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XSCAPE [2014] or MICHAEL [2010] which one is better?

As for the poll's question, I actually prefer the "Michael" album as a whole. "Xscape" has a couple of gems like "Slave to the Rhythm" and "A Place Without No Name", but most of the remixes suck, and some of the songs I just don't understand at all.
 
XSCAPE x 100 times!!!!! I haven't played the Michael album since the week I bought it. One year later and I am still playing the Xscape album.
 
While the material on the "Michael" album is not bad (except for the fake Cascio tracks), but I cannot get over the poor, sloppy production, so I almost never listen to it.
 
respect77 said:
While the material on the "Michael" album is not bad (except for the fake Cascio tracks), but I cannot get over the poor, sloppy production, so I almost never listen to it.
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The more I listen to Another Day the more I realise how it lots any kick and its grandness. Sounds like a demo, MORESO than the demo!

Behind the Mask sounds good to me, and Much Too Soon. The rest, not so much but I'd still pick it over Xscape.
 
respect77 said:
While the material on the "Michael" album is not bad (except for the fake Cascio tracks), but I cannot get over the poor, sloppy production, so I almost never listen to it.
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Agree on the production, not a big fan of Michael's sound which got really boring quite quickly.

innuendo141 said:
The more I listen to Another Day the more I realise how it lots any kick and its grandness. Sounds like a demo, MORESO than the demo!
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That song was butchered. Was the first unreleased song I ever heard and I love the demo, the chorus feels so empowering. When I played an album stream before Michael was released and I heard the intro of Another Day, I was just like YES YES YESSSSSS then the actual song kicked in and I was so disappointed.
 
Why are people still insisting the Cascio tracks are fake? I keep hearing rants about it, usually focused on Michael's mother and kids supposedly not believing its his voice...but we don't know everything. As I understand it, Frank Cascio's brother Eddie worked on those songs for what ultimately became the "Michael" album. He said the original vocals required more processing in the mix, hence the slightly-higher tone. I don't know much about sound recording equipment or software, but that simple explanation made sense. How many times have you heard a recording by any artist, then noticed the difference when they perform live? Even Michael wasn't exempt from this in his concerts...so why are so many folks upset? I've listened to those songs many times over, and they still seem genuine to me.
 
Moviefan2k4 said:
Why are people still insisting the Cascio tracks are fake? I keep hearing rants about it, usually focused on Michael's mother and kids supposedly not believing its his voice...but we don't know everything. As I understand it, Frank Cascio's brother Eddie worked on those songs for what ultimately became the "Michael" album. He said the original vocals required more processing in the mix, hence the slightly-higher tone. I don't know much about sound recording equipment or software, but that simple explanation made sense. How many times have you heard a recording by any artist, then noticed the difference when they perform live? Even Michael wasn't exempt from this in his concerts...so why are so many folks upset? I've listened to those songs many times over, and they still seem genuine to me.
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Wrong thread for that buddy
 
To Moviefan: I believe there is a discussion thread over in trials and tribulations section. There are several, including one about the fan bringing a lawsuit over the authenticity of the songs, but the one you probably want to read is called "the Great Album Debate."
 
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After giving this a lot of thought I have to say that I feel that Michael's Highpoints triumphs over Xscape's high points.

Much Too soon
Best Of Joy
Behind the Mask
Hollywood tonight
The Way You Love Me


These to me are MJ classics. I wouldn't mind if these songs/versions ended up on an official album.
 
i bought xscape today and love it. haven't heard michael yet. i ordered "michael jackson's vision" DVD set from popmarket today and it comes with michael. so next week i'll have michael and i'll compare it to xscape. what do you guys mean that michael has fake songs?
 
MSL said:
What do you guys mean that "Michael" has fake songs?
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Just look up the names Eddie Cascio and James Porte on Google; you'll find many articles about it. Personally, the songs sound authentic to me, albeit with a slightly higher tone.
 
MSL said:
i bought xscape today and love it. haven't heard michael yet. i ordered "michael jackson's vision" DVD set from popmarket today and it comes with michael. so next week i'll have michael and i'll compare it to xscape. what do you guys mean that michael has fake songs?
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What people refer to are the three songs on the album that were bought from Eddie Cascio (Keep Your Head Up, Monster, Breaking News), which are sung by an impersonator. The only actual Michael on those tracks are samples (some words, screams, aows, hee hee's, even breaths) that they copy/pasted from acapellas of previous MJ albums, to make it sound more convincing.
 
i dont want to get this thread off track, but the stuff i found on google was confusing. is there a thread on this site discussing this controversy? where should i look? thanks.
 
MSL said:
i dont want to get this thread off track, but the stuff i found on google was confusing. is there a thread on this site discussing this controversy? where should i look? thanks.
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There's a thread in the Trials & Tribulations section of the board called 'Michael - The Great Album debate'. This is a massive thread though, containing posts from the moment the controversy arose until now. If you have any questions, that would be the place though. Also feel free to send me a PM if you have specific questions that you cannot find answers too.
 
MSL said:
i dont want to get this thread off track, but the stuff i found on google was confusing. is there a thread on this site discussing this controversy? where should i look? thanks.
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Yeah there's a couple. Only problem? The main one is by far the biggest thread on this entire forum, at least that I've seen.

Here ya go: http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/threads/99883-Michael-The-Great-Album-Debate

Here is another thread about it, much shorter and more recent: http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/t...-NOT-singing-the-3-songs-on-quot-MICHAEL-quot
 
I really like Xscape more, those songs have much more energy and cover a wider timespan. Especially Love never felt so good, Chicago, Loving you and blue gangster. Michael sounds more contrived, although I love Hollywood tonight and Keep your head up.
 
I never listen to the 'contemporized' versions of the songs on Xscape, I wasn't interested in some producer's take on those songs to begin with, but when I gave it a try it was just.. horrible:blink: I really love the original versions of songs like Loving you, STTR, DYKWYCA, Blue Gangsta, LNFSG & Chicago tho.. great songs, I listen to them all the time! I can't say the same for Michael except for a few (Much too soon, Behind the mask, The way you love me)

So, the 'original' Xscape would win over the Michael album easily imo, but if I can only compare the remixes then I think I would have to go with Michael..
 
Sorry-deleted. Question was already answered. Not used to the new format yet-thought I was on the last page of the discussion and there was another page to go! :)
 
I bought the standard edition of Xscape, so I've only heard the contemporary versions of the songs. I have not heard the original demos. I love the final versions and I say that as an old school Michael Jackson fan that hadn't paid much attention to anything after Dangerous came out. I can understand why some fans would be against the songs being modernized without MJ there to oversee it. I'm not sure how I feel about these posthumous releases, but I assume Michael could have put something in his will that would have prevented it if it was something he felt strongly about.
 
Lil said:
I never listen to the 'contemporized' versions of the songs on Xscape, I wasn't interested in some producer's take on those songs to begin with, but when I gave it a try it was just.. horrible:blink: I really love the original versions of songs like Loving you, STTR, DYKWYCA, Blue Gangsta, LNFSG & Chicago tho.. great songs, I listen to them all the time! I can't say the same for Michael except for a few (Much too soon, Behind the mask, The way you love me)

So, the 'original' Xscape would win over the Michael album easily imo, but if I can only compare the remixes then I think I would have to go with Michael..
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I agree totally, I usually skip the later versions and listen to the originals, that is why everyone should get the deluxe copy of it. Same with Thriller 25, the mash ups at the end are terrible except the Kanye West mix of Billie Jean.

As far as I am concerned, the only person qualified to mess with or modify classic Michael Jackson music is Michael jackson and we know that can't happen. Some of these producers need to leave the music alone.
 
^I share your sentiments, but you do really like Keep Your Head Up? :thinking:
 
I think that's another reason why Xscape is my favourite of the two. The inclusion of both old and new versions, which in turn makes the album attractive to a wider audience.

You have people like me who love some of the contemporised versions and listen to them way more than you do the originals. Then you have the other people who prefer the demos as MJ left them and they can listen to it the way they want and not ever have to worry about the contemporisations! It's win-win for everyone!

It's even more win-win if you like the sounds of both old and new - like me! Sometimes I'm in the mood for something modern and pumping, so I put on StarGate's version of A Place With No Name... but then sometimes I'm in the mood for something more throwback, so I'll put on the old version of Loving You and be transported to the 1980s :)

So glad the Estate went down this path for Xscape and I have good faith they'll continue to do so for future albums.
 
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