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Xscape General Discussion

pollys2;3981290 said:
http://www.complex.com/music/2014/04/michael-jackson-album-xscape-does-not-suck

The New Michael Jackson Album "Xscape" Does Not Suck

Forget what you heard; we actually heard the music.
Last night a select group of music execs, press, radio, TV, and representatives of the Michael Jackson estate gathered at the Top of the Rock in NYC for a chance to hear Xscape, the second Michael Jackson album to be released since his tragic death in June 2009. During the ride to the top of Rockefeller Center, a ghostly image of Michael Jackson peered the down through the elevator’s glass ceiling. “Michael would approve,” quipped Fab 5 Freddy, one of the invited guests on the way up.

Upstairs there were magnificent views of Manhattan, signature cocktails, and elegant hors d'oeuvres. But first the guests were compelled to checked their phones (and submit to a metal detector sweep) all in an attempt to prevent digital piracy of the precious audio assets being unveiled that evening. But despite Epic Records’ best efforts, the album's poppin' title track leaked this morning. Normally this would be bad news for the album roll-out, but in this case the music provides a powerful retort to all the cynical criticism that has dogged this project since it was first announced.

“Xscape” was written by MJ and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, most likely for the Invincible sessions. The track was recently “contemporized” by Jerkins—making it the only one of Xscape's eight cuts to be reworked by its original producer. The rest of the album's creative team includes Timbaland, Stargate, and longtime Jackson family friends Jerome “JRoc” Hamilton and John McClain—who were responsible for updating eight never-before-heard songs from the Jackson vaults, with the aim of giving them "a fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson’s essence and integrity," as the press release put it. Based on an informal poll of guests at the party, the prevailing attitude in the room was somewhere between curious and cautiously optimistic.

Sylvia Rhone, the newly appointed President of Epic Records, kicked things off by recalling her own favorite Michael Jackson moment—when she was “the hottest chick on campus” at Penn University and got the chance to see The Jackson 5 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. She then introduced her boss, Epic Records Chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who assured her that she was still the hottest chick in the place before calling up representatives of the Jackson estate and presenting them with a plaque so enormous it required two strong men to lug it onstage, commemorating over 100 million copies (and counting) sold of Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time.

Despite the fact that it's named after an awesome So So Def girl group, advance press on Xscape, which is due to drop May 13, had been overwhelmingly negative. As with the posthumous 2010 album Michael, knee-jerk news reports (written without hearing any of the music) characterized the songs as cutting-room-floor rejects polished up for purely financial motives—a notion that Antonio “L.A.” Reid wasted no time rebutting. “This is not about record company greed,” he said defiantly. “I knew Michael. I had the chance to spend time with him and I knew how he felt about his work, about breaking new ground and not repeating himself.” The estate reps pointed out that “Michael would not put a vocal down on a song if he didn’t love it,” and that the song “Wanna Be Starting Something” was originally recorded for the album Off The Wall and released later, ditto for “Earth Song,” which was originally written for Dangerous.

Then it was time to let the music play, and suddenly the only words that mattered were the ones Michael was singing. L.A. kicked things off with a sureshot dance-floor filler called “Love Never Felt Like This Before.” There were songs about cheating and double lives, and even darker cuts like "Slave To The Rhythm" a song about the trials of an unappreciated woman, and the “Do You Know Where Your Children Are?” which tells the tale of a 12-year-old runaway and features a haunting refrain of MJ singing “Save Me” over and over. Happily, the “contemporized” production on Xscape not so over-the-top that it distracts from the main attraction here, Michael’s superior songwriting and one-of-a-kind vocals.

Up high on one of the windows was a quote in bold letters that speaks to MJ's creative process. "It's about the thrill of adventure. They love going somewhere they've never been. And we love taking them there." How many recording artists today are even aspiring to do that for their listeners? Contrary to what Kanye West said on "All of the Lights," MJ isn't exactly dead—not as long as he still can make your pulse race by hitting a note with just the right touch of grit in his voice. Almost five years after his outrageously untimely death, the King of Pop's ability to move the crowd endures. He's still a thrilla.
Click to expand...

Love Never Felt Like This Before?
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Pentum said:
The original one I assume
Click to expand...
Yes, the version that leaked years agoo..
I do not understand why they're playing that version and says it's from the new upcoming album..
jackie-chan-meme.jpg
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Victor said:
Yes, the version that leaked years agoo..
I do not understand why they're playing that version and says it's from the new upcoming album..
jackie-chan-meme.jpg
Click to expand...

Everyone is taking that version and is now playing it. What is wrong with people?! SMH.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

That new review has probably the best title I've ever read xD I only have two reservations: (a) Michael says Love Never Felt So Good several times in the song, so I'm not sure why they can screw that up; and (b) DYKWYCA's refrain is not "Save me"--that's the bridge.

In any sense, a positive review from the US! That's rare!

Bubs said:
Sorry, I just cannot let this go.
Paul A had no right to accuse Michael for stealing TII. They wrote it together so they both had copies of it, just like when Michael recorded with Will I Am, MJ took vocal, Will I Am took music (if I remember correctly).
Michael obviously played around with song and re-named, but the person who screwed up was McClain for not checking origins of the songs.
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The songs were recorded in Paul's home studio in Carmel, California, and he kept the master recordings. Michael was given a cassette tape of the songs they worked on. Michael ended up walking out with the This Is It masters without asking, and Paul wasn't happy with it. He had every right to say what he did. Additionally, John McClain could easily have done better research, but at the same time, he simply bounced off of what Michael registered and the title written on the demo cassette Michael recorded with Greg Phillinganes.

The will.i.am situation is practically the same case, though here they were recorded on Michael's time, therefore he could have taken the master if he so desired.
 
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Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

So there is something coming fairly soon from Epic Records then perhaps? possibly tomorrow? i hope it isn't too much longer until we get some new details!
 
complex.com:

L.A. kicked things off with a sureshot dance-floor filler called “Love Never Felt Like This Before.”
Click to expand...

Are people supposed to be dancing to LNFSG on a dancefloor?

g3ygh2ap.jpg




Ah yeah... xD
 
pollys2;3981290 said:
http://www.complex.com/music/2014/04/michael-jackson-album-xscape-does-not-suck

The New Michael Jackson Album "Xscape" Does Not Suck

Forget what you heard; we actually heard the music.
Last night a select group of music execs, press, radio, TV, and representatives of the Michael Jackson estate gathered at the Top of the Rock in NYC for a chance to hear Xscape, the second Michael Jackson album to be released since his tragic death in June 2009. During the ride to the top of Rockefeller Center, a ghostly image of Michael Jackson peered the down through the elevator’s glass ceiling. “Michael would approve,” quipped Fab 5 Freddy, one of the invited guests on the way up.

Upstairs there were magnificent views of Manhattan, signature cocktails, and elegant hors d'oeuvres. But first the guests were compelled to checked their phones (and submit to a metal detector sweep) all in an attempt to prevent digital piracy of the precious audio assets being unveiled that evening. But despite Epic Records’ best efforts, the album's poppin' title track leaked this morning. Normally this would be bad news for the album roll-out, but in this case the music provides a powerful retort to all the cynical criticism that has dogged this project since it was first announced.

“Xscape” was written by MJ and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, most likely for the Invincible sessions. The track was recently “contemporized” by Jerkins—making it the only one of Xscape's eight cuts to be reworked by its original producer. The rest of the album's creative team includes Timbaland, Stargate, and longtime Jackson family friends Jerome “JRoc” Hamilton and John McClain—who were responsible for updating eight never-before-heard songs from the Jackson vaults, with the aim of giving them "a fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson’s essence and integrity," as the press release put it. Based on an informal poll of guests at the party, the prevailing attitude in the room was somewhere between curious and cautiously optimistic.

Sylvia Rhone, the newly appointed President of Epic Records, kicked things off by recalling her own favorite Michael Jackson moment—when she was “the hottest chick on campus” at Penn University and got the chance to see The Jackson 5 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. She then introduced her boss, Epic Records Chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who assured her that she was still the hottest chick in the place before calling up representatives of the Jackson estate and presenting them with a plaque so enormous it required two strong men to lug it onstage, commemorating over 100 million copies (and counting) sold of Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time.

Despite the fact that it's named after an awesome So So Def girl group, advance press on Xscape, which is due to drop May 13, had been overwhelmingly negative. As with the posthumous 2010 album Michael, knee-jerk news reports (written without hearing any of the music) characterized the songs as cutting-room-floor rejects polished up for purely financial motives—a notion that Antonio “L.A.” Reid wasted no time rebutting. “This is not about record company greed,” he said defiantly. “I knew Michael. I had the chance to spend time with him and I knew how he felt about his work, about breaking new ground and not repeating himself.” The estate reps pointed out that “Michael would not put a vocal down on a song if he didn’t love it,” and that the song “Wanna Be Starting Something” was originally recorded for the album Off The Wall and released later, ditto for “Earth Song,” which was originally written for Dangerous.

Then it was time to let the music play, and suddenly the only words that mattered were the ones Michael was singing. L.A. kicked things off with a sureshot dance-floor filler called “Love Never Felt Like This Before.” There were songs about cheating and double lives, and even darker cuts like "Slave To The Rhythm" a song about the trials of an unappreciated woman, and the “Do You Know Where Your Children Are?” which tells the tale of a 12-year-old runaway and features a haunting refrain of MJ singing “Save Me” over and over. Happily, the “contemporized” production on Xscape not so over-the-top that it distracts from the main attraction here, Michael’s superior songwriting and one-of-a-kind vocals.

Up high on one of the windows was a quote in bold letters that speaks to MJ's creative process. "It's about the thrill of adventure. They love going somewhere they've never been. And we love taking them there." How many recording artists today are even aspiring to do that for their listeners? Contrary to what Kanye West said on "All of the Lights," MJ isn't exactly dead—not as long as he still can make your pulse race by hitting a note with just the right touch of grit in his voice. Almost five years after his outrageously untimely death, the King of Pop's ability to move the crowd endures. He's still a thrilla.
Click to expand...

What a great review! I can't wait, We need a single ASAP!
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Korgnex said:
Are people supposed to be dancing to LNFSG on a dancefloor?

g3ygh2ap.jpg




Ah yeah... xD
Click to expand...

Why not? i've seen people go wild to treasure and happy on the floor. :)

Everybody seems to love the new version of LNFSG, this is gonna be awesome
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I was just gonna say, they probably did something like this for Love Never Felt So Good. :)

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

I don't see where they're getting the claim that reviews have been overwhelmingly negative. For the most part, reviews have been overwhelmingly positive; the only mixed one was an Ebony reviewer that felt that Michael was being exploited after his death.
 
But despite Epic Records’ best efforts, the album's poppin' title track leaked this morning. Normally this would be bad news for the album roll-out, but in this case the music provides a powerful retort to all the cynical criticism that has dogged this project since it was first announced.
Click to expand...

This writer didn't say the leak is different from the new version?


L.A. kicked things off with a sureshot dance-floor filler called “Love Never Felt Like This Before.”
Click to expand...


a dance track? I think what we heard before is a mid-tempo ballad....
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

A song could be mid tempo and still be a dance floor track.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

mkgenie said:


a dance track? I think what we heard before is a mid-tempo ballad....
Click to expand...

The unknown 8th track was described as a mid-tempo ballad not LNFSG.

Instead we always hear that LNFSG was turned into something dancy - what makes me incredibly excited about it. If they made some kind of 'Rock With You' out of it... It would be amazing! I could've never imagined that by the demo we know...
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Actually it became more disco as said in reviews...So that's dancy :D :D May be they made it into Rock with You :D
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Makes me kinda annoyed that MTV and a few other sites think that the leaked original is the ACTUAL song from the new Xscape album... When this version has been available to the fan community for YEARS. Are they that thick in the head or just desperate for a taste of the newly produced tracks like we are? lol.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Maybe the fact that the old leak of Xscape is being treated by the media as the new album mix will bring forward the single and track list. I'm sure they won't want people judging the album by the old mix.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Sasha01 said:
Makes me kinda annoyed that MTV and a few other sites think that the leaked original is the ACTUAL song from the new Xscape album... When this version has been available to the fan community for YEARS. Are they that thick in the head or just desperate for a taste of the newly produced tracks like we are? lol.
Click to expand...


I dont think they really believe it.. I thin they're just trying to make it like they have a story.. thats what I think anyway!
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I'm getting really annoyed with all this ppl that are listening to the album and we're just waiting here. :p
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

MJJuniorSinceMW said:
on another note:

sry off topic, but: Have you read Gaz' post yesterday in the MJJC-Donate/Support thread?

We are all in here celebrating & having a good time! MJJC is a great & lovely home for many of us! Better than any official site, better than any other fan site i know.

Shouldn't some more of us click on the Donate-Bar?
I mean so many are here at the moment anticipating this release & spending money on MJ.
We should all have something for our MJ-Home. MJJC is our Neverland.
Click to expand...
Just wanted to remind everyone of this. Please support this site.
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

Dorian said:
I'm getting really annoyed with all this ppl that are listening to the album and we're just waiting here. :p
Click to expand...
I know right? Hehe. I think with all these exclusive listening parties going on, maybe they're observing what noticeable reactions to which songs gets the crowd buzzing for say, ideas of future single(s)? All I know is, I want in. It's only been like a week or so since news of this has been stirring the most and there's still weeks to go... :bugeyed
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I'm getting so excited for this now. Please release a single.
I NEED IT !!!
 
Re: News and discussion about new MJ album : Xscape, May 13, 2014.

I think maybe it will make them release Xscape as a single that so many shares the old version of the song.
 
Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars are all mimicking more than just a retro sound. They are mimicking the retro sounds of Michael Jackson solo and Michael Jackson with the Jacksons under Epic. In this way, Michael’s sound never left the charts. Listeners will decided if they want to hear those sounds from the originator.

bad25;3981171 said:
YAWN.. sony and the estate aren't building any hype and doing anything in between the day of announcement and release date, are they?
living singers announce the album release so they can build up hype and generate some interest during the period leading up to the day of album release. For MJ, there is no tracklist, no singles. If they aren't going to do anything, they might as well don't make the announcement at all.
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I will begin to be concerned about a single or an unknown track listing next week at this time if nothing is revealed Monday. Monday will be the 14th leaving one month of proper promotion. I believe you will see much more happening starting then....
 
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