~The following views expressed are solely my opinion.~
I received the album for Christmas and have listened to it in full. This is what I think:
I first heard Hold My Hand when it leaked two years ago. I didn't care for it then. There was too much Akon for my taste (I'm not a fan of his "Konvict Music"). This version is better, but it still isn't really a favorite of mine. I can appreciate the sentiment behind it, and Michael wanting to release it.
I've seen the video, and I thought that it was nice, but too fast-paced. I couldn't keep up with all the images I was seeing. I was mainly looking for Pace,MioDolceCuore the whole time. :ciao:
And they gave way too little time to the picture of Michael with the baby. :wub: Hell, if it was up to me, that would be the only image on the screen. :lol:
I thought Hollywood Tonight was okay. A tad too over-produced for my liking. I think the voiceover would have been better if it was Michael saying it, but that's impossible anyway. I thought the whistling at the end was a nice touch.
Keep Your Head Up, to me, sounds the most convincingly like him out of the three Cascio tracks. I know that everyone was complaining about the Earth Song ad-libs in the leaked version, but I think the ending would have sounded better with them left in. I have to agree with what was said on the recent podcast--that the ending was boring without Michael really working it like he did on songs like Man in the Mirror. On the whole, the song doesn't really do anything for me anyway.
I prefer the original (demo?) version of The Way You Love Me to the one on this album. I really liked the telephone intro, but I didn't like the new instrumentation at all, and it sounds as if Michael's voice has been slightly auto-tuned on it. It shouldn't have been tampered with.
Monster.
I. Can't. Stand. It. Not only do the vocals sound wrong to me (really wrong), but I just don't care for the song period. It's not my kind of sound. That's all I'm going to say about it.
Best of Joy is my most favorite song on the album and now a personal favorite of mine. Assuming that it was actually the last song he was working on (like we've been told) it blows my mind that a 50-year old man is singing it. I love how he sings so light and carefree!
I always have had trouble seeing Michael as someone who was roughly in the same generation as my parents (they're a little older). To me, he is ageless and timeless, and this song has permanently reinforced that for me.
My opinion on Breaking News has not changed over time. Other than it being a weak song (lyrically and musically), it sounds too patched together and the vocals sound sketchy to me. When I first heard it, I thought "What the hell did they do to his voice?" It never crossed my mind that it could be someone else, until I came on here and saw the volcanic-like eruption of dissention.
(I Can't Make It) Another Day is good. I thought the leaked version from last summer (minus the annoying DJ voiceover) was better though. To me, this is another case of messing with a demo just a little too much.
Behind the Mask is another standout track to me. I find it cool and interesting. It sounds unique, unlike anything else he's done before. There's so much passion in his vocals, and I enjoy hearing the crowd response in the background.
Much too Soon is the other favorite on here for me. So so pretty, and sweet and pure. Lovely track. Michael's voice + acoustic guitar = Heaven to my ears. :heart:
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I do not like the Cascio tracks. I find them to be the weakest on the album (Michael or not), and when hearing them sandwiched between the other songs on the album, they don't sound right to me at all. I'm going to stop short of accusing anyone of fraud, however, and just say that to MY ears, the vocals clash with those on the non-Cascio tracks. When I put the CD in my iTunes, I imported all but the three tracks. When I play the CD, I will be skipping them. I look at it no differently than skipping some tracks on my other MJ albums.
I sincerely wish that they had not been put on this album. There are much better songs out there for release.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the whole, while I love some songs on this album, I feel that it was overly layered. I realize that they wanted the album to appeal to everyone, not just the fans. But Michael's voice, in itself, was an instrument of wonderous possibilities. He had unbelievable talent, and it shouldn't be hidden behind layers of different sounds and effects.
I received the album for Christmas and have listened to it in full. This is what I think:
I first heard Hold My Hand when it leaked two years ago. I didn't care for it then. There was too much Akon for my taste (I'm not a fan of his "Konvict Music"). This version is better, but it still isn't really a favorite of mine. I can appreciate the sentiment behind it, and Michael wanting to release it.
I've seen the video, and I thought that it was nice, but too fast-paced. I couldn't keep up with all the images I was seeing. I was mainly looking for Pace,MioDolceCuore the whole time. :ciao:
And they gave way too little time to the picture of Michael with the baby. :wub: Hell, if it was up to me, that would be the only image on the screen. :lol:
I thought Hollywood Tonight was okay. A tad too over-produced for my liking. I think the voiceover would have been better if it was Michael saying it, but that's impossible anyway. I thought the whistling at the end was a nice touch.
Keep Your Head Up, to me, sounds the most convincingly like him out of the three Cascio tracks. I know that everyone was complaining about the Earth Song ad-libs in the leaked version, but I think the ending would have sounded better with them left in. I have to agree with what was said on the recent podcast--that the ending was boring without Michael really working it like he did on songs like Man in the Mirror. On the whole, the song doesn't really do anything for me anyway.
I prefer the original (demo?) version of The Way You Love Me to the one on this album. I really liked the telephone intro, but I didn't like the new instrumentation at all, and it sounds as if Michael's voice has been slightly auto-tuned on it. It shouldn't have been tampered with.
Monster.
I. Can't. Stand. It. Not only do the vocals sound wrong to me (really wrong), but I just don't care for the song period. It's not my kind of sound. That's all I'm going to say about it.
Best of Joy is my most favorite song on the album and now a personal favorite of mine. Assuming that it was actually the last song he was working on (like we've been told) it blows my mind that a 50-year old man is singing it. I love how he sings so light and carefree!
I always have had trouble seeing Michael as someone who was roughly in the same generation as my parents (they're a little older). To me, he is ageless and timeless, and this song has permanently reinforced that for me.
My opinion on Breaking News has not changed over time. Other than it being a weak song (lyrically and musically), it sounds too patched together and the vocals sound sketchy to me. When I first heard it, I thought "What the hell did they do to his voice?" It never crossed my mind that it could be someone else, until I came on here and saw the volcanic-like eruption of dissention.
(I Can't Make It) Another Day is good. I thought the leaked version from last summer (minus the annoying DJ voiceover) was better though. To me, this is another case of messing with a demo just a little too much.
Behind the Mask is another standout track to me. I find it cool and interesting. It sounds unique, unlike anything else he's done before. There's so much passion in his vocals, and I enjoy hearing the crowd response in the background.
Much too Soon is the other favorite on here for me. So so pretty, and sweet and pure. Lovely track. Michael's voice + acoustic guitar = Heaven to my ears. :heart:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I do not like the Cascio tracks. I find them to be the weakest on the album (Michael or not), and when hearing them sandwiched between the other songs on the album, they don't sound right to me at all. I'm going to stop short of accusing anyone of fraud, however, and just say that to MY ears, the vocals clash with those on the non-Cascio tracks. When I put the CD in my iTunes, I imported all but the three tracks. When I play the CD, I will be skipping them. I look at it no differently than skipping some tracks on my other MJ albums.
I sincerely wish that they had not been put on this album. There are much better songs out there for release.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the whole, while I love some songs on this album, I feel that it was overly layered. I realize that they wanted the album to appeal to everyone, not just the fans. But Michael's voice, in itself, was an instrument of wonderous possibilities. He had unbelievable talent, and it shouldn't be hidden behind layers of different sounds and effects.
