Best Michael Jackson Music

Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995)
This compilation features 10 of Michael Jackson's greatest video hits, including "Billie Jean," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Black or White," "Rock With You" and others. 90 minutes.

This is a review of the VHS video "Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits HIStory" Vol. 1. Whether or not you are a fan of Michael Jackson, this is an essential video because it shows how good music videos can be. BILLIE JEAN is a striking video that broke down color barriers on MTV; THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL has a loose improvisational feeling to it which makes it fun to watch; BLACK OR WHITE is modern masterpiece complete with morphing and the controversial "panther dance" sequence. In the original version of this video, Michael smashes in a car windshield that has racist grafitti on it... he is fighting back against the racism. However, in the version included on this tape, the grafitti is edited out, so we just see Michael smashing a window for no apparent reason. Even so, the video is still an amazing experience! ROCK WITH YOU takes us back to 1980 before Michael's plastic surgery; BAD and BEAT IT include some of the best choreography even seen in music videos, although the version of BAD on this tape is the short version, not the full version with Wesley Snipes. This tape also includes the videos for Thriller, Remember The Time, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough and Heal The World in their entirety. This video is a powerful mix of music, dance, and film. Even if you don't think Michael is the King of Pop, this collection proves he is the King of VIDEO!
-- duggalolly




Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour

Yesterday. I enter Circuit City at Union Square in NYC with my wife, who is from Japan, and this DVD is on three modestly sized plasma TVs a the top of the escalator--which is crowded with mesmorized viewers.

We could not help it. The show was so awesome that we found ourselves standing there, entranced.

My wife put it correctly when she said to me in Japanese, "Whatever he does in life, people will always be facinated with his performances," meaning no matter what freakish things he does to or with his body, it just plain wont effect the fact that he truly is the King of Pop (though I must then appoint Prince as the Emperor of Pop--sorry Michael).

That really summed it up; we were watching one of the all time great masters of performance, and indeed were lucky to be alive when his career was in full swing.

Michael Jackson is one of the all time greats--like Harry Houdini, Fred Astaire, Jimmy Hendrix, or Miles Davis. He's a master of the stage, and--though I protest with myself--has a fantastic musical ability that can't help but mesmorize.

On this DVD, there is of course a lot of lip synching. This isn't so much a music concert as a stage show. And as a stage show, it's one of the greatest of all time. Just seeing Jackson dance to his own music is worth your money.

*****There was one musical break that was facinating, though it wasn't performed by Jackson. At one point in the performance, he shares the stage with a solo guitarist--apparrently just for effect--but the guitarist completely takes over the stage. Jackson points him out to a stage hand, who tries to stop the solo, and the guitarist just keeps going with a fantastic, mad, crazy solo.

It's pretty rare to see a solo like that unless you're in the biz. I immediately thought of Mike Stern--who this was not--totally dominating the show. Jackson should have let him go a bit longer, but instead started the next bit and had the guitarist's plug pulled.

Bottom Line: I suppose that says a lot about Jackson's way of performing--he's a perfectionist; it's all planned out, and it follows the plan exactly. Other performers would have played counterpoint to that solo (as the guitarist was starting to do when Jackson 'interrupted), shared the limelight, and acknowledged that this is what musical performance is really all about--that there's really no such thing as a solo artist, unless of course you're Michael Jackson.

Anyway, I can't help but give this DVD 5 stars on sheer greatness.

-- John P. Thiel "John T."


I actually went to a live Dangerous Concert at Roundhay Park, Leeds in England. The concert was amazing, one of the best moments of my life. It would be difficult to capture the brilliance, the atmosphere of Michael in a concert but the Bucharest Dangerous concert DVD comes close.
It is simply a point in history, a time when a musician could bring out pure emotion in a crowd through excellence in music and dance. Buy this, you won't see a better artist in concert and I guarantee anyone who takes a chance on this will be a fan.

-- Seanna

Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films (1993)
Songs: Black or White, Heal The World (Super Bowl version), Remeber the Time, Will You Be There, In the Closet, Gone Too Soon, Jam, Heal the World, Give In to Me, Who Is It, Dangerous. 112 minutes.

As we all know, Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP! This number-one film was in the Guiness book of World Records as the highest selling music video on '94!! Containing never-before-seen footage, behind the scenes action, unreleased videos, and all are full-length. This price is also a bargain. Pick it up even if you're not a die-hard. It is so worth it!! Dangerous is one of MJ's greatest albums with some record-breaking fantastic music videos! "The Short Films" contains: The Teaser (you have to see it!!), the controversial full lentgh Black or White (complete with The Simpsons ending and the face morphing and dance sequence), The Superbowl Heal The World performance (excellent), Remember The Time (starring Iman, Eddie Murphy, and Magic Johnson), also has behind the scenes (great dancing!!), Will You Be There, In The Closet (with Naiomi Campbell- the best MJ video ever!!)(with behind the scenes action also,) Gone too Soon, (A tragic remembrance of AIDS victim Ryan White), Jam (a awesome video with Michael Jordan, Kris Kross, and Heavy D.), Heal The World (donate to the foundation! It's a worthy cause!!), Give In To Me (featuring Slash from Guns n' Roses), Who Is It (such a great beat!!) and last but not least, concert footage to the Dangerous Tour. This movie is something. You have got to see it. The album is legendary, the beats are ear-piercing and jammin'!! All of these perfect music videos have such a story to tell. Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP!!!!

-- janas@sonic.net Jana Schweitzer


Michael has so much talent. Good album and good VHS. I just descovered this page on amazon and I hope that a DVD version will be avaliable. I am writing the first review so hopefully I can get a certificate so I can get it as soon as possible. The DVD should contain the same stuff that the VHS one contains (maybe the publishers may put in more features) The video (and assumingly the DVD as well) contains all but 3 songs from the DANGEROUS album (I Can't Let Her Get Away, She Drives Me Wild, & Keep The Faith).
The Video and most likely the DVD contains the full videos of:

-Black or White (controversy, plus making of)

-Remember The Time (behind scenes)

-Jam (behind scenes Michael Jordan comentary)

-In The Closet (an awesome MJ song and video, plus behind scenes)

-Heal the World (two times, super bowl performance and the video)

-Will You Be There (the complete and non-Free Willy version)

-Gone Too Soon (about that kid with AIDS that everyone forgot about)

-Dangerous (played while showing us snip shots from ihs concert world tour)

-Why You Wanna Trip On Me (played durring the credits)

-Give Into Me (Michael knows good rock with Slash)

-Who Is It (done by the director of FIGHT CLUB, excellent beat)

-(Bonus stuff) of 2 awards and a pretty deep speech from Michael and a little Michael singing with Michael "I'll Be There"

Lets hope this wish of having avaliable this long awaited DVD comes true and we may get it. Michael still has fans in the USA, so let them have their DVD!

-- S E R I K O N

Michael Jackson - History on Film, Vol. 2 (1997)
Studio: Sony Music Release Date: 05/01/2001 Run time: 106 minutes.

The King of Pop does it again with HIStory on Film: Vol. 2! Below is a summary of each video/peformance:
TEASER- This commercial for the HIStory album is just as extravagant as one of Michael's music videos. Featuring Michael himself amidst thousands of soldiers, you can't go wrong with this. AWESOME!
BILLIE JEAN (Performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, and Forever)- This shocking performance earned Michael Jackson an Emmy nomination and started the Moonwalking craze that lives on today. CLASSIC!
BEAT IT- This video, which was also featured on HIStory: Video Greatest Hits Vol. 1, is a classic from THRILLER. Featuring real gang members and stunning choreography, this video is a must-have!
LIBERIAN GIRL- This video from BAD is VERY rare. I did not know it even existed before I bought this tape. Features cameos from Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Glover, and even Bubbles!
SMOOTH CRIMINAL- There are many versions of this music video, but the one on this tape is probably the best. Probably the best choreography of any of Michael's videos. INDISPENSIBLE!
1995 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS PERFORMANCE- A showstopping performance! This is a 15-minute medly with Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, The Way You Make Me Feel, Scream, Beat It, Black Or White, Billie Jean, Dangerous, Smooth Criminal,and You Are Not Alone. One of the most memorable performances in MTV's HIStory!
THRILLER- The music video of all music videos. The masterpiece. Zombies... Werewolves... Vincent Price... What more could you ask for? Directed by John Landis(An American Werewolf in London) this video is heralded by many as the greatest music video of all time!
SCREAM (Vocal duet with Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson)- The video that shocked the world in 1995. With a monstrous $7 million budget and great special effects, this video is one of my favorites. The first and only duet with Michael and Janet, this video was worth every cent.
CHILDHOOD (Theme from Free Willy 2)- One of Michael's most earnest and honest songs. This video makes you wonder what it would be like to be a child for just one more day. GREAT!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE- Another great video, this was the first song ever to debut on the charts at number one. Featuring Lisa Marie Presley and Michael together in the video, this is an instant classic!
EARTH SONG- One of Michael Jackson's most powerful video and song EVER! This video was actually filmed in four different continents, and the people in the video are not professional actors but actually people of that region. This video is one of my personal favorites, for it is so powerful.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US- A great song and video with awesome percussion. This video was banned from MTV and VH1 because of the contreversy surrounding the lyrics. Directed by Spike Lee.
STRANGER IN MOSCOW- An awesome song with a simple yet great concept video. It is just people walking in the rain, but when you see the video, it is so much more.
BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR (Refugee Camp Mix)- This video shows Michael dancing in a club with friends. Although the video is nothing too special, the song is GREAT! AWESOME!
BRACE YOURSELF: A KALIEDESCOPE OF MICHAEL JACKSON HISTORY- Featured on the first HIStory video, this shows glimpses of Michael in concert and elsewhere.
With this video coupled with HIStory: Video Greatest Hits Vol. 1 you have just about all of Michael Jackson's best videos and performances. ALL HAIL THE KING OF POP!
Look for Michael Jackson's new album INVINCIBLE to be released in the USA on October 30 and internationally on October 29. So what're you waiting for?

-- Amazon.com's A Customer

Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
The Biggest Album Ever just got bigger. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller celebrates this ground-breaking album with 7 bonus tracks, six of which are previously unreleased. The new tracks include exclusive remixes from Kanye West, Fergie, will.i.am and Akon along with a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions, "For All Time," newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson. Also included is a BONUS DVD with new, digitally restored versions of the three videos from the album as well as the Michael Jackson's groundbreaking performance of "Billie Jean" on the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC May 16, 1983).
Also included in all versions of the release is a new personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release.


Should several of the tracks on the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller find their way onto your MP3 player, you're going to have to admit: the music holds up. "Beat It" is not about to go stale, at least not without a rumble, and neither are "Billie Jean" and "P.Y.T." Even if you put the record-hurtling hits aside, you're still left with the realization that without MJ, there might not have been a JT [Justin Timberlake], never mind a Ne-Yo (listen closely to "Human Nature" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"). The bonus DVD bundled with the expanded CD includes a digitally redone version of the famous title-track video, among other clips, and it still astonishes with its choreography and attitude. As for the new tracks--Fergie inserts herself into "Beat It," Will.i.am takes on "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T.," Kanye West remixes "Billie Jean" (with characteristically subtle brilliance), Akon duets with M-Jack on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and the unreleased ballad "For All Time" (from the original Thriller sessions) is shined up and tacked on--they will suck you in like it was pop music's hugest year, 1983, all over again. Start brushing up on your moonwalk now.
--Tammy La Gorce


The 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller is a must own CD. Some new versions should introduce younger R&B fans to the man who started it all.

There are many reasons to buy this album, even if you already own it. First of all, this album came out at the height of vinyl, so there are a lot of people who don't own the album on CD. Younger music fans who love will.i.am Songs About Girls, Kanye West Graduation, Fergie The Dutchessand Akon Konvicted will be attracted by the remade versions, even if hard-core Michael Jackson fans don't like them as much. Old school fans will be seduced by the awesome holographic CD dust jacket, sharper re-mastered original tracks and included bonus DVD videos. No matter how you slice it, this 25th Anniversary edition belongs in your collection.

It's impossible not to hear the songs from this album from time to time, yet it had been a long time since I heard the original album in total, tracks 1-10 on this CD. When you listen to it again, it's impossible not to realize how amazing of a production this truly was and still is, even now 25 years later. Every single song is a number one hit, and Michael moves through genres including pop, rock and R&B with ease, killing each one. See my awards summary at the bottom for more on this.

It's clear to anybody who follows R&B that so many artists over the past 10 years have made careers essentially emulating Michael's singing style and dance moves. You can include on that list:
- Justin Timberlake - FutureSex / LoveSounds
- Chris Brown - Chris Brown
- Usher - My Way
- Omarion - O

Record labels have an army of very intelligent number crunchers that clearly realized the marketing potential of putting some top stars together to add remakes to this anniversary edition. The remakes can't possibly match Michael's original accomplishment. Yet they are not as bad as many say. I actually like the Akon version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin." And Kanye West's "Billie Jean" mix really highlights his abilities as a producer.

The included DVD includes the short film music video versions of "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller." These videos are historic in their own right, each one a high budget production better than a lot of the movies made in 1982.

There's also the Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean." For those that don't remember this performance, it's the one where Michael first does the moonwalk on stage. Let me tell you, it takes quite a performer to pull off a rhinestone shirt, rhinestone socks, sparkly jacket, high-waters and one white glove!

There's also a nice liner jacket with all the original lyrics and cool album art. Even more is included with the fold-out book version of this release. Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller(Deluxe Casebook Edition)

It's amazing to note that Michael Jackson actually wrote most of the biggest hits on this album, something today's R&B artists rarely do. Most of the biggest hits from the album are his original works, including "Wanna Be Startin' Something," "The Girl Is Mine," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean." "Baby Be Mine," "Thriller," and "The Lady In My Life" were written and composed by Rod Temperton. "PYT" was the work of the legendary James Ingram and Quincy Jones. And Steve Porcato wrote both "Human Nature" (with John Bettis) and the newly released "For All Time" (with Michael Sherwood), number 16 on this edition.

I really liked this previously unreleased track, and it definitely has a sound akin to Human Nature. I can only speculate that that similarity is what kept it off of the original release.

It's amazing to think this album won 8 Grammys, and I don't even believe it was close in any category.
+ Album of the Year
+ Record of the Year ("Beat It")
+ Best Male Pop Vocals ("Thriller")
+ Best Male Rock Vocals ("Beat It")
+ Best Male R&B Vocals ("Billie Jean")
+ Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean")
+ Producer of the Year (Qunicy Jones and Michael Jackson)
+ Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Bruce Swedien)

And there must not have been awards for best music video back then because "Thriller," "Billie Jean," and "Beat It" would have all been nominated.

This is a pivotal album that is well done here at an affordable price when you factor in all the cool stuff that's included.

Enjoy!!!

-- Mark "Technology, Music and Movies"


I woke up from a nap and there were three text messages on my phone. Nobody ever texts me, so I knew it must have been big news. I thought there was a fire or something. Turned out, Michael Jackson is dead. I was startled, to say the least, because MJ never seemed like the kind of person that could, you know, die. To be honest, he never really registered in my consciousness as being a person; Michael Jackson was the androgynous sexual panic of "Billie Jean," the breathless seduction of "P.Y.T.," the thrilling kitsch of "Thriller," the chattering afro-popisms of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." The idea that he had a human body, one that needed food and air and sleep, never really clicked in my mind. But then again, I guess that's to be expected. I mean, how can a mere human being really be thought to be capable of creating something as monstrous, as mechanical, as all-encompassing, and as awesome as Thriller? This kid wasn't the king of pop; he was the whole damn kingdom. And we, the audience, are not his loyal subjects; we're just reading the travel brochures.

The point is, Thriller is one of the greatest moments in the history of pure pop. Which is to say, it's plastic, mass-produced, jugular-grabbingly commercial, and completely unconcerned with originality, artistic merit, or honesty. And goshdarnit, I wouldn't have it any other way! With songs and performances as irresistible and ecstatic as the ones found here, artfulness will only get in the way. Because when you have a song as swooping, as ethereal, as hypnotic, and as unashamedly romantic as "Baby Be Mine," there's really no need to question its validity. Just let those labyrinthine keyboards and yearning vocals carry you away to a shiny place. And when "Beat It" comes roaring out of the gates, it does so with such force and brutal eloquence that you completely forget how absurd it is for Michael Jackson to take on the role of a street-smart hoodlum. As a vision of ghetto reality, it's a nonsensical failure; but the important thing to remember is that, on a purely visceral level, it SOUNDS more convincing and more immediate than its more authentic counterparts.

And then there's "Billie Jean," whose lyrics are either shockingly amoral or completely uneventful, but which still manages to be one of the most magical, irresistible, and emotionally charged moments in the history of music. And if we found ourselves getting annoyed by the idea of having to root for a child-abandoning father, then we can just remind ourselves that it's only a pop album. An stunning pop album, to be precise.

The Essential Michael Jackson
The 2CD The Essential Michael Jackson takes you on a journey from budding star, to iconic legend and allows you to immerse yourself in the musical and emotional development of each track defining the story of a global superstar.
Michael Jackson needs no introduction, as part of the Jackson 5 he helped make up a remarkable musical family and one of the biggest pop phenomenons of the early 70s. The Jacksons' infectious brand of funky soul and now iconic stage presence reached out globally and made them and Michael international stars.

As the success of the band grew, Michael branched out with his own solo career first launching with "Got to be There" and then "Rockin' Robin". The momentum started to grow with the release of more successful singles and, as the hype surrounding the Jackson 5 slowed down towards the late 70s, Michael continued to develop and grow as an artist. With the release of Off the Wall, an immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads, Michael cemented his place as a global star. The 1980s were a career-defining period with his instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power Michael Jackson was unstoppable. The 1982 album Thriller became the biggest selling album of all time and combined his musical genius with an exceptional and ahead of its time music video epic. Bad (1987) was released with enormous public anticipation and spawned another succession of hit singles with "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Man in the Mirror."


Whoa!!!!! Where did this come from? Without any hype or media attention, Sony has just released "The Essential Michael Jackson" (37 tracks, 157 min.), perhaps the ultimate Michael Jackson compilation.

CD 1 (20 tracks, 79 min.) cover the period up to and including the "Thriller" album, starting with the best known Jackson 5 singles such as "ABC" and "I Want You Back", then shifting to the Jacksons. It would have been better to include "State of Shock" or "Lovely One" instead of "Enjoy Yourself". CD1 finishes off with 7 of the 9 "Thriller" album tracks (the other 2 being "Baby Be Mine" and "The Lady in My Life"; it's still hard to believe how successfull that album really was, and how many hits were relased from it, in the days when "radio tracks" meant actual vinyl single releases). This was of course Michael at his absolute best, now 23 years ago.

CD2 (17 tracks, 78 min.) compiles 8 tracks from "Bad" and 7 from "Dangerous", and finishes off with "You Are Not Alone" from HIStory and "You Rock My World" from Invincible. In other words: only 2 tunes from the post-1992 era, and rightfully so, even though the HIStory and Invincible albums are not nearly as bad or mediocre as many would like you to believe. The only track that arguably should be on here (but, at 78 min. already, at the expense of what other track then?) is "Scream", the No. 1 duet with sister Janet.

In the end, this "essential" compilation is better than any other compilation available (HIStory Vol. 1; Number Ones, etc.) as it covers both the Jackson 5/Jacksons era and his solo output. It's very strange to me that this was released without any hype or advertizing campaign, but the main thing is that it's out and available. Hihgly recommended!

-- Paul Allaer


While some might gripe about the lack of new material on this collection, very few (and I only say this because I don't own all of them) of the sets in the "The Essential" series of compilations have anything new on them. The point is to make available an affordable compilation of an artist's hits over the course of their career. This is especially useful in the cases of artists who have had career highlights on various labels, such as Johnny Cash or Michael Jackson. In the case of Jacko's collection, this is the only 2-disc set on the market that contains tracks dating from the J5 years to the present, so it's valuable to those who want a lot of his hits in one purchase but don't want to buy the J5's greatest hits, a compilation of pre-Off the Wall hits and then another compilation that covers from Off the Wall to the present.

There are a few glaring omissions to be noted, though: "Dancing Machine," "Scream" (with Janet), and "Say Say Say" (with Paul McCartney) deserve to be on here. "Blood on the Dancefloor" is a personal favorite of mine that would've been nice to get without having to buy a remix album, too, but it's inessential (then again, so is "Dangerous," which made it on). Overall, though, I recommend it for those who want a 2-disc Jackson fix in 1 purchase.

-- The JeroCrowe "Student of Music"

Off the Wall [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SPECIAL EDITION]
Given the pace of Michael Jackson's post-Thriller release schedule, it's striking that Off the Wall appeared between two albums with his brothers, Destiny (1978) and Triumph (1980), on which the twentysomething phenomenon was also fully engaged. Aided by richly detailed but not overdone production, Off the Wall redefined how much Michael might do.

Tracks like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Rock with You," the title cut (all Top 10 singles), and "Burn this Disco Out" not only consolidated his dance-floor power, but showed just how soulful and varied his vocals could get on uptempo material. Artistic role models like James Brown and Jackie Wilson echo through the mixes, but these were Jackson's leaps forward. The addition of pure pop confection--Paul McCartney's "Girlfriend," Stevie Wonder's "I Can't Help It"--further fleshed out the star's young-adult persona and helped make Off the Wall among the most fondly remembered of all his solo work. This special edition features two magic home demos and entertaining, insightful interviews of producer Quincy Jones and "Rock with You" composer Rod Temperton.
-- Rickey Wright


Michael Jackson's first solo album as an adult tops many peoples list as his best yet. It's an incredibly strong and innovative album that set the mold for the greatness to come. This special edition reveals the album as it's never been heard before.
The clarity of sound presented here is astounding! Especially when you go back and listen to the original release. From the swirling cackles in the title track, to the bass on Burn This Disco Out, to the layered voices in Don't Stop, the sound enveopes you in it's crispness and rishness. It's pure aural candy!

The special edition includes a booklet with 4 new photos (one featuring Paul McCartney), a brick design on the cd itself, and 18 minutes of bonus material including, interviews with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton and, the best treat, two demo recordings.

Both demo's run about 4:30 and feature Randy and Janet on rhythm and sound efects. There is a hillarious spat between Randy and Janet at the begenning of the Don't Stop demo that had me roaring in laughter. These demos really give a sense of the Jackson family as a whole, fun, musically inventive, talented and wanting to help each other out. They also showcase Michael's strong song writing skills. The rhythms and arrangements are completely fleshed out but the lyrics are barely there. What you can hear of lyrics is very different from the final recordings and seems like MJ made it up as he went along in the song (Is he really singing 'Keep on with you hot dog' in Don't Stop Til You Get Enough?). The demo's highlight his talent as a rhythm arragner and song builder rather than a lyricist.

On the down side, the interviews aren't that enlightening and I can't imagine wanting to listen to them more than once or twice. Also nowhere in the booklet or on the jewel case is the bonus material given track numbers. There are a total of 19 tracks here with an announcer, interviews and demos. A track listing would''ve made it alot easier to find the demo's later. One final nitpick, I would've liked to have seen a picture underneath the cd's clear tray in the jewel case. Instead all we get is black. Oh well, it hardly detracts from all the great things about this sepcial edition.

If you're a MJ fan or have an older copy of Off The Wall, then you have to have this for the incredible restoration done, it's historical value and the insightful demo recordings. For the rest of you, don't miss out on this strong, innovative, fun and moving album. The sepcial edition is the one to have!


-- Bruce Aguilar


This has to be one of Michael Jackson's top 3 all-time greatest albums. Before Michael became strange this album captures what the "King of Pop" is best at: Pop/R&B. Carefully chosen tracks from proven songwriters (Carole Bayer Sager, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney)and a few tracks of his own added to a brilliant producer are all the ingredients of a great album.

Now, this disc has also been remastered par excellence! I have never heard such a great sounding remastering job in my life and believe me I've heard too many pretenders and alleged remastering jobs that even sound worse than the pre-remastered version.

The best tracks are the title track, "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough", and my favourite "Rock With You" but the other tracks, written by great hall-of-fame songwriters are great too and make the whole package cohesive and overall just a great album.

For the diehard fan, there are even bonus outtakes and interviews with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton although personally I feel they should have either left this out or put it on a separate disc but I guess I can always stop the disc after "Burn This Disco Out."

This is probably the best version of this album that's out there and is highly recommended for all MJ fans out there.

-- Frederick Baptist


When Michael Jackson released Off The Wall in 1979, he was a mere 21 years old, but he had been in the business for a decade. He had released several solo albums and singles (even topping the charts with "Ben" in 1972), but they were under the control of Motown. Off The Wall was his first real solo release as he was in charge. Mr. Jackson was always thought of as an unique talent, but he blew away everyone's expectations with the album. The album has a definite dance vibe, but although disco was at its height of popularity, the album doesn't fall in the disco category. The songs have fat grooves that make you want to dance, but the core of the songs belong to Mr. Jackson and not the production as is the case with most disco songs. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is the album's first track and single. It is a brilliant track with soaring strings and popping rhythms that has a spoken word intro that moves into a high falsetto. Mr. Jackson sings the song in the falsetto, but he interjects spoken word into verses that provide an echo to the lead. The song was a justifiable number one hit. "Rock With You" was the second single and is much slower in its beat, but you can still groove to it. It also topped the charts. "Working Day & Night" is a musical workout that sounds like a forerunner of "Wanna Be Startin' Something" from Thriller. "Get On The Floor" is a fiery call to arms that in which he doesn't ask that you get up and dance, but demands it. The title track has a funky vibe to it and "Girlfriend" is a Paul McCartney song that is pumped up a bit from its slight original, but is still the weakest track on the album. "She's Out Of My Life" is a straight ballad that is sung with heartbreaking sincerity. In fact Mr. Jackson literally broke down while singing it and you can hear the sobbing on the song. "Burn The Disco Out" closes the album in apocalyptic fashion and is a perfect capper to the album. Off The Wall was a major success that spawned four top ten hits, sold over 10 million copies but surprising never hit number one on the album charts, topping out at number three. The remastered version contains demo versions of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" & "Working Day & Night" as well as interviews with Quincy Jones & Rod Temperton.

-- Thomas Magnum

Bad [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SPECIAL EDITION]
"We wanted a tough album," producer Quincy Jones recalls in a bonus interview on this special edition of Bad. Though the 1987 blockbuster would appear to be Michael Jackson's most personal statement to date--9 of its 11 cuts were written solely by him--its appeal also rested more on craft than the idiosyncratic art of Thriller and Off the Wall. At the same time, most of Bad has aged well in spite of its digital brittleness and MIDI treatments of gems like Jimmy Smith's organ solo on the title track. While the third best of his first three Epic solo discs, Bad carries a lot of what people love about Jackson's music. This disc also benefits from two fine outtakes, the exciting, uptempo "Streetwalker" and the Carpenters homage "Fly Away." Either could easily have extended the record's run of hit singles.
-- Rickey Wright


Michael Jackson was always going to have trouble with a follow-up to his multi-Grammy award winning, record breaking, revolutionary and 50 million selling "Thriller" album. After all, it was the biggest selling record in history and spent a remarkable 37 weeks at No.1 on the US chart. So along came 1987, and with it, Michael's long-awaited follow up, "Bad." It's a well-known fact that it wasn't as good as Thriller, but it's definitely still an excellent and classic record too - and 25 million sales prove it, even if this was only half of its predecessor. As with all Michael Jackson albums, "Bad" spawned a string of massive worldwide hits which topped the charts worldwide and set new trends, broke records and revolutionized the way the world listens to music. Bad contains an impressive eight singles that were released in the UK.

Bad opens with the superb title track, "Bad." As the second single to be taken from this album, the song peaked at No.3 in the UK and was another massive US No.1 for Michael in September 1987. The beat is heavy on this song, and the vocals from Michael are nasty - they really do give the sense of bad and evil. The verses are subdued, while the chorus is a full-on assault in which Michael proudly declares his 'badness,' perfectly built up with the bridge. "The Way You Make Me Feel" is just an absolute classic. By far one of Michael's best ever songs, the song peaked at No.3 in the UK and was a US No.1 in December 1987. The deep and very tight bassline on this song is absolutely amazing, which runs the entire five minutes of the song. The way the song is arranged is just perfect, and Michael's voice is excellent as it rises and falls. "Speed Demon" is another excellent song, with a clunky beat that captures the imagination. The highlights include Michael's high-pitched vocals halfway through and the car engines revving up. "Liberian Girl" is one of the most laid-back and relaxing songs on Bad, yet it isn't really a mid-tempo song. Michael's subdued vocals are perfectly contrasted with the deep beat and the mysterious woman's foreign chant every so often. Not the best song, but still a good song overall.

"Just Good Friends" is perhaps the worst song on Bad, despite it being rather good. It tries too much to rely on past songs from Michael's previous two albums, in which people speculate a romance over the two, so they publicly declare they are 'just good friends'. The formula worked well on previous albums, but fails here. "Another Part Of Me" is one of the best songs on the album, with its nasty and ear-catching beat. It was a very radio-friendly song, which only peaked at No.15 in the UK. "Man In The Mirror" was Michael's 10th US No.1 single, but charted at a disappointingly low No.21 in the UK. The message behind the song is that if you want to make a difference in the world you should start with yourself, and if you're not happy with yourself, you probably won't be bothered in making that difference. The song has a memorable chorus with a catchy hook, but the verse lacks this. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is without a doubt one of Michael's best-ever songs. A UK and US No.1 hit single in August 1987, this remarkable mid-tempo ballad opens with spoken text by Michael, about how much he loves the lady in his life. The song then begins after around 37 seconds with a beautiful tune. The verses that follow have a catchy and smooth arrangement, and the chorus is amazing. Michael also shares the song with Siedah Garrett - her contribution to the song is equally thrilling.

"Dirty Diana" is another absolute classic and a favourite amongst many fans. This is the perfect song to sum up the atmosphere of the album - dark and bad, but in a good way. The verses are rather slow and swaying, before the chorus jumps in with its heavy-rock chorus and Michael's screeching vocals. "Smooth Criminal" is yet another amazing song. The song has a funky beat, with brilliant and flamboyant vocals, along with Michael's classic line "Annie are you ok? So, Annie are you ok? Are you ok, Annie?" The video is legendary and features Michael pulling off some amazing moves in his white suit, and who could forget the scene where he throws a quarter in the club before it lands in the jukebox at the other side of the room? The final song on Bad is the extraordinary "Leave Me Alone." Michael addresses all those critics who have only negative things to say about him. The song is rather different to anything Michael has every done, and works very well. The chorus has layered vocals which give it a perfect sound, while the beat is typical Jackson. The song was never released in the US, but peaked at No.2 in the UK in February 1989. Even more amazing is the video. It is mainly an animated video, with the media's perfect world which has destroyed Michael, but he gets up off the floor, taller than any building or mountain and starts ripping the place to bits.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Michael Jackson is one of the biggest selling male recording artists of all-time. His musical style has run all the way through society. From "Rock With You" to "You Rock My World" and "Billie Jean" to "Black And White," Michael has always been there setting the trends, breaking records and literally ruling the world. He is the best male artist ever, and no one anytime soon will replace him. Therefore, his records are essential in your collection - the most essential are "Off The Wall," "Thriller," "Bad" and "Dangerous." Bad is probably the worst, but still a classic record for anyone's collection.

-- Busy Body


I know some of you are going to say it's just plain sacrilegious but hey, just because everybody jumps into the lake.... "Thriller" is a great album with great tracks and because of a variety of fortunate reasons e.g. timeliness, MTV etc, has become the biggest selling album of all-time but that doesn't mean that everything else that MJ comes up with later that doesn't sell as much is crap.

In fact, this is the album when MJ's weirdness first became pretty obvious. "Hey! Is that really Michael on the cover?" was my reaction as well but I chose to look beyond the looks and not to judge the book by the cover and just listened to the tunes. Some of my favourite MJ songs ever are on this disc.

"The Way You Make Me Feel" is an MJ classic and clearly among his top 5 ever songs. "Smooth Criminal" was always a great track even before Alien Ant Farm showed us why, "Liberian Girl" and "Man in the Mirror" are also great tracks and the rest of the tracks cannot be called album filler by any stretch of the imagination.

The sound quality of this special edition has also been remastered to near perfection and the bonus interviews and tracks are a real bonus to fans. This album grows on you over time and for me has aged a lot better than "Thriller" has. Maybe I've heard "Thriller" too many times but give me a choice between the two if I had to put one of them on the cd player, I'd choose "Bad" any time and if not "Off the Wall" before I'd reach for "Thriller."

Get over the Wacko Jacko hangup and just judge the cd for the tracks if you can and then you'll see just how great this album really is. This very well remastered and special edition is very highly recommended.

-- Frederick Baptist

Number Ones
Like the Beatles and Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson is one of the handful of artists that can release an album of their number one singles. Number Ones includes his solo chart toppers in the UK and abroad from the period beginning with his Off the Wall album right up to the new song "One More Chance", a collaboration with R Kelly. The remaining 17 songs on the album are all classics drawn from the disco-soul Off the Wall, the funky Thriller, the good Bad, the safe Dangerous, the semi-best-of History and the weak Invincible. Regardless of whether the bulk of Number Ones has appeared on other greatest hits albums, this is still an incredible selection of Michael Jackson's best music.
-- Georgina Collins


It may seem like overkill for MJ to release another greatest hits album after 2001's "Michael Jackson Greatest Hits HIStory Volume 1", but these songs are strong enough to warrant it (all of them were number one hits). This set omits the songs "She's Out of My Life", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "The Girl Is Mine" and "Remember The Time" that appeared on the 2001 greatest hits disc but adds 8 (!) other hits. "Smooth Criminal", "Dirty Diana", "You Are Not Alone", "Earth Song", "You Rock My World", "Break of Dawn", his newest song "One More Chance" and the concert version of "Ben" from The Jacksons live album. Although there are some number one hits still omitted, this CD is the more complete of the two. As a bonus, the songs are presented in chronological order this time too.
The CD has been released in four different covers representing separate eras of his solo career. Who knows which one Amazon will ship, but the cover pictured is my favorite. Don't worry about not getting your favorite cover though as all are included in the bookelt. Which brings me to the only downside to this collection - the skimpy liner notes. Every greatest hits colection should list release date and chart information. Not all of these songs were number one hits in the U.S. It would be nice to know where it hit number one and how long it held the position.

MJ fans probably already have all 6 of his CD's and therefore the main reason to get this CD is for the new song "One More Chance" which is classic MJ R&B. If you only have one or two of his CD's then NUMBER ONES will be a perfect addition to your collection. Highly recommended.

-- Bruce Aguilar


Despite the recent controversy surrounding his personal life, Michael Jackson has long been known as the King Of Pop, and with good reason. For most pop stars, their time in the spotlight lasts maybe 2-3 years before they are reduced to guest appearances on weekly sit-coms or the occassional "info-mercial". This is not true of Jackson, whos reign at the top has carried him through the past 2+ decades since the onset of his solo career after leaving the Jackson Five.
This collection of Number One hits is therefore a must have for any fan of the pop genre. Since the 1980's, Jacksons eclectic, diverse style has seen many landmarks in the music industry, setting new standards, breaking new ground and re-inventing a style that was in its infancy when Jackson came into his own. His pioneering sound created a whole new generation of music and for that he was rewarded the title "King of Pop".

The album features 18 of Jackson most beloved songs, featured in the order which they originally made it to number one. Included on the album are some of his largest breakout hits like "Billy Jean" and Beat It" which both became such huge hits that they are immediately recognizable by audiences today.

The song "Thriller", which also emerged early in Jackson's solo career, firmly planted the superstars reputation as a serious talent in the industry. Not only was Jackson re-inventing the style of music, he was setting a new standard unprecedented in the industry at that time. Music television was only a few years old when the video for "Thriller", a 10+ minute short film, was released for the first time. The video, which was so well produced that it rose immediately to the head of the video industry, set a new level of quality in the genre that artists have been struggling to match since.

The album also features a number of other large hits for Michael, including the songs which added to the early controversy in Jackson's professional career. "Black or White", a song about racial equality again put Jackson in the spotlight for his controversal portrayal of violence against authority. "Bad", "Smooth Criminal", and "Dirty Diana" also feature Jackson's hard driving rythems and smooth, sometimes aggressive lyrics covering a range of topics that has often lead to speculation and ridicule by the press, while at the same time leaving his world-wide hordes of fans clammoring for more.

Some of the more poignant pieces in this collection include songs like "Man In the Mirror", a song where Michael points the finger at himself while pondering the choices in his life.

In all, the album is a great collection of all his number one hits, and is a great look back at the man who created a genre that has grown since he stepped to the front of the class, but never outgrown his talent. With the onset of this generations pop superstars like Justin Timberlake, Brittany Spears and Chrsitina Aguilera, it is a further testimony to his talent and sheer ability that Michael Jackson has remained such a huge part of not only the genre, but the music industry as a whole. Love him or hate him, his talent is unmistakable and unquestionable.

This compilation of hits is a great addition to any music collection, and is a must have for any Jackson fan. For anyone who isn't already familiar with his music, this collection is a great introduction into the mind and soul of a man who reshaped the music industry. Jackson truly is the King of Pop, and through this album, you can enter the gates to his kingdom. Give this album a listen, you won't be disappointed.

-- Scott Kolecki

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection [BOX SET]
Japanese pressing of 2004 compilation includes four bonus tracks, 'Blame It On The Boogie', 'Human Nature', 'The World', & 'One More Chance'. This five disc set is limited to 20,000 pieces & includes a DVD (NTSC/Region 2). CBS. 2004. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Yes Michael Jackson has had a few too many 'Greatest Hits' packages, but this one truly is the Ultimate collection of his musical work. Four CDs jam packed with hits and rarities spanning his entire 34 year recording career (J5, The Jacksons and solo), a DVD of his Dangerous concert that aired on HBO (available here for the first time) and an original 60 page book detailing his entire career. There's precious little more you could ask for from a box set.

Now Michael has only released 6 full albums of new material in the past 25 years so chances are that most already have the hits in one form or another so why buy this set? Consider the following list of all the rare and previously unreleased songs in this collection.

Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons first hit from their first album with Epic

Ease On Down The Road / You Can't Win - both from The Wiz Soundtrack

Shake A Body - previously unreleased demo of what became "Shake Your Body Down To The Ground"

Sunset Driver - previously unreleased demo

P.Y.T. - previously unreleased demo

Someone In The Dark - track from the rarely heard E.T. Storybook

State Of Shock - duet with Mick Jagger (!) from The Jacksons last album Victory

Scared of the Moon - previously unreleased demo

We Are The World - previously unreleased demo

We Are Here To Change The World - from Captain EO (previously unreleased)

Cheater - previously unreleased demo

Dangerous - previously unreleased alternate version

Monkey Business - previously unreleased

Who Is It (IHS Mix) - rare remix

Someone Put Your Hand Out - rare promotional song (first time on CD)

On The Line - from the "Get On The Bus" soundtrack

Fall Again - previously unreleased demo

In The Back - previously unreleased

Beautiful Girl - previously unreleased demo

The Way You Love Me - previously unreleased

We've Had Enough - previously unreleased

That's 14 completely brand new tracks never heard before and 8 that were previously very hard to come by. These 22 tracks alone (a full album of material) make this set worth the purchase for any MJ fan. It's surprising that these demos and completed songs never saw the light of day until now considering the high caliber of the work. If this is any indication of the songs MJ has in the vault, I'd love to hear more - lots more.

No matter if you only have one or two MJ CDs, are a rabid fan or are just interested in finding out what al the fuss is about, this is the set for you. Sony did an amazing job with this set and Michael (a real perfectionist) should be commended for his bravery in releasing demos. I look forward to hearing many more of these previously unheard recordings. Thanks Mike.

-- Bruce Aguilar


A good box set with nice packaging and reasonable song choices, but the target audience for this monster of a set is not casual fans. They will buy the greatest hits compilations "HIStory" or "Number 1's" and be content. This box set should have been for the loyal fans who have stuck by Michael -- the ones who already own all the hits and regular albums. For that reason, "The Ultimate Collection" box set is a little short on rarities.

The most obvious omission is the Thriller era b-side "Can't Get Outta The Rain." Also, the set would have been worth the price alone had they included his one-time performance of "You Were There" from the Sammy Davis Jr. Anniversary TV Special. It has never been released anywhere.

The good news is that fans who buy this collection will get a few cool songs and demos from the MJJ vaults. One song in particular, "On The Line" (written by Babyface) and found only as a bonus track on a European CD single, is so good it is surprising it was never issued as a single in the U.S. back in the 90's. It would have been a number one for sure.

For those bemoaning the fact that we have yet another greatest hits package from Michael to contend with, don't blame him. He has absolutely nothing to do with it. This is all Sony Music's fault. It is part of their contract with him. They can compile his music any way they see fit. He has no approval on anything. It is not a cash grab for MJJ to cover mounting legal expenses as some have guessed. It is a last ditch effort by his former record company to make some money on his supposedly fading star. So knowing that, this collection could have been a lot worse (like the mishmash "Number 1's"). But whomever put it together just skimmed the surface of the hits, tossed in a few rare songs and called it a box set. Not a lot of thought went into this "ultimate" collection. It doesn't even include all the blockbuster hits.

Missing are the J5 favorites The Love You Save, Never Can Say Goodbye and a few Jacksons hits are also not included.

The collection is light on true rarities, b-sides, live songs, alternate takes and demos. We all already have the hits (there are so many Jackson hits collections I have actually lost count), this should have been something more special.

The DVD is the 1992 HBO special which every fan already has. This should have been a live compilation. Maybe the 1987 Japan-only concert special or something as rare. Sony really missed an opportunity here. What Michael Jackson needs is a solid live album. Maybe once they are through skimming the top of the MJJ "hits" catalog, Sony executives will give true fans a rarities collection worth buying. I'd be happy to advise them on the song list.

The bottom line is that "The Ultimate Collection" will be a nice addition to any diehard MJJ fan's CD collection, but it will leave them skipping past the songs they already own several times over and "ultimately" leave them wanting more.

But maybe that was Sony's greedy plan all along.

-- worstfilms

Invincible
For such a boldly titled and apparently driven attempt to reinstate Michael Jackson at the center of the pop world, Invincible is a listless thing. Split between scratchy funk workouts and midtempo ballads that might have appeared as Bad B-sides, the album plays on and on while never seriously promoting dancing or romancing. Its handful of weird moments--the resurrection-by-tape of Biggie Smalls on the bridge of the title track, for instance--are hardly large-scale bizarre like the first disc of HIStory. The title track turns out to be hardly the rampant egofest you'd imagine; instead, its subject is a female whom Jackson cheers on. Likewise, the most ear-catching moments of the "comeback" single "You Rock My World" come with Chris Tucker's jivey introduction. Despite a debt to "Payback"-era James Brown, "Rock" floats away like steam midway through. It's almost a relief when the old self-regard turns up: on the growling "Privacy," Jackson rants about muckrakers "stalking" him in search of "the stories you need to bury me," all this long after foundering divas and troubled boy-group members have replaced him on tabloid covers. The man may occasionally break away from the mirror but seems unsure where else to find inspiration.

-- Rickey Wright


So this is Michael's first real studio album since 1995's HISTORY 2 CD set (the second disc was a new album). We saw BLOOD ON THE DANCEFLOOR in 1997, but basically that was a remixed HISTORY with a few new tracks. So here it is, 6 years fans have been waiting. A few questions come to mind. 1. Was it worth the wait? 2. Will Michael make a comeback? 3. Is the album good? I can honestly answer all three questions with a resounding YES!
INVINCIBLE is a 16 track, 77 minute album, filled with top production and innovation in music. Michael has once again created a new sound, this time by working with hot producer Rodney Jerkins, other producers include Teddy Riley, Dr. Freeze, Andre Harris, Babyface, and R. Kelly. Together, Michael has created a fresh new sound for R&B, and I'm sure others will follow his lead here.

The album starts off strong with three uptempo songs. "Unbreakable" is a nice album opener, it'll get you hoppin' to the dancefloor. It features a sample rap by The Notorious B.I.G. "Heartbreaker" is a catchy uptempo song, perfect for the clubs, a surefire hit if released. The title track is another great song. Then are two ballads, both beautifully written arranged and sang, "Break of Dawn", and "Heaven Can Wait".

"You Rock My World", the first single is a hit in its own right, its catchy, the vocals are smooth and irresistible, you can't help but groove to the music on this one. "Butterflies", the planned second single, shows Michael on a soulful type song, very beautiful, one of the album's many highlights. Perhaps one of the biggest standouts on the album is "2000 Watts", cowritten by Tyrese, it's an irresistible dance song, perfect for the clubs, and Michael's voice is very deep in this song, very different from any of his other songs.

The album has other fine moments, really there is no filler here. I was disapointed after the album was pushed back further and further, from 1999, to 2000, to 2001, and finally its out. Well its safe to say it was worth the wait. He has created probably one of the best new albums of the new millenium, with a fresh new sound. Where he used to yell a lot in his songs to show anger, this album shows him in a happier mood with soulful vocals that are so smooth and addictive. Give this one a try you won't be disapointed!

-- J. M. Zuurbier


Instead of saying "Invincible RULES!!!" or "Invincible SUCKS!!!", I thought I'd write a review on each song and let everybody judge the album that way. I rated each song and averaged them together and came out with a 3.6 star rating for the album. So I rounded up to 4 stars.
So here are my thoughts on each song, with the rating listed before the song title:

1) ***** Unbreakable - This is probably my favorite track on the album. I'm a sucker for a good piano/keyboard melody, so this song just hit me right away. The beat and melody is incredible and it is laced with a classic MJ vocal sound. Notorious B.I.G.'s rap is also well-placed into the song.

2) ***** Heartbreaker - At first I was turned off to this song because of its uncanny resemblance to a Timbaland song. Some of the sounds seem ripped from Ginuwine's 1996 "Pony" song. But after listening to it and giving it a chance, I really like this song alot. The best part is the "bridge" of the song (starts at ~2:08 into the song).

3) **** Invincible - This is a good song. Very good beat...easy to jam to.

4) ***** Break of Dawn - I love this song! It's very smooth...great romantic song produced by Dr. Freeze.

5) ***** Heaven Can Wait - One of the 3 Teddy Riley songs which are great on this album (one's not so great...read below for more details). The lyrics are beautiful. It's one of the best songs on the album.

6) ***** You Rock My World - Again...great song. Classic Rodney Jerkins production with a classic MJ sound to it as well. And the Chris Tucker skit in the beginning always makes me crack up. MJ saying, "She is banging"...really funny!

7) **** Butterflies - At first this was a skipper cause it started off too slow. I would just hit the skip button. But then my friend told me this was her favorite song. So I actually listened to it, and it really is a beautiful song. Very nice lyrics and nice music. You should give this one a try. I haven't heard one person who doesn't like this one.

8) *** Speechless - At first I would skip this one every time, because the song starts off very slow. But when I actually listened to it, I realized it was a very nice song. It would get a 4 star rating if it weren't for that beginning part.

9) ***** 2000 Watts - Classic Teddy Riley club joint! This song will rock your speakers. Michael Jackson sings the verses in a lower tone than you're used to hearing him. The lyrics are kinda strange though...it's all about high tech, high energy.

10) * You are my life - Why did they put this horrible Babyface song on the album??? I usually like Babyface songs, but this one should not have made the cut. Skip it!

11) *** Privacy - This is another song about the evil media and how he wants to be left alone. It's a good song, but not as good as his previous "evil media" song, "Leave Me Alone".

12) * Don't Walk Way - It has an ok melody, but I'm just not feeling this song. It has this weird country vibe to it. I'm surprised this was a Teddy Riley production.

13) * Cry - I usually skip it. Again, this is kinda slow. This one is produced by R. Kelly...I usually like his songs, so maybe I'll give it a chance one of these days.

14) * The Lost Children - Ditto...same as "Cry". Too slow.

15) ***** Whatever Happens - This should be one of the singles. This is a wonderful song produced by Teddy Riley and featuring guitar performances by Carlos Santana. Santana is also the guy who whistles at the beginning of the song. This song has a great vibe to it...probably my 2nd favorite song on the album.

16) **** Threatened - Can you say Thriller part 2? I would love to see the video for this one. It's got that great Thriller-type vibe on this song...it even has Vincent Price-type rap verses on it.

-- Dan Perlberger

Got to Be There
Low price reissue of 1972 album that's out-of-print domestically. Ten tracks. Spectrum. 2003.


Michael Jackson's first solo album, released at the peak of the Jackson Five's popularity, is a mixed bag of covers and originals. Surprisingly, the sound of this album is vastly different than that of the J5, although the brothers appear on a few tracks as background singers. This is very light, gentle fare that perfectly suits Michael's then-13-year-old voice. Unfortunately, Motown's studio backup singers are much older than Michael and the blend is, at times, an odd one. Michael's pure talent and conviction saves a few otherwise dry arrangements ("You've Got a Friend," "Wings of my Love") and simply amazes on the THREE hit singles ("Got to be There," "Rockin' Robin," and "I Wanna be Where You Are"). On four tracks, Michael interjects much too-rehearsed spoken lyrics that ruin otherwise enjoyable songs. Cheeziness aside, this is a decent album which definitely rises above "kiddie" status, despite Michael's age at the time. Check it out, it's worth it. Hopefully Motown will re-release his solo albums in two-for-one packages like they did with the J5 albums and bonus tracks.

-- Kyle


I became a Michael Jackson fan just a few months ago. Yes, that's right!
This was his first ever solo album....and boy, it was a true indication of what this guy was going to achieve. The singing is FANTASTIC. Pure voice, with soul and heart! Aint No Sunshine is out of this world! I cannot believe he was just 13yrs old when he sang it.
What amazes me about Michael Jackson, and what a lot of people fail to appreciate, is how each album of his is completely different. The sound, the image, the look...everything is different with each album. He's never stuck to a "tried & tested" method and has never been afraid to experiment. Sadly, this same characteristic has earned him a lot of criticism. Someday, people will understand.

-- D. R. Hettiarachchi

The Best of Michael Jackson (Anthology Series)
Chock full of hits and nicely assembled, this two-CD collection focuses on Michael before he left the Motown cocoon, hooked up with Quincy Jones, and changed the sound of black pop with Off the Wall. Does the relatively safe vibe and the less-than-groundbreaking nature of the music make these songs any less enjoyable or memorable? No way--especially for boomers who grew up with MJ. All the hits are here, from the chirpy smash "Rockin' Robin" to the yearning "Got to Be There" (check those high notes!) and a handful of J5 tracks (chief among them the impassioned "I'll Be There"). For fans of R&B and for Michael-maniacs, this is a must.

-- Amy Linden


First things first, Michael Jackson is a killer soul singer. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He's got soul commin' out of every orphus in his body.
This two CD set of incredible material focuses on that early time in his career when things seemed a little more simple. You can hear it in is voice, however, that things may not be as simple as they seem.

Every cut on this CD is full of emotion, of incredible feeling. That emotion and power is what drives his music today. And what drove his music back then.

Of the 44 songs on this CD (yes, 44, an amazing smount of songs for nay compilation), not one is bad. Yes his voice may have been pubecent and girly, but listen to it and you'll see why he is a pure soul and R&B singer, first and foremost.

There are classic hits with his brothers, The Jackson 5 on here that will delite anybody.

Watch out for 'Ain't No Sunshine', 'Music And Me' and 'It's Too Late To Change The Time'. They are killer songs, worthy of buying this album alone!

Great CD for any fan at any age...

Five out of Five

-- David M. Sulkers


To hear the best of Michael Jackson, look no further than this "best of" anthology. It's a double C.D. that contains all the very best from Mikey's early years (arguably his most creative and inspirational musical period). None of that Thriller/Bad-stuff, here. Just timeless songs sung by a master singer at his peak. No true MJ fan should be without a collection of songs such as this. Essential!!

-- By Amazon's A Customer

Music & Me
Low-priced overview of Michael's early solo recordings for Motown in the early '70s. Contains 15 tracks, including the #2 smash 'Rockin Robin' and the top 50 'With A Child's Heart'.

I Have The Original Album On Vinyl&it is Very Soulful.Michael Jackson Sings Like it's Nobodys Business Back in the day.The Teeny Bop Singers of Today Should Listen too Real Singing.this is a Must.from One Of The GREATEST ARTISTS EVER!

-- mistermaxxx

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Michael Jackson

I have all of Michael's CD (including the horrific Blood on the dancefloor, and so-so History album) startinng from Off the Wall but nothing before that. I have heard several tracks of his solo releases from Motown, but have never been certain what to buy. Frankly, I decided on this purchase because I like the cover . I am however pleasantly surprised by the good song materials and wonderful production here. The sound quality is good too. I have only heard of Ben and One Day in Your Life prior to buying this, and think Michael sings so well in them. The rest of the album has equally wonderful songs - Happy (Love Song from Lady Sings The Blues), Music and Me, Got To Be There, I Wanna be Where You Are (Melissa Manchester sang this too). Michael sang with so much more conviction then than now. The voice was real, the feelings were real, and he looked real. He didn't write or produce any of the songs here, and yet they are all wonderful. (Don't get me wrong, I think he is terribly talented and has written some really good songs). Today, I think he tries too hard to do everything himself, tries too hard to please everyone and tries too hard to play catch up.
The new producers he worked with are probably good with what they do but they are just not suitable for him. Did you hear Blood from the Dancefloor? Could you hear Michael sing? Were they songs? Here producers like Hal Davis (Dionne Warwick's 60s song writer/producer with Burt Bacharach and Diana Ross' sometime song writer/producer in 70s), Berry Gordy etc, doesn't over -produce to impress whatever - they produce for the songs and for Michael.

Perhaps he should use his talent fully by choosing the right producers more suitable for him. After Quincy Jones, he got nowhere. If you had listened to Jones' Q' Joint and Back on the Block which won Grammy's Album of the Year, you will know that Michael should have stuck with him.

My dislikes of this album are the opening two numbers where Michael is "highly-pitched and screaming away". I think he sang well, but the pitch is probably too high for my liking (minus one star). After the first two tracks, he mellowed into beautiful serenade. Buy this CD and indulge in real, beautiful songs and singing before the invasion of all things artificial and weird.

-- J. Thng "Madge"


For me, listening to any music created before 1985 feels like an expedition through time in search of hidden musical treasures; I really didn't start paying serious attention to the music industry until the summer of 1989 - the summer between my 6th and 7th grades.
So did I find any sonic gems on this album? You better believe it. I was already familiar with "Got To Be There"; it's one of my favorite Michael Jackson slow songs of all time. For those who haven't heard it, I would just describe it as an innocent and passionate declaration of love.

We continue with urgently pleading "I Wanna Be Where You Are", a song I'd heard sampled in 1991 by rapper MC Lyte in her song "Georgie Porgie"; this song is great. "Rockin Robin" is a fun remake - you can almost picture a cartoon video in your head while you listen; the song is colorful and playful.

"People Make The World Go Round" was another surprise for me. I like it, but the reason it surprised me was because in 1996, the group Westside Connection used this song as the basis for their hit, "Gangstas Make The World Go Round"...at any rate, I felt educated when I heard the original, which is wonderful. I always appreciate learning something new (or old, depending on your perspective, of course).

"With A Child's Heart", and "Happy" are both great ballads firmly rooted in the pop tradition; benign, tender and sugary. "Ben", on the other hand is young MJ's eerily beautiful masterpiece. From what I understand, the song was used for a horror movie called "Willard"; the movie was about a boy and his homicidal pet rat...

The next two tracks don't really fit Michael Jackson's voice in my opinion; they were produced with a philly-soul sound that was more rugged than Michael's signature pop/R&B. Eventually, we make our way to track #10, the ultra-somber "One Day In Your Life" - my favorite song on the album. Here are some of the lyrics:

One Day In Your Life

You'll Remember The Love You Found Here

You'll Remember Me Somehow

Though You Don't Need Me Now,

I Will Stay In Your Heart

And When Things Fall Apart,

You'll Remember One Day...

I think this song is very sad and moving. I admit that it may strike some as ridiculously corny, but it worked for me. The sound and feeling behind this song bring to mind the melancholy that fueled Gloria Estefan's 1987 ballad "Anything For You"...

We close this collection with a ballad called "Music and Me" that ends the album perfectly. On this CD you're getting both versions of Michael - the child, and the adolescent. It's a great buy...

Thanks for reading

-- C.H.R.