Never Can Say Goodbye Archives

Never Can Say Goodbye Archives from Katherine Jackson is the coffee table style book that has been advertised as being filled with many never before seen photos of Michael Jackson, family, fans and friends.

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Although this book is the official book from the King of Pop’s mother, much controversy has surrounded its release, the promotional tour on Oprah and other shows promoting it, the website that sells it and most recently the bizarre actions of the owner of the company releasing songs without authorization and claiming they are something they are not.

We were sent a copy of this book prior to any of this controversy last week so we are going to try now to review the book on the merits of it without being swayed by any of the other issues.

The first impression we got about the book was that we were impressed with the size and paper of the book. Many pictures, however, are not great quality but we were not sure if this was due to them being personal pictures or old technology.

The coloring on skin tones in particular are not good on some of the pictures (e.g. page 109) where MJ wears a white coat and his face has many different colors in it. Some have suggested it looks like a copy of a picture but we are not sure. Other pictures are blurry so we wonder about the selection of pictures but again it may be they were trying to get a ‘home taken’ look to some of them.

It did seem, however, that the period in which this book captures is childhood, Jackson 5 and Thriller time period. There seems to be no later pictures of Michael at all. We found that very disappointing. It seems to stop around the time he left home. There were years after this whereby personal pictures could have been gathered but they have not been included in this book.

Because the quality of the pictures selected are not to the standards usually adhered to for a coffee book style book, the price tag and the limited period captured in this book, we feel we can only rate it 3.

For fans, however, the words provided by Katherine Jackson may be enough to persuade them to purchase the book. It does appear to be a more personal look at Michael unlike most other books sold today.

Let us know what you think.

Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson

Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson by Henry Leutwyler is a deeply personal look at the King of Pop through the eyes of an internationally acclaimed photographer.

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“It seems that an individual’s belongings rarely become available without some tragedy as a backdrop.” This quote provides an understanding as to how such still photos envoke such deep emotion when reviewing them. This book is an extremely personal, sad yet reflective opportunity for anyone wanting to understand Michael Jackson’s life, fall from grace and ultimate isolation.

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Michael Jackson In Search of Neverland – Book Review

Michael Jackson: In Search of Neverland, written by real estate broker Gloria Rhoads Berlin, offers a peak into the world of MJ. While searching for 3 years for a home fit for a King, Gloria saw a side of Michael that few witnessed. Read more

Michael Jackson: Unmasked The Final Years – Book Review

Unmasked The Final Years of Michael Jackson by Ian Halperin was the first book to rush to the shelves following Michael Jackson’s death. Although criticized for cashing in on the singer’s death, Halperin had, in fact, been working on the book for many years and was set to go to print when Michael Jackson died. Because of this, the book was held back and amended before finally being rushed to the printing presses.
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Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk – Book Review

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk book is back in stores after years out of circulation. Following his death, the estate obtained permission to put his autobiography again in print.

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Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story – Book Review

Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story by J. Randy Taraborrelli is an exhaustive and comprehensive look at the life of this remarkable icon.  It was first published in 1991 with subsequent editions produced.  The book has now been updated and released  in 2009 following Michael Jackson’s death. Read more

The Michael Jackson Tapes – Book Review

The Michael Jackson Tapes by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is a book produced and widely advertised with Michael Jackson’s co-operation in 2002.

Rabbi Boteach did an extensive media promotional tour airing audio tapes of Michael speaking in his own words about love, friendships, life, children, hopes, dream, career and most notable and sensational his abusive childhood at the hands of his father. Read more

Michael Jackson Opus

Prior to Michael Jackson’s death, he was working on a huge book publishing deal called Opus.  He met with those working on the project days before his death and was extremely excited about the book. This is the only book authorized by the Estate of Michael Jackson. Read more

Rabbi Cashes In on Michael’s Death

Michael Jackson‘s rabbi is busy making public appearances cashing in ‘his friend’ Michael Jackson by publishing a book about the singer. Taped recordings were apparently taken of MJ talking about his inner demons, desires, fears, etc.

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