Invincible

‘Invincible’ is a relevant and rejuvenated comeback album make overlong and embarassing by the unavoidable fact that Michael Jackson is a) exceedingly rich and b) a bit of a wanker.

We're placed squarely in Michael Jacksonland, a bizarre place where every sparkling street is computer-generated, every edifice is larger than life and every song is full of grandiose desperation.

Though fatally flawed, Invincible does boast its fair share of sonic exhilaration.

In the end, Invincible breaks little ground, instead sticking to familiar sounds of both his recent past and near-ancient history.

On Invincible, his come-on songs to women are petulant rather than mature, and his save-the-world odes feel more fueled by ego than care.

After 76 unremitting minutes, you're left in no doubt: like its creator, Invincible has simply gone too far.

Starts badly and gets worse for a very long time.

Invincible has the air of everything Prince has done since Diamonds & Pearls: beautifully crafted tracks, top-notch performances, not a blemish in the merchandise (unless of course it was put there on purpose) but still light years from his best work.

He splashed out $30 million to make Invincible, so you might expect Michael Jackson to return with more than simply 80 minutes of embarrassingly out-of-date R&B.