Michael Jackson

Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection (Hip-O Select)

Motown’s 50th inadvertently eulogizes MJ via the teen’s three 1970s LPs for the then-L.A. indie in a 3-CD limited-edition hardcover postcard. Jackson cooks Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” but outside Ben‘s No. 1 title cut, kitchen-sink material betrays its interpreter’s life inexperience in light of the final disc’s label hodgepodges leveraging choice R&B covers. Motown farewell Forever, Michael rebounds Boyz II Men (“Cinderella Stay Awhile”). Off the Wall came next.

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This article appears in September 11 • 2009.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.