Michael Jackson's This Is It by Michael Jackson (CD, Jan-2009, 2 Discs, Sony Music Distribution (USA))

Album Features
UPC:	886976067427
Artist:	Michael Jackson
Format:	CD
Release Year:	2009
Record Label:	Sony Music Distribution (USA)
Genre:	Contemporary R&B, R&B
Number Of Discs:	2

Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
2. Jam
3. They Don't Care About Us
4. Human Nature
5. Smooth Criminal
6. Way You Make Me Feel, The
7. Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)
8. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
9. Thriller
10. Beat It
11. Black or White
12. Earth Song
13. Billie Jean
14. Man in the Mirror
15. This Is It
16. This Is It

DISC 2:
1. She's Out of My Life
2. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
3. Beat It
4. Planet Earth (Poem)

Details
Playing Time:	92 min.
Contributing Artists:	Siedah Garrett, The Winans
Producer:	Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, David Foster, John McClain, Mervyn Warren, Bill Bottrell, Dave Way, Teddy Riley
Distributor:	Sony Music Distribution (
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	n/a

Album Notes
Personnel: Michael Jackson (vocals, background vocals); Siedah Garrett (vocals); L.T.B., Heavy D, Vincent Price (rap vocals); Teddy Riley (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, drums); Paul Jackson, Jr. , Slash, Tito Jackson, David E. Williams (guitar); Miran Kojian, Brian Benning, Anatoly Rosinsky, Johana Krejci, Philip Vaiman, Shari Zippert, Michael Farril, Sally Berman, Dennis Molchan, Norman Hughes, Agnes Gottschewski, Nicole Garcia, Miwako Watanabe, Mark Cargill, Samuel Fischer (violin); Jorge Moraga, Jerry Epstein, Lynn Grants, Roland Kato, Piotr Jandula, Harry Shirinian, Rodney Wirtz, Robert Berg (viola); Maurice Grants, Giovna Clayton, Miguel Martinez, Andrew Shulman, Cecilia Tsan, Steve Richards (cello); Greg Huckins, Steve Kujala (alto flute); Don Shelton (bass flute); Gary Foster (alto clarinet); John Yoakum, Lee Callet (bass clarinet); John D. Mitchell (contrabass clarinet); Jon Lewis (piccolo trumpet, bugle); Chuck Koontz (bugle, tuba); Jim Grinta (bugle); Greg Phillinganes (piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Brad Buxer, Michael Boddicker (keyboards, synthesizer); Ed Green , Bruce Swedien (keyboards, drums); René Moore (keyboards); Rhett Lawrence (synthesizer); Louis Johnson (bass guitar); Paulinho Da Costa, Rafael Padilla (percussion); Becky Lopez, Bunny Hill, James Ingram , Julia Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters (background vocals).Audio Mixers: Don Murray ; Allen Sides; Peter Granet.Photographer: Kevin Mazur.Arrangers: David Paich; Michael Jackson; René Moore; Steve Lukather; Steve Porcaro; Teddy Riley; Bruce Swedien.This is It was designed as a comeback tour, not a movie, with the rehearsals taped not for exhibition, but rather instruction, possibly some video bonus down the line. Of course, Michael Jackson's tragic passing created considerable demand for those final rehearsals, so they were packaged as the This is It film, released almost five months after his death, with a soundtrack as an accompaniment. Since there were no real live recordings made, at least not any to fill a big-budget blockbuster like this, the soundtrack consists of almost nothing but the hits repackaged one more time, with the title track -- an '80s leftover, co-written by Paul Anka and released under the name "I Never Heard" by Safire -- added as an enticement in two separate versions, the second being orchestral with an opening straight out of Sgt. Pepper's. The song does feel like a demo, right down to how it fades out mid-chorus, but there's no denying the thrill of hearing an unheard vocal track of Michael at his prime. There's a second disc containing demos of "She's Out of My Life" (just Michael and an acoustic, quite nice) "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"(full demo, with identical rhythm and guitar lines, close to the final but lacking its horns), and "Beat It" (a true writers sketch, all vocals and harmonies, no lyrics or instruments, kind of awesome), plus a "poem" of "Planet Earth." All these bonus tracks are a greater enticement to purchase than anything on the album proper. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine