Michael Jackson:
Home > Music > J > Jackson, Michael > Discography
Albums | Compilations | Singles | Videos | Other
 Michael JacksonMichael Jackson's This Is It Release Date: 2009 10 27 Label: Epic Rating:  |
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, All Music Guide
Tracks:
| Title | Composer | Time | |
| 1 | Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' | 6:03 | |
| 2 | Jam | 5:39 | |
| 3 | They Don't Care About Us | 4:44 | |
| 4 | Human Nature | 4:05 | |
| 5 | Smooth Criminal | 4:11 | |
| 6 | Way You Make Me Feel | 4:58 | |
| 7 | Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) [Single Version] | 3:45 | |
| 8 | I Just Can't Stop Loving You | 4:12 | |
| 9 | Thriller | 5:58 | |
| 10 | Beat It | 4:18 | |
| 11 | Black or White | 4:16 | |
| 12 | Earth Song | 6:46 | |
| 13 | Billie Jean | 4:53 | |
| 14 | Man in the Mirror | 5:19 | |
| 15 | This Is It | 3:36 | |
| 16 | This Is It [Orchestra Version] | 4:54 | |
| 17 | She's out of My Life [Demo Version] | 3:19 | |
| 18 | Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' [Demo Version] | 5:43 | |
| 19 | Beat It [Demo Version] | 2:03 | |
| 20 | Planet Earth (Poem) | 3:13 |
Other Releases:
| This Is It [Deluxe Edition] Release Date: 2009 Label: Epic Japan |
| Michael Jackson's This Is It: Selections From Release Date: 2009 Label: Sony Music |
| Michael Jackson's This Is It [Deluxe] Release Date: 2009 Label: MJJ/Epic |
| Michael Jackson's This Is It Release Date: 2009 Label: Epic |
Browse More Music:
![Add to My Music](javascript:addFavorite("0","R 1667687","3","Michael+Jackson%3A+Michael+Jacksons+This+Is+It","http%3A%2F%2Fimages.starpulse.com%2FAMGPhotos%2Fpop%2Fcov75%2Fdrn100%2Fn175%2Fn17596qfmrt.jpg","Music%2FJackson%2C_Michael%2FDiscography%2Falbum%2FP4576%2FR1667687","My Music");){kind=link}