Michael Jackson's "XSCAPE"

Michael Jackson never seems to disappoint. "Xscape" is the second album made available to us after his death. I was expecting an album with new and recently recorded (a few months or so before his death) songs, but the entire album was recorded in the 90s. The production on the album is recent. I was a little turned off by that, but once I started listening to the unreleased songs that were mixed by today's super producers my thoughts immediately changed. They managed to grasp the spirit of Michael so perfectly. The albums showcases his unique sound and issues he always wanted to bring attention to in his music.

There has been a little controversy surrounding this album. When I decide to buy an album, I preview it on iTunes and then I proceed to read the comments. Many people are upset that there is another album and they feel as if MJ would not have approved because if he wanted the songs released, he would have released them in the 90s and they go on to talk about his love of perfection. I personally think if MJ did not want his songs released, he would have probably written it in his will and testament. Strangely enough, there was a comment from a band member of the Black Keys asking why did it take MJ's representatives to release an album 3 years after his death? Are you an MJ fan or are you feeling distraught by MJ's album being released the same day as yours and garnering the attention you feel your band deserves?

If you are a MJ fan, you would love this album. Songs 1-6 are typical MJ and the last two songs are experimentation in my eyes. "Blue Gangsta" and "Xscape" are not the MJ songs we have grown to love over the years, but they aren't terrible. My two favorite songs on the album are "Loving You" and "A Place With No Name" because I believe they capture the essence of who he was and fall in line with music he released when he was alive. This album is exceedingly better than "Michael" that was released in 2010. A lot of work was put into Xscape and the quality of the album says so. I would recommend this album to any MJ fan. You will love it!


Track Listing: 1. Love Never Felt So Good (3:55) 2. Chicago (4:06) 3. Loving You (3:16) 4. A Place With No Name (5:36) 5. Slave To The Rhythm (4:16) 6. Do You Know Where Your Children Are? (4:37) 7. Blue Gangsta (4:15) 8. Xscape (4:06)