Post by MaryAnn Layton on Apr 1, 2014 3:19:54 GMT -5
Hi MJ's Army!
As you know by now, the Estate is releasing a new compilation of 8 songs on a new album, to be released on May 13, 2014. I can hardly wait!
Roger Friedman from Showbiz 411 just posted the following about it, and below that I have added my comment posted on his page. Let me know what you think!
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"New" Michael Jackson album? Pop Star's Old Engineer Wasn't Contacted
There’s a “new” Michael Jackson album. Eight songs have been “contemporized” by a group of producers including Timbaland and one of Jackson’s executors, John McClain. But so far there’s no song list. And no one contacted Jackson’s long time engineer, Bruce Swedien.
I spoke to Swedien today and he had no idea the project was happening at all. So it will be interesting to see what these eight songs are.Five years ago when Michael Jackson died, Swedien told me that he didn’t think there was much unreleased material to be mined. Last year, when “Bad 25″ appeared, a whole CD of lost songs was included. The songs included the ones Swedien did recall, like “Don’t Be Messin’ Around.” But that would have tapped out the inventory.
Of course, there are still more songs that Jackson recorded with Eddie Cascio. But that project was so mishandled that his hardcore fans refused to believe they were made by Michael himself. (They were, but that’s another story.)
“Contemporized” sounds a little like “colorized” used to be for movies when studios started messing with classic black and white films. So everyone will brace themselves for “Xscape,” with new debates to follow. If Michael’s well loved classics have had a lot of sonic fiddling, the noise will be endless.
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Bruce Swedien is wrong. Michael was incredibly prolific, writing between 60 and 100 songs in preparation for each album, and countless more after HIStory too. He said so himself in a few interviews, that there were many songs in his vault not ready for release. Because of all the new songs leaked on YouTube over the last 5 years, I will be surprised if any of the songs on the album are new to me. Pleasantly surprised though, if some are.
I have mixed feelings about "Xscape" too. True that Michael wouldn't want these songs reworked and released without his input, but from where he is now, it doesn't matter. What matters is that his incredible legacy is continually perpetuated, and once again he is shown to be the genius that he was and always will be, no matter what controversy comes about from the new songs. There will never be another like him, and so I believe that anything new coming from MJ can only be a blessing.
As you know by now, the Estate is releasing a new compilation of 8 songs on a new album, to be released on May 13, 2014. I can hardly wait!
Roger Friedman from Showbiz 411 just posted the following about it, and below that I have added my comment posted on his page. Let me know what you think!
++++++
"New" Michael Jackson album? Pop Star's Old Engineer Wasn't Contacted
There’s a “new” Michael Jackson album. Eight songs have been “contemporized” by a group of producers including Timbaland and one of Jackson’s executors, John McClain. But so far there’s no song list. And no one contacted Jackson’s long time engineer, Bruce Swedien.
I spoke to Swedien today and he had no idea the project was happening at all. So it will be interesting to see what these eight songs are.Five years ago when Michael Jackson died, Swedien told me that he didn’t think there was much unreleased material to be mined. Last year, when “Bad 25″ appeared, a whole CD of lost songs was included. The songs included the ones Swedien did recall, like “Don’t Be Messin’ Around.” But that would have tapped out the inventory.
Of course, there are still more songs that Jackson recorded with Eddie Cascio. But that project was so mishandled that his hardcore fans refused to believe they were made by Michael himself. (They were, but that’s another story.)
“Contemporized” sounds a little like “colorized” used to be for movies when studios started messing with classic black and white films. So everyone will brace themselves for “Xscape,” with new debates to follow. If Michael’s well loved classics have had a lot of sonic fiddling, the noise will be endless.
++++++
Bruce Swedien is wrong. Michael was incredibly prolific, writing between 60 and 100 songs in preparation for each album, and countless more after HIStory too. He said so himself in a few interviews, that there were many songs in his vault not ready for release. Because of all the new songs leaked on YouTube over the last 5 years, I will be surprised if any of the songs on the album are new to me. Pleasantly surprised though, if some are.
I have mixed feelings about "Xscape" too. True that Michael wouldn't want these songs reworked and released without his input, but from where he is now, it doesn't matter. What matters is that his incredible legacy is continually perpetuated, and once again he is shown to be the genius that he was and always will be, no matter what controversy comes about from the new songs. There will never be another like him, and so I believe that anything new coming from MJ can only be a blessing.