I have really come to value "The Ultimate Collection" 2004 box set!

AlexRox

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I have really come to value "The Ultimate Collection" 2004 four c.d. and one d.v.d. box set by M.J.! While for years and years I thought it was terrible that it was released at its time and with its production value I now in the last few years feel like it DID serve a good purpose for both of those things that I initially saw as faults. For one it allowed the public to have a source (or to be more exact a product) that covered various aspects of his career. While far from "definitive" or "complete" even on the hits side it allowed a consumer to witness in one release the scope of his recordings from throughout his life. It even provided bunches of exciting unreleased recordings and rarities which gave it more of a concept and value than just a regurgitation of what was already easily available. With that said Michael is the best selling recording artist (and the best of course, eh! :yes:) and hopefully will have more high end compilations done in the future that will have more production value than what was or sometimes is simply a "standard value" type of box set that so many other recording artists have been subjected to.
 
I have to agree with you on this. Comprised of tracks from the highest point of Michael's career, the dvd making it's debut along with some very rare versions of His tracks, it is truly an Ultimate Collection.
 
I love the Ultimate Collection but my only problem with it was how the tracks were mastered.
 
The early-mid 2000's was all about loudness really wasnt it?
 
I'll say you take the 'new to us' tracks at the time and simply release that as an album.. It would have gotten more recognition than some other album releases.. I enjoy the box set very much! I still remember every part from buying it to listening to it for the first time.. I remember thinking "Why wasn't this song released?" On a few tracks
 
Notice I have said I valued its purpose. I think that purpose has ran its course though. I think and hope that it does go out of print in the next few years though. Maybe I can explain later...
 
Yeah the loudness is so jarring. Apart from the sound quality it's one of the best things released. I wonder if they will release a remastered version of it?! :lol: I kid.
 
My only complaint about The Ultimate Collection is that it allowed several truly amazing demos to slip under the radar and not see the public praise they rightfully deserve ("Beautiful Girl," "Cheater," "Someone Put Your Hand Out").

Other than that, by far the best compilation project released.
 
My only complaint about The Ultimate Collection is that it allowed several truly amazing demos to slip under the radar and not see the public praise they rightfully deserve ("Beautiful Girl," "Cheater," "Someone Put Your Hand Out").

Other than that, by far the best compilation project released.

Yeah I hope some of the songs are reissued in future projects, it's happened before.
 
I've one question about this album and all compilation albums
Now if there is remastered track like Bille Jean .... And others songs is the track the same track on original album thriller because
in my case I don't found any different
Or like number one released 2003 and 2004 the ultimate collection and Bille Jean and some song released in both album why?
 
I've one question about this album and all compilation albums
Now if there is remastered track like Bille Jean .... And others songs is the track the same track on original album thriller because
in my case I don't found any different
Or like number one released 2003 and 2004 the ultimate collection and Bille Jean and some song released in both album why?
I don't think anything on the compilations are remastered, perhaps a slight volume difference. I think the 2001 Specail editions are remastered and the mix for Off The Wall and Bad are different to the original album mixes. The volume on the Ultimate Collection is just loud; a trend in the noughties; Invincible also suffers from this and you lose a lot of the sonic brilliance and instrumentation because the loudness completey buries them in the mix. For me the King Of Pop compilations had the best sound quality. I'm not an audiophile expert though.
 
I don't think anything on the compilations are remastered, perhaps a slight volume difference. I think the 2001 Specail editions are remastered and the mix for Off The Wall and Bad are different to the original album mixes. The volume on the Ultimate Collection is just loud; a trend in the noughties; Invincible also suffers from this and you lose a lot of the sonic brilliance and instrumentation because the loudness completey buries them in the mix. For me the King Of Pop compilations had the best sound quality. I'm not an audiophile expert though.

Invincible vinyl is proof of this. The re-released vinyl is gorgeous. GORGEOUS LADS
 
Invincible vinyl is proof of this. The re-released vinyl is gorgeous. GORGEOUS LADS
What year is this re-released Invincible from? I have no record player at the moment, it sucks. I want to hear the real Invincible; the way it SHOULD have sounded.
 
On cd or vinyl or both? When was this released? What about that single disc version of HIStory you got recently?

I have the original 1995 pressing on CD. Ive heard that the vinyl is a hot mess, but despite this Im mad to find a copy for less than a hundred europes.

I only gave a quick listen to the 2011 version I bought- censored edited version of TDCAU and pressed stop.

New sh*tty HIStory intro.

Next.
 
I have the original 1995 pressing on CD. Ive heard that the vinyl is a hot mess, but despite this Im mad to find a copy for less than a hundred europes.

I only gave a quick listen to the 2011 version I bought- censored edited version of TDCAU and pressed stop.

New sh*tty HIStory intro.

Next.
The only one I need on vinyl is BOTDF which goes for really high prices.

Hmm, that HIStory doesn't sound to hot. Aesthetically I like the look of the single disc version, it comes in a cardboard slipcase and has a gold deul case, atleast that's the packaging I saw in a shop in Manchester.
 
My only complaint about The Ultimate Collection is that it allowed several truly amazing demos to slip under the radar and not see the public praise they rightfully deserve ("Beautiful Girl," "Cheater," "Someone Put Your Hand Out").

Other than that, by far the best compilation project released.

Yeah right? I don't understand why they included we've had enough on a compilation CD. That's an album track
 
MJ's catalogue has been remastered various times on various compilations and re-releases and each one usually has sounded worse than the last, with the exception of Invincible most likely. I'd say MJ's music has been too loud since HIStory at least and only got louder . I've also heard the BOTDF vinyl was pretty bad in terms of sound quality. If I remember right it has a stupid frequency cut off, same with HIStory I think. In terms of The Ultimate Collection I wish some of the tracks that were released weren't wasted on such a compilation, although as an overall package I'm sure it was great for fans at the time of release.
 
I have the original 1995 pressing on CD. Ive heard that the vinyl is a hot mess, but despite this Im mad to find a copy for less than a hundred europes.

I only gave a quick listen to the 2011 version I bought- censored edited version of TDCAU and pressed stop.

New sh*tty HIStory intro.

Next.

I really need to get the original pressing. I need the uncensored version of TDCAU lol. I also need the original pressing of thriller. I have the Bad Picture Disc which is pretty cool, not sure if I'm even bothered about BOTDF being original or not.
 
I only gave a quick listen to the 2011 version I bought- censored edited version of TDCAU and pressed stop.

I got hooked on MJ through my parent's original pressing of the HIStory CD and was used to the proper, uncensored version of TDCAU. A year or two later, once MJ died, I picked up the Essential collection and when TDCAU came on, young me thought my CD was partially corrupted or something :lol:

I think I rushed online to google the problem, only to find it had been that way for 13+ years by that point and I was one of the lucky few (hundred thousand?? hah) to have an uncensored copy.
 
I had the original HIStory album on double cassette when it was released. It came in a cardboard box with the booklet in CD size. It's something I always regreted selling. There's a secondhand cd store I go to that has a few old copies of HIStory on cd, must check them out. I actually got The Ultimate Collection in the white box from the same store, the DVD wouldn't play because it's the American region, nice to have both versions of TUC though.
 
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