http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/ne...ed-in-may.html

What are people's thought on this album? I know we can't preview the tracks yet but the idea of it in general. I have heard the song Xscape before and actually liked it and hoped one day for a good quality version. The deluxe edition will have the original mixes along with these re-produced versions. I really didn't like the re-made mixes on the Thriller 25 album so I am not too sure how I feel about this.

Cannot wait for this! I read on twitter that one song features Madonna, Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake but it could be a hoax.

There is something uncomfortable about record companies releasing fresh music when someone has died though. Greatest Hits album, yes, but a fresh album kind of feels like it takes the artistry away. Who knows what Michael would have wanted to release etc. Having said that, it IS Michael Jackson so looking forward to giving it a listen.

knowing the title track and the other stuff from around that time, and after hearing the last rehash I don't expect much from this. even if timbaland is involved. he can do some great stuff, but then again he can also do boring productions too. I suppose they could do something like what people have done with 2pac and biggie material and just use parts of tracks and make something new with loads of guests, and timbaland is certainly used to pulling in the big names, so he could surprise us, but I doubt it very much.

the most interesting aspect of it is they are at least including the original versions of the tracks on the deluxe edition.

but based on all the outtakes circulating and the last rehash it doesn't sound like there are any decent tracks to come out that haven't already came out. which makes me wonder why they don't just release outtakes and demos and alternate versions of tracks that people already know and like, as that would be interesting to people and could sell. they could have done a good 30th anniversary thriller 2 or 3 disc set and put discs of demo versions, or alternate versions, and even a disc of other songs from those sessions that didn't make it to the album. but no, they release crap remixes instead. bad was a step in the right place, but instead of live stuff they could have put out more studio stuff. there's a good 4 discs worth of circulating studio material from around those sessions and the moonwalker sessions. live stuff is better as a separate release or dvd/bluray

and likewise, why no bluray compilation of the promo videos? the management of his posthumous releases is as bad if not worse as the management of his last 10 years of his life with nothing being released for nearly a decade

Apparently it's a lot better than the previous one but it just feels wrong to me. The whole thing feels as if they're pretending he's still alive just to milk his music and make money from his brand. It's all a bit weird really.

Early reviews have been very good. I'm looking forward to hearing new music, however I only want o hear the original versions, not the re-mastered ones. Even then though, I do feel a bit uncomfortable about this as Michael might have absolutely hated some of these songs. He would have put them out when he was alive if he had wanted us to hear them. Some of them are from the Invincible era. He obviously didn't want us to hear them.

Will give it ago fingers crossed there will be a gem on there

Not sure about these types of releases. After all,it's really not michael's work. He's obv not around to finish it or give his last say on the final version...

I can't wait for this. I'm a massive MJ fan and as many fans know he had so much good stuff locked away, and not - as many people assume - because it was crap.

I really loved 'Michael' but the whole album was tainted slightly by all of the impersonator accusations etc. This one sounds to have been put together with a bit more love though. Can't wait to listen to it.

to an extent i agree.
but if the music is truley good, then i think the fans should get to hear it.
i couldnt imagine never have heard songs like 'dont know what to tell ya' or 'miss you' from Aaliyah, both released after her death and both some of her greatest work.
god rest her soul

As long as it's Michael's voice on all the tracks I definitely don't mind hearing this. On the last release there was an impersonator on some of the songs, which was absolutely pathetic.

It's had good feedback from the journalists that were invited to listen to it. All say it's better than Michael, which I have to say I quite enjoyed.

No there wasn't.

Really looking forward to this.

Well from everything I've read it sounds quite good so far, this album really seems to be Michael unlike the last one which was plagued with impersonation accusations, but this album whilst not what MJ may have done, is still his voice, and therefore I will consider it his work.

Eh, yes there was. I've deleted those tracks. I don't really like the idea of someone messing with MJ stuff. He would never have let this be released. I'm ok with the originals.

Cool cover.

what songs on "Michael" are not his vocals??

Not sure about this. Would MJ have wanted any of these tracks released himself? Maybe they were unreleased for a reason.

I have pretty low expectations to be honest, nothings going to ever come close to the music we all remember him for. Even when he was alive there was a steady decline in the quality of his output towards the end. I do wish his 'estate' would just stop trying to milk his legacy for as much money they can get.

is any of that stuff circulating amongst fans, or how do they know he had so much good stuff locked away if they hadn't heard it? what names of tracks are you referring to?

I've got piles of unreleased stuff from him but as far as previously unreleased songs are concerned, I've not heard any songs that I could say were good. the most interesting stuff by far is the demos and alternate versions. there's not a single unreleased song that I would say I wish they put that out. not one. they seem to have put the best of what they had out already. why else release crap like the last rehash if they had some decent stuff they could have put out instead? I mean if the first cash in is awful, it will impact on sales of future cash-ins as people will think the last was crap so I won't bother this time. but if the first one or two was good, people would buy the third. why release crap stuff when you have good stuff to release?

No there wasn't. I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone, but only the truly thick or incredibly gullible really believe that there was any treachery involved in Michael.

http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/11/11/m...g-news-estate/

They all were. There was some concern by a number of parties initially that the vocals on a few tracks were not Jackson's. I believe this was mainly caused by the original vocal track being speeded up/slowed down to match the tempo of the tracks. By this logic, the track 2000 Watts from the Invincible album contains an impersonator singing too! http://youtu.be/D24IhRNtX4Q

Six of Michael’s former producers and engineers who had worked with Michael over the past 30 years – Bruce Swedien, Matt Forger, Stewart Brawley, Michael Prince, Dr. Freeze and Teddy Riley – were all invited to a listening session to hear the raw vocals of the Cascio tracks in question. All of these persons listened to the a cappella versions of the vocals on the Cascio tracks being considered for inclusion on the album, so they could give an opinion as to whether or not the lead vocals were sung by Michael. They all confirmed that the vocal was definitely Michael.

Michael’s musical director and piano player on many of his records over a 20-year period, Greg Phillinganes, played on a Cascio track being produced for the album, and said the voice was definitely Michael’s. Dorian Holley, who was Michael’s vocal director for his solo tours for 20 plus years (including the O2 Concert Tour) and is seen in the This Is It film, listened to the Cascio tracks and told me the lead vocal was Michael Jackson.

These are all engineers, producers and musicians who worked on tours and/or in the studio with Michael when he was recording Bad, Thriller, Off The Wall, Dangerous, Invincible, HIStory and Blood On The Dance Floor, and they all reconfirmed their belief that the lead vocals were Michael’s voice on the Cascio tracks.

The Estate then retained one of the best-known forensic musicologists in the nation to listen to the vocals without any instrumental accompaniment (“a cappella”), and to compare them with a cappella vocals from previous Michael songs. This expert performed waveform analysis, an objective scientific test used to determine audio authenticity, on the Cascio tracks, as well as previously released tracks with Michael’s voice, and reported that ALL of the lead vocals analyzed (which included Cascio tracks) were the voice of Michael Jackson.

Sony Music conducted their own investigation by hiring yet a second well-respected forensic musicologist who also compared the a cappella lead vocals from Cascio tracks against previously released vocals of Michael’s, and found that Michael’s voice was the on all sets of the raw vocals. The Cascio tracks were also played for two very prominent persons in the music industry who played crucial roles in Michael’s career. Both of these individuals believed that the lead vocals were Michael’s.

Full single XSCAPE available here http://www.dizsoundz.com/michael-jackson-xscape-album

That's the demo version, it's resurfaced - I'd noticed that you couldn't find it ANYWHERE last week but it seems to have spread like wildfire in the past two days.


And in regards to 'Michael', half the vocals on that album do not sound like him at all. His vibrato is totally off, if it's due to speeding up or slowing down the vocal tracks to match the instrumentation, they did a shoddy job. I don't even listen to that album anymore (well, in it's original state. I've replaced about 8 of the tracks then added a few other demos just to make it better for me).

REALLY? If that's true then I'm looking forward to hearing it

Actually, both demo versions I have are 5:31 and 5:50, but they sound exactly the same as the one posted above... so I'm not sure whether it's just a third demo edit or not? The trailer seemed to have a bit more of an electronic sounding bassline...