Released roughly three days after
Michael Jackson's passing,
The Definitive Collection is a 19-track collection of highlights from his Motown recordings, including the hits he had with his brothers in the
Jackson 5. This emphasizes
Michael's solo hits over the
Jackson 5's -- there are ten cuts of him alone, nine with his brothers (and one of those is an alternate "minus mix" of "I'll Be There") -- which skews this a little bit toward puppy love over bubblegum, something that may be a little too syrupy for some listeners, but there's no denying that for fans lacking a collection of
Michael's earliest hits, this is a useful compilation, gathering "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," "Who's Lovin' You," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Got to Be There," "Rockin' Robin," "Ben," and "Dancing Machine" in one place. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine