Michael Jackson - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Steven Spielberg. John Williams. Quincy Jones. Michael Jackson. Not much more to say. This album had a short lifespan when it first dropped in 1982, because MJ's label, Epic Records, sued MCA for dropping this project the same month as his album Thriller. 

This album is absolutely stunning - they couldn't have picked a better narrator than Michael Jackson. His genuine, child-like wonder really shines when he is telling this story. Rumor has it he felt he related to E.T.'s character, and I think you can feel their shared experience - much like Elliott in the film - when you listen to his narration. Unfortunately my copy is missing the actual story book that the audio is meant to accompany, as well as the full-sized poster (!!) of the above image. 

Nonetheless, with two versions of Michael's E.T. song "Someone In The Dark" and a full narration of the story, this album is quite a gem, especially for someone of my age who grew up worshiping both of these special beings.

HERE.

Johnnie Wilder, Jr. - "My Goal" (1990)

Johnnie Wilder, Jr. (1949-2006) was once the lead vocalist of the great Funk/Soul group Heatwave. They were famous for hits such as "Boogie Nights" and "Always and Forever." They also claimed the great Rod Temperton as a member, who is famous for writing every good song ever, including most of Michael Jackson's Off The Wall and Thriller albums. 

In 1979, tragedy struck in the form of a dump truck, which hit Johnnie's car, paralyzing him from the neck down. He continued recording with Heatwave for a while, and eventually went solo and recorded this excellent A Capella Gospel album, along with another called One More Day a few years later.

The songs on My Goal are poppy and soulful, demonstrating Johnnie Wilder, Jr.'s history in secular music. The vocal arrangements sound almost like a funkier version of The Beach Boys, with bouncing vocal bass lines and Johnnie's smooth falsetto floating gracefully above every composition.

Unfortunately, my 50 cent bargain copy is plagued with all those tell-tale vinyl hisses and crackles, which I did my best to clean up. I couldn't use a noise cancelling tool without effecting the wide range of frequencies in these arrangements, and therefore destroying what makes the music so great. I did my best to get rid of most of the big pops and clicks, but otherwise, the audio is presented as-is. Hey, there's always Amazon.

HERE.