Michael Jackson: Auction Hardcover – October 16, 2010

Lately I have revisited the history of the last days of MJ again. I missed a lot as regards to Invincible (an album that I love and hate). The first post mortum production was an ok album. Xscape I do like quite a bit though - especially the DEMO versions (of course!).Photos say a lot more than words at times. I have no insight into whether or not MJ really liked Arno's work (and at this point in time, I do not care anyway). Some of the photos in this catalogue I really, really like and others are just weird. The blue eye session is probably my favorite. Occasionally the makeup job was bad - it made MJ look very androgynous - or just awkward. I am not sure if that was done on purpose. Probably.One thing that stood out to me though was the fact that on many of the photos MJ's eyes look sad. like really sad. He looked more fragile than ever before. To me this little book just makes me ponder over many things and I appreciate it as a piece of history with some lessons included. Like a comet, blazing 'cross the evening sky. Gone too soon.

This is a nice item for MJ collectors, of which I am one, and there is nothing negative about it (apart from the severe short haircut, yuk). It is an auction catalog rather than a book, which should be borne in mind by anyone intended to fork out money for it. I am so pleased that INVINCIBLE had different photography however, since I love the dance collage of images of Michael in that - truly iconic. These, by Bani, are curiosities, and 'art' but hardly classic MJ. I wonder at the true story behind their being buried in a vault until this point in time... after Michael has passed? Did he really not like them, as one reviewer has suggested? Or were they considered too 'inaccessible' for the public and average fan to appreciate? Was it the label's choice, or Michael's to not use them? If Michael loved them so much, why didn't he do something else with them? It's interesting that, with all the effort that has gone into taking/creating these photos, many unposed photos of Michael taken by the media or his friends and associates are so much nicer - without all the airbrushing and artistic, painterly effects. I think that says a lot. MJ had some favourite photographers he asked to shoot him for various projects... specially as late as 2007 for L'Uomo Vogue and Ebony ( Ebony Special Tribute: Michael Jackson In His Own Words ). The results in these instances are fun, stunning and typically MJ. Bani's photos are more what a painter does with a model... dressing him up to be something other than he actually is. But, that's just my opinion, folks. Take it or leave it.

I rated this book 1 star. It should receive none. What's horrible about this book is the quality of the photographs. I find them unprofessional, repetitive and artisically bankrupt. It's one thing to take creative license and it's another thing to use a beautiful canvas such as Michael Jackson and make him look nothing like himself, stripping his look of the integrity and dignity we've come to love in the thousands of images of him. No wonder he didn't want these photos released and I don't believe he asked that they wait 10 years. That's ridiculous and nonsensical. It's likely this is just a great excuse Bani uses as to why it's been 10 years and photos never seen. He can now afford to lie, 10 years later, because Michael is not with us to set the record straight.I'd seen several of the photos before I decided to buy the book. I purchased it because I am a collector of particular or rare Michael Jackson books, albums and sheet music and I figured this book would be a collector's item eventhough I was not impressed with the preview of photos I'd seen. I knew that I only somewhat liked the photograph of Michael with the glittery blue dot eye, but I expected that I'd see images in the book not yet leaked and I assumed the text/narrative would be interesting. I am disappointed in every way. I wouldn't give this book away as it would make an embarrassing gift. Don't waste your money, please. Michael deserves so much better than this.

I do not regret purchasing this item. It's not the type of photos I am use to seeing though, nor my favorite. He has the "angry" model look in most of the photos. So it looked like a shot for GQ or something to that effect. In my opinion none of the photos surpass the iconic photos made by other photographers like Annie Leibovitz. Although the young Arno Bani is talented, it looks like a fashion shoot, with no symbolism or anything revealing the "real" Michael Jackson. Very commercial. I have to admit I like the photos selected in the Invincible Album instead of those in this book. The Invincible photos have movement, and is very Michael Jackson. The photos in the book is very sterile, and well...boring. As I said before, I don't regret buying this book simply because its different. If you want to see a different type of MJ photo, this is the one. Also, to be fair, the book is for those wanting to buy the actual photos by auction...so I guess its not really a "real" photo book. And I would think if you actuallly had the photos, it might look pretty cool on your wall at home. So to each its own.

The Michael Jackson: Auction book was absolutely terrible. As I understood the book to say this was a "secret " pboto shoot in order to get photos for the "Invincible" album. Thank goodness Michael did not use these photos. I also heard somewhere that he himself did not like them, which is why they were kept in a safe, locked away. The only reason these pictures came to light is so Arno Bani can get some sort of compensation for them. But these pictures are absolutely dreadful. I loved Michael, but the truth is the truth. The makeup was done in a overly heavy hand, the lighting was too harsh on some and too dim on others, making it difficult for Michael to pick good pictures. He eventually picked 4 which in turn were never used for "Invincible". Only the very rich and bored will buy these pictures at the auction because they will be considered collectors items because of their scarcity of quantity, not quality.

Some of Bani's work is intriguing, but overall, Michael was not really happy with the final product. As always, it was a book about Michael and I had to have it!

I have no applies to amazon at all. Amazon did the excellent job as always. I was hugely disappointed about the BOOK. It is not worth having even for free. All the pictures are blurry, the quality of paper is threatening and almost NO big size pictures at all, when in fact not knowing it, you could think it's marvelous photo album! Nothing like this. NOTHING. Paperback also doesn't add any excitement. Though, the inside probably don't deserve any more that this.I never EVER rated any items here at amazon as negative, this is my first and I truly hope LAST time when I do, I just want to be honest.

Stunning book. A must have for a Michael jackson fan. Would make a great gift! The pictures are beautiful