WIWS Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ Reviews

This is It (Part 1)

January 28, 2010 By Mike Duquette 1 Comment

One of the biggest catalogue-oriented titles this week is a DVD: Tuesday saw the release of Michael Jackson's This is It, the documentary comprised of tour rehearsal footage for the set of London concerts the King of Pop was working on right before his death in June.

I've happily pored through 75 percent of my copy (I have a few features to sift through) and upon completion I'll be sure to post a review. But I'd also like to take a quick look at the other This is It product that's been on shelves since the film opened in October: the soundtrack. It's certainly one of the oddest catalogue titles I've ever seen and, as you'll read after the jump, a product I can't entirely recommend.

The This is It album is comprised of two discs: one features the songs that would have made up the bulk of the set list had the shows gone on, as well as two mixes of a "new" song, the titular "This is It." The second disc is of particular interest to collectors, featuring some demo material from the MJ/Epic vaults.

At face value, this sounds like a decent package. But there are more than a few flaws inherent. Namely:

  • This is It isn't much more than a greatest hits set. We're not looking at a playlist of album cuts here; of the 14 songs meant for the concert, there are five singles from Thriller, four from Bad, two apiece from Dangerous and HIStory and a Jacksons track, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)." If you own at least one of MJ's Epic-era compilations (the first disc of HIStory, Number Ones or The Essential Michael Jackson), you own these already. And given that Number Ones and The Essential were bought by millions after Jackson died, even new fans won't have much to chew on here.
  • The promise of "original album masters" is insultingly inaccurate. A fancy marketing phrase that graces a sticker on This is It triumphantly proclaims that original album masters are in use. This is blatantly inaccurate on several counts. For starters, hardcore fans might know that Bad went through several different mixes on CD, with some of the original LP versions being replaced by single masters. Almost all the tracks that went through the change on that album resurface here, namely "Bad" (had more horns on the album version, similar to the mix heard in the video), "The Way You Make Me Feel" (remixed at least twice, once for the CD and once for the single), "Smooth Criminal" (it's a subtle remix - different breathing in the intro, for one thing - but even so) and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (which had a spoken-word intro on the original album mix). If this sounds like nitpicking, consider that the radio mixes/edits of "They Don't Care About Us" and "Shake Your Body" are present too. Overeager marketing is one thing, but this is an artist who could benefit from original album masters showing up on CD.
  • The "This is It" song fiasco. Once the lead single "This is It" was released to radio stations, confusion reigned supreme. Nobody at Epic/Legacy knew where the song came from, chronologically (it's likely a post-Triumph, pre-Thriller demo). Many were slow to pick up on the fact that the song had been re-recorded and released in 1991 by another artist named Sa-Fire - and nobody had credited the song to its rightful co-author, Paul Anka. (This New York Times piece gives a pretty good insight into the fumblings.) The song itself isn't terrible - it's clearly a demo gussied up with a bit too much production - but the lack of archiving might leave a bad taste in your mouth.
  • Whimperings from the vault. I'm sure Legacy is stockpiling more MJ outtakes for eventual release - heaven knows Motown is - but putting three demos and a spoken-word interlude on one disc is ridiculous. The four songs total just over 14 minutes. They're all interesting (save for the dreadful "Planet Earth," a recording of Jackson speaking a poem that appeared in the sleeve notes for Dangerous) but it almost seems like a waste of disc.
  • The price tag. Whether the material is newor old or regardless of the packaging it's in, $17.99 MSRP is too much for this set. (Wal-Mart does have a variant for $9.99, but it's just the first disc - not recommended for anyone but the newest of new fans.)

In total, This is It is a bust as an album. It would have done better as an EP (and frugal collectors rejoice - the two versions of "This is It' and the demos are available as a lower-priced set on iTunes and Amazon), but marketing is what it is. Unless you absolutely have to have it (and can find it at a decent price), wait for a more proper set of vault works to come out. Fortunately, the DVD is well worth your money and attention; check back later for a review of This is It the movie.

Categories: Reviews Tags: Michael Jackson

Avatar photo

Mike Duquette

Michael Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he discovered there was more than one version of John Williams' soundtrack to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, with bylines on catalog at Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Prince and credits on titles including the Grammy-winning 'Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with an ever-expanding collection of music.

Connect With Mike:

You Might Also Like

  • Carole Bayer Sager Sometimes Late at NightOUT TOMORROW! Iconoclassic Reissues Carole Bayer Sager's Star-Studded "Sometimes Late at Night," Featuring Burt Bacharach, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, More
  • Carole Bayer Sager Sometimes Late at NightEasy To Love Again: Carole Bayer Sager's "Sometimes Late at Night," with Burt Bacharach, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Returns from Iconoclassic
  • Thriller 40 packshot realHoliday Gift Guide Review: Michael Jackson, 'Thriller 40'
  • Thriller 40 realRelease Round-Up: Week of November 18

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Crazy Horse All Roads Lead Home
    All Roads Lead Home
    Crazy Horse
    March 31, 2023
  • The Who With Orchestra Live at Wembley
    The Who with Orchestra Live at Wembley
    The Who
    March 31, 2023
  • The Birth of Bop
    The Birth of Bop: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection
    Various Artists
    March 31, 2023
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,574 other subscribers

Popular

  • Rush Signals 40th
    Chemistry: Rush Revisits "Signals" For 40th Anniversary posted on March 22, 2023 | under News
  • Rick Springfield Springfield
    Call the Fire Brigade: Iconoclassic Premieres Rick Springfield's Lost 1974 Album "Springfield" in Expanded Edition posted on March 20, 2023 | under News
  • Elton John Honky Chateau Cover
    Release Round-Up: Week of March 24 posted on March 24, 2023 | under Release Round-Up

Comments

  • small faces here come the nice2
    Return To Itchycoo Park: Small Faces' "Here Come The Nice" Deluxe Box Set Arrives In January [UPDATED 12/3] 84 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 3, 2013 | under News
  • the beatles u s albums box2
    British Invasion! The Beatles Unveil "The U.S. Albums" Box Set in January 69 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 12, 2013 | under News
  • Rolling Stones in Mono
    Out of Their Heads: Stones Plan Mono Box Set 47 comments | by Mike Duquette | posted on August 10, 2016 | under News

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popblerd
  • Popdose
  • Record Racks
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Viva La Mainstream
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Resonance Records
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2023 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy