| Smithy |
03-04-2014 06:16 PM |
1. Love Never Felt So Good originates from collaborative sessions Jackson held with legendary songwriter, Paul Anka, in the early-80s.Touted by Mirror reporter Kevin Hughes as “an amazing 1983 disco groove” with a “soulful vocal, infectious baseline and orchestral strings,” this track would apparently not sound out of place on a Pharrell album. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy says that the track comes complete with 1980s “disco beats and crisp finger clicks,” adding that “the groove of the track is soaked in nostalgia.” The finger snaps are all present on the original demo of the track, but a 1980s disco beat is not. In fact, the demo, which will appear in the Deluxe Edition of ‘XSCAPE’, has only one instrument; a piano.
2. .[“She Was Lovin’ Me” What I find interesting about the brief reviews of this track in particular, are the comparisons to “The Way You Make Me Feel”. I can tell you right now, the original version of “She Was Lovin Me” sounds nothing like “The Way You Make Me Feel”. If anything, it reminded me of elements present in “Morphine”, “D.S.” and “Another Day”. Jackson delivers an emotionally powerful vocal on the track, packed with pain and frustration. The verses gently tell the intimate story of Jackson’s encounter with a woman whom he believes was attracted to him, before unleashing a rage of guitar-infused fury in the choruses..
3. “Chicago” that Timbaland said should be the lead single actually a fresh new remix of “Chicago 1945″ from the 80s? Kevin Hughes reported that “Chicago” (and “Blue Gangster): “Will remind you of previous Jackson offerings but benefits from newly enhanced production and remind us of the fact that Michael was keen to remain relevant to the emerging hip-hop generation."
4. A Place With No Name “I challenge anyone not to experience goosebumps after hearing ‘A Place With No Name’,” reported Kevin Hughes, adding that the song deserves to played by radio stations worldwide.
One thing that can’t be denied about this track is Jackson’s vocal. “When he came into the studio to record, he stood before the microphone and set fire to the song,” recalls Dr. Freeze of the recording session. “As he left, the studio was in ashes and our jaws on the floor. It was really impressive to see.”
5. 12 O’Clock (aka Do You Know Where Your Children Are) “The fifth song we were played opens with computerized synths as the star’s iconic ad libs of ‘hee-hee’ and ‘aaaow’ smack you with excitement,” writes Lewis Corner, adding: “Echoed snare beats and a storming rawk guitar solo make it one of the stand-out tracks. It’s: ”One of the outstanding cuts on the ‘Xscape’ album,” agrees Kevin Hughes. “An emphatic Jackson discusses family values and child abuse over a pulsating bass line and guitar riff.” Michael Cragg called the track “a proper, undeniably amazing hit” before going into a little more detail. “Opening with a delicate flurry of cascading 80s synths, it feels like the perfect embodiment of the old and the new, with some vintage “hee hee” ad-libs peppering the sophisticated mesh of electronics. It also features a typical Jackson pre-chorus section that then opens out into the album’s best chorus, before a great false stop moment heralds an even more bonkers final third, with Jackson hee-heeing and ow-ing his head off.”
6. Slave To The Rhythm begins with a massive string-led swoosh of scenic proportions, before it completely drops into glitchy electronics and rattling beats. Its shuffling groove marks it as classic MJ, making it yet another highlight,” wrote Lewis Corner. Michael Cragg reported that the Timbaland remix features: “Lashings of beatboxing in the intro, loads of vocal tics throughout, big spidery bassline,” adding that, “as with some of his other songs on Xscape, barely any space for the song to breathe. Thankfully Slave to the Rhythm is strong enough to fight its way through the clutter.” Kevin Hughes labeled the track as a potential single and “floor-filler for a new generation.”
7. Blue Gangster opens with Bond Theme-styled strings and tinned beats, before hearing Michael complain: ‘Look what you’ve done to me/ I can no longer smile’” writes Lewis Corner, adding that the album’s “overarching narrative is what we’ve always loved about Jackson; the superstar who is unlucky in love, but never doubts its power.”
Freeze stated that the version that leaked online is not the newest version he has. “I’ve updated it a bit, the song is completed, ready to go. It will be completely different from the version leaked on the net. It is perfectly calibrated to enter a nightclub. It sounds very European in style productions Kraftwerk.”The version that will appear on ‘XSCAPE’ will be different yet again. Freeze was not involved in the production of the new remix.
8. Xscape “It’s the only track which has been re-worked by its original producer, and hears turn-of-the-millennium Jackson snarl over a mix of ’70s disco and ’90s R&B. Its potential for some other-worldly choreography is palpable, which provokes a sad tinge of what could’ve been,” reports Lewis Corner, while Michael Cragg states that: “The only song that sounds like a bit of a struggle vocally, with Jackson’s various vocal tics becoming a bit of a hindrance rather than something more carefree.” Kevin Hughes deduces: ”As the album concludes with title track ‘Xscape’ a sonic slice of noughties electro-pop, I’m left satisfied that Michael’s legacy will endure…”
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