#LostInMusic: MICHAEL JACKSON'S 'BAD' (REVIEW)

Michael Jackson's seventh studio album, released in 1987, is rarely thought of as one of his finest bodies of work, but is instead considered full of iconic moments in musical history. When you consider however, that this album saw the birth of feature zips, the Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal legacies, not to mention Moonwalker, and a worldwide tour that grossed $125 million dollars, in some ways, this was one of Michael's most successful projects. In the words of another great, let's start at the very beginning…

The title song was originally supposed to be a duet with that other iconic musician, equally enigmatic, and far more risqué and controversial than Michael ever was. But when Prince listened to the 'Bad' demo, he reportedly told Jackson and Executive Producer, Quincy Jones: "You don't need me on this, man!" And turned down the offer; shattering the hopes and dreams of joint fans everywhere, forever, since the opportunity never came again.

Determined not to be mistaken for a 'Beat It' pt. 2; Michael switched position from Peacemaker to Aggressor in this next phase of his storytelling genius. With 'Off The Wall' we learned that 'Little Michael Jackson' had his own two feet. With 'Thriller', we learned that 'Little Michael Jackson' wasn't so little. With 'Bad', we learned that Mr Jackson had an edge.

Now a lover and a fighter, the sounds were tougher, the moves were sharper, and the words were hard enough to render him the Bruce Lee of lyricism. The video was another defining moment in musical, and cultural history. In the case of Wesley Snipes, it was the beginning of the gainful employment that led to that pesky little tax problem.

If, by some freak force of nature, you've never heard this album, or any of its muthaluving CLASSICS, consider this a crash course. Sit down, grab your notebook, and sharpen your pencil, because class is most definitely in session. In the vein of our US friends, you gon learn today, my friends.

Now then. Once you put your initial shock aside, and consider the lyrics, you'll realise that the aggressor is actually the good guy employed to corral the baddies! Don’t let the black buckles and chains fool you – the villains on the block had a new nemesis, and like the John Waynes, Sergeant Kinchloes, and Shafts before him, this unorthodox protector of the peace was one baaaad mammajamma. Make him mad and he WILL dance at you…

Can we also take a moment to recognise, and celebrate the birth of 'shamone'? That verbal fixture that we all now know so well?

If ever there was a moment that Michael Jackson and I both shared in history, it was that of being stunned by the oh so breathtaking Tatiana Yvonne Thumbtzen. He (and most males) wanted her, and I (and most females) wanted to be her! 'The Way You Make Me Feel' is essentially a slick, four minute and fifty-eight second chat up line, that I feel confident in saying would work on most females; especially in the eighties, when this side of MJ was still so new, sexy, and charismatic to women across the world. A besotted young man lays eyes (and aspires to loins) on an attractive young lady and sets out to get her by laying on the charm nice and thick, to the borderline of insufferable, but never actually breaching it – hence the reason it works. He dances at his prey again, but this time, his gyrating powers are used in an entirely different fashion…

'Speed Demon' is another one that, as Quincy Jones said, was "so far out of the box, that he just stayed there!" On his bike (literally), MJ is targeted by the Road Police, for a ticket that he doesn't want to take, so he burns rubber to get away. Sounds too simplistic, now doesn't it? In fact the premise doesn't sound particularly interesting at all, right? But that was before you heard, and saw him do this with it:

'Liberian Girl' makes you want to change your nationality. An infatuated love song for the exotic fantasy girl, the video features a host of celebrity friends, all trying to find MJ. In the most elaborate Where’s Wally – I mean Michael ever, see if you can spot him…

'Just Good Friends' is an amazing moment in music history. Two of the greatest musicians of all time, not so 'Little Michael Jackson' and not so 'Little Stevie Wonder' come together (no pun intended) in beautiful, duetting harmony, for a back'n'forth, over a girl who's playing them both with the same lines…Trollope. No video for this one, but oh how I wish there was. Michael and Stevie in the studio together should have been recorded properly, for posterity; so a major FAIL on that one.

'Another Part of Me' is an attempt to remind listeners that we’re all one nation, one race, one colour beneath the Heavens, so we should really be nicer, and more accepting of each other. His first message song hitting back at the fingers which, by that time, had begun to point and sneer at him and make him a target. A harder, angrier version is yet to come on this set.

'Man In The Mirror' is still one of Michael’s biggest message songs to date. It's inspirational, it's heartwrenching, and it brings its listeners together in unified solidarity. Definitely one of those 'Best Of' moments…

'I Just Can't Stop Loving You' brought about a milestone in the life of a young(er) ES. This was the first time I ever experienced seething jealousy towards another female (not counting that daft Thriller chick who didn't have the good sense to be eaten by zombies). Throughout my childhood, I developed a perfectly normal and mentally stable hatred for Seidah Garrett, for bewitching my Michael, and making him fall in love and declare his devotion in such a heartfelt fashion. Even though I now know and understand that it was just for the purpose of the song, there’s still a little niggle everytime I think of her. They were too real! No official video for this one either, but here he is, rehearsing it with the amazingly talented Judith Hill, for the 'This Is It' tour:

In the case of 'Dirty Diana', the milestone was learning the true meaning of a slapper. The great Quincy Jones described this one as a "Groupie Song"; so for several years I thought groupie and slapper were one and the same. I humbly apologise to all the non-slapper groupies. It was a genuine mistake. In terms of the song itself? A single, non-racially profiled, female goes a little bunny boiler crazy, when she holds him against his will after a show. She attempts to break up his relationship, and generally creates the definitive term for needing a straightjacket. 

Now when I said that this track created a movement, I really wasn't joking. 'Smooth Criminal' also played a heavy part in the movie 'Moonwalker', which followed a year later. Grossing over $67 million worldwide, it's safe to say that despite the critics response, the film was a stratospheric success. An iconic moment in music history, Jackson's love of old black and white gangster movies came to colourful life a short time, with the twist being that the usual fight scene in a bar became a major dance scene that has become one of the biggest for any artist, in music history…

'Leave Me Alone' closes the standard set with an unabashed message to the media that were, by then, vilifying and condemning him on a daily basis; rarely with a justified reason, but always with a pricetag attached…

This album is an amazing body of work. So creative, and visionary, that last year, on it's 25th anniversary, the occasion was marked not only by a re-release with several (murderous, and NOT in a good way) remixes, but also a documentary by Spike Lee, interviewing some of the world's biggest names, to discuss the influence of the album on them and their talents in their chosen field. It proved without a shadow of a doubt that Michael Jackson's legacy reaches far and wide; beyond the realms of our collective imagination. His achievements will likely never be replicated by one person. So far, the few records broken, have been by various people. No one person has, nor probably ever will, match the unimaginable feats that this one man managed in 44 years. I highly doubt that anyone will change HIStory.

Michael Jackson, #WeSaluteYou til the end of time.

Until the next…

ES ;)

#SoundOfTheWeek: XSCAPE - MICHAEL JACKSON

Since the untimely passing of Michael Jackson, music buyers have become firmly rooted in one of two camps. Either you believe that his decades of unreleased material should remain locked up and enshrined in his memory, knowing how particular he was about what the public got to hear, without his stamp of approval (making their release a desecration of his creative integrity). Or, you just want to hear the magic; even if that means the art is compromised by allowing others to finish the vision that MJ had started. You feel he did the basics and others can finish what he started, in fact you fail to see what the big fuss is even about!

Personally, I'm barely a step away from the former. When you have someone so intrinsically linked to everything that they create, you cannot have any old producer – no matter how talented, come in, and finish it with Michael's ear – no-one else is that gifted. Will I listen to it? Absolutely, it is the Greatest Entertainer of ALL Time, after all! Would I buy it, however? Not a chance – I will not support Sony's ongoing attempts to loot a deadman's vault, and steal his children's legacy to line their own pockets, it's shameful, and unconscionable.

Now that we've got the ethical issues out the way, let's talk tracks shall we?

Once you take the fact that as excellent a producer is, he will never produce the project to Michael's stellar level of skill out of the equation, you can judge the work on a more even footing. The standard version of the album consists of 8 'reworked' tracks, with the deluxe containing each in their original state, plus one bonus remix featuring Justin Timberlake. More about that mess later...

Lead single 'Love Never Felt So Good' kicks off the compilation set. A feel good, modern day Disco track, the opening strings are very 'typically Michael' in their slow, artful start. Taking you back to the days of 'Off The Wall', it’s an excellent open that sets the tone for the rest of the project in a big way. As the title suggests, the song is a thank you to a cherished partner, in recognition of the love that she makes him feel, and the happiness that comes along with it. The live original - one of the bonus tracks - is as poignant as it is natural, with just Michael, the piano, some handclaps and fingersnaps. The greatest moment however, comes at the end, when you hear Michael’s voice, giving his ok on the studio take. The first time you hear it brings startled surprise, chills, nostalgia, and a touch of wistful sadness, as you remember that the great man behind the talent is no longer with us. 

'Chicago' sounds like something that could have made the 'Invincible' album infinitely better. Michael's lower register dominates the moment in the best of ways in this semi-apology to the husband of his girl, as he recounts how she duped them both through the story of how they met. This is a healthy Michael, doing what he did best – singing his heart out with compelling emotion. 

'Loving You' is a stellar, standout track. Although it is distinctly 90s RnB / Soul, the modern day tinge means that it's competing with absolutely nothing on the radio right now. As suggested by the title, this one is a love letter with his typically beautiful harmonies, taking the whole five minutes and thirty-five seconds to an entirely new level.

'A Place With No Name' takes its bones from America's 'A Horse With No Name'. But the original songwriter's involvement notwithstanding, the similarities end there. This is a takeover club track, just begging to rule a dancefloor. Michael's lyrics and delivery catch you up in the dreamworld that he describes in infinite detail. Even the production by Jackson himself, songwriter Dewey Bunnel, and Dr. Freeze, sounds surreal. A mystery woman shows up in the middle of nowhere, and walks him through a mist into an unnamed Utopia where human, and environmental life coexist happily to a level of imaginary perfection, and attempts to use her wiles to keep him there. She almost succeeds, until he pulls out a picture of his family and girlfriend, which succeeds in reminding him that the dreamworld he stands in, does not compare to what he has waiting at home.

'Slave to the Rhythm' begins dramatically with the slow, clinking sound of manacles dragging on the ground, backed by equally intense strings setting a vivid scene for the next chapter. The victim of the story dances to every beat of it. Sounding like something you expect to watch crews battle to. A wife and mother works herself to the bone to keep both her tyrant husband and her merciless boss happy.

'Do You Know Where Your Children Are' seems like a ridiculous addition to me. Not because I believe any of the accusations, nor because the song is bad (far from it); but since this is supposedly a compilation in his honour, it seems completely mercenary and disrespectful to throw in a track that will invite personal controversy. Keep it about the music, I say. On that note…With production that wouldn't have been out of place on Chaka Khan's 'I Feel For You' album from 1984, Jackson plays out a variety of scenarios in which children pay the ultimate price for an adults lack of responsibility and supervision. The message is a viable one, it would just carry more weight coming from someone that half the world didn’t believe the wrong things about.

'Blue Gangsta' doesn’t quite wash with me message-wise. First of all, love Michael as I do, you cannot justifiably claim to be a gangsta and mention crying as early as the intro of the song. It's just against the rules of Gangstafied Living! Am I right, or am I right? Anywhoo, a rather mean and unchaste female who, at one time, had promised to marry him, has been exposed as a liar, and a cheat, and he's understandably upset. About as 'hard' as he gets, is 'watch me light the fuse'. Not much 'gangsta talk' beyond that. Solange Knowles in a hotel lift – Gangsta. MJ – the most Gansta of all-round performers throughout history. Apart from that? Not so much…

'Xscape' is the Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins big finish that sees the late, great one go out with a bang. The injustices of a world that treated him so callously are called to mind, as his haunting words echo being hounded to seek real life escapism…

'why is it I can't do whatever want to /

when it's my personal life, and I don't live for you...'

Now that's Gangsta!

The bonus remix of 'Love Never Felt So Good' featuring Justin Timberlake was far more of a sombre addition than I'm sure was intended. We didn't get the usual cocky ex-boyband member with the boyish, and sometimes flirty charm. Instead, a nervous sounding boy fan provided a nervous sounding verse, that should have been a cinch for him at the worst of times. Considering the tall order however, I suppose it's hard to condemn his nerves, but at the same time, don't try so hard not to make a mistake, that you overcompensate by under-delivering to the fullest potential as we all know that you are capable of doing.

And there you have it - all 9 parts of Sony’s latest money-making venture. Is it a good compilation? Yes, very much so. However, you cannot get away from the fact that this was not how the King of Pop would have wanted this music to be heard. These songs belonged to his children, and it was up to them, how the material should have been released – if at all - not some conglomerate wanting to clear the entertainer's hotel bill.

'Xscape' is available now from all major music retailers.

You know what time it is - share you thoughts below, let's talk!

Until the next...

ES ;)

#MUSICMONDAY MICHAEL JACKSON SPECIAL!

With today's release of new Michael Jackson material in the form of XSCAPE, an 8-track compilation of unreleased material by Sony Music Entertainment, I thought wouldn't it be lovely to have a full-on MJ Indulgence, in celebration of the late, great man himself (regular readers will know that I really don't need much of an excuse).

The first post you have to look forward to, is an extra special #WaveRunner selection. Deviating from the rule for a special occasion, instead of bringing you the most popular track that's running the air waves right now, lookout for the Number 1 song that I think, sums up Michael Jackson's entire career, his global impact on, and his legacy to, music culture. Wanna take a stab in the dark? Betcha can't guess what it is...!

This week's Lost In Music special goes back to an album from which an entire movement was born. That album was so big, that it couldn't all be contained in eleven tracks...

The #ESPspotlight Review and #SoundOfTheWeek are one and the same. I haven't stopped listening to it since first thing this morning - XSCAPE gets the ESP onceover.

Our #FlashingLights winner is the only deviation during this MJ Takeover day. That spotlight review is on the way, and this week's winner automatically goes into this month's draw to win £90 worth of graphic artwork for their next release!

BE SURE TO STAY TUNED, because this week is BAD, this week is DANGEROUS!

Without further ado...

ES ;)

#MusicMonday #WaveRunner: MICHAEL JACKSON - MUSIC AND ME

The first ever #WaveRunner selection is technically a cheating effort, as I've shifted the goalposts to suit my purpose - hey, at least I'm confessing to my crime in a premeditated fashion, like any good Smooth Criminal should...(see what I did there?)! Instead of a track that's running the airwaves right now, I'm opting for one that sums up the essence of what this entire themed day is all about. So no, I didn't pick Rock With You, I didn't pick Human Nature, I didn't even pick Earth Song. For the inaugural #WaveRunner pick, I've gone back to 1973 for a classic that sadly, is far too often overlooked - I'm selecting Music And Me.

The title track from Michael Jackson's third album; never has a truer song been sung, than this here love letter to the creative art. Now some may consider a love song to said creative outlet 'strange', and to an extent, I suppose it could be considered odd for those who cannot relate. But consider the artist that we're discussing here…it's safe to say, that there are many oddities that you should just be allowed to get away with when you are the Greatest Entertainer of All Time, don’t you think?

In those inimitable 'good ole' days', 'Little Michael' was the phenom who could sing with supernatural, evocative emotion, about facts of life that he had not experienced yet. Which was how musical mastermind Berry Gordy knew, that solo albums by the lead singer of the Jackson 5 would be a veritable gold mine. Only two questions remained – what would his third album be entitled, and what would it be led by? After all, it’s one thing for 'Little Michael Jackson' to sing knowingly about love, with his four older brothers there to add a hint of authenticity, but by himself? That should be a far harder sell – unless of course, he was singing about a type of love the public could buy that he would legitimately understand the meaning of…

Cue 'Little Michael Jackson's' solo love song to the thing he loved most in the world – MUSIC.