This Is It - A Big Fat Rip off

As I was surfing yesterday, (not literally you understand) I came across the chance to pre-order the "This Is It" CD, not just the single, but the album CD accompanying the movie. This is the tracklisting:

Disc 01
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
Jam
They Don’t Care About Us
Human Nature
Smooth Criminal
The Way You Make Me Feel
Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
Thriller
Beat It
Black Or White
Earth Song
Billie Jean
Man In The Mirror
This Is It
This Is It (Orchestra Version)

Disc 02
She’s Out Of My Life (Demo)
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Demo)
Beat It (Demo)
Planet Earth (Poem)

What a pile of shite! We're not talking about new versions of these tracks, but the same thing that you would have if you had all of Mike's studio albums (I do) or the many compilation albums such as "Michael Jackson's Number Ones", "The Essential Michael Jackson", "HIStory Pt.1", "The Ultimate Collection" or "King Of Pop" (I do). Eg. Nothing new at all except a few demos and the "This Is It" track that was conceived nearly a quarter of a century ago.

This means that apart from "Invincible" (2001), the single "One More Chance" (2003) and the Akon collaboration I flagged up a couple of days ago, fans have been denied anything truly new from Mike this millennium. To have to go back eight years to find "fresh" MJ tunes is increasingly frustrating. I made my own compilations this summer and the track list went like this:

"Hold My Hand" MJ/Akon (Unreleased 2008)

"Wanna Be Startin Something" MJ/Akon ('Thriller 25' 2008)

"Blood On The Dancefloor" (Refugee Camp Remix - CD Single 1997)

"2 Bad" (Refugee Camp Remix - Blood On The Dancefloor Album 1997)

"Invincible" (Invincible CD Album 2001)

"2000 Watts" (Invincible CD Album 2001)

"This Time Around" feat: Notorious B.I.G (HIStory CD Album 1995)

"Unbreakable" feat: Notorious B.I.G. (Invincible CD Album 2001)

"Heartbreaker" (Invincible CD Album 2001)

"The Girl Is Mine 2008" feat: Will.I.Am ('Thriller 25' 2008)

"Who Is It?" IHS Mix (The Ultimate Collection 2004)

"P.Y.T 2008" feat: Will.I.Am ('Thriller 25' 2008)

"Billy Jean" - Dirty Funker Remix (2009 Internet)

"Billy Jean - Dirty Funker Dub (2009 Internet)

Now this represented to me something that would provide MJ fans with the freshest and most contemporary sounding material, rather than just a re-hash of all the "greatest hits" that have been recycled by Michael's people for the last 15 years. The track listing of 'This Is It' would make a great set list for a live concert. During the up-coming movie, I understand we'll get to see

Mike singing these tracks 'live' at the Staples Centre in LA. Why not just put a CD out of those recordings? Instead we get the studio versions that (quote) "inspired" the concert set list. In other words, the same stuff that any devoted Mike fan will already own...

The one positive thing I took from Mike's death (apart from a re-assessment of his status in the public perception) was the chance for long suffering fans to finally hear some "new material". Looks like I'm going to be waiting a while...