Over the course of the past week, we’ve been listening to Michael Jackson‘s latest album XSCAPE, not only because it’s a great body of work, but to compare how much the original versions are different from the cleaned up Timbaland, Stargate and Darkchild records. For the most part, the production crew on the album did a great job of enhancing the demo’s, but there were a few instances where the original records should have been left untouched. The vibe was killed.
But that’s the great part about L.A. Reid giving us the original records to begin with. So we could come with our own assumptions and enjoy them at our own convenience. There’s something about listening to the rough drafts that still blows us away. Just the sheer brilliance of Michael’s talent. Like it’s the first time we ever listened to him.
OS REWIND: Michael Jackson Wanted Justin Timberlake Duet For “Gone”
OS REWIND: What It’s Like Working With Michael Jackson, From His Engineer
OS REWIND: Michael Jackson – Love Never Felt So Good (feat. Justin Timberlake)
Today we bring you our own version of the album, the way we’ve enjoyed it. The tracklist has not changed, we only added the best version of the records in the order that it was released in. L.A Reid and company were on point with the sequence.
Let us know which original records you liked over the polished versions in the comments and make sure you cop XSCAPE on iTunes (or at retailers) now.
01. Love Never Felt So Good: At first, we went back and forth between the Justin Timberlake version and the solo album version, but after a few listens, that has changed and we’ve given the original demo more burn. The rawness of that record (even in its incomplete form) almost gives us chills because it’s what makes Michael so great.
02. Chicago: This one sounds like a page out of the mid-80s and even though the vocals were good, the production was lacking a bit. Timbaland definitely added to the track.
03. Loving You: One of the two tracks that should have been left alone, “Loving You” seems way more pure in it’s original form. This is one actually sounded 95% done as it stood, so we saw no need for a revamp. The original vibe was a little lost on the Timbaland remix, but he didn’t switch it up too much.
04. A Place With No Name: The one Stargate joint on the album needs to go. No hate on the producers, but they completely revamped the vibe of the song to fit more of today’s standards. The acoustic guitar at the beginning and gradual build up throughout the song was amazing as it was. They stripped the choir sound in the hook and sucked the soul out of the song. We’re fine with the original. Sorry, Stargate.
05. Slave To The Rhythm: The original “Slave To Rhythm” sounds a little dated and we can appreciate the vibe, especially if we’re listening to old Janet Jackson. As good as it sounds, the Timbo version sounds a little better.
06. Do You Know Where Your Children Are: This one is another track that sounds a little hollow, maybe because it was unfinished, or the fact the production is super dated. Luckily, Timbaland and Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon preserved a good amount of that portion of that 80s wave for the album version.
07. Blue Gangsta: The original production on this song was lacking heavily. Luckily, that’s why they called all these producers to help it out (see: King Solomon Logan, Daniel Jones, Timbaland, Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon, Dr. Freeze)
08. Xscape: This was another one we were on the fence on, only because the vibe of it switched up completely. It went from a song that could have been a filler on a 90s album, to a club banger from the early 2000’s. Depending on your mood, you can probably swap either version. We’ll be dammed if the Darkchild version doesn’t make you want to break out a dance or two, though.
AND LIKE THAT, WE GONE! (c) DJ Drama