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. The Way You Make Me Feel
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 (Orchestra Version)

Disc 2:

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50 in Music
• Released on: 2009-10-26
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .31 pounds

Album Description
Disc one features the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits such as "Billie Jean," "Smooth Criminal," "Human Nature," and "Thriller" arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of "This Is It," the original and an orchestral version. "This Is It" is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael's brothers, the Jacksons.

Disc two offers fans a rare listen to the early demo versions of classics "She's Out Of My Life," "Wanna Be Startin'," "Somethin'," and "Beat It." This disc also features a recently discovered spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled "Planet Earth."

Michael Jackson's This Is It also includes a 36-page, commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal.

Customer Reviews

Why you should buy "THIS IS IT."
In an attempt to explain what makes this album worth purchasing, I will break it down to 5 simple words: "It's all about the Sound." While it is true that the first CD of this album is a compilation of MJ's greatest hits, it needs to be pointed out that the majority of these songs have been remastered. In order to discern the difference, I took the original and remastered versions of these songs, and played them side-by-side on the same audio equipment with exactly the same settings. The difference is clear and easy to detect. As good as the originals are, once you hear the remastered versions, the originals sound flat and dull. The remastered versions are crisper, deeper, and fuller. It is simply wonderful to be able to hear how much more amazing these classic songs can sound. I have heard these songs hundreds of times over the years, and yet, after listening to these remastered versions, I felt like I was really hearing them for the first time. To all those who love MJ's music, please don't discount this album simply because these songs have been available for years in their earlier versions. These new versions are absolutely fantastic!

As for the demos on the 2nd CD, they are absolute treasures. Hearing the early versions of these songs takes you inside MJ's creative process, which is a rare and special treat. While the song, "This Is It" isn't a towering achievement like "Thriller," it is a lovely song with a catchy tune that will stick in your head.

Regarding the spoken poem, "Planet Earth," MJ released a book back in 1992 called, "Dancing The Dream." This book was a compilation of poetry and short essays that MJ wrote. The poem "Planet Earth" is one of the poems from this book. Despite the fact that I had read the poem many times, hearing MJ himself actually reading the poem was both beautiful and heart-wrenching. MJ was a visionary, and this is readily apparent when you hear the emotion and depth in his voice as he reads his love poem to the Earth. Do yourself a favor--buy this album, and treat yourself to the wonderful, creative genius of the greatest entertainer who ever lived, Michael Jackson--the King of Pop.

Mixed feelings but disc 2 saves this release
As a fan, I bought this 2 disc release with mixed feelings and it is with mixed feelings that I rate this 5 stars after listening to the album. I went straight to Disc 2 because I've already heard (and own many times over) the other tracks. I suspect MJ is turning in his grave knowing that this first posthumous release is really just a re-release of tracks to match the movie, almost taking advantage of his fans. However, as a fan, I'll likely buy anything that is released in his name after his death.

Having said that, I'm giving this 5 stars because of the demos. The $9.99 that I've spent is well worth what I've received listening to the demo of "Shes out of my life". It's the first time (aside from Speechless from the Invincible album) you get to hear MJ's voice in all it's purity. It's touching and it's searingly beautiful.

After listening to the "new" tracks (the demos and the poem), you're left with a sad realization that his life truly ended too soon.

Love the Demos & Poem
This is a great collection of hits from MJ, and if you take a close listen, you will see that almost all of the songs he selected for his concert have a message. They are not all number ones, but the majority of them tell us something about his philosophy. The exceptions are Thriller and Billie Jean, which were included of course because they are the bestsellers and great dance hits.

Regarding the demos - worth buying the whole album for these. I bought both the CD from Amazon for a keepsake and the iTunes unbundled selection that includes only the demos and poem.

She's out of My Life - "unplugged" version sung to acoustic guitar. Can't wait to get the booklet so I can find out who was playing guitar. It's amazing and so moving.

Wanna Be Startin Something - great to have for the ending, which in this demo has even more energy than the final version because you can hear the individual instruments. What a treat.

Beat It - this shows you the architecture of MJ's song building where he lays down his own vocals to show how the instrumentation should sound.

Planet Earth - gives me goosebumps. It's incredibly intimate, very sensual and unique. MJ had a brilliant mind and this gives you a glimpse. Plus I love hearing his spoken voice.

This is It - I've heard all the critics, but I LOVE this song and even though it was written years ago, the lyrics are like a tribute to MJ's legacy. The vocals are wonderful, especially considering it was an out-take and has minimal production. This is raw MJ.