Michael Jackson Returns, at Least on Record

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/09/michael-jackson-returns-at-least-on-record/?_php=true&_type=blogs&smid=tw-nytimesmusic&seid=auto&_r=0

Thank you Patricia for sharing this link:



Michael Jackson Returns, at Least on Record

By BEN RATLIFF


Michael Jackson performing in 1988. A new album credited to the artist, titled “Xscape,” features eight songs that date initially from 1983 to 1999.
David Mcgough/DMI/Time Life Pictures, via Getty ImagesMichael Jackson performing in 1988. A new album credited to the artist, titled “Xscape,” features eight songs that date initially from 1983 to 1999.
 
 
This week on Popcast: Michael Jackson is still alive — on “Xscape,” the latest posthumous episode in a deal between the Jackson estate and Sony Records reportedly worth $250 million.

The album, to be released next Tuesday, isn’t more finished late-period outtakes, like a previous posthumous album, “Michael,” from 2010. Instead, it uses some of Mr. Jackson’s unreleased demos recorded between 1983 and 1999, but for the most part only his vocals. A grip of producers — mostly Timbaland, Stargate, Rodney Jerkins and John McClain — created entirely new tracks for them, directly inspired by the various eras of Jackson hits, but with new timbres and dynamics.
All in all, “Xscape” is an extremely delicate operation. Even a casual listener cares to some extent about a pop star’s grand plan, his construction of sound or identity, how his songs might express his desires or ambitions. But as our music critic Jon Pareles put it, “Jackson’s original intentions died with him; what remains are waveforms.” And “Xscape” really is for the casual listener. These songs are confections designed to get on the radio today, not to be respectable curios, bits of added-value for album-reissue projects.
Mr. Pareles is our guest on Popcast this week, talking about “Xscape” as a musical and philosophical and music-business experiment, discussing its pronounced feeling of narrative, and raising the question of authenticity, whether it has a place in this conversation or not.
Listen above, download the MP3 or subscribe in iTunes.
RELATED
Jon Pareles on Michael Jackson’s “Xscape”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ABC NEWS 06/21/2010: Michael Jackson: Ambulance at Neverland

Image
This is a screen shot of the web page part way through the video.  The photographer states this is where they were actually bringing Michael out on the stretcher".  You never see a stretcher but this is what you do see - a man that appears to look like "Michael Jackson".  This came out over four years ago and now I see this a bit different: IF THIS IS TRUTH IN REPORTING - WHICH IT MAY WELL BE: Fact:  Article dated 06/21/2010 Footage is owned by Ben Evenstad taken through the gate of "Jackson Home" The Title of his video is  "Michael Jackson:  Ambulance at Neverland IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN THE AMBULANCE WAS AT CAROLWOOD THE AMBULANCE WAS AT CAROLWOOD ON JUNE 25, 2009 NOT 6/21/10 AND MICHAEL IS STANDING UP - AND ALIVE - NOT IN A COMA ON A STRETCHER Here is the link from the article still available to view the entire video. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/michael-jackson-ambulance-neverland-10974241
Read more

Michael Jackson - Liberian Girl

Image
This Is It has the Smooth Criminal scenes reminiscent of "Moonwalker"  Movie - Moonwalker contains the spiders - the three children similar to Prince, Paris & Blanket.  It involves Michael fighting the drug war... and in the end appears to leave in a "spaceship" of some sorts - and return in the end to the three children.  He takes them into the back door of what seems to be an other "theater" and then we see him performing "Come Together"  (I did a previous post showing how badly this was edited) A Friend of mine - Lisa - brought up Liberian Girl - we've known the references within the hoax the program offered at the Forest Lawn Service - with the picture of Michael as the director in which he says  "That's a Wrap" So I began looking a little closer at the video Liberian Girl Video Connection to Hoax in the Early Days Noticed the numbers on this sign that starts the video and changes it to color like...
Read more