Inconsistent 'Michael' album finds a few Jackson treasures
By Steve Jones,
USA TODAY
Ever since Michael Jackson died 18 months ago, there has been speculation about what gems may lay hidden in the King of Pop's vaults. The answer is that there are at least a few sparklers that could be polished for public display.
Michael (* * * out of four), which hits stores Tuesday, is the first album released under a seven-year, $250 million deal between the Jackson estate and Sony Music to put out a wealth of unreleased material. Estate co-executor John McCain and a host of collaborators and producers, including Akon, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent and Teddy Riley, completed 10 songs left unfinished by Jackson for this compilation, with mixed results.
Since some of the songs date back as far as the early 1980s while others are of very recent vintage, Michael is not an album with a cohesive theme or consistent sound. That's not to say it's lacking in potential hits. But it's hard to imagine that this is what a perfectionist like Jackson would have made, even though the producers were purportedly following his road map in adding all the finishing touches. Family members and will.i.am, who, like Akon, collaborated with Jackson on 2008's Thriller 25, have been critical of the release of any music not bearing Jackson's final stamp.
But controversy aside, it is a credible musical effort that can't simply be dismissed. For the most part, the songs don't have the pieced-together feel of many posthumous projects, and Jackson's vocals (Hold My Hand with Akon being the notable exception) are always front and center.
The best songs hark back to previous Jackson hits. There are club burners and tender ballads that showcase his elastic voice, replete with his signature hiccups and howls. The thumping Hollywood Tonight pulsates with Billy Jean-esque energy, while the aggressive Monster seems destined to leave blood on the dance floor. The first deals with the cost of chasing celebrity, while the second bemoans the price of being one. Less successful is Breaking News, on which he gripes once again that the entertainment media won't leave him alone. The most sonically forward song is the propulsive, synth-drenched Behind the Mask. It would fit snugly on anybody's current playlist.
Still, while this may be a loving look back, it doesn't offer a lot of insight into where Jackson may have been headed with the new album he'd been working on since 2007. Part of Jackson's magic was that he always kept you wondering what he'd do next to amaze you. With this album, and presumably any future ones, the best you can hope for is to be pleasantly reminded of his gifts. The material here is solid, but if this is the best they've got, you have to wonder about what's left to come.
>Download: Hollywood Tonight, Monster, Keep Your Head Up, (I Can't Make It) Another Day, Much Too Soon
Again, where is the poster who said most critics would give the album no more than 2 stars...where you at???
