Plays on iPod® and all MP3 players The Essential Michael Jackson

Whoa!!!!! Where did this come from? Without any hype or media attention, Sony has just released "The Essential Michael Jackson" (37 tracks, 157 min.), perhaps the ultimate Michael Jackson compilation.

CD 1 (20 tracks, 79 min.) cover the period up to and including the "Thriller" album, starting with the best known Jackson 5 singles such as "ABC" and "I Want You Back", then shifting to the Jacksons. It would have been better to include "State of Shock" or "Lovely One" instead of "Enjoy Yourself". CD1 finishes off with 7 of the 9 "Thriller" album tracks (the other 2 being "Baby Be Mine" and "The Lady in My Life"; it's still hard to believe how successfull that album really was, and how many hits were relased from it, in the days when "radio tracks" meant actual vinyl single releases). This was of course Michael at his absolute best, now 23 years ago.

CD2 (17 tracks, 78 min.) compiles 8 tracks from "Bad" and 7 from "Dangerous", and finishes off with "You Are Not Alone" from HIStory and "You Rock My World" from Invincible. In other words: only 2 tunes from the post-1992 era, and rightfully so, even though the HIStory and Invincible albums are not nearly as bad or mediocre as many would like you to believe. The only track that arguably should be on here (but, at 78 min. already, at the expense of what other track then?) is "Scream", the No. 1 duet with sister Janet.

In the end, this "essential" compilation is better than any other compilation available (HIStory Vol. 1; Number Ones, etc.) as it covers both the Jackson 5/Jacksons era and his solo output. It's very strange to me that this was released without any hype or advertizing campaign, but the main thing is that it's out and available. Hihgly recommended!

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In Memory Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour

Yesterday. I enter Circuit City at Union Square in NYC with my wife, who is from Japan, and this DVD is on three modestly sized plasma TVs a the top of the escalator--which is crowded with mesmorized viewers.

We could not help it. The show was so awesome that we found ourselves standing there, entranced.

My wife put it correctly when she said to me in Japanese, "Whatever he does in life, people will always be facinated with his performances," meaning no matter what freakish things he does to or with his body, it just plain wont effect the fact that he truly is the King of Pop (though I must then appoint Prince as the Emperor of Pop--sorry Michael).

That really summed it up; we were watching one of the all time great masters of performance, and indeed were lucky to be alive when his career was in full swing.

Michael Jackson is one of the all time greats--like Harry Houdini, Fred Astaire, Jimmy Hendrix, or Miles Davis. He's a master of the stage, and--though I protest with myself--has a fantastic musical ability that can't help but mesmorize.

On this DVD, there is of course a lot of lip synching. This isn't so much a music concert as a stage show. And as a stage show, it's one of the greatest of all time. Just seeing Jackson dance to his own music is worth your money.

*****There was one musical break that was facinating, though it wasn't performed by Jackson. At one point in the performance, he shares the stage with a solo guitarist--apparrently just for effect--but the guitarist completely takes over the stage. Jackson points him out to a stage hand, who tries to stop the solo, and the guitarist just keeps going with a fantastic, mad, crazy solo.

It's pretty rare to see a solo like that unless you're in the biz. I immediately thought of Mike Stern--who this was not--totally dominating the show. Jackson should have let him go a bit longer, but instead started the next bit and had the guitarist's plug pulled.

Bottom Line: I suppose that says a lot about Jackson's way of performing--he's a perfectionist; it's all planned out, and it follows the plan exactly. Other performers would have played counterpoint to that solo (as the guitarist was starting to do when Jackson 'interrupted), shared the limelight, and acknowledged that this is what musical performance is really all about--that there's really no such thing as a solo artist, unless of course you're Michael Jackson.

Anyway, I can't help but give this DVD 5 stars on sheer greatness.

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