Marrk said:

Militant said:

Here's the original version of "Slave To The Rhythm" produced by LA Reid and Babyface.

Three words. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FANTASTIC.

Holy shit!

Proof Michael was mad as a box of frogs. How could that get left out? It's just great.

Huh? The music sounds like a really old computer game.

Ellie said:

Marrk said:

Holy shit!

Proof Michael was mad as a box of frogs. How could that get left out? It's just great.

Huh? The music sounds like a really old computer game.

Well to to be fair it's a demo and it's only 240p quality. The CD/wav sounds great when played loud on a decent system. BIG difference.

Then again i'm happy just with MJ accapellas.

[Edited 5/8/14 15:33pm]

Marrk said:

Ellie said:

Huh? The music sounds like a really old computer game.

Well to to be fair it's a demo and it's only 240p quality. The CD/wav sounds great when played loud on a decent system. BIG difference.

Then again i'm happy just with MJ accapellas.

[Edited 5/8/14 15:33pm]

I love this version - its got such a cool groove to it.

It's quite interesting hearing the originals / demos alongside the reworked versions. Hearing the demo to Loving You has made me appreciate Timbo's version, he's really brought that to life.

APWNN is just bizarre, it didn't need re-working. And the previous leaked version of DYKWYCA is clearly the better mix

Today, I am going to review the contemporized tacks. After a few listen-throughs, my opinions may have changed here a little bit, but here are my reviews on the CONTEMPORIZED TRACKS, or should I say, the standard album.

1. Love Never Felt So Good - This is a great track! VERY Off the Wall-esque, and the instruments are great! The fact that they couldn't remove the piano from the mix makes me even happier because it takes that original demo and builds upon it! I think this was the best choice for the first single, and I hope it get more radio play and even some awards. Great track to start the summer! (10/10)

2. Chicago- This one has grown on me. At first, I wasn't really feeling it, but the more I listen to this new version, I feel this could have been a big hit on Invincible. WAY better than HEartbreaker and Invincible (title track), but not as good as Unbreakable. Vocals are great and they make the track.duck quacks are a little irritating, but the rest of the instruments fit in my opinion. Not disappointed (8.5/10)

3. Loving You- I think this one is my favorite track. The lyrics are mystical, the vocals are SO awesome! The production behind it is superb! This is an overall feel-good song. I think this one could work out as one of those great summer singles, along with Love Never Felt So Good. So simple, yet so catchy and beautiful. This honestly has to go up there with some of my favorite MJ jams (though you all probably think I am just making a big deal out of this song lol) (10/10)

4. Place With No Name- This one has grown on me a little, but I still am not really into it compared to the first three tracks. Production is a little corny in the verses (a la Leave Me Alone Bassline), but I actually dig the chorus. His voice is crystal clear, and I like how it goes more acapella towards the end. (7.5/10)

5. Slave to the Rhythm- The beginning kinda sucks for me. I like the chorus, and the part of the track that was in the Sony phone comercial. To be completely honest, even the Tricky 2010 mix that leaked never really did anything for me. Thats how this mix is for me too. I honestly think fans overhyped the leaked version. Aint bad though (7/10)

6. Do You Know Where Your Children Are- At first, I was infuriated when I discovered it was more of an electro kinda mix compared to the leaked version. Then I realized the leaked version wasn't even the original. The original has a more poppy-funky-gospelly with a touch of rock feel. This new mix is true to the original, and I actually like the instrumental, It rocks, but in a techno-ish kinda of way. I throws back to that 80s videogame feel, but its also fresh. I like the distorted guitar at the end; I am glad they kept a rock element in there. (8/10)

7. Blue Gangsta- I am surprised that some people don't like this track! Miles better than the demo! Very cinematic at first (it would make for a great music video), and then it gets intense with that beat! Michael's vocals are superb, chorus is slick. Cool piano in the verses! The song title now actually fits with the song itself. What I like about it too is that the horn drop at the end stays true to the original. It has a lot of swagger to go with it. (9/10)

8. Xscape- It made me happy to know that Rodney Jerkins was going to return to "complete" the track. It is very different from the leaked version, but that doesn't mean the new track is bad. Not at all. In fact, I really like this new version. It actually reminds me of Dangerous. I like the Darkchild reference at the beginning. Strings are dramatic and epic, when he gets to the "No matter where I am, I see my face around..." line, thats when it reminds me of Dangerous. The chorus is really good! The horns actually fit in! His vocals are crystal clear, and you can hear the grittiness at some points. This has that classic Michael sound! Applauds for Rodney Jerkins for a great closer to the album. (10/10)

Overall: The album starts off VERY strong with the first three tracks, and Love Never Felt So Good sets a good vibe! The album's lowest points are at Place With No Name and Slave To the Rhythm, although they are listenable, they just aren't my taste. Fortuantely, the album slowly rebounds with Do You Know Where Your Children Are, and is back in full swing by the time Blue Gangsta Starts. Xscape is a strong finish! I am happy with what the Estate did this time, and I think they did right in releasing the demos along with the new mixes. I hope they do another album like this, but the only thing I think they should do is make sure the new mixes fit in better with the genres of the old mixes *cough* A Place with No Name *cough*. Either way, I am actually happy and a little impressed.

TOTAL RATING: (8.75/10) -

sad to say this but maybe it was best that he is not alive to see Xscape released.......

There is no getting around the simple fact that this is an album which shouldn't have come out.

No matter how you package it or phrase it, these are songs which were never finished by Michael Jackson before his death in 2009, never scheduled for release during the decade or two beforehand when they had been written and partially recorded and now songs which have been remodelled, to varying degrees, by new "executive producers".

This is by no means the complete travesty that was the “album” called Michael, also of unreleased/unfinished songs and released in the immediate wake of his death, that was so slapdash and marred with controversy (his not-always-sensible family even claimed that it wasn’t Jackson’s voice on some of the tracks) that even the devotees struggled to find solace in it after they bought it in their millions.

'Xscape', Michael Jackon's second posthumous album, is full of previously unreleased and unfinished songs. Photo: Sony

But nonetheless, it is hardly being provocative to say of the songs on Xscape, which were begun between 1983 and 1999, that if Michael Jackson had wanted them out, they would have come out.

How you respond to the album inevitably will be informed by how you accept the idea, as explained by one of the executive producers – and occasional collaborator with Jackson – LA Reid, that this has been done "in the spirit" of Jackson’s original plans.

"We think we are in keeping with what Michael wanted," Reid said in Sydney a month ago at an industry playback of the album.

Oddities continue in the way the album has been preceded by a single that in fact is not on the album, or at least not the standard version of Xscape.

If you buy the deluxe version of Xscape you will get the eight regular songs, then pre-contemporary enhancement versions of those songs plus a third take on Love Never Felt So Good, a “duet” with Justin Timberlake.

It’s fair to say Timberlake’s contribution is pretty superfluous or a waste of his talent (take your generational pick) as he barely figures and when he does appear sounds more concerned about not competing with his obvious idol.

That song, Love Never Felt So Good – co-written with the unlikely figure of Paul Anka shortly after Thriller was released in 1982 - begins the album proper and is both one of the best moments here and also fairly indicative of one of the sustained threads throughout: a sense of connection, or searching for connection, with what you might call the golden period of Jackson’s career, between 1979’s Off The Wall and 1987’s Bad.

It has a mid-tempo dance feel which recalls the late ‘70s, strings and piano and little squeals in the background that had already become Jackson staples.

There’s definite charm to it, you want to push your jacket sleeves up and get down, ala the Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough filmclip, and his voice sounds sweet. But the chorus never quite lifts off completely. Maybe its similarity to the Off The Wall songs kept it from Bad or maybe Jackson knew then that it was a good but not great track.

Something similar affects Loving You, a song begun around the time of Bad which is the other challenger for pick of the bunch status.

Its bass sound is beefed up a bit more, his breathy singing dances on the ‘70s soul melody and there’s a pop sensibility at play. But again there’s a sense of a song not quite pushed to its limits.

It’s not necessarily lack of ideas that hold things back. 1991’s Slave To The Rhythm (which features some cool synth sounds and an electro heart) and 1998’s Blue Gangsta (heavy on the stacked vocals and kick-and-drag rhythm in the chorus) are busy tracks with lots of going on but that busy-ness only partially camouflages the truth that both are pretty slight songs.

And the unusual A Place With No Name (which borrows, with due credit, from America’s Horse With No Name and is from the same period, leading up to 2001’s Invincible album, as Blue Gangsta) mixes Stevie Wonder keyboards, a strong rhythm track and active percussion underneath a melody searching for a reason to be.

Interest inevitably will fall on Do You Know Where Your Children Are?, and not really for the harder edge to its R&B. It has a chorus that you could well imagine Timberlake borrowing a decade later (and doing more with) or clear references to one of Jackson’s greatest moments, Wanna Be Startin’ Something.

The song’s storyline, about a girl sexually abused by her step-father, seduced by the prospect of Hollywood and then sexually abused as a streetwalker on Sunset Boulevard – all by the age of 12 – isn’t going to escape the sordid accusations of molestation thrown at Jackson in the last decade and a half of his life.

You’d have to wonder if someone at the time told him this wasn’t the best idea to be putting out there. And if someone now shouldn’t have said the same thing. But then what Michael Jackson wanted is a matter of dispute with this album anyway.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/review-michael-jacksons-xscape-is-an-album-that-should-not-have-come-out-20140508-37yq9.html#ixzz31AhUpAvJ

3rdeyedude said:

Nothing at all.

Thank goodness you're here to copy and paste from elsewhere. This thread was strictly the authors of the posts opinions and thoughts until you showed up with your lazy shit. I'm just glad i can skim read.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:01pm]

Marrk said:

3rdeyedude said:

Nothing at all.

Thank goodness you're here to copy and paste from elsewhere. This thread was strictly the authors of the posts opinions and thoughts until you showed up with your lazy shit. I'm just glad i can skim read.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:01pm]

3rdeyedude, you can have as negative of an opinion as you want, dont just base your opinion off an a stupid article. Listen to the album yourself dude, and base your opinion off of that.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:17pm]

XSCAPE GLOBAL RELEASE DATES
Friday May 9
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Finland
Germany
Ireland
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Norway
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Denmark

Monday May 12
Asia
UAE
Czech Republic
Denmark
France
Ireland
Greece
Hungary
Middle East
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Spain
UK
South Africa

Tuesday May 13
Canada
Costa Rica
Latin America
Brazil
Mexico
Italy
Russia
United States

Wednesday May 21
Japan

I say, lets start a petition to release Corey Rooneys 2010 mix of Chicago

I've avoided searching for the leak apart from clicking on that one YouTube link above to Slave To The Rhythm. I'l just get it on the 12th May.

But that Slave To The Rhythm "original" is weird. I'm used to the 2010 Tricky mix, but the best part of that one was the hand claps during the bridge. I was hoping for more of the same! I always liked it how little clicks and claps that MJ did in the studio used to come out due to the fact that he was so animated during recordings. That's what made some of the demos that have leaked over the years more worthwhile.

I've given the deluxe version a few more listens and my opinion is softening a bit. By default, this is a better project than 'Michael'; the estate pretty much listened to fans in regards to releasing the original versions.

But the album is a bit too 'techno' sounding for my tastes. However, after hearing a couple of demos, I can see why a couple of mixes were made the way they were. Timbaland it seems tried to keep the 80's sound alive in his mix of DYKWYCA, and the demo to Slave To The Rhythm sounds like an early dance/techno track itself, so it makes sense that Timbo's (and Tricky's) mix followed suit.

The only song I really can't get into in any capacity thus far is A Place With No Name - I thought it was a really solid unreleased track and the ambience and 'tribute' factor to the classic song it was based on is totally gone. I also don't think much of the new mix of Blue Gangsta. Again, the ambience of the song is ruined... the accordion and horns in the Freeze version recall a Mafia-like vibe, or the vibe from 30's and 40's crime films. I think Timbaland did a good job with the remix to LNFSG, Chicago and Loving You though, perhaps even making them better than their demos.

While the demo to Chicago sounds nothing like I expected, I do like the how it meshes well in a playlist with songs like Price Of Fame and Who Is It. Its darker than I thought.

The demo of Loving You is a solid track that sort of reminds me of I Can't Help It. When pared with the outtakes from Bad 25 like I'm So Blue and Free, you really hear a Gamble & Huff/Stevie Wonder influence in his songwriting. I wonder how many more outtakes he recorded between Thriller and Bad that are in a releasable form.

motownlover said:

I say, lets start a petition to release Corey Rooneys 2010 mix of Chicago

Yeah, I'd like to hear that. Taryll Jackson worked on it.

Gave the FLAC files a few spins on a decent sound system instead of the laptop speakers, and I think I appreciate the new versions more. I still feel like instead of contemporizing, they should have classicized the songs (like they did with LNFSG). These contemporized versions will surely sound dated in no time.

1. LNFSG - I've been starting my day with this one since it came out. It's as good as it can be considering the condition of the demo, and I wish the rest of the record would've continued with this sound.
2. Chicago - Hated the production when it leaked but now it's quickly taking over the number 1 spot for me, replacing Loving You. Classic MJ.
3. Loving You - My favorite kind of MJ songs are the ones where you can hear him smiling as he sings. He's smiling all over this one. Another classic. The opening line kills me. "Hello, August moon. Where are the stars of the night?"
4. APWNN - This one is much better with a decent sound system. I like how the beat kind of sounds like a horse galloping. Smart.
5. Slave To The Rhythm - This one sounds much better on a system, but is still way too busy. The thing I dislike about it most is how the new production completely kills the build of the song. My favorite thing about the song is how MJ is straight taking it to church by the end, and all of that is killed with this new mix.
6. DYKWYCA - I hate this one less than I did. It gets better with repeated listenings, but still feels like an odd direction to take the song. The original leak is still the best imo.
7. Blue Gangsta - I think this one is 100% better than the original. I love the drama it evokes. Almost like a Bond theme. The sparse instrumentation during the verses is very effective.
8. Xscape - The original has been a fave since I found it online. This one makes a great companion. Even if it sounds like Miami booty music sometimes. Is that sound back or something? I love how this mix brings out a lot of vocal nuances that you couldnt really hear in the original.

[Edited 5/9/14 6:52am]

Militant said:

motownlover said:

I say, lets start a petition to release Corey Rooneys 2010 mix of Chicago

Yeah, I'd like to hear that. Taryll Jackson worked on it.

Yeah i was really curious about the ROck like stuff, when i heard the Timbaland mix i could imagine guitar and industrial like drums etc. Or else we pay Coorey via Paypal

LNFSG debuts at #20 on the Billboard Hot100.

[Edited 5/9/14 15:23pm]

Got this Album on at the moment, is actually quite good, only 8 tracks though and about 35/40 mins long which I dont think is great, surely they could have scraped a couple extra tracks together? Maybe there just isnt as much good quality vocals recorded as they originally expected and are limiting the output for each album.

FnkyManifesto7 said:

Marrk said:

Thank goodness you're here to copy and paste from elsewhere. This thread was strictly the authors of the posts opinions and thoughts until you showed up with your lazy shit. I'm just glad i can skim read.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:01pm]

3rdeyedude, you can have as negative of an opinion as you want, dont just base your opinion off an a stupid article. Listen to the album yourself dude, and base your opinion off of that.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:17pm]

oh i heard it first, then saw the article

it's just that i'm not a very good writer and thought the article summed up my feelings about the whole thing

don't get me wrong, MJ had a lot of talent but I think his life was just plain sad and this release kind of proves he can't really make music unless he has tons of help/producers/etc.

why not take this shit to another forum - possibly an MJ fan website?

[Edited 5/10/14 10:37am]

^He created a lot of music on his own, especially when he lived at Hayvenhurst. If you listen to the demos of Beat It, Dont' Stop Til You Get Enough, Working Day and Night, you will see that the demos are very much the same songs that appeared on the album in their final version. There have been lots of prolific people who have worked with MJ, and none of them have ever claimed he didn't write his own material.

Plus, Xscape is a posthumous release. All the music on the 8 tracks is brand new and had nothing to do with MJ. They just took his vocals and put it on top of new music. You'll need to hear the 8 demos to hear what input he had in the songs.

3rdeyedude said:

FnkyManifesto7 said:

3rdeyedude, you can have as negative of an opinion as you want, dont just base your opinion off an a stupid article. Listen to the album yourself dude, and base your opinion off of that.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:17pm]

oh i heard it first, then saw the article

it's just that i'm not a very good writer and thought the article summed up my feelings about the whole thing

don't get me wrong, MJ had a lot of talent but I think his life was just plain sad and this release kind of proves he can't really make music unless he has tons of help/producers/etc.

why not take this shit to another forum - possibly an MJ fan website?

[Edited 5/10/14 10:37am]

First of all, what does his life have to do with his music and his talent? Secondly,MJ created most of his adult work by himself, he wrote and composed his first song when he was 18 called Blues Away and if you've heard that song, you'd know the style and input MJ had on his albums. In fact Diana Ross and many others from Motown thought that MJ would become a big and successful producer. MJ's early productions had elements of heavy percussion/rhythmic sounds, strings, strong emphasis on melodies – ballad/soulful melodies and horns (listen to songs like Don’t stop till you get enough /Get on the floor/ This Place hotel/lovely one), in the mid-80s his productions had an emphasis on strong chorus (power choruses) and melody structure and a love for new sound landscapes(cinematic ones)and use of guitars on a level he hadn’t used previously, this love for guitars continued unto the 90s. I personally always felt that MJs love songs/ballads/anthems, were always in a way influenced by Motown in the way he wrote them as well a classical element to them, since he was a big fan of composers from the romantic era (specially the late 1800s).

I could go on and write more, because I’ve actually studied him during my music studies at university. His music was very unique and although many have tried to copy him, they’ve not come close. Another thing is that you mention he could only produce things with the help of producers, which is not true at all. MJ might not have been a proficient musician, BUT he created everything with his voice and not simple melody fractions but full compositions and arrangements which is a very hard thing to do. Please listen to Beat It demo, because that’s how MJ created a lot of his music!

I have now also listened to Xscape.

A few random thoughts. "LNFSG" has been stuck in my head, I prefer the slightly different Timberlake version. "Loving You" could've used a similar production style. Again, I'm not a huge fan of the "modernized" Timbaland sound. "APWNN", the Stargate production, sounds like a Rihanna song. "Blue Gangsta" is corny, but catchy. "Slave" was kind of forgettable to me. Is "DYKWYCA" from the Bad era, it sounds like it could be? Oh, and I hate how all the strings and horns (on the album) were synths/sampled (believe me, they are).

In my opinion, even though MJ did write some definite classics - I don't think he particularly flourished as a songwriter. He was at his best with melodic and harmonically inventive stuff written for him by guys like Rod Temperton.

I'm also not a fan of the "aggressive" MJ, most of his stuff went that way (also his style of singing - Questlove also makes note of this in his book) ca. after and during the HIStory album.

[Edited 5/10/14 13:48pm]

3rdeyedude said:

FnkyManifesto7 said:

3rdeyedude, you can have as negative of an opinion as you want, dont just base your opinion off an a stupid article. Listen to the album yourself dude, and base your opinion off of that.

[Edited 5/8/14 18:17pm]

oh i heard it first, then saw the article

it's just that i'm not a very good writer and thought the article summed up my feelings about the whole thing

don't get me wrong, MJ had a lot of talent but I think his life was just plain sad and this release kind of proves he can't really make music unless he has tons of help/producers/etc.

why not take this shit to another forum - possibly an MJ fan website?

[Edited 5/10/14 10:37am]

Or how about you take yourself of this dedicated MJ thread, which you clearly have no interest in?

How about that?

SamSamba said:

I have now also listened to Xscape.

A few random thoughts. "LNFSG" has been stuck in my head, I prefer the slightly different Timberlake version. "Loving You" could've used a similar production style. Again, I'm not a huge fan of the "modernized" Timbaland sound. "APWNN", the Stargate production, sounds like a Rihanna song. "Blue Gangsta" is corny, but catchy. "Slave" was kind of forgettable to me. Is "DYKWYCA" from the Bad era, it sounds like it could be? Oh, and I hate how all the strings and horns (on the album) were synths/sampled (believe me, they are).

In my opinion, even though MJ did write some definite classics - I don't think he particularly flourished as a songwriter. He was at his best with melodic and harmonically inventive stuff written for him by guys like Rod Temperton.

I'm also not a fan of the "aggressive" MJ, most of his stuff went that way (also his style of singing - Questlove also makes note of this in his book) ca. after and during the HIStory album.

[Edited 5/10/14 13:48pm]

You're reaching. Didn't Michael win a songwriter's award? As someone stated his music is being

studied at major universities. The man wrote music 2 year olds as well as 92 year olds loved - a musical genius. I LOVE XCAPE!

It's really a shame they decided to pull the plug on the D'Angelo track. Hope that leaks some day.

I've been hanging around the org for years and I have to say, I really enjoy the discussion conducted by Prince fans ón Michael Jackson a lot more than MJ-fans discussing MJ. I am a fan of both as well. Anyway, I wrote a review on 'Xscape' for my rateyourmusic-page. Here you go:

Michael Jackson - Xscape review: inclusion of original versions of previously unreleased tracks preserve his legacy

Writing a review on a (posthumous) Michael Jackson album poses a challenge for me, since I am a huge fan of the man ánd his music. But I am up for it, because it is Michael Jackson. Still not fully recovered from the anticlimax of 2010's 'Michael' my hopes were nevertheless high for this next posthumous effort. True, 'Michael' did contain several gems ('Best of Joy', 'Much Too Soon' and the much anticipated 'Thriller'-outtake 'Behind the Mask') but the controversy concerning the infamous 'Cascio' tracks overshadowed the project as a whole; a ten-track Michael Jackson album containing three tracks offering obvious fake vocals leaves not much to enjoy.

Last time around, the fan base was unanimous in their criticism on the Sony Estate's (responsible for all posthumous Jackson releases since 2009) decision to revisit the outtakes and allow contemporary producers the opportunity to complete the tracks without releasing the original recordings as they were meant to be. This time around, the Estate was smart enough to release a deluxe edition including the original versions before they were contemporised in order to avoid a new backlash by the Jackson-community. It still raises the question why MJ-tracks in general have to be contemporised while artists such as Bob Dylan (the ongoing Bootleg Series) and Prince (Crystal Ball) just release a package of 'outtakes' and leave it at that. I guess, the commercial magnitude of Jackson's previous work does not allow such an approach. The Estate expressed their vision in an official statement: 'The decision to contemporise Jackson's music is not only based on the artist's desire to remain on the cutting-edge, but also on the premise that one way to keep great art alive and relevant – from adaptations of Shakespeare's plays to hip hop samples of James Brown – is by creatively connecting it to the present.

Nevertheless, Antonio 'LA' Reid, CEO of Sony Epic Records, previous Jackson collaborator and curator of the project assembled his a-team including Timbaland (Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah) acting as a lead producer, Stargate (Ne-Yo, Beyoncé, Rihanna), John McClain (Co-Executer of the Michael Jackson Estate) and Rodney Jerkins (lead producer on Jackson's last studio album, the criminally underrated 'Invincible'). While Timbaland, fresh of the success of Timberlake's '20/20 Experience' did not feel any hesitation to jump on board and immediately 'felt like he had to dig into a place deeper than just music' with this project, Jerkins expressed some reservations: 'It wasn't that I didn't trust LA (Reid), it's just that I worked with Michael before, and I know what his expectations were,' but was convinced after hearing the material presented to him by Reid and was once again mesmerised by Jackson's vocal range while listening to the a cappella vocal recordings in the studio.

The fact that Jackson had a habit of producing up to a 100 tracks for each album is well documented. With the limitations of the LP in the 80's, sometimes only 9 tracks ended up on the album. This, however, changed with the introduction of the Compact Disc. Jackson took full advantage of this now prehistoric sounding technological development by stuffing these discs with up to 14 (91's Dangerous) or even 16 (01's Invincible) tracks with an average of approximately 5 minutes. But still, the majority of the recorded tracks were left on the cutting room floor. With Jackson, these demo's were often almost fully developed containing pitch perfect vocals from top to bottom. Furthermore, he often allowed songs the time to fully develop and 'speak to him' while tweaking and revisiting them for years before releasing some of them on subsequent albums. Prime examples of such a method are 'Black or White,' which was originally conceived during the Bad sessions in '86 and '87 but eventually appeared on 1991's 'Dangerous' and 'Earth Song,' which was originally recorded during the Dangerous-sessions from '89 to '91 but made its appearance on 1995's 'HIStory.' As a consequence, his vault grew increasingly, allowing Reid to search through the treasure cove to produce the second posthumous Michael Jackson album since 2009. Reid felt that 'he tapped us on the shoulder and said, 'Would you just do me one small favour, and remind people that I'm the greatest?' Deliberately avoiding the ethical discussion whether or not Jackson would approve of contemporary producers tinkering with his unreleased tracks (he wouldn't), here's a track by track review:

'Love Never Felt So Good' was originally recorded with Paul Anka who shared Jackon's love for 'melodies and real music..' in 1983 in the wake of the paralysing success of 'Thriller'. 'Love' in the original version ánd the contemporised version produced by McClain is by no means groundbreaking but it offers a melody as offensive and infectious as melodies get. It still contains the soulful unconstrained vocals often used by the young pre-Bad era Jackson which most old school fans prefer. The Timberlake-duet, inevitably produced by Timbaland, might be a bit unnecessary but serves as welcome addition aiming at reaching a broader (younger?) audience.

'Chicago' is one of the few previously unreleased tracks I was not familiar with, as the majority of the tracks surfaced on the internet for several years already. The Cory Rooney penned track (originally called 'She Was Lovin' Me') deals with familiar territory: the predatory lover seeking trouble. The demo was recorded in 1999 and was considered for 'Invincible.' Posthumous releases are often an affair of 'hit and miss.' I would argue that this is a 'miss' (those strange duck-sounds are uncalled for!) but fortunately, the original version offers a mysteriously constructed instrumental which suits the vocal delivery far better. Timbaland's contemporised version overshadows the vocal track and forgets that Jackson's voice is the main instrument. A good thing the original is there.

'Loving You' is a completely different affair. Lighter than air, the song was created during the 'Bad' sessions in 1986, one of Jackson's most prolific periods. Timbaland kept the initial mid-tempo Motown vibe for the 2014 version, added a retro piano-intro and a mechanical drum beat whereas the original version sounded more organic. I like both versions though.

Jackson rarely did covers or made use of samples. 'A Place With No Name' is therefore a strange but interesting addition to his discography. Considered for his last studio album 'Invincible,' it was said to be a creative re-imagining (with credit) of America's 1972 classic 'A Horse With No Name.' Jackson kept the melody but altered the lyrics creating a utopian soundscape of 'a place filled with love and happiness' which initially inspired him to develop his Neverland Ranch in the first place to occasionally 'get away from it all,' a recurring theme in the second half of Jackson's career. America band-members Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley have praised Jackson's adaption: 'We're honoured that Michael Jackson chose to record it and we're impressed with the quality of the track. He did it justice... It's really poignant.' Fans were already familiar with the leaked luscious acoustic guitar-driven original version. This however did not stop Norwegian producers-duo Stargate from altering the track significantly. At first I did not care for their new take and found it utterly unnecessary because it was already a wonderful rendition in my book. After multiple listens I have taken a liking to it. Not in the least because the intro samples Jackson's own 'Leave Me Alone' forcing me to listening to this Bad-era highlight again and again which is always a good thing.

'Slave To The Rhytm' was and is a mystery. Originally recorded in 1991 with LA Reid and Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds its robo-pop structure makes up for that typical '90s feel. It tells an empowerment story of a woman compelled to dance to the needs of controlling man before finally dancing to the beat of her own. The leaked version was essentially a 90's dance track, the demo on this disc however is more laid-back while the contemporised version produced by Timbaland successfully uses up all its potential. So there are three versions? Okay.

'Do You Know Where Your Children Are' is one of those socially conscious tracks Jackson began exploring in the latter half of his career. The title derives from a public service announcement that ran on American television from the 1960s to the 1980s, just before the nightly news. This was one of the most anticipated tracks within the fan-community and a highly appreciated rock-oriented version already leaked. The original version presented on 'Xscape' however, sounds nothing like the aforementioned one as it is compromised of a bleak 80's drum beat structure. Timbaland's update could be considered as a nod to Daft Punk's electronically dominated 'hip' sound of the day while preserving the strong melody in the chorus.

'Blue Gangsta' was one of the songs produced by Dr. Freeze for the 'Invincible' album and could serve as a modern day rendition of Jackson's acclaimed 'Smooth Criminal' with its gangster theme which has always fascinated Jackson (see also 'Al Capone' on the Bad 25th Anniversary edition, the predecessor of 'Smooth Criminal'). The contemporised version produced by Timbaland slightly slows down the tempo on the verses and increases the cinematic feel of the original, but intelligently emphasises the strong and aggressive vocal performance by Jackson.

The inclusion of the title track 'Xscape' is a special one, as it is the only track completed by the same producer who worked on the actual track with Jackson before, Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins. He actually improves it, which is a great accomplishment. Jerkins explained that 'it was really important for me to kind of like zone out and think as if Michael was sitting right next to me and what I would be telling him. I knew that the times have changed sonically. I would've been saying to Michael, 'It's 808s now, we gotta make sure they're in. 'And I know Michael would say, 'but make sure it stays funky. It's gotta be funky.' The additional live horns to the chorus do just that. For me, this is the highlight of the collection. The lyrics illustrate the latter day Jackson's depressed but vigorous state of mind: 'No matter where I am I see my face around, they pin lies on my name then push them from town to town. Don't have a place to run but there's no need to hide. I got to find a place but I won't hide away. Xscape, got to get away from the system rules in the world today.' Sadly, he never managed to do so. Jackson frequently used the term 'escapism' to describe his art. Escape for Jackson, the liner notes in the accompanying booklet also reveal, was about transporting his audience into different stories, different spaces, different sounds and emotions; it was about drawing contrasts between the way things are and the way things could be, between our realities, fears and desires.

Inevitably, 'Xscape' misses the consistency of previous Jackson albums. But overall, 'Xscape' easily wins from 2010's 'Michael,' which was a huge letdown. Reid and friends' approach is far from flawless and one might wish that producer Dr. Freeze, who was responsible for two of the eight original versions on 'Xscape' and who did an excellent job on Invincible's 'Break Of Dawn', would have been included in the project. By adding the original versions of the songs however, the Sony Estate seems to have learned from past mistakes and have tried their best to preserve Jackson's legacy.

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darthbane2k said:

I was infuriated with the wasted potential of the Xscape album. Some remixes work , most fail. I've made my own cut of the album, included proper original versions where necessary and rearranged the track order to make some sense. It's a much better more coherent record. I've removed a song and added two more. I've also replaced the album art to something more respectful to Michael than the garbage they have used. Would love to share with you all, but the legality is questionable.

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Go on and share your tracklist & artwork, nothing wrong with that!

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Having now listened to the original versions as well, I can say that:

• I actually prefer the Stargate-produced version of 'APWNN', rather than the blatant America "cover". This is one track that benefits from the "modernization".
• The crude drum machine-driven demo version of 'Loving You' is wayyy better and it's the sound they should've tried to recreate. I can easily hear it sounding great with actual musicians from the OtW/Thriller sessions.
• I kind of prefer the original 'Xscape', but Jerkins' new version is just as good!

Regarding the cover art, I think they might have been going for something that was originally intended for BAD? If you've seen BAD 25, they say that the original cover art was supposed some sort of a half-veiled photo of Jackson.