"The Stripped Mixes" Michael Jackson, Motown Records

The Gloved One's passing has made MJ's back-catalog the soundtrack to summer '09, and "The Stripped Mixes" make that sound even better (to some ears, at least). By going back to the original Motown session tapes and turning down the dated background instrumentation and turning up Mike's voice, this set of 11 classics has been given a fresh dimension.

Shortly after his death, a previously unreleased stripped mix of the Jackson 5 hit "I'll Be There" was made available on iTunes. Now the full album is available on CD, including such MJ and Jackson 5 favorites as "Ben," "Who's Lovin' You," "Ain't No Sunshine," "ABC," "I Want You Back," "With a Child's Heart" and "Got to Be There."

The originals were (and still are) great, but this collection gives listeners a chance to celebrate Jackson's talent in new ways, and to remember his early, innocent days.