The King of Pop is dead; long live the King of Pop. Or at least his leftovers.

And so it begins. Nearly 18 months after Michael Jackson’s shocking death, the first in what is sure to be a endless parade of posthumous albums has arrived with all the expected hype and debate: Did he or didn’t he? Was he or wasn’t he? Would he or wouldn’t he? Should they or shouldn’t they?

Well, who knows? And ultimately, who cares? Honestly and sadly, what Jackson might have done or wanted or approved no longer matters. Like it or not, the vault will be emptied. The closets will be cleaned. The barrel will be scraped. So the only thing that really counts is whether it’s any good or not. Whether it’s worth your time and money.

In the case of the 10-track Michael — which arrives in stores and online Dec. 14 — it is. At least mostly.

The good news: It is not the atrocity it could easily have been. Most of these cuts are actual songs that have been around for years in various stages of completion. They have verses and choruses, melodies and beats. Producers just had to update them and patch holes, which beats jigsawing together tracks from random snippets and snatches.

Sure, many vocals have obviously been treated and manipulated in the process. But for the most part, they still sound like Jackson, complete with the breathy phrasings, war whoops and whee-hee-hee outbursts.

The bad news: None of it has the magical spark that distinguishes his finest work. There’s no undiscovered Billie Jean or Beat It in this lineup; no new Thriller or Human Nature. Just a bunch of reasonably enjoyable but ultimately inessential scraps. Still, if they stopped here, everyone could go away happy.

The worst news: They’re not going to stop. And it’s only going to get worse. Barring the discovery of some unknown treasure trove of Jackson recordings, we can all probably expect a Tupac-like progression of diminishing returns, eventually culminating in Michael: The VoiceMail Album, featuring the single (Leave a) Message at the Beep.

So enjoy while you can. Here’s a track-by-track overview.

1. Hold My Hand (feat. Akon) 3:32

This soulful mid-tempo cut from 2007 gradually builds to a sweeping, orchestrated anthem. Impressive, but perhaps not the strongest opener.

2. Hollywood Tonight 4:30

A little more like it: A funky upbeat groove, punchy horns, a spiky guitar and a hooky chorus. A little dated and one-dimensional, but not bad.

3. Keep Your Head Up 4:50

One of Jacko’s mushy inspirational ballads about rising up, spreading your wings and giving yourself a chance, set to a swelling gospel backdrop. Meh.

4. (I Like) The Way You Love Me 4:33

If this bit of midtempo pop romance seems familiar, it oughta: It’s a remix of a tune from 2004’s Ultimate Collection. Recycling already? Not a good sign.

5. Monster (feat. 50 Cent) 5:05

Jacko rails against paparazzi over a thwacking New Jack Swing groove from Teddy Riley. It starts strong but peters out. Fiddy’s gratuitous rap doesn’t help.

6. Best of Joy 3:02

Reportedly one of Jackson’s final compositions, this breezy pop number certainly seems to suggest he was in fine spirits at the time.

7. Breaking News 4:14

If you haven’t already heard this anti-media screed with its weird- sounding vocals and self-referential lyrics, you haven’t been paying attention.

8. (I Can't Make It) Another Day (feat. Lenny Kravitz) 3:55

Supposedly Kravitz and Jackson first cut this edgy funk-rocker in 1999. Not sure if this is an update, but it’s easily the album’s heaviest cut.

9. Behind the Mask 5:01

A Cameo-style funk update of a Yellow Magic Orchestra electronica tune that was left off Thriller — and covered in the ’80s by (believe it or not) Eric Clapton.

10. Much Too Soon 2:51

Another Thriller-era cut, this tender ballad was first penned in 1981. The vocal here was apparently cut in 1994. Sweet without being too maudlin.