Thank Goodness He Never Covered "Oh Boy"
Make-Believe Michael - the Phoenix
New Times tilts a sympathetic ear toward Michael Jackson's latest hits collection.
Speaking of MJ, I've taken a shine to one of his earlier, rarer songs which I downloaded off the iTunes store - "Little Christmas Tree". This sugary ballad was recorded for the 1973 compilation A Motown Christmas and captures Michael at his teenaged best. The arrangement is very dated and sickeningly sweet - with backup vocalists sounding as if borrowed from a Partridge Family session - but the lead vocal is astonishing. It shows a young man bursting with poise, soulful yearning and innocence, worlds away from where he is now.
Posted by mhinrichs at November 29, 2003 03:14 PM
