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Xscape General Discussion

Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I really hope that "contemporize" bit means it's just a remaster.

Adding a bunch of other producers and vocals will just ruin it!
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

AlwaysThere said:
By customers, I'm assuming you mean the hard core fan community.

The general public doesn't care where the songs came from or what mix they are; they simply judge them on how they hear them. I have a close friend who loves the album cut of Hollywood Tonight and was surprised when I told him that it wasn't the version Michael last approved. Same with Hold My Hand and Much Too Soon.

But in any case, he doesn't care. He's just happy that he has the song.



To be honest, I have a feeling there won't be a second disc, but rather Sony will tack on the eight demos at the end of the first disc. Sixteen songs is perfect for a single CD, assuming that the songs aren't overtly long.
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And that's what it's all about. :D enjoying the MUSIC.

I am so glad Timbaland did this project! Good music guaranteed!
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I'm glad I am the type of person who looks for the good in things, rather than searching for the spec of bad. No amount of nit picking over a cover (when did they start to become so important by the way), is going to dampen my excitement.

Can not wait to see MJ back in the charts, and hear him on the radio! Don't know about the rest of the world, but this good news is all over the UK!! :clapping:
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

AlwaysThere said:
By customers, I'm assuming you mean the hard core fan community.

The general public doesn't care where the songs came from or what mix they are; they simply judge them on how they hear them. I have a close friend who loves the album cut of Hollywood Tonight and was surprised when I told him that it wasn't the version Michael last approved. Same with Hold My Hand and Much Too Soon.

But in any case, he doesn't care. He's just happy that he has the song.



To be honest, I have a feeling there won't be a second disc, but rather Sony will tack on the eight demos at the end of the first disc. Sixteen songs is perfect for a single CD, assuming that the songs aren't overtly long.
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no i mean everyone
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

ChrisC said:
Yeah, disappointed here too that there's only 8 songs. When was the last time anyone saw an album so short?
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Lady Gaga's 'The Fame Monster', standard edition :)
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

original tracks was always his big sellers, not the remix albums.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Birchey said:
Fixed that for you :ph34r:
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Without permission! :lol:

Just wait my friend. This album will surprise you in a VERY good way. I just have a very good feeling about this!
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

We're getting both - up to date tracks to draw potential new fans, and Mike's tracks as he last left them for those that hate anything 'modern' - so why are some arguing? Is it just for the sake of being negative, I wonder?
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I'll give Timberland a chance but I've personally never rated him
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

ChrisC said:
Yeah, disappointed here too that there's only 8 songs. When was the last time anyone saw an album so short?.
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Mixtapes and EP's. Albums, I don't think so.

The album will probably be 12-13 songs. The 8 remixes [new versions] and maybe 4-5 originals / demos. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it was 16 , 8 & 8. I hope it is.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Thoth said:
Why are people interested in snippets of remixed / material when we're going to get the originals / outtakes, mixed and mastered?!. No matter how dope these remixes sound I highly doubt they'll sound as great as Michael's original versions. Can you imagine a better 2014 version for Blue Gangster. I doubt it. I'm only interested in the other (original) half of this album. I don't care if Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake or even Justin Bieber are featured on the remixes.
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I'm really happy that we'll get the demos, too. For us fans it's maybe the best thing that could happen.
But I also want that we get the best remixes, which are possible. I doubt that the general public is interested in demos that sound dated. If we want that Michael get No.1 again, it's only possible with superb remixes. And I also want it for the clubs, cause I wanna dance to new songs from Michael in the club. Not Billie Jean every time. I want that the general public will be blown their minds.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

IMWhizzle said:
Without permission! :lol:

Just wait my friend. This album will surprise you in a VERY good way. I just have a very good feeling about this!
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xD

I am really hoping I am suprised, I really am but I am afraid, we will get some very forgettable music which would sit with the next forgettable chart puke we have at the minute :(
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I'm with IMWhizzle on this one. Of every producer in the game right now, name a single one that doesn't make generic music. Exactly: they all do at one point or another. Timbaland is no exception. But when he puts one hundred and ten percent into it, he hits the nail on the head. And I have that gut feeling that he is putting his all into this one.

Thoth said:
Why are people interested in snippets of remixed / material when we're going to get the originals / outtakes, mixed and mastered?!. No matter how dope these remixes sound I highly doubt they'll sound as great as Michael's original versions. Can you imagine a better 2014 version for Blue Gangster. I doubt it. I'm only interested in the other (original) half of this album. I don't care if Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake or even Justin Bieber are featured on the remixes.
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Because any one of them has potential. For example, the album cut of Hollywood Tonight is much more interesting than the demo recording as far as I'm concerned. Same with Behind the Mask, Much Too Soon, Hold My Hand, etc. Just because it's Michael doesn't mean it's immediately amazing.

Thoth said:
Mixtapes and EP's. Albums, I don't think so.

The album will probably be 12-13 songs. The 8 remixes [new versions] and maybe 4-5 originals / demos. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it was 16 , 8 & 8. I hope it is.
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Allow me to direct you to a quote from the official announcement:

The project features eight new tracks, which the world will be hearing for the very first time on the new album. For the ultimate fan experience, XSCAPE will also be available in a Deluxe Edition, which includes all of the sourced Michael Jackson recordings in their original form.
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The announcement included on the website says the exact same thing. The deluxe version will have sixteen tracks.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Thoth said:
Why are people interested in snippets of remixed / material when we're going to get the originals / outtakes, mixed and mastered?!. No matter how dope these remixes sound I highly doubt they'll sound as great as Michael's original versions. Can you imagine a better 2014 version for Blue Gangster. I doubt it. I'm only interested in the other (original) half of this album. I don't care if Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake or even Justin Bieber are featured on the remixes.
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I hope this will get a proper mastering
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Urvino said:
Lady Gaga's 'The Fame Monster', standard edition :)
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Which Wikipedia class as an EP.

The Fame Monster was kinda like a 'The Fame' part 2. It's fine like that given its to be considered alongside The Fame and was released in close proximity to that.

When was the last time anyone released a standalone new album with only 8 tracks? I'd be surprised if there more than a few examples since CDs became the dominant format.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

As always, some people seem determined on criticizing or disagreeing with nearly anything and everything the estate does... That's their prerogative, of course, but I prefer taking a more positive outlook on this project.

1) We have a pretty good idea of what to expect, which is official releases of the original recordings of some of the most popular leaked demos we've heard (Xscape, Slave to the Rhythm) as well as some of the most talked about unheard tracks (possibly Chicago, She Was Lovin' Me) along with newly produced / "contemporized" versions of these songs. Frickin' Awesome.

2) The album is called Xscape, after one of the most loved (by the fans) unreleased MJ tracks to date. It has a clear, modern feeling to it -- none of the tribute-like nonsense we got with the Michael cover and title -- it's clean and edgy and current. And so is the album cover. Think about it... It perfectly symbolizes escapism (Xscapism?) through music, while at the same time serving as a metaphor for Reid & Co's "contemporisation" of Michael's original recordings.

3) All of the songs that are rumored to have been included are GREAT and fit together well. There seems to be a clear vision for the kind of musical content they want to deliver with this project and it looks like they set out to follow Michael's strategy of having an album full of "killer tracks" instead of having a few hits complemented by fillers.

4) I have to re-emphasize this -- we're getting the ORIGINAL RECORDINGS along with the new productions. This is a HUGE deal because it gives us a point of reference and a complete picture of the tracks as Michael would remember them. It is something we only had for a handful of songs when the Michael album was released and will allow us to judge and appreciate the new productions for what they are -- whether attempts at fine-tuning and / or finishing MJ's original vision, or completely original compositions -- and then we can enjoy or ignore them at our leasure ;)

TLDR: I am excited about this project. The album cover is fine and works well with the album's title and (rumored) content. Stop complaining about stuff and enjoy the way new MJ music brings people together. Like it always has.
 
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Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

AlwaysThere said:
Because any one of them has potential. For example, the album cut of Hollywood Tonight is much more interesting than the demo recording as far as I'm concerned. Same with Behind the Mask, Much Too Soon, Hold My Hand, etc. Just because it's Michael doesn't mean it's immediately amazing.
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would you prefer the tracks 06 to 13 on BOTDF over their original versions on HIStory?
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

coffre said:
I hope this will get a proper mastering
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Yep. That's what matters to me the most regarding the originals / outtakes. We still have hardly any info on who's mixing and mastering them. Apparently, Elliott "Dr. Freeze" strait isn't even involved in the mastering of his own tracks. Could you believe that?!. If this is indeed true then that's the first misstep.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

AlwaysThere said:
Because any one of them has potential. For example, the album cut of Hollywood Tonight is much more interesting than the demo recording as far as I'm concerned. Same with Behind the Mask, Much Too Soon, Hold My Hand, etc. Just because it's Michael doesn't mean it's immediately amazing.
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See this is what puts old school MJ fans/Music fans in general against the new style "put a beat over anything" style music fan. Hollywood Tonight is far far far less interesting in the album cut, unless repetitiveness is your thing, the album version is a fricken train wreck and by the standards of music Michael produced in his life it rates a 1/10 man, the whole track got shit on big time, from start to finish by a has been amateurish producer, again its the "slap a beat on it and go" 4 hour remix version, as opposed to listening to Michael make the song, listening to him voicing his opinion on record, or beatboxing and working out new ideas as he lays them down vocally, or the musicians improvising, little percusiion here and there, the formation of what will become the final song...............which was completly different and superior to what we finally got xD
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

coffre said:
would you prefer the tracks 06 to 13 on BOTDF over their original versions on HIStory?
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Exactly. The leaked demo of "Hollywood tonight" was much more raw, gritter, funkier and sounded Michael'ish than that bizarre version featured on the "Michael" album. That spoken bridge on the album version was hilarious, literally.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

How long until we can pre-order in the UK?
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Anyone have any knowledge of what time generally things go live on the iTunes Store? Midnight, 9am, US times?
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

To me, I like the Xscape snippet. It feels strong.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Thoth said:
Yep. That's what matters to me the most regarding the originals / outtakes. We still have hardly any info on who's mixing and mastering them. Apparently, Elliott "Dr. Freeze" strait isn't even involved in the mastering of his own tracks. Could you believe that?!. If this is indeed true then that's the first misstep.
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We only know that the Epic Records ceo is the executive producer of the album. Perhaps he'll send the tracks to their own mastering guy at Sony Music, Mark Wilder. Mark Wilder did a very good job on mastering all The Jacksons albums in 2008.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Birchey said:
Easier to see here. Mouth, teeth, Chin all different perspectives, just makes me think it might indeed be made to be animated.

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^^ This could explain the hair difference that was mentioned earlier. Maybe something like the cover of that Vision dvd box? Could also just be for deluxe edition only. Just my thoughts after seeing these posts :)

BTW I really hope that Love Never Felt So Good is not on the album, althought I'm quite curious how a Timbo production of it would sound.
 
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