fake imposter MJ. I don't hear a third voice.

As for the power of suggestion, nah. I laughed it off when the family were saying the songs were fake. I defended Sony and the Cascio's. THEN the song came out and I realized they were right.

I mean, you've got Randy, 3T, Rodney Jerkins, Cory Rooney, Latoya and over 50% of the fanbase as per MJJC forums saying it's not MJ. Then you've got something like 10% of the fanbase who aren't sure, which I count on to the 50% solely because there's NEVER been an MJ song before where there was even ANY doubt that it was him. So 40% of the fanbase, Teddy Riley and Sony say it's real.

I'm upset about this whole thing, but I've come to the conclusion that nothing is going to be done about it. I'm not cancelling my pre-order, and I'm still supporting the album for the other 7 songs. Truth be told, I don't think BN or KYHU are bad songs, but the whole history behind them and the bad copy and paste job with the adlibs, plus the parts of the vocals that are obviously not MJ, just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. MJ would not have wanted it this way.

Sony and the Cascio's can talk about hiring audio forensics experts all they want and having tapes of what was going on in the studio, but unless they publically release the results and the tapes actually have Michael singing on them, then it's all just hot air. For the record, I'm sitting in a million pound recording studio right now finishing an album that has already been picked up by a major label, and I've made my living as a professional musician since I was 16. Not that that makes my opinion worth more than anyone else's, but clearly I have to have finely tuned ears doing what I do and I acutely understand what is possible with vocal production and processing, more so than people who claim the vocals are just processed without knowing anything about vocal production and effects.