Invincible - Jackson, Michael (CD 2001)

I've never been a huge MICHAEL JACKSON fan, knowing by heart every single OOOAH from him as my cousins still do after 20 years of praise (!).

Estranged by his muses, chased by police officers and papparazzis everywhere, his King Of Pop crown rotten by market oblivion and bankrupcy...He has a lot of trouble getting in his way of making music today.

Anyway, I believe he could have unleashed thousands of better records while sitting his Neverland porch, late 80s, just passing time.

What confirms my reservations towards this record is the amount of studio wizardry, the massive loads of craftmanship spent on these 16 tracks. Anyone but KELLY OSBOURNE could have scored many great hits with a slice of this cypher pie. MJ is in a creative low, maybe his deepest since THE JACKSONS. Beware of any guy intending to replace BEYONC (no puns intended).

Understendably, his ego flies free whereas facing several challenges. But that sinks this album to unnoticed downs - his voice a sliver, his tricks predictable, he still thinks he's unbreakable, invincible, a juggernaut heartbreaker. At the same time, he wants to show the world audience he's vulnerable. Threatened, he wants privacy. Whatever happens, he wants to cry. And he begs the audience - "Don't walk away! You are my life!"

C'mon Mike...

Intriguing - this artist in shambles still delivers the occasional spark, hinting at those years when he seemed to have the world on the palm of his/its gloved hands! The album, thus, is a rollercoaster.

Tracklist

01 (***) Unbreakable
02 (**1/2) Heartbreaker
03 (**) Invincible
04 (***1/2) Break of Dawn
05 (****) Heaven Can Wait
06 (****1/2) You Rock My World
07 (****) Butterflies
08 (***) Speechless
09 (***1/2) 2000 Watts
10 (***1/2) You Are My Life
11 (**1/2) Privacy
12 (***1/2) Don't Walk Away
13 (**1/2) Cry
14 (**) The Lost Children
15 (***) Whatever Happens
16 (**) Threatened

Unbreakable is a disjointed attempt to emule THE NEPTUNES latest productions. MJ's voice is spotty and damaged by the mix. There's also a ghoulish rap by late NOTORIOUS B.I.G. included. 6-plus minutes of stirred egotrips disguised as groove. Rhythm scores but words get in the way...

Overbearing synths plague Heartbreaker, an Electro-Funk of sorts with naive (for a 40-plus year-old father of two) chorus. Notorious lack of enthusiasm overall.

Invincible is the predictable tongue-in-cheek egotrip (too good he didn't include a massive Communist chorus before a gigantic statue). Anyway, dull deal, man. This time with a truly awful chorus, barely identifiable.

Break of Dawn is the utterly necessary sappy ballad for a MJ album worth of its name. She's Out Of My Life, The Girl Is Mine...This one is a TONY RICH PROJECT-offshot that resembles early Stranger In Moscow. At least, he chose the right influences this time.

Heaven Can Wait is a chilling number, the only that resembles young MJ in late 70s, with a killer mellowy voice (thanks God for PRO-TOOLS). The best ballad on the batch. Not much imaginative, but a triumph of craftmanship.

You Rock My World is the killer single intended to set the charts worldwide on fire. This is the bread and butter of this exotic guy. Not surprisingly, the most catchy item on agenda. Charming rhythm (a little bit retro, but this is the King of 80s Pop, no problem), easygoing rhymes, catchy choruses. Refreshed vocals (that PRO TOOLS again?) contribute for near-perfect result. Near-perfect?

Well, MJ of old used to spin 3 or 4 of this kind a record and reprocess the beats on additional great album tracks. Here, towards the end of the song, he seems confused and starts recycling the beats instead of finishing the whole thing, it gets unnecessarily repetitive. And this wasn't the intended hit.

Another Urban effort is displayed on Butterflies. TONY RICH PROJECT again. MJ sustains the higher notes, with visible difficulty, but gets there. He's newfound intimacy proves to be rewarding in some level.

Speechless opens a string of diatribes. MJ fighting his inner (inner?) demons. This first track is pure mystical saccharine. Heal The World for New Age. Strings, orchestra, children's choir, a cappela performances. Asseptical, clear-cut, angelic, sophisticated. Oh...poor twisted ears of mine.

2000 Watts intends to be the aggressive number. Not surprisingly, TEDDY RILEY produces. Not surprisingly, is punchy as a hamster. Is this really MJ singing? No, I can't believe. I didn't have this feeling since MILLI VANILLI!

You Are My Life once again presents a matured singer. And this time BABYFACE produces. The cheesy King Midas once again prevails over my ears. Oh...I want the salt of the Earth, not the sugar-coated clouds of these guys.

Privacy is a pointed finger statement on fame and its burdens, almost unlistenable. The diatribe flows alongside a rhythm akin to JOE COCKER's You Can Leave Your Hat On. He says: "So papparazzy, get away from me" with hair metal guitars on the background. I'll running out with the papparazzi! MADONNA's Human Nature younger - and dumber - brother.

Don't Walk Away sounds like something SIMPLY RED forgot to record circa 1995. Another TEDDY RILEY effort. At least Mick Hucknall kept his voice intact.

Cry is a anthem for personal revolution through...Crying. Does this sound like JAMES TAYLOR? "We can change the world if only we all cry tonight"...Tepid. Asseptical. Harmless. No, I'll start a hunger strike until tracks as this are kept away from release.

The Lost Children (wow, he is worried about them once again). Heal The World...I'll Be There... Maybe attorney generals and judges will be moved by such efforts. Not me. Saccharine surrealism. Not even SALVADOR DALI would place so many children voices on a MJ recording nowadays. Just there side by side with MADONNA's newfound mysticism. Unintendedly hilarious!

Whatever Happens is a placid acoustic-driven (SANTANA's) plea to persistence amidst troubles. To me sounds a futile attempt for both artists to regain their previous sales levels. Additional star for SANTANA's tasteful soloing.

Threatend...Chosing such a title promises the mother of all diatribes (including a weird intro and weirdo outro). MJ has always been paranoid (check out any of his 80s classics). Why should he resist to close the record with another slice of pop paranoia? But this time, seconded by BACKSTREET BOYS producer, what he gets is something awkwardly similar to Backstreet's Back (Everybody).

And that says a lot about the "anger" of this album. Radio-friendly unit shifter anger - signed, sealed and delivered. For you, not me. See ya!