Sony
2004
The Ultimate Collection
About This Album
A year -- nearly to the day -- after Epic released the single-disc Number Ones compilation in November 2003, the long-awaited Michael Jackson box set finally saw the light of day. Entitled The Ultimate Collection, the 57-track set spans five discs -- four CDs and one DVD containing a live show in Bucharest shot on the Dangerous tour -- and runs his entire career, from the Jackson 5's early hits for Motown to Invincible in 2001. It's the first set to cover so much ground, which is eye opening. To hear Jackson evolve from the exuberant kid singing "I Want You Back" and "ABC" to the young adult behind the vibrant disco of "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is exciting and instructive; even if you're familiar with this material, it's different to hear the music change over the course of one disc. Unfortunately, The Ultimate Collection doesn't contain too many more revelations (although the early, radically different version of "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" is not only revelatory -- it's practically a different song -- it's also musically noteworthy). Since Jackson has had such a long career filled with so many hits, there are too many hits to fit into the four discs, and not all of them are nearly as invigorating or ageless as much of the music that comprises the first two CDs.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 9 and 10)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 7,9 and 11)

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Disc 3 (try tracks 7 and 9)

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Disc 4 (try tracks 4,6,11 and 13)

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Disc 5

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