Michael Jackson - Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection (4 CD's + 1 DVD)
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Free Music Notes for Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection (4 CD's + 1 DVD)
Free Music Review: OWNERS OF THIS SET: READ THIS (AT LEAST THE FIRST PART)
Hit: 5 Stars
CHECK OUT THE BOOKLET INSIDE!!!
I don't know how many people noticed this - I just picked up on it myself four days after purchasing this - but on each page in the insert book are little icons of Jacko in the lower right corner. It's a flip-book of him doing the moonwalk and ending with that trademark whirlwind spind and tip-toe freeze he does. It's kinda neat and easy to overlook.
See my previous review here at Amazon for details about the boxset itself. OnE thing I forgot to focus on mentioning in that review is how beautiful the packaging is - box, booklet, the discs themselves. This little discovery makes it all the more awesome! It really is a great addition to display in your cd library... and the music is great - it is the definative (and yes, "Ultimate") Jackson collection. Even though many gripe of buying many a Jackson hits already, toss 'em and get this. Thay are not complete - this is. HIStory is missing a ton of stuff and Number Ones is just a pathetic marketing tool. The answer to the problem is here! If someone had no idea why Michael Jackson is so popular, this would be the thing to give them. One listen and they'd get it!
Anyway, GO, SEE THE BOOK INSIDE IF YOU OWN THIS AND HAVEN'T NOTICED YET!
PS
Pick this up at Target or Best Buy for under $30. Also, If you are a fan, the new Bon Jovi boxset is $30 at Target only - lowest price around for that one. Enjoy both!!!!!
ORIGINAL REVIEW; 11/16/04:
Lets just get this out of the way for those who assume my 5-star review is based on my being part of Michael Jackson's "rapidly dwindling cult," as one Amazon review put it: These days it is hard to get behind Michael Jackson. I say that as somebody who has shouted myself hoarse defending him, but finally am admitting to myself that no matter what the truth to what we hear, the guy is just stranger than fiction. That, by the way, is not a crime and may also explain why he is responsible for some of the best music of the 20th century: To quote a general when asked why the military would hire a maniac to build weapons for national defense, "sane people don't build things like this!" I can admit though, it has gotten out of control. I can also sympathise with complaints that Michael Jackson has a)been recycling hits far to often and b) seems incapable of reinventing himself and staying relevent with new material.
There. That said may five star rating is based on the music and this set alone, not compaired to previous sets or how many other sets are already out there. Forget all that, forget the controversy and unproven allegations. JUST LISTEN. This collection is the stuff off legends. And remember. Back to before all this goofy and sad stuff that got in the way of the music, because the music is what it should be all about and this is one of the strongest collections by any artist in history. It is even more-so impressive when you consider Michael's fairly small amount of studio albums, against say the Beatles or the Stones. This is a five cd boxset of all hits from a guy who didn't have much more than five solo albums.
That's the defense; now for the fans who want to know if they need more MJ or if the higher box set price is worth it. Die-Hards don't need me to tell them, they're already in line, everyone else consider this: HIStory was half-assed. If it was two discs of all hits it would have gotten the job done. I love that album, but as a greatest hits it is severely lacking. Also that was nearly 10 years ago. Number Ones was even worse. Songs were edited, it didn't really imrove on HIStory, and it seemed like a marketing ploy, even more so in lue of this collection just a year away. The label should have just waited to release this package instead. Also, and this is the best part, this set has Jackson 5 and Jacksons era hits never before included with Michael's solo hits and there are a handful of never before released songs - all of them good. You can't beat that. Plus a DVD of the 1992 Dangerous concert which is great for any fan - there aren't going to be too many concert DVD's from Jacko I'm sorry to say, so this is something to have. (Minor quibble: where are Scream, Blame it On the Boogie, Cry, Human Nature, Working Day and Night, In the Closet, Give In to Me and Will You Be There? They were all singles.)
I was worried after the hack-job that was Number Ones, but the label really came through with this one. It's well put together and vividly packaged.
Forget the B.S. Just listen and I guarantee you will remember what you forgot: MJ is one of the greats. This box does his legacy proud!
Free Music Review: He's The Man...
Hit: 5 Stars
That's all I'm gonna say about the title of this review. He's the man. And in music, few can ever come to him. You have your Ushers and you have your Britneys and you have your Alicia Keys and you have your Justin Timberlakes and then you have Michael Jackson.
I do believe that the media overshadow parts of him - like his troubling personal life (and who we're fooling, every one of us have had troubling lives, the only reason it's an issue is because Michael's been famous since my sister was born and she's 35 right now), his music videos sometimes take more credit than his actual music (yes MTV made some overlook the fact that Michael Jackson was actually a recording superstar before Thriller's release) and the talk of his face (if the man wants to look like an apple, it's his business - honestly), but this box set has helped us overlook those facts - and rumors - and focus on why he mattered in the first place.
It's a 35-year chronology of the singer's greatest moments in wax. You can have a dose of good songs mixed with some corny sapp but if you have enough funk to make the place more stinkier than it was when Michael first recorded "Off the Wall" without taking a bath then you have a great collection of music.
I do feel like "Big Boy" (his first ever recording and his first as lead singer of the Jackson 5 released to local radio stations in the East Coast in 1968) could've been on here and not the remixed version that was released some time back, the ACTUAL recording of it. Another prob I had is I felt like four discs wasn't enough. I mean, the man had like 70-some hit singles in total as members of the legendary teen group, the Jackson 5, and the underrated soul/funk band, the Jacksons, and as a soloist. It's tough to put together 4 music discs in exchange for record charts.
It look like the man can pack in 6 or 7 discs worth of hits and that'll be the ultimate collection and they could put "Who's Loving You", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "The Love You Save", "Rockin' Robin", "Just a Little Bit of You", "With a Child's Heart", and "One Day In Your Life" in there.
And there could've been a little more Jacksons appreciation - "Show You the Way to Go" was one of the group's best records during the first few records they made for Philly International/Epic (CBS). "Shake Your Body" should've been presented in all of its 7 and more minutes of glory. It would've been nice if "That's What You Get For Being Polite" was in there and if it was possible, the first few solo Epic recordings that didn't make it on 1979's "Off the Wall".
Speaking of, "Working Day & Night" and "I Can't Help It" could've been nice additions. As for "Thriller", I'm nuts about the "P.Y.T." demo (written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes - his right-hand man for much of the late-'70s and throughout the '80s) and its Stevie Wonder-like mood. But I'm mad that "Human Nature" was left off! And I consider that to be the best joint on "Thriller" besides "Billie Jean". The unedited version of "State of Shock" could've been nice also. And Michael probably has problems with Paul to have "Say, Say, Say" on the album.
There were also moments from "Bad" that could've been added like "Liberian Girl" and "Another Part of Me". "Streetwalker" and "Fly Away" also would've been nice to add as was "Cheater" and possibly other songs during that era. His duet with Stevie - "Get It" - one of the biggest R&B hits of 1988 - could've also been added. The "Dangerous" cuts that didn't make it like "Serious Effect" and "For All Time" would've been great additions to that section.
And in the last disc, I would've replaced "Childhood" (sorry I just don't like that song, Mike) with "Scream" (with my girl Janet) and also put in "They Don't Care About Us" (which is a great anthem of a song). And "One More Chance" could also be there to complete the MJ hit circle since only few can ever get away with having hits between 1969 and 2004.
BUT... other than that... I LOVE THE BOX SET! It definitely confirms what we've known since the eighties - Michael Joseph Jackson is a bad mother (SHUT YO MOUTH)! Who's bad?
Free Music Review: very fine set of Michael's artistry
Hit: 5 Stars
Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection is excellent for any MJ fan. There's quite a bit of music on these four CDs; and there a DVD of a TV special from 1992 which I actually did not have until I got this box set. The quality of the sound on the CDs is excellent and the artwork is done very nicely.
"I Want You Back;" "ABC;" and "I'll Be There" primarily feature Michael up front and The Jacksons doing their trademark "call and response" style of singing--Michael sings some words; then the rest come in; then Michael; then the rest come in, and so on. Wow, how this works very well! "Got to Be There" is quite moving and I like "Ben." The early disco "Dancing Machine" proved that The Jacksons could easily adapt to new genres of music as they evolved; and "Ease On Down The Road" from "The Wiz" gets a very spirited arrangement. We get both a single version and a demo version of "Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground)," too--great! "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" benefits from Michael's touch; and there's another gem in "Off The Wall." I love it! That beat still sounds so good for dancing.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has an excellent beat that Michael Jackson makes magical; and Paul McCartney joins in for "The Girl Is Mine." Similarly, "Thriller" was a huge, huge hit for Michael; and "Billie Jean" is timeless--it all holds its own very well. Michael's excellent diction enhances his performance all the more. "State Of Shock" is a tune from The Jacksons later on in their career together; and that percussion does an awful lot for this number. "We Are the World" brings back countless memories for me; this was released when I was in college and I really had Michael on a pedestal.
"Bad" is also quite good; and those "layers" of Michael singing work very well to make this dynamic. "The Way You Make Me Feel" is positively electric; and "Man in the Mirror" is most touching. "Smooth Criminal" is another song with an excellent beat; and Michael delivers this without letting go of s single superfluous note! "Cheater" also rocks! "Monkey Business" has great musical effects to enhance it a great deal; and "Remember the Time" is another classic by Michael that has him squarely front and center--which is quite all right by me! "Black or White" is another song I ran out to get just as soon as it was available on vinyl; Michael does an outstanding job on this and that's excellent. "Someone Put Your Hand Out" ends the third CD with Michael singing straight from his heart and I could never tire of hearing Michael Jackson do songs like this one.
"You Are Not Alone" is perfect--this music is all THAT good. Michael never falters and I'm impressed. "Childhood" is the theme from the movie "Free Willy 2" and Michael does this with panache; great! "Blood on the Dance Floor" has a very strong beat with Michael throwing himself into this number to make it outstanding; and then we get a rather sensitive number entitled "Fall Again." "In The Back" is more fine music with a fresh sound to it that Michael aces as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing; but of course we know it wasn't all that easy--Michael's talent always carried him through. "Butterflies" is quite memorable; and I also like "Beautiful Girl."
The fifth disc is that DVD with the 1992 HBO special. It's quite good and, if you don't have this on DVD already, this is worth the price of admission alone! You won't be disappointed as Michael performs songs including "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin';" "She's Out Of My Life;" "Thriller;" "Billie Jean" and "Man in the Mirror."
This five disc set is extremely special for us Michael Jackson fans. I highly recommend this set of four CDs and one DVD for Michael Jackson fans.
Free Music Review: Great release for the Holidays, Mike last album with SONY!
Hit: 5 Stars
I was surprised when I heard that Michael was going to be releasing a BOX SET this year. I hoped it would have all the hits that I've enjoyed thru out my life. Well I was surprise to tell you that I got more than what I expected. I got Unreleased tracks, Rare demo and of all things, that rare live concert from HBO. I remember that concert breaking HBO's record for the most people tuning to watch their station of all things, I was set for the Holidays!
...I did have to go on a hefty search to get "The Ultimate Collection" which started on 11.16.04 and ended 11.17.04...here goes...I was told by Circuit City that they would have MJ's Box set on sale on 11.16.04, so as a music fan who appreciates great...let me correct that...Quality music, i got off work and took a taxi to get to Circuit City before closing time to pick up the Box Set but to my discuss, they tell me that the album is on BACKORDER!...which is good for sales but I'm left with no BOX SET man!...I took the loss as a trooper and tried again the next day 11.17.04....
Second try...I come from work to take the train to Best Buy because they state that they have the album there. As you can tell my hopes are up again. I get off the train run into Best Buy down the stairs to the music/cd section (I actually bumped into 3 customers who were all polite to my surprise) and I see no box set, no Biggie...I ask a sales person there and to my surprise he tells me..."Ohh, that new Box Set by Mike?..It's sold out man, sorry"...I was thinking to myself I should have just ordered online and save myself the trouble but the sales man gave me an alternative. He said "If you really want to get mike new album, you can try the VIRGIN MEGA STORE in Times Square"...I was walking away from the sales person and thanked him when an guy who was with his girlfriend stopped me and asked "Mike got a new album out?"...I told him "yeah" (..thinking to myself again, bad promotion from SONY but it's MJ's last album from them so whatever)...we actually spoke about Mike for a good min or two about how he's still the MAN and all that good stuff...The guy actually gave me a pound (ghetto hand shake) and thanked me for "supporting legends on the music industry"...I was ampped after the whole conversation and made it clear that i was going to get this BOX SET that day.
Third and final try...I take the F train to Times square walk about 1-2 long blocks and rush in to the entrance and to me delight, Michael Jackson-The Ultimate Collection is staring me in the face sitting there on the "new Release" stand shrink wrapper with the Logo and art work in Gold and ready to come home!...Man As soon As i picked up my copy, I felt how HEAVY this Box SET felt and I've never been so happy to buy Michael's last album...
`Til this day, I don't leave the house with out listening to MJ's The Ultimate Collection, I have my system set to max when I listen to mike after a hard days work. This The Ultimate Collection was made for my Surround System, even my neighbors don't complain about the walls vibrating! What a great way to end my story...thank god for Mike, he to me is definitely the "King Of Pop" and I'm at a loss of words when I'm just sitting back listening to this mans voice...I truly own an actual Ultimate Collection of music.
Free Music Review: Truly The Ultimate
Hit: 5 Stars
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.