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ALBUM REVIEW: Michael Jackson - 'Michael'

The idea of polarized attitudes towards a posthumous Michael Jackson release is no more surprising than the circumstances of the release itself. Though new albums from deceased artists is not a new concept, it's arguable that Tupac Shakur's estate set the modern precedent, with numerous full albums of songs constructed around ever-decreasing samples and demoes of the man himself.

The appetite for Michael Jackson material is huge, and it's undeniable that Sony will be hoping for MJ to keep their music division in the black for many years to come. Whether or not Jackson will suffer similarly declining quality as the vaults are plundered remains to be seen - but make no bones about it, 'Michael' the first of many albums to come, is uniformly excellent and can stand amongst his most solid and consistent work.

As has already been addressed here, as in life, scurrilous rumours abound questioning the authenticity of the vocals and songs presented here - but facts are facts, and a fairly comprehensive press release from Michael Jackson's estate provides a rebuttal to such claims that only the hardiest of conspiracy theorists could ignore.

Michael Jackson's comeback had been a long time in the planning, with the gloved one hiring a slew of top-notch producers and collaborators for a series of studio sessions with a goal to releasing a modern, pop record befitting of the legacy of the greatest pop performer of all time. The album was to be his first since 2001's 'Invincible' - a record, much like it's predeccesor 'HIStory' who's release was marred by allegations and innuendo.

Unfortunately unlike the darkly-brilliant 'HIStory', much of 'Invincible' was slight, R&B influenced fair that found Jackson playing catch-up rather than innovating and pushing forward. Though it has it's defenders, the album was generally regarded to be a disappointment.
Many critics had given up on the idea of a MJ resurgence. Although he was found innocent in court, the press onslaught on his private life was unceasing and his reputation was too far gone, still tarnished in the minds of the general public. Added to that, his health seemed to be in a severe decline and by 2008 he had not performed a full concert in well over a decade. Few would bet on him being able to ever to mount a serious attempt at a comeback.

And yet in that same year, it seemed his fans returned in full force - perhaps it was just the right time - and when a surprisingly well looking Michael announced his proposed 'This Is It' shows for 2009, a record-breaking 50 concerts were quickly sold out at the enormous venue. Jackson was reportedly surprised and touched, and one can only imagine how this outpouring of affection was inspiring him to hasten work on his long awaited, similarly bombastic studio comeback. It's realistic to think, had the tragic events of June 2009 not occured, that we would be seeing that album right about now, completed fully in his vision. As it is, it is trusted Jackson friends and collaborators such as Teddy Riley and Akon who have been tasked with completing the work, following his signposts, notes and tracks. They have done the man proud.

Yes, he was a perfectionist, and yes it is unquestionable that the album we now have is markedly different than MJ's finished product would have been. But listening to the sheer quality of these songs - the hooks, the rhythms, the variations - it is difficult to believe that this is an album he would not have been proud of. At just over 40 minutes it is far more cohesive a listen than his previous 2 studio efforts (which while both having some inspired moments, both clocked in at over 70), and it's 10 track, all singles material format harkens back to his chart-obliterating 'Thriller'/'Bad' heyday.

Which is not to say that the album is retro or overtly nostalgic. Of course, the irresistable and much imitated vocal tics and yelps are present in full force, as is Jackson's unparalleled sense of melody, but this is very clearly a 21st century 'Michael'.

Track-by-track

1. Hold My Hand (featuring Akon)

First leaked in demo form back in 2008, this song instantly evokes classic unity ballads such as 'You Are Not Alone', albeit in a more upbeat, uptempo form. Akon's voice sounds terrific alongside Michael's, and its clear that they had a deep understanding of each others musical sensibilities. Since it's initial, premature release, a choir has been added (tastefully mind you) along with other bells and whistles. Curiously, a different vocal take of Michael appears to have been used ('things will get better' has strangely become 'things will be better' in each instance). This is a classic MJ anthem with modern R&B flair.

2. Hollywood Tonight

Latin influence can be detected in this allegorical tale of the pitfalls of fame. While this is, unsurprisingly, a recurring theme on the album (after all, it would be difficult to name anyone who had lived their life in the media's steely glare more than Jackson) it is tackled in a less isolated, angry way than on previous occasions. Funky and danceable with a great chorus, and probably one that the remix artists will be looking forward to tackling.

3. Keep Your Head Up

Maintaining the overall theme of optimism through adversity, this Tricky produced slice of pop is Michael at his sweetest both vocally and lyrically and one of the most old-school MJ songs on the album. Probably the best track from the Cascio sessions.

4. I Like The Way You Love Me

This slice of heavily Motown influenced smooth R&B also saw a demo release, though this time at least an official one on 2004's box set 'The Ultimate Collection'. The album's most direct love song, it's finger-snapping rhythm and Temptations-style backing vocals make for a very enjoyable trip back to Jackson's roots. The song opens with a smile-inducing home-recording demonstrating Michael's not unremarkable beatboxing skills.

5. Monster (Featuring 50 Cent)

Likely to be many fans' favorite, 'Monster' is a stomping urbane powerhouse in the 'Thriller'/'Ghosts' vein, and boasts one of the albums most memorable choruses; "Monster / He's a monster / He's an animal". Tackling public perceptions head on was a cathartic experience in Michael's later music, but this is perhaps the most rewarding track in that oeuvre, marrying its sense of bitterness and injustice with relentlessly hard breakbeats and a memorable (and mercifully, not out of place) 50 Cent rap interlude. Apparently MJ had approached 50 Cent with a view to having him appear on the song prior to his death, although the erstwhile Curtis Jackson's contribution wasn't completed until after the fact. It is pleasing to know that songs like this one have been completed to Michael's specifications wherever possible, and the result is not just one of the very best songs on this album, but one of the greatest songs of his later career.

6. Best Of Joy

If any song on 'Michael' could be accused of being a little slight, it's 'Best Of Joy'. While it features some nice, intimate vocals it is dwarfed in it's mid-tempo, cheerful balladry by sharing disc (or download) space with the superior 'Hold My Hand' and 'Keep Your Head Up'. That being said, it was reputedly one of Jackson's favorite songs earmarked for his next album and is certainly justified in it's inclusion here if that was the case. Also it's 'I am forever, we are forever' hook will likely strike a chord with devoted fans. Here it serves as more of a bridge, tying the album together. Its backing is also more complex than initially appears, and so repeated listens can be quite rewarding.

7. Breaking News

This riff-laden press baiter was controversially unveiled as the album's first streaming track on Michael's official website and seems to have taken on a life of its own. For all the talk, it is a quintessential Jackson single - instantly memorable, catchy as hell and remarkably self-aware. It is also the first adult Michael song to mention Michael by name in it's lyrics, and this too seems to have been delivered in a slightly tongue-in-cheek fashion (listen to the backing vocals breathless 'Michael JACK-SON!') It's also one of the sets most dancefloor-oriented outings. This is the resigned yet resilient brother of HIStory's angry 'Scream' and 'Tabloid Junkie', but is better than either. Where 'Scream' puts a boot through the surveillance cameras, 'Breaking News' stares them back in their glassy eye and says "I'm watching you watching me". Crunchy, fresh and urgent, remember - it's not paranoia if they're really after you.

8. (I Can't Make It) Another Day (Featuring Lenny Kravitz)

Michael's rock output (other than the iconic 'Beat It' with it's revered Van Halen guitar solo) is often unfairly overlooked. Songs like 'Give In To Me' and 'They Don't Care About Us' are amongst his most searingly powerful. This time Lenny Kravitz is brought on board for both guitar and vocal duties for what amounts to a fine slab of hungry, yearning and hot-blooded rock with (you guessed it) a killer chorus. A very welcome detour.

9. Behind The Mask

For my money, the 'Michael' album's single greatest song, 'Behind The Mask' is unlike anything that has gone before in his catalog. Lyrically intriguing, vocally magnificent and musically sublime, few songs show off the man's incredible ear for melody and composition quite like this one. With Daft Punk-esque backing vocals, beats, hooks and melodies to spare, 'Behind The Mask' is so modern as to perhaps be a few years ahead of its time, and an instant rebuttal against any claims that this album should not be released. For a song this brilliantly unique to go unheard would be a tragic waste.

10. Much Too Soon

Every musician seems to have great songs that lie in wait for years at a time, simply because they don't 'fit' with whatever project they are currently working on. For Michael, 'Much Too Soon' was one of those songs, and consequently is the oldest song featured on this album. Dating back to the 'Thriller' sessions, which saw literally dozens of songs (including the gorgeous 'For All Time') excised from the final record, 'Much Too Soon' is as simple and sweet a song as he ever recorded. Almost folksy, with its lightly strummed guitars and harmonica (the first MJ song ever to employ the instrument) it is a plaintive, lost-love ditty that serves perfectly here as a quiet reflective album closer.

While other Michael Jackson albums will follow, this is likely the last album that can claim to have had any personal input from him. Likewise these chronologically represent the majority of his final recording sessions. Ominously, it has been suggested that Sony's next posthumous MJ project will comprise newly recorded 'duets' with current artists which if the uneven offerings on 'Thriller 25' are anything to go by will be at best, forgettable and at worst...well....

It's fitting then to see this as the final album. As a swansong, a comeback and a tribute, 'Michael' delivers the goods and serves as a reminder of just why Michael Jackson is so widely regarded as the greatest entertainer who ever lived, and the incredible legacy of music he has left behind for future generations to enjoy.

-Michael E.

ALICE COOPER group FINALLY to be inducted into Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame

They pioneered theatrical rock and roll, inspired a slew of imitators, were rock's first true villains and gave us hits like 'No More Mr Nice Guy', 'Elected', 'I'm Eighteen' and 'Billion Dollar Babies' to name just a few. The Sex Pistols John Lydon calls their 1971 record 'Killer' 'the greatest album of all time'. And yet while the Hall Of Fame has already inducted such noted Rock 'N' Roll artists as Grandmaster Flash, Run D.M.C., Abba and Madonna, it has taken them until now to finally recognize the act that put the show in the rock business.


ALICE COOPER BAND MEMBERS COMMENT ON ROCK HALL INDUCTION NEWS

With their upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Alice Cooper, is acknowledged as one of the most influential bands in rock history. At inception forty years ago, the group shocked the world so fundamentally that it seems to have taken a preternaturally long time for their incredible talent to be recognized.

In 1970, Alice Cooper flipped hippie ideals on their head and astonished the world, “driving a stake through the heart of the Love Generation,” as the group’s namesake put it.

It’s arguable that without Alice Cooper, there might never have been KISS, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Motley Crue, Slipknot or Rob Zombie... maybe not even David Bowie, or at least not Ziggy Stardust. Heavy Metal took the imagery, punk took the tunes, rock and pop took the showmanship and fans the world over fell in love with the macabre sense of humor. Amazingly, those fans have included legends as diverse as Peter Sellers, Groucho Marx, Salvador Dali and Bob Dylan who proclaimed Alice as an “overlooked songwriter.”

These days, artists as diverse as Metallica and Lady GaGa proclaim Alice Cooper's enduring influence on them.

True originals, Alice Cooper invented the concept of the rock concert as theatre with truly trailblazing stagecraft and showmanship in the early 1970's, with Alice himself continuing as a solo artist since 1975, remaining one of rock’s global megastars with well over 50 million record sales to prove it.

The surviving band members (guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997) upon hearing the induction news provided the following comments:

"This proves that Glen, Neal, Alice, Michael and I (and all of our fans) weren't so crazy after all. I'm absolutely thrilled because, let's face it, this great honor is about as good as it gets." Dennis Dunaway

"Sometimes, aswe were blazing a new theatrical trail in rock, there were moments in the career ofour band that overwhelmingly exceeded even our monstrous expectations. Being inducted into "The Rockn' Roll Hall Of Fame, Class Of 2011,"with my four best friends Michael, the late Glen Buxton, Alice and Dennis, is one of those incredible moments for our one of a kind rock band." Neal Smith

“Take one part Yardbirds, one part West Side Story, starring Bela Lugosi and Bette Davis, and you have Hellzapoppin! and then POOF !! -- and you have Alice Cooper. Now if you can digest that, and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame can digest that, we will happily be the Hall's arch villains. We are grateful from the bottom of our black little hearts." Alice Cooper

“The band that couldn't shoot straight strikes again, from having all our hits to being in so many Top 100 all-time polls -- be careful what you wish for because with hard work and perseverance and a good group of people like Neal, Dennis, Alice and Glen, you just might get it. It's just a shame that Glen couldn't be here with us to share in it, but we do also share this with (producer) Bob Ezrin and (manager) Shep Gordon, without whom..." Michael Bruce

PJ Harvey - 'Let England Shake', coming February 2011

PJ Harvey’s new album was recorded in a 19th Century church in Dorset, on a cliff-top overlooking the sea. It was created with a cast of musicians including such long-standing allies as Flood, John Parish, and Mick Harvey. It is the eighth PJ Harvey album, following 2007’s acclaimed ‘White Chalk’, and the Harvey/Parish collaboration ‘A Woman A Man Walked By’.

Such are the bare facts. But what is remarkable about ‘Let England Shake’ is bound up with its music, its abiding atmosphere – and in particular, its words. If Harvey’s past work might seem to draw on direct emotional experience, this new album is rather different. Its songs centre on both her home country, and events further afield in which it has embroiled itself. The lyrics return, time and again, to the matter of war, the fate of the people who must do the fighting, and events separated by whole ages, from Afghanistan to Gallipoli. The album they make up is not a work of protest, nor of strait-laced social or political comment. It brims with the mystery and magnetism in which she excels. But her lyric-writing in particular has arrived at a new, breathtaking place, in which the human aspects of history are pushed to the foreground. Put simply, not many people make records like this.

“I was looking outwards a lot more,” she told the BBC’s Andrew Marr on his programme back in May. “I think a lot of my work has often been about the interior, the emotional, what happens inside oneself. And this time I’ve been just looking out, so it’s not only to do with taking a look at England but taking a look at the world and what happening in current world affairs. But always trying to come from the human point of view, because I don’t feel qualified to sing from a political standpoint… I sing as a human being affected by the politics, and that for me is a more successful way … because I so often feel that with a lot of protest music, I’m being preached to, and I don’t want that.”.

By way of an introduction, there is the title song: “The West’s asleep. Let England shake/weighted down with silent dead.” As with so much of the record, the arrangement and melody have echoes of vernacular music going back centuries, but also push somewhere new: certainly, identifying any prevailing influence on this music is almost impossible. The lyrics hint at England’s post-imperial delusions, and yet another hapless soldier marching off to the front – themes that recur in ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’, ‘All And Everyone’, and ‘Hanging In The Wire’. But there is something else here: a brilliantly poetic picture of England itself – an old country, now creaking with age and experience, whose history is etched into the hearts and minds of the people who live here. One of the songs here is simply called ‘England’, and makes the point explicit: “I live and die/through England./It leaves/sadness./It leaves a taste,/a bitter one.”

‘Let England Shake’ evokes the troubled spirit of 2010, but it also casts its mind back to times and places from our long collective memory. In keeping with such imaginative intentions, its music has a rare breadth and emotional power. Nearly two decades after she made her first records, it proves not just that its author refuses to stand still, but that her creative confidence may well be at an all-time high. It is safe to say that you will not have heard anything like it before.

From the outset, PJ Harvey has commanded attention. She formed the bass / drums / guitar trio in 1991 in Dorset, England and by autumn had released the debut single, 'Dress', on independent label Too Pure. Harvey began an impressive critical climb, which set the stage for a highly anticipated album release the following month. 'Dry' was hailed as an astonishing debut, not just in the UK but worldwide and especially in the United States, where Rolling Stone named Harvey Best Songwriter and Best New Female Singer.



In 1993, PJ Harvey signed to Island Records and began work on a follow-up album, 'Rid Of Me' which was released in early '93. The album was supported by a lengthy world tour, drawing increasingly wide audiences and Harvey's first Mercury Prize nomination. The original trio dissolved and Harvey’s solo work '4-Track Demos' was released in the autumn of 1993. 'To Bring You My Love' followed in 1995, an eclectic and starkly original album. The tour which followed saw Harvey explore a theatrical edge to her live performance. She received her second nomination for the Mercury Music Prize and was nominated for two Grammies, received '1995 Artist Of The Year' awards from Rolling Stone and Spin and gained album of the year acknowledgements across the board.



Her fourth album,' Is This Desire?' was released in September '98 and attracted plaudits on both sides of the Atlantic gaining nominations for The Brits and The Grammy Awards. 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea', the much anticipated follow-up to 'Is This Desire?' was released in October 2000. This album won the Mercury Music Prize in 2001, 'Stories...' was supported by a lengthy world-wide sellout tour. After a summer of live dates - including the first rock concert at The Tate Modern Gallery, London. Harvey finished work on the album 'Uh Huh Her' in the autumn of 2003 which was supported by a world-wide tour and saw Harvey perform in South America for the first time. ‘White Chalk’ was PJ Harvey's critically acclaimed seventh album, it marked a new departure for Harvey and was composed almost entirely on piano. It was supported by a string of notable solo performances including Manchester International Festival, The Royal Festival Hall, the Hay-On-Wye Festival of Literature, the New Yorker Festival and a performance at Copenhagen opera house for the Crown Prince couple.



Recording followed the 2006 release of 'PJ Harvey: The Peel Sessions', a collection of Harvey's recordings for the veteran British broadcaster spanning her whole career. That year also saw the release of 'PJ Harvey On Tour: Please Leave Quietly', Harvey's first DVD which was filmed during the Uh Huh Her tour. Other projects have included soundtrack work on the films 'Basquiat' by Julian Schnabel, 'Stella Does Tricks' by Coky Giedroyc, 'The Cradle Will Rock' by Tim Robbins & 'Six Feet Under'. In 2009 Harvey composed the soundtrack for renowned director, Ian Rickson’s, New York production of Hedda Gabler. Also she appeared as Mary Magdalene in Hal Hartley’s movie 'The Book Of Life' in 1999.

In 1996 she worked on the album 'Dance Hall At Louse Point' with John Parish for both the album and a live accompaniment to the Mark Bruce Dance Company production of the same name. The follow up collaboration with Parish was released in Spring of 2009 – ‘A Woman A Man Walked By’. An extensive tour of Europe and America followed. The video for the first single from this album, ‘Black Hearted Love’, was directed by the acclaimed British artists, Jake & Dino Chapman. She has collaborated with an extraordinary range of musicians, including Thom Yorke, Nick Cave, Tricky, Bjork, Hal Wilner, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand, Pascal Comelade, Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes and Sparklehorse.



She joined Queen's of the Stoneage's Josh Homme on his critically acclaimed 'Desert Sessions' project [2003] and worked with Mark Lanegan on his solo album, ‘Bubblegum’. Harvey produced the debut album by American artist Tiffany Anders and also wrote, recorded & produced material for Marianne Faithfull's 'Before The Poison' [2004]. In addition to her musical career Harvey paints, draws, sculpts, and writes poetry & prose. Last summer saw Harvey guest design Francis Ford Coppola’s art & literary magazine; Zoetrope: All-Story. The issue featured previously unseen artwork, sculpture and drawings by PJ Harvey. Harvey made a guest appearance on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show in May 2010, the week before the UK general election. She was interviewed by Marr and performed ‘Let England Shake’ in front of Marr’s other guest, the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.

Harvey is currently collaborating on various visual projects with the respected photo-journalist Seamus Murphy. Murphy, an award winning photographer, has spent over two decades uniquely documenting conflict through his lens. His work has brought him to Rwanda, Eritrea, Kosovo, Iran and Iraq. He has also spent extensive periods of time photographing Afghanistan, and his most recent book ‘A Darkness Visible: Afghanistan’ is a classic illustration of life in Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban and the impact of U.S. invasion.

Let England Shake - Album Tracklisting

1. Let England Shake
2. The Last Living Rose
3. The Glorious Land
4. The Words That Maketh Murder
5. All And Everyone
6. On Battleship Hill
7. England
8. In The Dark Places
9. Bitter Branches
10. Hanging In The Wire
11. Written On The Forehead
12. The Colour of The Earth

For tour & pre-order information click here.