Listened some more and I must say this rocks. New versions as well.

Derek1984 said:

The Black Keys vs. Michael Jackson for No. 1 on Billboard 200

• NEWS

By Keith Caulfield, Los Angeles | May 14, 2014 6:44 PM EDT

The new albums from the Black Keys and Michael Jackson are both in the running for the No. 1 slot on next week's Billboard 200 chart.

As of May 14, the Black Keys' eighth album, "Turn Blue", has the edge over Jackson's "Xscape", but not by much. Industry forecasters suggest the former may sell upwards of 150,000 copies in the week ending May 18, while "Xscape" could sell 140,000. Both albums were released on Tuesday, May 13.

The Billboard 200's new top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday, May 21.

If the Black Keys start at No. 1, it will mark the rock duo's first chart-topper. Their last studio release, 2011's "El Camino", debuted and peaked at No. 2 off a 206,000 start (according to Nielsen SoundScan) and is their best seller, with 1.4 million sold. "El Camino" went on to win the 2012 Grammy Award for best rock album, and was also nominated for album of the year.

As for Jackson, "Xscape" would mark the seventh No. 1 for the King of Pop, who died in 2009. The new set is his second posthumous album of previously unreleased material, following "Michael" in 2011. "Michael" debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 228,000 in the week ending Dec. 19. It has sold 541,000 to date.

Jackson previously topped the Billboard 200 with "Thriller," "Bad," "Dangerous," "History: Past, Present and Future Book 1," "Invincible" and "Michael Jackson's This Is It."

The first-week sales on "Xscape" might be amplified by a special experience celebrating Jackson during the Billboard Music Awards (May 18). There are no details on what the event will include, but it has been described by the producers of the show as "Michael Jackson like you've never seen him before."

Other albums aiming for high debuts on the Billboard 200 include Rascal Flatts' "Rewind", Dolly Parton's "Blue Smoke" and Tori Amos' "Unrepentant Geraldines".

http://www.billboard.com/...lboard-200



And The Black Keys are pretty bitter about the possibility of losing the #1 spot to MJ:

Black Keys slam Michael Jackson album, Xscape

Patrick Carney says LA Reid 'needed a new boat' after release of unheard MJ tunes

Read more at http://www.gigwise.com/ne...wPQxsey.99

[Edited 5/14/14 17:09pm]

The originals are slammin. The only remix I like is A Place With No Name. I like it better than the original mix.

Lovin You, Slave To The Rhythm, title track, Blue Gangsta and Love Never Felt So Good in there original forms are the standouts. DO You KNow Where Your Children Are might have to grow on me. Chicago s decent.

The first few listens of Stargate's APWNN, I hated it. But then after buying the album and hearing it through with the rest of the album, it has really grown on me. I like it. Xscape is the real standout track to me because it does actually sound like a legit single MJ would've released. Jerkins did an incredible job.

NaughtyKitty said:

Black Keys slam Michael Jackson album, Xscape

Patrick Carney says LA Reid 'needed a new boat' after release of unheard MJ tunes

Read more at http://www.gigwise.com/ne...wPQxsey.99

[Edited 5/14/14 17:09pm]

Hope that backfires on them. Probably won't but hope it does anyway. If i were them, I'd just be excited to be in a race against MJ. Disrespectful and coming across as having with a sense of entitlement isn't a good trait. Meh to them.

Buy another copy of Xscape and give it a friend.

[Edited 5/14/14 17:59pm]

LittleBLUECorvette said:

The originals are slammin. The only remix I like is A Place With No Name. I like it better than the original mix.

Lovin You, Slave To The Rhythm, title track, Blue Gangsta and Love Never Felt So Good in there original forms are the standouts. DO You KNow Where Your Children Are might have to grow on me. Chicago s decent.

I agree that the originals ARE slammin. "Chicago" is sexy as hell. I am LOVING this album so much. Michael's vocals on EVERY track are outstanding. This album was released, produced and conceived with love. You can tell it in every song. It truly feels as if TWO albums were released. Major props to LA Reid, the Estate and ALL involved with the album. It was worth the wait AND the money. The Deluxe version is the way to go.

Everywhere I read about the album they call the originals "demos'. These are not deonstration tapes they were working on, these were the actual completed songs that MJ worked on in their respective times. The facct that they were updated merely makes them Remixes. The originals have a groove to them that the new updated versions don't,and that is because michael grooved to the music while he recorded them. The new music was never heard by him, therefore the groove will not be there.

Bighead said:

Everywhere I read about the album they call the originals "demos'. These are not deonstration tapes they were working on, these were the actual completed songs that MJ worked on in their respective times. The facct that they were updated merely makes them Remixes. The originals have a groove to them that the new updated versions don't,and that is because michael grooved to the music while he recorded them. The new music was never heard by him, therefore the groove will not be there.

Correct.

The right thing to do would have been just to add a few elements and just make the drums sound a bit more contemporaray if needed. If you change the basis of the grooves completely then the vocals won't really work because they get their accentuation from what they've been originally sung along to.

Still can't fathom why they've turned DYKWYCA into some sort of video game music. It's obviously a rock song and completely changing it doesn't mean you're "updating" it. It's just a remix.

The first and the last track sounded quite okay to me, but that was about it. Perhaps I should give the other "new versions" a good listening before deeming them utter shit altogether, but life might be too short for that.

Very good choice of unreleased tracks. After "Michael" quite a surprise to get an album being that good.

Although I appreciate the original song ideas much more, I don't think that the rearrangements are totally off. All in all quite enjoyable.

[Edited 5/15/14 2:51am]

Thursday Update Top 40 Only - Official UK Charts

Singles

1 Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down (73k)
2 Mr Probz - Waves (35.6k)
3 John Legend - All Of Me (21.9k)
4 Calvin Harris - Summer (20.9k)
5 The Common Linnets - Calm After The Storm (17.5k)

10 Michael Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good

Albums

1 Michael Jackson - Xscape (31.2k)
2 The Black Keys - Turn Blue (23.9k)
3 Paloma Faith - A Perfect Contradiction (9.1k)
4 Foxes - Glorious (8.9k)
5 Paolo Nutini - Caustic Love (8.6k)

xlad said:

File under: 'Sweet Jesus Hell No!!!' Apparently the hologram performance of Slave at the Billboard Awards will be a duet performance with Bieber!

I hope you're joking!

^ I really hope that's not true too...but I wont be surprised if it is true. They already felt the need to put JT on the LNFSG track and have him in the video, so they very well may have the other popular Justin duet with "MJ" But I hope not.

Anyways, in other MJ news:

Cannes: Michael Jackson Photoshoot Doc Hopes to Capture Buyers

6:48 AM PDT 5/15/2014 by Stuart Kemp

Craig J Williams' behind-the-scenes look at the star's final magazine cover-shoots is to be shopped to international buyers by L.A.-based Lightning Entertainment.

CANNES — A documentary taking a behind-the-scenes look at Michael Jackson’s final magazine cover-shoots and the struggles the scandal-shrouded pop icon endured to make them happen is being offered to international buyers at the market here.

Directed by Craig J Williams, the documentary, Michael: The Last Photoshoots, is billed as an intimate, unique story told through the eyes of Michael's closest friends, photographers and stylists that had helped Michael prepare for his 2007 U.S. comeback after several years of living in seclusion overseas.

In September of that year photographer Bruce Weber and Vogue fashion editor and Jackson's personal stylist Rushka Bergman captured Jackson for the 25th anniversary of the release of Thriller.

Later that month, the “king of pop” did another shoot with celebrity photographer Matthew Rolston and an interview that landed on the cover of Ebony magazine’s Dec. 2007 issue which would be his first U.S. interview and magazine story in over a decade.

L.A.-based sales and financing banner Lightning Entertainment has acquired overseas sales duties to the project.

"We see Michael Jackson as influential and powerful today, nearly five years after his death, as ever before,” said executive vp & general manager Ken DuBow. “For fans of Michael, and there a millions around the world, this documentary gives a rare behind-the-scenes look into his life, and access to those closest to him. It’s a powerful piece of work and we’re happy to be representing the film in Cannes.”

http://www.hollywoodrepor...oc-704361#

Joe Lynch / May 15, 2014

If you were wondering why (or thanking the gods that) Justin Bieber's Michael Jackson duet didn't appear on MJ's posthumous album Xscape, we now have an answer.

Xscape's executive producer L.A. Reid told Access Hollywood that he wanted the Justin-Michael version of "Slave 2 the Rhythm" on Xscape, but he changed his mind when the track was leaked last August.

"'Slave 2 the Rhythm' didn’t include [Justin Bieber] per my direction. That was something done separate and apart from me, and it was leaked. If it hadn’t been leaked it would have been featured, but it sort of took the wrong turn," Reid said. "But we’re going to revisit that. We’re gonna revisit that and do something special with Justin Bieber and Michael."

When pushed for confirmation that a duet between the late legend and pop's reigning bad boy would eventually happen, Reid offered a confident, "I'm pretty sure."

This is great news for Beliebers, interesting news for MJ stans and the Black Keys' worst nig... come true.


http://www.fuse.tv/2014/0...eber-duet

So in other words Justin B will be dueting with Hologram MJ at the Billboard Awards this Sunday. Oh joy.

NaughtyKitty said:

So in other words Justin B will be dueting with Hologram MJ at the Billboard Awards this Sunday. Oh joy.

Ah well, at least the "duet" didn't end up on the album.

NaughtyKitty said:

Derek1984 said:

LOL. What you see in that photo is what you get. The video is extremely cheesy and corny. Like I said, props to Timberlake for being a good sport about it. It's really bad.

Lol my suspicions were correct But, why bother making a video at all? It wasnt needed--nobody was demanding for one to be made. I think its better to not make any music videos from Xscape at all but if they insist, it should be a montage of all of Michael's live performances and/or music videos throughout the years.

Based on the still, I was fully expecting the video to be stupid to but I watched it and actually quite enjoyed it. It ain't anything special but I actually enjoyed the song that much more seeing people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities dancing like MJ and just having a good time; something that MJ accomplished better than anybody else. Can't even hate on JT's performance.

Was a video needed? Not at all but it was good for what it was and actually was pretty heartwarming but that's just me.

I didn't realize that this was supposed to go in this sticky thread. While browsing videos to post in the Stevie Wonder birthday thread the day before yesterday, I stumbled across this cover by a Jackson 5 era MJ, doing Stevie's 'I Was Made To Love Her'. With a nice, mellow tempo to it. A lot of you guys have probably heard it already, but for those of you who haven't, here you go.

.

.

XSCAPE № 1 in 47 countries now.

but tomorrow Coldplay will release an album, so this is the last day of such dominance of the album on iTunes.

LiLi1992 said:

XSCAPE № 1 in 47 countries now.

but tomorrow Coldplay will release an album, so this is the last day of such dominance of the album on iTunes.

Well, it performs better then expected, i didnt expect this to be #1 anywhere but perhaps top 5.

Lets see how well it did by the end of the year. I would really be surprised if it won grammys

I thought I would end up just listening to the originals but so far I've been listening to the new versions just as much and been enjoying both a lot.

I'm not a MJ hardcore fan but was shocked at how little material was used for this release, 8 tracks the album is about 34 mins long. I thought he had quite a bit of unreleased material. I was very pleased to hear there weren't any of his sappy stuff on this.

Also Loving You (the original) sounds to me at the start as if the tape was warped, or is it just me.

Looks like not even Timbaland could save this project........

Xscape'

Michael Jackson

2 1/2 stars (out of 4)

Maybe Michael Jackson saw it coming.

"Everywhere I turn, no matter where I look/The system's in control, it's all ran by the book," he sings on the title track from his second major posthumous studio album, "Xscape" (Epic).

3rdeyedude said:

Looks like not even Timbaland could save this project........

Xscape'

Michael Jackson

2 1/2 stars (out of 4)

Maybe Michael Jackson saw it coming.

"Everywhere I turn, no matter where I look/The system's in control, it's all ran by the book," he sings on the title track from his second major posthumous studio album, "Xscape" (Epic).

When he died in 2009 while preparing for a comeback tour, Jackson left behind a huge archive of unfinished recordings. We'll never know whether the singer ever intended those recordings to be released, but it's not his call anymore. Those strays became the main attraction in a $250 million deal between Sony and the Jackson estate that would allow the record company to release a series of posthumous albums by one of the biggest-selling entertainers in pop history. "Michael," a tepid mish-mash of leftovers spiffed up by a team of contemporary producers, surfaced in 2010. And now a similar formula has been followed for "Xscape."

The big-name producers — primarily Timbaland, with assists from StarGate, John McClain and Rodney Jerkins — do their best to revive eight leftovers from the late singer's archive. The 34-minute set is fleshed out with demos of the original performances, which prove instructive in pinpointing just how much surgery had to be performed to "contemporize" these tracks, to quote the liner notes. Though Jackson's original vocals are generally strong, and the producers try mightily to refresh the mostly stale beats, the songs still fall short of the artist's peak moments when he was alive.

Read more here: http://articles.chicagotr...son-estate

you would post the rare negative reviw. this album will always be a fail if you comapre it to work from mjs prime.

this album is great for a posthumous album

3rdeyedude said:

Looks like not even Timbaland could save this project........

Reaching. #1 in 50 countries iTunes charts says something different. Negative Nancy, we got your number.

[Edited 5/15/14 15:46pm]

Romeoblu said:

how little material was used for this release, 8 tracks the album is about 34 mins long.

I'm not complaining, As a child of the seventies/eighties i love old-school short albums. I'm used to vinyl's 20 mins per side. I hate filler.

I'm lovin this new MJ record....he would be proud!

NaughtyKitty said:

GET READY FOR A NEW MICHAEL JACKSON & JUSTIN BIEBER DUET

L.A. Reid explains why "Slave 2 the Rhythm" was scrapped from 'Xscape' but promises "something special" with MJ & JB is in the works

Joe Lynch / May 15, 2014

If you were wondering why (or thanking the gods that) Justin Bieber's Michael Jackson duet didn't appear on MJ's posthumous album Xscape, we now have an answer.

Xscape's executive producer L.A. Reid told Access Hollywood that he wanted the Justin-Michael version of "Slave 2 the Rhythm" on Xscape, but he changed his mind when the track was leaked last August.

"'Slave 2 the Rhythm' didn’t include [Justin Bieber] per my direction. That was something done separate and apart from me, and it was leaked. If it hadn’t been leaked it would have been featured, but it sort of took the wrong turn," Reid said. "But we’re going to revisit that. We’re gonna revisit that and do something special with Justin Bieber and Michael."

When pushed for confirmation that a duet between the late legend and pop's reigning bad boy would eventually happen, Reid offered a confident, "I'm pretty sure."

This is great news for Beliebers, interesting news for MJ stans and the Black Keys' worst nig... come true.


http://www.fuse.tv/2014/0...eber-duet

So in other words Justin B will be dueting with Hologram MJ at the Billboard Awards this Sunday. Oh joy.

So it is no other artist in color than can be picked to guest on the "Profit off of Mj's death" album?

What about Usher? R Kelly maybe! I mean he did write one of his biggest hits. Chris Brown would have been great also...

I guest Robin Thicke will be used on a remix next...

a real live circus....

this "album" was never meant to recognize Michael Jackson.....it was never about that......

not for one second