~ Introduction ~

As a teenager Michael Jackson was one of my favourite “pop singers”. I had the album Bad on tape and my dad had most of the Jackson 5 albums in his record collection. I can remember receiving the 1987 Michael Jackson Calendar for Christmas and I was over the moon. Over the years my taste in music has changed but I have always remained a fan of Michael Jackson. When I heard the news that he had died I too was shocked and saddened …

On Saturday morning I bought a copy of Michael Jackson’s This Is It (having been to the cinema the night before to see the concert movie that the album itself is based on). For the last couple of hours I have been listening to the album whilst writing this review.

I have never written a review of a music album before and, to be honest, was not entirely sure where to start !!! Many of you will be familiar with the music reviews written by XICripZ … now there’s a dude who (in my opinion) has a genuine talent when it comes to using words to capture the very essence of an artist or album. I could never describe this album as well as I know he could because I simply don’t have his ear for music. I do, however, have a few ideas and my hope is that this review will …

1) Reveal some of my own thoughts about Michael Jackson
2) Shed a little light on to the story behind the creation of the album itself
3) Provide information about the tracks included on this album
4) Allow me to share my initial feelings having just listened to “This Is It”

~ Michael Jackson ~

“This Is It” is a collection of songs recorded by Michael Jackson between 1978 and 2009. I therefore feel that it is important to actually write a little about the life and work of Michael Jackson himself so that anyone reading this realises what the production team at Sony must have faced when selecting the actual material for the album.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on 29th August 1958 and by the time he was just six years old had already become the lead singer of the Jackson 5. Alongside his brothers he experienced great success at a very early age with classics songs such as ABC and I Want You Back. It was this level of success which prepared him for a lifetime devoted to music.

In 1971 his career as a solo artist began but it was his 1982 album “Thriller” which made him an international superstar and despite being released almost 30 years ago it is still the best selling album of all time. It wasn’t long before he gained the title “The King Of Pop”. And, the King Of Pop delivered with a career which spanned over four decades and featured numerous number one singles, best selling albums and sell-out world tours.

Throughout this time Michael Jackson has entertained the world. His song and dance routines are legendary. His success as a recording artist has been phenomenal and he has won countless highly esteemed industry awards for his work. He has even been credited as being the artist who created the pop video !!! In addition to this we must also remember that Michael Jackson was more than just a singer … he was also a songwriter, a poet, a dancer, a record producer, a choreographer, an actor, a businessman and a humanitarian.

He was also an artist who was rarely out of the news. His unique sense of fashion, the creation of “Neverland” and his relationships were often the focus of intense media attention and for every positive story written about him there were three negative ones … it seemed that being both famous and successful came with a price. Whilst to millions of fans he remained the King Of Pop to many in the media he became known as “Wacko Jacko”. His physical appearance was often the focus of intense media scrutiny as were his actions both in public and in private.

In recent years Michael Jackson has also been at the centre of much controversy too. Instead of reading about his music it was child sex abuse allegations and court cases that dominated the news. In 2005, however, he was tried and acquitted of these allegations. At this point, Michael Jackson could easily have retired and turned his back on the public spotlight but having spent his entire lifetime performing he wasn’t going to disappoint the millions of loyal fans who had stuck by him during his darkest days.

So Michael Jackson continued doing what he did best … and early in 2009 he made an announcement that had fans around the world reaching for their credit cards.

~ The events leading up to the release of “This Is It” ~

*** MARCH 5th 2009 ~ At The O2 Arena in London Michael Jackson announced that he would be performing in a series of concerts entitled “This Is It” … it was a title that lead fans to accept that they would be the final concerts in Jackson’s career. Originally just 10 dates were announced. These dates sold out within minutes and the demand for tickets was so high that Jackson himself decided to increase the “This Is It” tour to 50 dates !

*** JUNE 25th 2009 ~ An announcement was made that in Los Angeles, California Michael Jackson had suffered a cardiac arrest and had died.

*** JULY 7th 2009 ~ At the Hollywood Hills Cemetery, Los Angeles, California a private family service was held followed by a public memorial service at the Staples Center (which was broadcast around the world and watched by an estimated one billion people). Amongst those who paid tribute were Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Queen Latifah and Mariah Carey. Jackson’s brothers each wore a single white sparkling glove and Marlon Jackson said "Maybe now, Michael, they will leave you alone."

*** JULY 10th 2009 ~ In Michael Jackson’s hometown of Gary, Indiana 6,000 fans attended a musical tribute to their hero. The town’s mayor, Rudy Clay, unveiled a special memorial and announced “This is where Michael learned to dance, where he learned to sing, where he learned to sacrifice.”

*** AUGUST 11th 2009 ~ A $60 million deal is approved in the US courts to allow Sony to use unseen footage and backstage material to release a concert movie chronicling Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for his final tour “This Is It”.

*** SEPTEMBER 3rd 2009 ~ Michael Jackson’s service and burial was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Glendale). In addition to his three children and other family members his first wife, Lisa Marie Presley, was also present. The funeral itself was a private one but was attended by a number of Jackson’s closest friends from the music and entertainment industries. After the funeral Michael Jackson was interred in the Holly Terrace section of the Great Mausoleum.

*** SEPTEMBER 23rd 2009 ~ Sony Music Entertainment announces that Michael Jackson’s single “This Is It” will be released in addition to a two-disc album of the same title. The single itself was never released as it was decided to include this new song as part of the collection of songs that was chosen for the “This Is It” album.

*** OCTOBER 26th 2009 ~ Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” is officially released …

~ This Is It ~

This Is It is a two-disc compilation album featuring songs that were written and recorded by Michael Jackson between 1978 and 2009.

Disc One is a collection of the original album recordings of some of Michael Jacksons greatest hits. The songs themselves are in the exact same order that they appear in the “This Is It” movie. In addition to the greatest hits, Disc One also features two versions of the song “This Is It”. This is the title song of the album and is a song that up until now has never been released. There is an orchestra version of the song as well as the version which plays during the movies final sequence. The song is extremely moving because it features backing vocals by the very same singers who provided the backing vocals when Michael Jackson sung for the very first time … his own brothers.

Disc Two features never before released versions of three of Michael Jackson’s classic hits (She’s Out Of My Life, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and Beat It). It also features a recording of Michael Jackson reading a poem he wrote called “Planet Earth”.

As well as the two discs the album also has a 36 page commemorative booklet which contains exclusive photographs and images of Michael Jackson during his final ever rehearsal prior to his death. This booklet also contains a large fold out “This Is It” movie poster.

~ Detailed Track Listings ~

DISC ONE

1) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ [6:03]
2) Jam [5:39]
3) They Don’t Care About Us [4:46]
4) Human Nature [4:06]
5) Smooth Criminal [4:18]
6) The Way You Make Me Feel [4:59]
7) Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) [3.54]
8) I Just Can’t Stop Loving You [4:12]
9) Thriller [5:58]
10) Beat It [4:18]
11) Black Or White [4:17]
12) Earth Song [6.47]
13) Billie Jean [4.55]
14) Man In The Mirror [5.20]
15) This Is It (album version) [3.38]
16) This Is It (orchestra version) [4.55]

DISC TWO

1) She’s Out Of My Life (demo version) [3:19]
2) Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (demo version) [5.43]
3) Beat It (demo version) [2.05]
4) Planet Earth (poem) [3.15]

~ My thoughts and feelings ~

Watching the “This Is It” movie at the cinema was an extremely moving experience and Not only did I feel that it was a fantastic way of celebrating the life and work of Michael Jackson but it also gave me an insight into just how exciting and dynamic Michael Jackson still was as a performer … despite being 50 years old. Whilst I felt saddened that the rehearsals were for a tour that will now never be performed I also felt happy that Michael Jackson was clearly doing the things he loved most (singing and dancing) right up to his death.

As a companion to the movie the “This Is It” album is a solid collection of songs that clearly demonstrate what a talented and gifted performer Michael Jackson was. There are songs on this album which take me back to my early childhood to a time when I first became aware of music. There are also songs that take me back to my teenage years … to memories of school discos and of watching Top Of The Pops. There are also songs I listened to as an adult and each one brings back a memory of Michael Jackson and how I remember him at the time that each song was in the charts. I think it is the combination of all these memories and experiences that made me realise what an amazing gift Michael Jackson had.

I also feel that by including the song “This Is It” this album is a must have for all Michael Jackson fans. The song has never been released and appears on this album twice … as both an orchestra version and as an album version. In a way it can be classed as Michael Jackson’s latest single (and was actually due to be released as a single earlier in the year until a decision was made to release the album and movie instead). What makes the song “This Is It” even more poignant is the fact that it features backing vocals from Michael Jackson’s brothers. Not only were his brothers with him when he started his singing career back in 1964 but they are also with him now to provide the hamonies that accompany his final song.

I do, however, have a few criticisms …

Firstly, I feel that Michael Jackson’s management team were a little too eager to release the “This Is It” footage and create both the movie and this album. The battle within the US Courts to secure the rights to release this footage were initiated shortly after Michael Jackson’s death. Maybe if the production team behind “This Is It” had waited a little longer then this album would have been slightly better thought out ?

The reason I say this is because despite this “This Is It” being publicised as a 2-CD album I feel that the second CD is tragically short. Whilst CD One contains 16 of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits the second CD has just 3 music tracks and the poem. In my opinion with two CDs available “This Is It” could have easily contained so much more in terms of both content and in terms of fully celebrating the life and work of the performer.

The tracks selected for this album were originally recorded between 1978 and 2009. However, I genuinely feel that a couple of tracks from the start of Michael Jackson’s career should have been included too. Furthermore, despite the album containing 16 of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits I feel that a couple of his iconic songs have also been sadly overlooked. Take the song “Bad” for example … for me this was the song that launched both a new album and a new chapter in Michael Jackson’s life. It was a song that for me brings back memories of the Eighties. It was also the song that made me want to go and spend my paper round money on a Michael Jackson album !!!

It’s not rocket science but with two CDs to fill a handful of early Jackson 5 songs and including hits as iconic as “Bad” would have added slightly more depth and variety to this album. None of this, however, takes away from the fact that “This Is It” is a fantastic album filled with a selection of classic hits. My only hope is that sometime in the future a “definitive” Greatest Hits album or collection is also released … and one that includes songs from before 1978. However, if you are a fan of Jackson’s music I thoroughly recommend this album … as well as a trip to the cinema to see “This Is It” on the big screen.

~ Final thought ~

I think for a final thought I will use a few words written by Michael Jackson himself. The following extract is taken from the poem “Planet Earth” which appears on Disc Two of “This Is It”. Thanks for taking time to read this review …

Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul.
Planet Earth, gentle and blue
With all my heart, I love you

******************************************************************

Michael Joseph Jackson

(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

Gone … but not forgotten.

>>> jedimastergray73 <<<