Michael

マイケル・ジャクソン 『Michael』の再発盤

2010年に発売された、マイケル・ジャクソンの未発表曲を集めたアルバム『Michael』を再発。

As the first excavation of Michael Jackson’s vaults, Michael carries the weight of expectation it cannot possibly bear to support. After Jackson split with Quincy Jones following 1987’s Bad, he had a revolving door on his studio, letting in all major producers for a track or three, sometimes selecting these songs for a finished album, sometimes not. Michael rounds up ten of these leftovers, relying heavily on cuts he was tinkering with in the years after Invincible, but apart from cameos by Akon and 50 Cent there’s precious little here that sounds modern. Perhaps it’s the heavy presence of Teddy Riley, but much of this recalls the cacophonic clutter of Dangerous, heavy on rhythms but not melody. Tellingly, the exceptions to the rule are the oldest tunes here -- “Behind the Mask” and “Much Too Soon,” both dating back to Thriller, and “(I Like) The Way You Love Me,” an outtake first aired on the 2004 box The Ultimate Collection and reworked somewhat extensively here. Much of this has likely been tweaked extensively to prep it for release, but it’s impossible to discern exactly what overdubs were added after Jackson’s death, particularly because this so heavily recalls his last decade of released records, right down to the recurring theme of MJ’s persecution, which sounds quite bizarre in the wake of his passing. That said, Michael winds up seeming almost respectful. At the very least, the album doesn’t tarnish his legacy. [In August 2022, Michael Jacksons estate and Sony Music settled a lawsuit claiming the two parties violated false advertising laws by featuring a "Jackson impersonator" on Michael. A month earlier, the label pulled three disputed tracks from streaming versions of the album: "Breaking News," "Monster," and "Keep Your Head Up."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

未発表曲を元に完成された新作。"Behind The Mask"のように、トラックを作り直したものに「Thriller」期のヴォーカルを乗せたものもあるが、基本的には本人が描いていたコンセプトに沿うアルバムだ。テディ・ライリーによるハネ感の強いアップは「Dangelous」を彷彿とさせ、メロウなデュエット曲"Best Of Joy"が"I Just Can't Stop Loving You"を思わせるなど、サウンドは過去作からの正統な進化を感じさせる。また、注目され続けた日常とその苛立ちを表す"Breaking News"や、ポジティブな愛の賛歌である"Keep Ya Head Up"など歌詞の世界観もまさしくMJ。本人の意図が完全に反映されようもないとはいえ、その音楽に＜マイケルらしさ＞を求める世界の期待には応える一枚だろう。
bounce (C)池谷昌之