One thing is certain. If Jordan's comeback is as much of a non-event as Jackson's then the NBA is in big trouble because Michael Jackson's first album of entirely new music since 1992, Invincible, is just that--a non starter. The album is not bad. Rather, it is reminiscent of Madonna's latest, Music, which mostly sounded like a hollow attempt to reconnect with musical styles that are no longer fresh and innovative.

Having Carlos Santana, Babyface, and the (still-deceased) Notorious B.I.G., and producer Rodney Jerkins on one's album signifies that the innovator who foretold early hip-hop beats on Off the Wall and redefined music on Thriller has been pushed aside in favor of an artist desperately attempting to find a sound that will connect with today's pop fans. Though it is unfair to compare any album to a bona-fide classic, one would have hoped that after more than two years in the studio, Jackson could have come up with a collection that did not sound like a bunch of warmed-over studio demos that terribly wanted to be hip.

The opening track, "Unbreakable," which is surprisingly effective, contains not only some infectious grooves from Notorious B.I.G., but also some confident (arguably cocky) lyrics from Jackson that make you immediately believe that he is back with a vengeance. "All that I've been through, I'm still around/ Why can't you see that you'd never ever hurt me?"

Unfortunately, the disc is a decidedly mixed affair from there out. The title track, "Invincible," seems to steal some melody from Britney Spears' "Oops.. I Did It Again." (In fact, about midway through the song, I found myself singing, "I'm not that innocent.") "Break of Dawn" transitions into a classic Jackson R&B groove that drips with passion and on the next track, the mid-tempo "Heaven Can Wait," he sings, "Tell the angels no, I don't want to leave my baby alone."

While "You Rock My World," the first single definitely grows in stature with repeated spins, Michael's pre-song conversation with Chris Tucker is so unbelievable and creepy that it nearly dooms the track--though not as creepy as the children's chorus that sings background on the transparent "The Lost Children," a song that seemingly begs to be an anthem used by groups that search for missing children's. Though "Butterflies" is a solid track, the generic beat nearly overwhelms Michael's falsetto.

On "Speechless," Jackson sings "My head's spinning like a carousel... helpless, hopeless is how I feel inside." Though his pain is evident on the track, it ends up sounding like a bad Disney song. His pain turns to anger on "Privacy," where he begs the paparazzi to "just get away from me."

After a promising opening, the album slides downhill. At the very bottom is the embarrassing closing track, which is almost a note-for-note remake of "Thriller." Jackson even used Rod Serling's voice on the track in the Vincent Price role. Come to think of it, maybe this is an appropriate close to the disc. Nearly 20 years after its release, the genius behind "Thriller" can do no better than attempt to remake his greatest hits.