Invincible

For such a boldly titled and apparently driven attempt to reinstate Michael Jackson at the centre of the pop world, Invincible is a listless thing. Split between scratchy funk workouts and mid-tempo ballads that might have appeared as Bad B-sides, the album plays on and on while never seriously promoting dancing or romancing. Its handful of weird moments--the resurrection-by-tape of Biggie Smalls on the bridge of the title track, for instance--are hardly large-scale bizarre like the first disc of HIStory. The title track turns out to be hardly the rampant ego-fest you'd imagine; instead, its subject is a female whom Jackson cheers on. Likewise, the most ear-catching moments of the "comeback" single "You Rock My World" come with Chris Tucker's jivey introduction. Despite a debt to "Payback"-era James Brown, "Rock" floats away like steam midway through. It's almost a relief when the old self-regard turns up: on the growling "Privacy", Jackson rants about muckrakers "stalking" him in search of "the stories you need to bury me", all this long after foundering divas and troubled boy-group members have replaced him on tabloid covers. The man may occasionally break away from the mirror, but he seems unsure about where else to find inspiration. --Rickey Wright

It's been six years since he last released a new album and a lot has happened since. The Spice Girls have been and gone, Destiny's Child have become the hottest R&B act around, UK Garage and Nu-Metal have both arrived. His 80s colleague Madonna has gone from dwindling sales in the mid-90s to become more credible, successful and respected than ever. So where does that leave Jackson? His answer is the sixteen track - and 77 minute - Invincible. Those expecting a 'Ray of Light' kind of re-invention - forget it. This is Michael Jackson as we've come to expect him.

The album is a mixture of upbeat tracks with his usual yelps - when he does actually sing his voice is still amazing. The best of these are '2000 Watts', 'Whatever Happens' and 'Threatened'. The ballads which make up most of this album cover his usual concerns - his privacy, children and falling in love. Some of them are good, but the others are pure Disney like 'The Lost Children' or 'Speechless'. If you are a big Michael Jackson fan and like what he does there is plenty here to keep you happy. However, if you are just curious to see whether the hype, the wait or the money has been worth the wait - you might just find that there isn't enough here which is fresh or original. It's not a great album and it's not a bad album. It's just not very thrilling. --Adam Smith

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This CD is available in five different coloured covers--the standard silver edition and four limited colours--green, yellow, red and blue.

JACKO COMES BACK IN FULL STYLE The main man back on top, don't listen to the skeptics, listen to the music. An amazing album, featuring the must have tracks "unbreakable", "invincible", "heaven can wait" and "whatever happens"