Critical Reviews

Rolling Stone Rate: 3/5

This is not a Michael Jackson album. Jackson was one of pop's biggest fussbudgets: Even when his songs were half-baked, the production was pristine. He would not have released anything like this compilation, a grab bag of outtakes and outlines assembled by Jackson's label. And yet, it's a testament to the man's charisma that Michael can be compelling. Jackson gets songwriting credit on eight of 10 tracks, and they are recognizably Michael Jackson songs. "Behind the Mask" is a fiercely funky cousin to "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "; the Lenny Kravitz-produced "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" is a "Dirty Diana"-esque dance-rock song that also features Kravitz on guitar. There are thrilling glimpses into MJ's creative process — check the snippet of him singing and beatboxing his idea for "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" — but Michael's most amazing moment is the Thriller-era ballad "Much Too Soon." The song is full of guitars and strings, but all you really hear is that voice — hovering between child and adult, between male and female, between mournful and ecstatic.
By Jody Rosen
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NME

Not as terrible as you may think. I mean, we're not saying it's good, but...

When Will.I.Am of all people is denouncing your project on the grounds of taste and authenticity, you know you’re on shaky ground. When your lead single is a duet with Akon, you should probably just pack up and go home. Michael Jackson couldn’t do any of these things of course, because Michael Jackson is dead.

When you go in to listen to the posthumous album of unreleased Michael Jackson songs you’re met with a 10-page document that painstakingly details the narrative of how this record is authentic, genuine and tastefully in tune with the album Jackson was already planning. But really. Nobody treated this poor, desperate fucker with any respect in the later years of his life. Why would that vultures act any different now he’s not even around to have a say?

Then you actually hear the thing and you’re met with a bizarre rush of reassurance in human decency. Oh, it isn’t really very good, don’t be under illusions of that. But compared with the unnecessary, inauthentic and insulting mess it could have been, and judged against the level at which, say, Tupac Shakur and Freddie Mercury’s graves have been danced on, ‘Michael’ can actually be considered something of a win.

The songs here are actually complete songs. Not discarded offcuts recklessly soldered together with a few guest raps to cover the joins, but full compositions sung all the way through by Actual Michael Jackson. And evidently, his voice had endured. Sure, the vocals are treated to (excuse the phrasing) within an inch of their lives. But the gleaming falsetto, the rock howl and propulsive beatboxing are all, to different extents, intact.

Thirdly, the robotic R&B that defines ‘Michael’ is probably, more or less like what Michael Jackson would have been wanting to do in 2010. Amazing as it would have been to hear him toe-to-toe with Kanye, Minaj and Rihanna, it was never going to happen because he’s chosen Will.I.Am and Akon. And most of these songs are up to his more latterday standard. Just so, it’s a myth that he ever completely lost it: even ‘Invincible’ had ‘You Rock My World’ and ‘Butterflies’ on it.

And even Akon can’t completely ruin the single ‘Hold My Hand’, a tender mid-paced love song in the vein of ‘Remember The Time’, while ‘Best Of Joy’ and ‘(I Like) The Way You Love Me’ cover similar classy/boring mid-tempo R&B territory... ‘Monster’ revisits ‘Smooth Criminal’ territory only to be ruined by an inappropriate rap from 50 Cent, while the worst thing you can say about ‘Hollywood Tonight’ is that its catchy signature gets annoying after a while.

‘Keep Your Head Up’ is sentimental mush that makes up for its paucity of tune by piling on more and more strings and gospel, and ‘Breaking News’ is appalling, Jackson at his most ‘poor me’ unfortunate over a mess of confused beats.

But then something remarkable happens. You get to track nine, ‘Behind The Mask’ and it’s an absolute revelation, a swirl of psychedelic, orchestra-twinged R&B. Jackson howls a solid-gold melody at his fearsome best, and blippy production and robotic backing vocals dancing behind it. It could sit quite happily on ‘Dangerous’. It is actually brilliant. And then there’s ‘Much Too Soon’, a delicate, pared-down ballad that dates back to the ‘Thriller’ era, but gets you in the emotion-centres in the way that Jackson uniquely could.

On the balancing strength of those two songs, ‘Michael’ manages to dodge the bullet enough to be kind of enjoyable. But it’s worth remembering that both songs date back to the 1980s. It’s also worth remembering that this is the first in a reported 10-album deal over the next seven years. And if this decent-enough album is the best of the bunch, things are going to get ugly from here on in. Michael has his epitaph now. Tear up that contract, The Jackson Estate. Tear it up now.

Dan Martin
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Joe Vogel

This past Friday I listened to Michael Jackson's highly-anticipated posthumous album, Michael (Epic), which is expected to hit stores in the U.S. on December 14th. I had many questions going in, not only about the music itself, but the process. How were the tracks selected? How much were they altered or embellished? And what was the end result?

Posthumous works are notoriously tricky. There are essentially two philosophical approaches: 1) present the material basically as it was found; or, 2) try to complete the artist's vision based on instructions and/or intuition. Either way comes with its own unique challenges and complications.

For the 2009 documentary, This Is It, the Estate of Michael Jackson opted for the first approach. Audiences around the world witnessed the raw rehearsals of what would have been an unprecedented concert spectacle. At the time, some complained that Jackson wouldn't have wanted people to see anything but the final, finished result. He was a perfectionist who gave everything to a performance; in the footage, however, he was often conserving his voice, marking his dance steps, and correcting mistakes. Yet there was something undeniably riveting and enlightening about watching the artist at work. It was tragic, of course, that his full vision was never realized. But for many viewers it humanized the singer, even as it showcased his extraordinary talent.

With this first posthumous album, however, a different approach was taken. All of the songs were completed within the past year by various collaborators and caretakers--ranging from Teddy Riley to Neff-U to Estate co-executor John McClain. Michael, his Estate said, left a "roadmap" behind, and they felt an obligation to finish what he had started. It was a risky decision that has caused a severe backlash amongst many of Jackson's core fans. A similar controversy resulted in 1995, when Paul, George and Ringo "finished" two John Lennon tracks ("Free as a Bird" and "Real Love") under the banner of the Beatles. For some fans, it could never be an "authentic" Beatles track without Lennon's full participation. Similarly, no matter how closely Akon, Lenny Kravitz and others worked with Jackson, could they ever fully intuit what he would have wanted on a given track?

In some cases, Jackson did indeed leave very specific notes and instructions. It is also well-known to those familiar with his artistic process that he frequently returned to tracks from previous album sessions and updated them. Versions of "Blood on the Dance Floor," "They Don't Care About Us," and "Earth Song," for example, were all originally recorded during the Dangerous sessions; but Jackson continued to tinker with each of these songs for years until he felt they were ready. A Michael Jackson song was never final until it made an official studio album.

This return-treatment is essentially what his collaborators have attempted on Michael. They wanted to make these tracks as fresh, vibrant and relevant as possible, believing that this is what Jackson would have wanted as well. Of course, in the end, since none of them are Michael Jackson, the best they could do is approximate. The album, then, is a hybrid creation. At times it feels truly inspired and very close to what Michael himself would have done; at other times, it feels a bit more like a tribute, similar to the remixes on Thriller 25.

Much of this probably won't even register to the average listener, who will simply listen to the music and decide whether they like it or not.

But because Michael Jackson is one of the most important artists of the past century the question of how much to modify the work he left behind is a very serious one. As amazing as the new version of "Behind the Mask" sounds, for example, it isn't the version Michael last worked on in the early 1980s. If for no other reason than documenting history, then, it would seem worthwhile to release the originals/demos as well (perhaps as bonus tracks or a supplementary album), even if they aren't perfectly polished or updated.

With that preface in place, I proceed to my review of the actual album, which, on the whole, really is an exciting and enjoyable listening experience. Indeed, for all the controversy about its authenticity, going through the album song by song, Jackson's presence is undeniable. His habits, his obsessions, his versatility, and his genius are on display at every turn.

Who else could move so seamlessly from social anthem to floor burner, fleet hip hop to cosmic rock, vintage funk to poignant folk ballad? Who besides Michael Jackson would follow a tender love song with a trenchant critique of the media? An uplifting gospel tune with a ferocious polemic on the monstrosity of Hollywood culture?

This, ultimately, is the most important quality of Michael: it feels like Michael.

The Estate and Sony should be given credit for retaining much of Jackson's edginess and eclecticism where they could have easily opted for a more traditional lineup. (For all the uproar over "Breaking News," I thought it was a pretty bold statement out of the gate in terms of its lyrical target.)

The album also contains some nice, natural touches, including Jackson's incredibly dynamic beatboxing (displayed most prominently on "Hollywood Tonight"), and a phone message introduction to "(I Like) The Way You Love Me," in which Jackson explains the composition of the song to longtime collaborator, Brad Buxer. The point of these examples is that Jackson the artist and person doesn't get swallowed in "over-production," as some have feared. In spite of its limitations, from opening line ("This life don't last forever...") to closing ("I guess I learned my lesson much too soon") a very intimate, authentic, humanizing picture evolves.

Below, is my song-by-song breakdown of the album:

Hold My Hand

Simple, but powerful love song turned social anthem. Since I already reviewed this, I will just point to the link. I'm actually stunned this isn't charting better in the U.S., but maybe that will change when the video premiers and the holidays draw closer.

Hollywood Tonight

Definitely an album highlight. The song begins with a haunting Gothic church choir, before transforming into an energetic dance stomper. I'm not too keen on the spoken parts (performed by nephew, Taryll Jackson), but clearly there were places in the song Michael hadn't filled yet. The track features Michael in a notably deeper voice, and concludes with military-style whistling. As Ellen displayed on her show last week, the song will get people up and moving.

Keep Your Head Up

Narrates the life of an ordinary woman "looking for the hope in the empty promises." The song is well-suited to the current economic climate and will likely resonate with many listeners. The back half of the song offers a classic MJ crescendo, with the gospel choir providing the lift and communal strength the woman needs to keep going. (Fans will be happy to know the "Earth Song" ad libs heard on a leaked version of the track were removed.)

(I Like) The Way You Love Me

Great new production by Neff-U that was being actively discussed and transformed with Michael in Los Angeles (the original demo appeared on the 2004 boxed set, Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection). The new version retains all of the charm of the original while injecting some fresh elements, including new piano, bass, strings, and vocal effects.

Monster

A blistering rhythm track that probably hits harder than any song on the album. Features a rap solo by 50 Cent, guitar work by Orianthi, and excellent production by Teddy Riley. As Jackson holds a mirror up to society, asking us to observe the distorted reflection, I couldn't help but picture the horrifying scene of paparazzi shoving their cameras up against the ambulance carrying him to the hospital. "Everywhere you seem to turn there's a monster," he sings. "Paparazzi got you scared like a monster." Some reviewers continue to dismiss songs like this as petty "ranting" and "paranoia," but this is some deft social criticism for those who look beyond the surface. It has all the makings of a hit single.

Best of Joy

A breezy mid-tempo ballad, Jackson's falsetto is as effortless as ever as he sings promises to a loved one. Recorded in Los Angeles in 2009, this was one of his final recordings, and he still sounds fantastic.

Breaking News

The song will likely be forever-linked to the controversy surrounding its vocals. Yet in spite of the backlash, the content of the song is classic Michael Jackson, following in the tradition of anti-media tracks like "Leave Me Alone, "Tabloid Junkie," and "Privacy." The repeated use of the name, "Michael Jackson," highlights the way his name has been objectified--it is simply a media construct, a "boogieman," that the real Michael feels detached from. The exaggerated way the name is uttered humorously mocks the way the media exploits him for sensational effect. While the strength and clarity of the vocals clearly aren't up to Jackson's standards, the song itself is quite good. The harmonized chorus is catchy and memorable. Teddy Riley gives the song a fresh but faithful sheen. One can easily imagine the song as an outtake from the Dangerous or HIStory sessions.

(I Can't Make It) Another Day

Originally recorded by Jackson and Lenny Kravitz in 1999 at the legendary Marvin's Room Studio, the track has Michael summoning a cosmic power over a rugged, industrial funk beat and a soaring chorus. This is an example, however, of the new version sounding more like a Kravitz tribute to Jackson, rather than a Jackson track. In the original, Jackson's vocals are less overwhelmed by the drums and guitar, allowing him to convey the full mystery and wonder of the lyrics. Kravitz's update isn't too different, but enough to change the feel of the song. It still rocks, but in a different way than the original.

Behind the Mask

"Behind the Mask" was originally intended for Thriller, but left off reportedly because of a song credit dispute. It was later covered by Jackson's keyboardist Greg Phillinganes as well as Eric Clapton. Had Jackson released it in 1982, the quirky Yellow Magic Orchestra adaptation likely would have been a big hit. Estate executor John McClain updates it skillfully in this new version, making it sound brand new and retro at the same time. It is definitely one of the highlights of the album. Still, many fans will likely be anxious to hear those classic sheets of synth and 80s production on the original demo. Modernizing the production does make it fit better with the album, though it's unclear if Jackson himself planned to update the track.

Much Too Soon

An excellent choice to end the album, "Much Too Soon" showcases Jackson's ability as a singer-songwriter to magnificent effect. An exquisite expression of loss and yearning, it stands should-to-shoulder with some of the best folk ballads of The Carpenters and The Beatles. The lyrics almost read like a W.B. Yeats poem.

The track was first written by Jackson in 1981 and revisited multiple times over the years. The vocal on this version was recorded in 1994 at The Hit Factory during the HIStory sessions. It was originally engineered and mixed by Bruce Swedien (this version leaked online a couple weeks ago); the album version, featuring more prominent accordion and strings, was re-produced for the Michael album by estate co-executor John McClain.

In the song, a forlorn Jackson, accompanied by the subtle acoustic guitar work of Tommy Emmanuel, sings about being separated from a loved one "much too soon." The bridge features a harmonica solo that highlights the song's folk-blues essence, before Jackson returns with a final verse about "never letting fate control [his] soul." It is a beautiful, bittersweet song that perfectly balances hope and regret, loneliness and the desire for reconciliation. For all Jackson's superstardom, "Much Too Soon" reminds that behind the media construct was a human being.

Conclusion:

Call it a collage, an approximation, or a tribute. Or call it, as many of Michael's collaborators have: "a labor of love." That sentiment certainly shines through on the record. Yet obviously, this is not the exact album Jackson would have created. For a variety of reasons, many tracks that Jackson was working on during his final years aren't on the tracklist (including those with will.i.am). In addition, the vocals, particularly on a couple of the "Cascio tracks," don't always measure up to Jackson's typical strength and vitality, leading some to label them as "fake." Until a forensic analysis or some other concrete evidence proves otherwise that conspiracy theory doesn't hold up for me--especially after hearing the final album versions on very good speakers. But occasionally, the creative liberties taken do seem questionable, or at the very least, unexplained. For the purists (myself included), it would be nice, in addition to the current album versions, to have some of these songs as they were last heard by Michael--just as it was nice to see Michael un-mediated in This Is It.

But the bottom line is this: Michael contains some very impressive new material. One job of Jackson's Estate is to extend his legacy to new generations of listeners and this album will likely accomplish that. At ten songs, it is a tight, diverse, almost 80s-esque LP--which also means fans have many more songs in the vaults to look forward to. In the meantime, songs like "Hollywood Tonight," "Monster," "Behind the Mask," and "Much Too Soon" make excellent additions to an already legendary catalog.


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Billboard

Before his untimely death in June 2009, Michael Jackson had been formulating a new batch of material that would have served as the follow-up to 2001's "Invincible." Although Jackson would sadly never see the release of this group of songs, an all-star team of producers and collaborators was assembled to complete the King Of Pop's vision and finish "Michael," Jackson's first posthumous album.

Set for a Dec. 14 release on Epic, "Michael" is bursting with pop hooks and Jackson's unique vocal energy. The 10 tracks form an impressively cohesive disc that features production from C. "Tricky" Stewart, Teddy Riley and Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, and guest spots by Lenny Kravitz and 50 Cent. Most importantly, "Michael" maintains the uplifting tone that Jackson intended for this collection of songs: "He wanted to put out music that was positive enough to bring the world together," says Akon, who duets on first single "Hold My Hand."

Several of the album's key producers and collaborators -- including Akon, Riley and Stewart -- talked to Billboard.com about the making of each track, and what it meant to contribute to a project as monumental as "Michael."


1. "Hold My Hand" (Duet with Akon)
Akon originally wrote this uplifting single for himself, but after being tapped by Jackson to help piece together the King of Pop's next album, the Senegalese singer decided that Jackson's presence on the track was vital. "The song was pretty much finished, but his delivery creates a whole other environment -- his tone and energy just made that record seem completely different," says Akon, who ended up recording the song with Jackson in Las Vegas in 2008. "We decided we would make it his record featuring myself, because I felt like he'd give it more mileage, and the record would be so, so much bigger if it was a Michael Jackson record."

2. "Hollywood Tonight"
A cautionary tale built around breakneck beats, "Hollywood Tonight" finds Jackson telling an intense story of a girl who lets glamour go to her head. The track sounds like Britney Spears' "Lucky" crossed with Justin Timberlake's "Lovestoned," but co-producer Teddy Riley had Jackson's own hits in mind when concocting its danceable sound. "I was looking at just doing the next level of 'Billie Jean' meets 'Dangerous' or 'Doggin' Me Around,'" says the producer, who previously worked with Jackson on tracks like "Remember the Time" and "Dangerous." "It's like one of those driving bass lines that you will remember."

3. "Keep Your Head Up"
"Give me your wings so we can fly," Jackson sings on this inspirational track, which feeds off of swelling backing vocals and slow handclaps at its conclusion. R&B producer C. "Tricky" Stewart was brought in to "add a last bit of polish" to the track, but he says that all of the components of a classic Jackson song were already in place. "It starts small, gets big and ends with a big choir and big drums-the Jackson sound that everybody has come to know and love," says Stewart.

4. "(I Like) The Way You Love Me"
"(I Like) The Way You Love Me" begins with the audio recording of a voicemail Jackson left his engineer, in which he sings the hook and describes the drum arrangement of the track. The simple sketch eventually led to this blissful love song, which recalls "The Way You Make Me Feel" with its layered vocals and gentle percussion. "It's a song he had in his heart for many years," says Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, who worked with Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx prior to co-producing the track alongside Jackson in Los Angeles. "I'm glad he trusted me enough to complete his vision."

5. "Monster" (featuring 50 Cent)
After opening with a terrifying scream, "Monster" quickly unveils its stuttering beat as Jackson begins lashing out at those who see him as "an animal;" at its climax, the singer can only manage the painful question, "Why?" Riley says that the harrowing song was too slow when he first began working on it, and that he spent a while adding some funk to the darker themes. "I brought in guitars. I brought in bass. I brought in keys. I brought a lot of effects and sounds that kinda took it to the next level," says Riley. The producer also worked with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, who added a bruising verse to the song earlier this year. "Michael always wanted to work with 50," says Riley. "He came right in and did what he does, and took it in another direction, and it came out incredible."

6. "Best of Joy"
One of the last songs that Jackson worked on before passing away, "Best of Joy"'s message of commitment takes on a new resonance in the wake of the singer's death: "I am forever," Jackson coos, adding, "We'll never part/Our love is from the heart." Feemster says that the track was completely finished before Jackson's death, and that it was meant to be unveiled during his "This Is It" tour. "You can't help but smile when you hear it," the producer says of the song.

7. "Breaking News"
When it first debuted in early November, "Breaking News" presented a more defensive side of Jackson, who attacks the media for turning him into a "boogie man." Recorded in the New Jersey home of co-producer Eddie Cascio in 2007, the song's simmering beat and throwback feel can be credited to Riley, who claims responsibility for many of the song's major musical elements. "'Breaking News' was a track that, when I first heard it, I wanted to take to the next level and make it very exciting, very interesting, and kind of change things up," says Riley, "and we completed our mission doing that."

8. "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" (Featuring Lenny Kravitz)
After seven songs of R&B-influenced pop, "Michael" takes a left turn with this Lenny Kravitz collaboration, which develops an industrial rock groove that's a bit reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. "You're the fire that keeps me warm!" Jackson bellows on the chorus, as guitars envelop his voice and Kravitz repeats the song title like a lullaby. Aside from Kravitz's blistering solo on the bridge, "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" is highlighted by some spectacular percussion courtesy of Dave Grohl.

9. "Behind The Mask"
This kinetic pop song was originally performed by Yellow Magic Orchestra before Jackson asked to add some lyrics to match the danceable beat. A saxophone solo soon segues into a series of electronic blips, and Jackson offers the command, "Take off the mask, so I can see your face!" while computerized backing vocals contribute to the tightly packed production. "Mask" is a must-listen if only because, out of all the songs on "Michael," it holds the highest number of Jackson's signature "hee-hee!" exclaims.

10. Much Too Soon
"Michael" ends with its most somber song, as "Much Too Soon" finds Jackson wistfully looking back on a relationship that he could not make work. "I'm hoping that my prayers will see, The day that you come back to me/But I guess I learned my lesson much too soon," sings Jackson, who produced the song alongside McClain. Written around the time of the "Thriller" album, "Much Too Soon" stands as a powerful final reminder of Jackson's emotional vocals and effortless songwriting.

by Jason Lipshutz with Gail Mitchell and Gary Graff
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Slant Magazine

To milk an artist for every penny they're worth even after they've kicked the bucket is, in itself, inconsiderate and a tad cruel. And in the most extreme cases, where record companies exhume an index of shoddy demo tapes and unused B-sides to make up the numbers for a cheap money-spinner, it's downright deplorable. There are artists whose legacies have been treated with some respect (take Kurt Cobain, whose posthumous back catalogue is limited only to live albums and a handful of demos that were released untreated and untouched), but given that Michael is being billed as the first of 10 planned albums to be released beyond the grave bearing Michael Jackson's name, it doesn't seem the King of Pop will be afforded that courtesy.

Michael is a bit like Bruce Lee's Game of Death (only with "cha'mones" rather than roundhouse kicks), a vision left incomplete by the untimely demise of its major creative influence. So, a motley crew of producers are tasked with smoothing the edges on Jackson's unfinished project. Do they do a good job? Well, when someone like will.i.am goes on record as saying something is tasteless, it should speak volumes. The album opens not with one of Jackson's notorious vocal tics, but a hideously Auto-Tuned Akon, who hollers "Akon and MJ" on the unbalanced duet "Hold My Hand." So far, so tasteless: That Jackson is reduced to second billing on his own curtain-raiser underlines the fact this shouldn't be considered a canonical Michael Jackson release.

Given these songs have been cobbled together from a hodgepodge of sources (some dating as far back as Thriller), there's a lack of continuity both sonically and thematically. On one hand, we have the token balladry, and during "Best of Joy," "Keep Your Head Up," and especially "Much Too Soon," we're reminded that Jackson's delicate, almost frail falsetto is a beautiful match for syrupy string samples and tender acoustic melodies. "Much Too Soon" brings the album to a perfect close with an accordion break and the late singer's mournful "I guess I learned my lesson much too soon." Consider all heartstrings hereby tugged, albeit a little cheaply. There's nothing groundbreaking about these compositions by any means, but simply hearing Jackson gently crooning over them is rather exquisite, and he sounds vocally in fine form.

While the ballad hasn't really made any significant evolutionary strides since Jackson's heyday, it's clear that the formula for the danceable pop ditty has been reinvented umpteen times. Consequently, Michael rarely serves up anything that will have its listeners making a b-line for the dance floor. "Monster" is weighed down by an unnecessary rap by the increasingly unnecessary 50 Cent, "Hollywood Tonight" and "Breaking News" hindered by their rallying against fame and maudlin poor-me agenda, while "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" is a gutless rock track with dull guest spots from Lenny Kravitz and Dave Grohl. "(I Like) The Way You Love Me," though, is a sprightly pop number cut from the same cloth as "Remember the Time," and seems content to conjure memories of vintage Jackson rather than appropriating him for 2010.

Then, just as you're about to consign Michael to decided mediocrity, along comes the Thriller outtake "Behind the Mask." Driven by warped synths and robotic blips and bleeps, this bout of pseudo-futuristic pop boasts Jackson's finest vocal performance on the album. Complete with all his fêted vocal tics and an inimitable swagger, "Behind the Mask" is an unassailable highlight that reminds us that Jackson, as an artist and a performer, was truly a unique talent.

Huw Jones
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Entertainment Weekly

Whatever creative evolution Michael Jackson intended for himself in middle age, we will never really know; his legacy now falls to the executors who control his vast musical estate. One can understand, though, why the superstar went quiet after releasing his last album of new material, 2001’s respectable if ultimately underwhelming Invincible. A famously relentless perfectionist in the studio, he kept his post-Invincible recording sessions under wraps while peers like Prince and Madonna remained relatively prolific.

But death, as late icons from Johnny Cash to Tupac Shakur have shown us, can be a great motivator — at least for the beneficiaries left behind. Even before Jackson went on to become by far the best-selling artist of last year, the posthumous product rush seemed inevitable. Now, in addition to the MJ-themed videogame, docu-film, and Cirque du Soleil extravaganza, his estate has promised seven more releases over the next seven years.

The material on Michael is not by any means a deep dive into the Jackson archives; nearly all the songs are culled from the last five years of his life. Opener and first single ''Hold My Hand'' supplies the broad, pleasing fervor of an official theme song for a World Cup or Summer Olympics — an ideal repository for soaring choruses and generic lyrical uplift. ''Hollywood Tonight,'' from 2007, feels leaner and more urgent, crackling with Jackson’s trademark percussive shuffle and pop. The gospel-tinged bromide ''Keep Your Head Up'' offers a well-intentioned but somewhat soggy lead-in to the feathery, sweet-toned swoon of ""(I Like) The Way You Love Me.'' Window-smashing theatrics juxtapose with airy, danceable coos and a rat-a-tat 50 Cent guest spot on ''Monster'' (the beast in question, it turns out, is fame).

''Breaking News'' delivers Jackson’s now-requisite anti-tabloid screed, albeit with satisfyingly melodic gall, while ''(I Can’t Make It) Another Day,'' featuring Lenny Kravitz and Dave Grohl, galvanizes him further, yielding the album’s most genuinely fierce moment. The propulsive synths and vocodered trills on the otherwise intriguing ''Behind the Mask'' seem oddly dated by sax flourishes — though perhaps that makes it a good companion to the lilting closer ''Much Too Soon,'' an actual relic of the early ’80s (the track dates back to his Thriller days).

As musical epitaphs go, Michael is a solid album, arguably stronger than Invincible and certainly no great affront to his name. But it can be hard to listen and not wonder what he would have done differently — or if he would have wanted us to hear it at all.

Leah Greenblatt
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Newsday.com

"Michael" (MJJ/Epic/Sony) doesn't have the hallmarks of a Michael Jackson album. There's no overarching theme, no consistent sound, no evidence of Jackson's meticulous tinkering to make every note, every second, exactly what he wanted. But maybe that's a good thing.

When you're the King of Pop, your subjects naturally bow to your will - an issue that more or less held Jackson back since "Bad," when he parted ways with the great producer Quincy Jones. In the tragic circumstances surrounding "Michael," pulled together quickly in the months after Jackson's untimely death last year, we get to see how the King of Pop would fare if his collaborators had more equal footing.

Though Jackson had been working on the follow-up to 2001's "Invincible" for years, he wasn't close to finishing it, especially after he shifted his focus to mounting his "This Is It" tour. Judging from what Jackson left behind, the comeback he so desperately desired was so close.

It could have come from the remarkable "Behind the Mask," where Jackson took a synth-pop sample from the Yellow Magic Orchestra, wrote his own lyrics to it and surrounded it with the Europop beat that has invaded the American pop charts.

It could have come from "Keep Your Head Up," the inspirational slice of early-Aughts R&B that came from his collaboration with Eddie Cascio and James Porte when he was living with the Cascios in New Jersey in 2007. "Keep Your Head Up," which is Jackson's most gospel-influenced track since "Man in the Mirror," is even more timely now than when he wrote it, with its discussion of economic struggles and trying to make ends meet.

Or it could have come from "Monster," Jackson's stab at hip-hop featuring a verse from 50 Cent that the rapper recorded this year. Along with the album's first single, "Hold My Hand," his collaboration with Akon, "Monster" is the song that sounds the most like Jackson, even including backing vocals he sang through PVC pipe to get just the right monstrous effect.

Also written in New Jersey, "Monster" - which starts out with a nice bit of Jackson beatboxing - is just crying out for a mash-up with Kanye West's "Monster." It is one of two songs on "Michael" that talks about a weariness of Hollywood and the paparazzi, continuing the theme started in "Hollywood Tonight," which was recorded during the "Invincible" sessions nearly a decade ago.

The songs' varying time frames make "Michael" so unusual. The touching ballad "Best of Joy" was one of the final songs Jackson worked on - he planned to finish it while he was in London last year for the "This Is It" concerts. The ballad "Much Too Soon" was written around the time of "Thriller," nearly three decades ago, but was not released until now.

On the sweet "(I Like) The Way You Love Me," which was released as a demo version on "Ultimate Collection" in 2004, Jackson sounds innocent again - as if all the criminal trials, health problems and constant scrutiny never happened. It's a touching moment, the musical equivalent of a clean slate. But the song also highlights one of the album's problems.

Though the album's numerous producers give an interesting range of viewpoints on Jackson's music, "Michael" also releases bits that Jackson probably never would have allowed. Toward the end of "The Way You Love Me," there's a loop that sounds like Jackson's voice is manipulated to change keys and repeated multiple times the way amateurs do when they're trying to stretch out a song. It's a flaw so noticeable it jumps out at you immediately and one a perfectionist like Jackson probably would have cut.

The song "Breaking News," which was oddly the first song from the album revealed on Jackson's website, is another track he probably would have held back, especially as he refers to himself numerous times in the third person, using "Michael Jackson" as a ridiculous hook. It's no wonder that after the release of "Breaking News," Jackson's family immediately began questioning whether it was, in fact, his music. (Sony Music says it brought in Jackson's collaborators and musicologists to determine the authenticity of the track and determined it is his voice.)

They shouldn't have worried, though, because the rest of "Michael" is unquestionably Jackson. "Michael" isn't, as many have feared, some sort of project, like recent 2Pac albums, that cobbles together tapes of Jackson's voice and builds new songs around them. These are truly his songs and, for the most part, they couldn't have turned out better if Jackson had finished them himself.

The way Neff-U completes "Best of Joy" is masterful, with Jackson singing "I am forever" as the song fades out. "Michael" may prove him right on that, considering the loving way others have carried on his legacy.

Glenn Gamboa
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Time

The Michael Jackson who rises from the mausoleum on Michael isn't all that dissimilar from the one who left us last year. On the first of a projected 10 (yes, 10) posthumous albums, Jackson is heard alternating between his two long-standing personas: the wide-eyed purveyor of idealized love and the embittered, self-pitying victim of a fixated media. His affection for treacle and sentiment still runs rampant, his voice still slips into a buttery soprano, and he still uses rock guitars to indicate "rage" and gospel choirs to announce "inspiration."

Jackson, of course, wasn't around to finish the bulk of these 10 tracks, which were recorded as far back as the early 1980s and as recently as just before his 2009 death. But the producers who helped him clearly studied what made Jackson's music so singular. Michael isn't an Off the Wall or a Thriller; by 2009, those days were as long gone as his red zippered jacket. But given its stitched-together makeup — new tracks built around Jackson's voice — neither is it an embarrassing, Frankenstein-pop monster. Against all odds, considering Jackson's iffy output in the two decades before his death, it's a shockingly credible record — a carefully assembled re-creation of his finest moments as a solo artist and a reminder of why we cared about him to begin with.

Starting with Dangerous and continuing through HIStory and Invincible, Jackson clearly grappled with ways to reboot his sound in a world dominated by hip-hop. He tried new-jack beats, guest rappers and Notorious B.I.G. samples, which only made his music feel earthbound. In death, Jackson is gliding skyward again. With their crisp rhythms and a dearth of the bombast that bloated so much of his post-Thriller work, the best songs here evoke his music's lithe, whooshing agility. "Hollywood" has the coasting-on-air quality of classics like "Billie Jean," while "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" (an earlier, unfinished version of which appeared on a 2004 compilation) follows in the footsteps of "The Way You Make Me Feel," with warmer, less processed harmonies.

That song and "Best of Joy" were both co-produced by Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, whose silky work with Ne-Yo made him a perfect match for Jackson. Intentionally or not, Michael posits the intriguing possibility that Jackson, had he lived, could have made a musical comeback: thanks to acts like Ne-Yo and Beyoncé, R&B has swung back around to his less beat-heavy, more melodic grooves.

Jackson even sounds liberated vocally. The clipped, clenched-teeth phrasing that strangled later duds like "Scream" is rarely heard. For most of the album, he sounds, once again, like he's just singing. Even on the dank, gothy "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" — another rock merger, this one a decade-old collaboration with Lenny Kravitz — his vocals rarely sound strained. When the first track from the album, "Breaking News," was released, a family member declared that the voice wasn't Michael's — a claim Jackson's lawyers and former producers shot down. Although his voice is sometimes smothered on Michael, the carefully poised phrasings heard throughout it could be no one else's.

But if Michael is a promise-filled look at what might have been, it also a reminder that Jackson at his end wasn't the same artist he once was. Down to its vampy vibe, "Monster" works hard to re-create the mood of "Thriller," albeit with the far less scary 50 Cent instead of Vincent Price (and a less memorable hook). The monster in the title represents the paparazzi, who'll "eat your soul like a vegetable," Jackson warns. He harps on that topic both here and on the even more self-important "Breaking News" — a sign that as a lyricist, he was running in circles, trapped in a cramped world of his making. The love songs feel more generalized than ever, and his moralism about the evils of showbiz gets genuinely tacky on "Hollywood," in which he scolds a teen runaway for "giving hot tricks to men." One of the album's most revealing moments comes in "Keep Your Head Up," a wide-screen inspirational ballad that gives us another variation on his "Heal the World" mode. It's about a working mother, but when Jackson sings, almost breathlessly, "I can't even breathe/ I can't even see!" he could be talking about himself.

Michael's finest moment isn't the dull current single "Hold My Hand," on which the rapper Akon is featured nearly as much as Jackson. That honor goes to "Behind the Mask." Again, Jackson sounds youthful, energized and alluringly snappish; again, the music has an assertive, effortless drive, aided by a sample from the defunct Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra. "Who do you love?" Jackson pleads with a yearning intensity he hadn't mustered in years.

Sadly, there's a reason for that: "Behind the Mask" dates back to the Thriller sessions. Much like Thriller did with Jackson's record sales, this vintage leftover casts an imposing shadow over the "new" album — and makes you wonder if the nine albums to come can maintain the unexpected merits of Michael. For now, at least, Jackson receives the acceptable send-off he deserved.

David Brownie
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ALLMUSIC

As the first excavation of Michael Jackson’s vaults, Michael carries the weight of expectation it cannot possibly bear to support. After Jackson split with Quincy Jones following 1987’s Bad, he had a revolving door on his studio, letting in all major producers for a track or three, sometimes selecting these songs for a finished album, sometimes not. Michael rounds up ten of these leftovers, relying heavily on cuts he was tinkering with in the years after Invincible, but apart from cameos by Akon and 50 Cent, there’s precious little here that sounds modern. Perhaps it’s the heavy presence of Teddy Riley, but much of this recalls the cacophonic clutter of Dangerous, heavy on rhythms but not melody, so desperate for relevance that every overdub is overworked. Tellingly, the exceptions to the rule are the oldest tunes here -- “Behind the Mask” and “Much Too Soon,” both dating back to Thriller, and “(I Like) The Way You Love Me,” an outtake first aired on the 2004 box The Ultimate Collection and reworked somewhat extensively here. Much of this has likely been tweaked extensively to prep it for release, but it’s impossible to discern exactly what overdubs were added after Jackson’s death, particularly because this so heavily recalls his last decade of released records, right down to the recurring theme of MJ’s persecution, which sounds quite bizarre in the wake of his passing. That and Akon’s self-aggrandizing salvo to the opening “Hold My Hand” are the only ghoulish touches here: Michael is often tacky but considering how garish Jackson’s taste could be, it winds up seeming almost respectful. At the very least, the album doesn’t tarnish his legacy, although it adds nothing to it either.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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