Ah, "top album" lists. One of my favorite things to read. While I posted a "top 12 albums" list on the Skillet.com message boards a few months ago, I've decided to expand it to 15, add some insight and thought as to why each album is on said list, and the order of the albums have changed a bit, along with some of them being excluded this time around, and new ones being added. I've made a personal rule for myself as I made this list, however- I couldn't include any album that I had owned under 6 months. So I hope you enjoy reading this list, of what I consider the heart and soul of the genre's of music I love so much. :P
15. Switchfoot, "Oh! Gravity" (2006)
So to start the list off right, here we are at what many consider the "ugly duckling", "the failure" of Switchfoot's career- "Oh! Gravity". I couldn't disagree more. While I am not a huge fan of Switchfoot (only moderate at best) this is a solid piece of musical art, and shows off EXACTLY why Switchfoot went from primarily the Christian market to the mainstream market, yet still being able to serve the Christians, too. Songs like "American Dream" and "Head Over Heels (In This Life)" touch on commercialism, "Awakening" on... well, in my opinion, as I like to put it, a "self-renaissance" of sorts, and "Your Love is Strong" ends the album quite beautifully. This album contains no filler, from track 1 to 12, cover to cover, and is quite frankly the only album by this band I can sit down and listen to all the way through. Nice job, Switchfoot.
Top 3 tracks: "American Dream", "Oh! Gravity", "Amateur Lovers"
14. Michael Jackson, "HIStory" (1995)
Everyone and their grandmother should know by now that Michael Jackson is my very favorite musical artist. From the moonwalk, the white glove, short pants, soulful ballads, powerful vocals, creative music videos... the man mastered it all in his unfortunately short life. This album is perhaps his most underrated, mostly due to the shadow "Thriller" and "Bad" cast in the 80's. Written throughout the "child molestation" scandal and released a mere year after all that, the album wears his anger toward the press and his accusers like a fedora, and rightfully so. While on first listen, the album can seem a bit weird, seeing as it's a double disk, one of new (at the time, anyway) material, and the other of his greatest hits... the whole experience can be a bit jarring. You go from listening to "Heal the World", "Billie Jean", "Man in the Mirror", etc., to having "Scream" almost exploding out of your speakers when you put disk 2 in. However, MJ handled his anger maturely, and of the 15 tracks, there is only ONE filler song, the outright creepy "Little Susie". So pick this up, even if you may have to take out a second mortgage on your home to do so. :P (Seriously, $32.99 is a bit much for this. Oh well.)
Top 3 tracks: "Scream" (W/ Janet Jackson), "They Don't Care About Us", "You Are Not Alone"
13. Jars of Clay, "The Long Fall Back To Earth" (2009)
Ya know, Jars of Clay have been really consistent in making great CDs throughout their 15+ year career. The only one I have never really cared for is 2002's "The Eleventh Hour", and even that one is quality art. Last year, Jars of Clay decided to take their sound to a new level- electronica/dance/pop. No, they didn't go Lady GaGa on us (another amazing artist, I must add), they just took on new influences with their sound. And the main theme? Relationships. To be more specific, relationships, between one another. From end to end, this album is very consistent, never faltering. The lyrics are poetic, perhaps the most poetic since my 2nd favorite album from these guys, 1997's "Much Afraid". So while it may take some a good amount of time to digest this sound from the Jars guys, it's worth sitting and listening to, or perhaps taking it in the car, listening to it with your lover, while taking the "scenic route".
Top 3 tracks: "Safe to Land", "Closer", "Scenic Route"
12. Demon Hunter, "The Triptych" (2005)
Alright, so I'm gonna get this out of the way right now- I am not a metal fan... excluding Demon Hunter. This is definitely the "odd-ball" album of my top 15 list, but it belongs here. My friend Carrie actually introduced me to the guys many months ago, and this was the first album I listened to by them. Songs like "Not I", "One Thousand Apologies", "The Science of Lies", and the cover of Prong's "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" prove to the anti-metal music fans (I used to be one myself) that there is a reason why hardcore music should be taken seriously. While I can't listen to these guys constantly, when I'm in "that" kind of mood, this is the CD I always put in.
Top 3 tracks: "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", "One Thousand Apologies", "Not I"
11. tobyMac, "Momentum" (2001)
I know, I know. What the heck am I doing, putting tobyMac here? Most hate him because "he's white, trying to do rap". Honestly? The closest he gets to rap is this album, and it's only hip-hop. Most of it is rock, with hip-hop influences. This is one of those albums that I like mainly because it brings a smile to my face due to fond memories. I remember my sister, Kayla and Micah (two friends from youth group), and myself being over at Kayla and Micah's house and us listening to this CD, many years ago, (where does time go?!) and while I'm not a huge of Toby anymore, I do pull out this album every once in a while. Throughout its 18-song length, the album doesn't lose my interest (excluding a couple of the skits...). This album showed Toby on his most energetic, fun album, and also on his first solo outing. So pick it up!
Top 3 tracks: "Love is in the House", "What's Goin' Down", "J-Train"
10. Steven Curtis Chapman, "Declaration" (2001)
This is another one of those "fond memories" albums. Truth be told, I'm not much of a Chapman fan anymore, only popping this one, "Signs of Life", and his most recent album, "Beauty Will Rise", in on occasion. This one barely beats out the other two to earn a spot here. The disk starts out strong with what is probably the most remembered song from this 2001 album, the infamous, "Live Out Loud". "No Greater Love", "God is God", and "God Follower" all help tell the story of "Through the Gates of Splendor", a story of courage and faith (you can check it out online or on Chapman's 2002 concert DVD/VHS, "Steven Curtis Chapman Live"), or the excellent metaphors and musicianship in "See the Glory". And while this disk isn't something I'd ever consider high art, it is a fun disk, filled with quality songs from top to bottom.
Top 3 tracks: "See the Glory", "God is God", "No Greater Love"
9. Hawk Nelson, "Smile, It's the End of the World" (2006)
Another genre' I don't listen to much? PopRock/Pop-punk. However, Hawk Nelson is a bit of an exception. This was the first CD I bought by these Canadians, so naturally, it's my favorite. The album artwork is perhaps my favorite of all four of their albums, being a drawing, in cartoon form, of various things in daily life- a stereo, a young couple, a motorcycle, the sun, etc. etc. etc., coming together, and showing how long each of their average life span is (most of it is pretty tongue-in-cheek), in a dark, grimy world. It's something you would just have to see. Anyway, onto the music! The CD is mostly comprised of party songs ("The Show", "Bring 'Em Out", and "It's Over", especially), but also touches on abandonment ("Everything You Ever Wanted") and suicide ("Zero"; their best song to date). Lyrics from "Zero" such as "When I hear your name / It's not the same / No matter what they say / I'm not okay!" could hit home with anyone whom has lost someone to suicide. "14" ends the album delicately, wrapping the whole "end of the world" theme up rather nicely. As the melancholy piano intro. comes in full force, and Jason starts singing, it's dark, dreary. But as we reach the end of the song and album, with Jason vocalizing freely as the drums and guitar kick in, mainly with a bunch of "woah, oh!'s, it's like the sun starts shining again, through the storm clouds. In a word, epic.
Top 3 tracks: "Zero", "14", "Everything You Ever Wanted"
8. Caedmon's Call, "40 Acres" (1999)
Here's an underrated album if I ever saw one. Caedmon's Call is admittedly a guilty pleasure of mine- their folk acoustic sound and "neighbor-hood" style of vocals (there are three lead singers on this album, to great results, I must add) can't help but hook people in. This might just be my favorite album from 1999. Whether it be Derek Webb's "relationship songs" ("Table for Two", "Somewhere North", "Daring Daylight Escape"), or another song, this album is pure gold, no filler. And while the musical side of things could stand to be a bit more varied, the insightful lyrics more than make up for it. So while this is perhaps the least popular entry in this list, it's one of the best CDs in my collection (obviously...).
Top 3 tracks: "Faith My Eyes", "Thankful", "Table for Two"
7. Owl City, "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Ah, Owl City. You either love him or hate him (yes, it's only one person- Adam Young). And while "Vanilla Twilight" is my favorite song on the disk (for personal reasons... <3), there are many other good ones here- "The Bird and the Worm", "Fireflies", "Hello Seattle", and "Meteor Shower" just to name a few. And while some of the songs here aren't as "immediate" as others, they are all pop/electronica gems, featuring spot-on, deep, poetic lyrics. Adam Young is truly a breath of fresh air in today's current mainstream music scene.
Top 3 tracks: "Vanilla Twilight", "Meteor Shower", "Hello Seattle"
6. Newsboys, "Take Me To Your Leader" (1996)
Oh man, oh man! The memories that come along with this album! While I won't share any of these embarrassing stories with you, let's just say this album takes me back to a much simpler time in my life. This disk showed the Newsboys jumping on the grunge/alternative bandwagon (in Christian music circles, anyway), and to excellent results. This was the last album former lead singer John James would record with the band, before drummer/vocalist (at the time), Peter Furler, would take the lead (whom actually retired last year). *whew* Ya still there? Good. Now onto the music! This album was the Newsboys at their peak, musically and lyrically. Songs like "Breakfast", "Reality", and the title track all show off just how witty Peter Furler (with a lot of help from Steve Taylor) could be. It's unfortunate they haven't been able to reach this level of intellectuality in their music since.
Top 3 tracks: "Lost the Plot", "Breakfast", "Reality"
5. Audio Adrenaline, "Underdog" (1999)
Of course I can't have list of my favorite albums without including Audio Adrenaline! Easily my favorite band for a good four years (2003-2007, or so), so including them in this is a little way of honoring them for how much influence they have had on my life. While I'm not sure if this album is their "best" (that honor would most likely go to "Lift" or "Some Kind of Zombie"), this is the CD I find I listen to the most, of theirs, nowadays. The anthemic title track is one of the best title tracks I've ever had the privilege of listening to, with songs like "This Day", "Hands and Feet" and "Good Life" all being about how we look at life, finding the good in a bad situation, and helping and serving others. And of course, I can't forget "The Houseplant Song", the "free-style" track of sorts, which features then-member Bob Herdman playing an acoustic guitar, set in a coffee shop, singing his song about the effects music have on houseplants. Yeah, I know it sounds strange. It's just one of those songs you need to hear for yourself.
Top 3 tracks: "The Houseplant Song", "DC-10", "Underdog"
4. Family Force 5, "Business Up Front/Party in the Back" (2006)
Another band that is far too underrated, Family Force 5. Bursting onto the scene four years ago with their debut, this album, with a crunk/rock sound. Imagine Linkin Park on steroids, anti-depressants, and able to attain better lyrical abilities, and you have a decent idea of what Family Force 5 sounds like. While some may find "the family" immature or strange, I personally love them. Songs like "Kountry Gentleman", "Numb", and "Drama Queen" are songs that are begging to be thrown into your car's CD player and blasted with the sub-woofer all the way up, with your car windows down. So while these guys aren't the most "spiritual", the most this, the most that, oh well. They show us how to party, just don't check into this if you don't want that to be up front. ;)
Top 3 tracks: "Kountry Gentleman", "Lose Urself", "Numb"
3. Skillet, "Comatose" (2006)
It's kind of amazing how many albums from 2006 have made it onto this list. No matter. This album was the hit that thrust Skillet into the limelight- and rightfully so. It hits people, especially teenagers, right in the gut, and touches on things such as pornography, cutting, friendship, feeling alone, and more throughout the course of the album. Also, the orchestration (most noticeable in "Comatose" and "Rebirthing") ups the ante a bit from their previous albums, adding a certain edge. Some people say Skillet lost their originality with this one, that they were trying to "fit in" with the audience that bands like Nickelback target themselves to (and I can definitely see that in songs like "Say Goodbye" and "The Older I Get"), and I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. But that is another discussion, for another time.
Top 3 tracks: "The Last Night", "Those Nights", "Looking For Angels"
2. Kanye West, "808s and Heartbreak" (2008)
This was the latest album to eligible for the list. This album, in all honesty, was set up to be a failure. Kanye had just lost his mother to death in the fall of '07, and had recently broken off a 12-month engagement. So yeah, his attitude was somber, and yes, it shows in this album. Also, Kanye was reported saying before the album released that "this was going to be a musical revolution". Now, on his previous three albums, he had samples all over the place, a variety of instruments, and he... well, rapped. But on this one, he was going to cut ALL that out. He was going to use 808s (a type of drum that is heard in every song here), a keyboard, a couple of strings, bass, and he was going to sing. Yes, sing. And he was going to use auto-tune (a pitch correction device that, while leaving your voice sounding technically perfect, it also ends up sounding wholly inhuman) to boot. So did he? Oh, yeah. Does it work out? Heck yes. This album is nothing short of a musical renaissance, and there isn't one song I wouldn't want to be here. At first glance, the album is a dull musical journey, seeming as if Kanye is tapped out. But look beyond the surface, and you see a man truly hurting, and this CD is an auto-biography of sorts. The deliciously tense-ful "Love Lockdown" is my favorite, featuring a pulsating tribal beat and piano, with lyrics that you just want to sink your teeth in. So check this out if you want proof that hip-hop/r&b/pop can make you feel emotion, too.
Top 3 tracks: "Love Lockdown", "Street Lights", "Robocop"
And the number 1 album is... *drum roll*
1. Michael Jackson, "Dangerous" (1991)
Honestly, this one should be a no-brainer. Like I said earlier, Michael Jackson is my favorite musical artist of all-time, so it's only fitting that one of his albums be my number 1 disk represented here. And "Dangerous" is far and away his best album. It showed MJ adapting his style to that of the 90's, and fitting into a musical landscape that was comprised of Nirvana and the like. Songs like "Who Is It" take us back to the paranoia that was so present on his previous two albums, "Thriller" and "Bad", but also throws a couple monkey wrenches into the mix- namely, going with producer Teddy Riley instead of former producer Quincy Jones to produce this album, making it fit into the genre' known as "jack-swing", which is basically pop/r&b with electronic samples and the like, most notable on songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". First single "Black or White" was a call for racial unity, and its catchiness shot it right to the top. And while this is sadly overlooked by many music fans today, it is THE best album I've had the privilege of listening to. If an album can sell over 27 million copies and still be underrated, this is it (no pun intended... I swear).
Top 3 tracks: "In the Closet", "Give in to Me", "Dangerous"
Honorable mentions:
Switchfoot, "Hello Hurricane" (2009)
Family Force 5, "Dance or Die" (2008)
T.I., "Paper Trail" (2008)
Newsboys, "Thrive" (2002)
Jars of Clay, "Much Afraid" (1997)
Thanks for reading! :)
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I Recommend - 4/6/10
Recommended for 4/6/10 - Newsboys - Love, Liberty, Disco (1999)
Ah, yes. The Newsboys. The lovable Aussies from down-under that have been making music for over 20 years now. I'm in the midst of writing reviews on their entire catalog and this is one of their albums that stick out in my mind the most, if not for quality, but uniqueness. But that's not to say there isn't some quality tracks here, such as the title cut, "Beautiful Sound" (perhaps some of the deepest lyrics the Newsboys ever wrote), "Everyone's Someone", and "I Surrender All". It's certainly different than all of their albums were prior (and since), but different doesn't always equal bad. While I'd recommend picking up Take Me To Your Leader or Step Up To The Microphone for a potential fan, this is definitely a great album to own, for Newsboys junkies and casual fans alike.
Ah, yes. The Newsboys. The lovable Aussies from down-under that have been making music for over 20 years now. I'm in the midst of writing reviews on their entire catalog and this is one of their albums that stick out in my mind the most, if not for quality, but uniqueness. But that's not to say there isn't some quality tracks here, such as the title cut, "Beautiful Sound" (perhaps some of the deepest lyrics the Newsboys ever wrote), "Everyone's Someone", and "I Surrender All". It's certainly different than all of their albums were prior (and since), but different doesn't always equal bad. While I'd recommend picking up Take Me To Your Leader or Step Up To The Microphone for a potential fan, this is definitely a great album to own, for Newsboys junkies and casual fans alike.
Song Highlights:"Beautiful Sound", "Love, Liberty, Disco", "I Surrender All", "Everyone's Someone", "Good Stuff"
Have comments on this album? Questions? Feel free to comment!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
"Lucy", Skillet
Hey Lucy, I remember your name
I left a dozen roses on your grave today
I'm in the grass on my knees, wipe the leaves away
I just came to talk for a while
I got some things I need to say
Now that it's over
I just wanna hold her
I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking
back at me
Now that it's over
I just wanna hold her
I've gotta live with the choices i made
And I can't live with myself today
Hey Lucy, I remembered your birthdayI just wanna hold her
I'd give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking
back at me
Now that it's over
I just wanna hold her
I've gotta live with the choices i made
And I can't live with myself today
They said it'd bring some closure to say your name
I know I'd do it all different if I had the chance
But all I got are these roses to give
And they can't help me make amends
Here we are
Now you're in my arms
I never wanted anything so bad
Here we are
For a brand new start
Living the life that we could've had
Me and Lucy walking hand in hand
Me and Lucy never wanna end
Just another moment in your eyes
I'll see you in another life
In heaven where we never say goodbye
Here we are, now you're in my arms
Here we are for a brand new start
Got to live with the choices I've made
And I can't live with myself today
Me and Lucy walking hand in hand
Me and Lucy never wanna end
Got to live with the choices I've made
And I can't live with myself today
Hey Lucy, I remember your name
"Typically I don’t write in a way where a song can have an open ended interpretation, but this is a song about loss and can be applied to a whole range of situations. It has a gist of regret where you wish you had done things differently and it could be about mourning the loss of someone who died or a relationship. It seems sad, but it’s strangely hopeful because it gives off the idea that you can change your life right here and now – you have been given a second chance so you can remember to live and love with no regrets." - John Cooper (Skillet)
This song has had a lot of impact on me as of late. It's a somber song touching on a tough topic-- loss, regret. I've done many things to people whom I have lost, and I regret it everyday. While nothing I say will come out as well as the quote above, I am adding my thoughts. This song can relate to me in many ways. "Lucy" is my friends that I've lost due to life taking us on different paths, or death has taken them away. "Lucy" is my former life-- when I was much more carefree. Everything I do has a consequence. I can choose to have good consequences or bad consequences happen to me, because I can make my own choices. This is a lesson I have to learn and live daily. "I have to live with the choices I've made, and I can't live with myself today..." That lyric is my daily life. I have to find strength from inside. I have to find a will to go on. Each and every path you take, all the choices you make, shapes your legacy. Love to live, live to love. <3
Monday, March 22, 2010
I Recommend - 3/22/10
Recommended for 3/22/10 - Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak (2008)
Yeah, yeah yeah. I know. What the hell am I doing recommending a Kanye West CD? I know, I know. The guy is an egomaniac who can't carry a tune in a bucket. Thankfully, he uses auto-tune to sing (you read that right: sing, not rap) for all of this disk. If you do not know what auto-tune is, it's basically hip-hop's favorite toy. It's a tool used to computerize (and unfortunately, in most cases, monotonize) the singer's vocal, leaving it wholly inhuman, but leaving it with a perfect pitch. The album is pretty much consistent throughout, with only a couple filler tracks to fill out the disk, but the good tracks more than make up for it. While it shocked all of Kanye's audience in late '08, mainly because it featured no rap and a bare-bones sound, consisting of nothing more than some 808s (tribal drums), keyboards, Kanye's vocals, and perhaps a few embellishments on the musical side of things. It leaves the listener feeling overcome with emotion, which is more than any other rapper's album is doing in the current music biz.
Yeah, yeah yeah. I know. What the hell am I doing recommending a Kanye West CD? I know, I know. The guy is an egomaniac who can't carry a tune in a bucket. Thankfully, he uses auto-tune to sing (you read that right: sing, not rap) for all of this disk. If you do not know what auto-tune is, it's basically hip-hop's favorite toy. It's a tool used to computerize (and unfortunately, in most cases, monotonize) the singer's vocal, leaving it wholly inhuman, but leaving it with a perfect pitch. The album is pretty much consistent throughout, with only a couple filler tracks to fill out the disk, but the good tracks more than make up for it. While it shocked all of Kanye's audience in late '08, mainly because it featured no rap and a bare-bones sound, consisting of nothing more than some 808s (tribal drums), keyboards, Kanye's vocals, and perhaps a few embellishments on the musical side of things. It leaves the listener feeling overcome with emotion, which is more than any other rapper's album is doing in the current music biz.
Song Highlights: Love Lockdown, Heartless, Welcome to Heartbreak, Street Lights, Say You Will
Have comments on this album? Questions? Feel free to comment!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Expansion
So, I've decided to expand my blog a bit. Writing about music, while interesting, can get a bit monotonous after a while. So, while music will always be the main focus of my blog, I'm going to try and branch out a bit-- reviewing other forms of entertainment such as movies and books. It may work, it may not. Who knows? So be checking back here often in the next few days and weeks, as changes are visible on the horizon. Thanks!
He May Be Invincible, But Is The Album?
Ah, Michael Jackson. He was such an interesting character. I've already reviewed his 1991 Dangerous album here, which you can read below. This 2001 disk, Invincible, was to be the last album he would release in his lifetime, so of course it's a bit bittersweet to listen to, despite it's many shortcomings. This disk was released a whopping 6 years after his last full-length album, HIStory (released in 1995), so it was highly anticipated in its time. Jackson decided to team with a new producer, Rodney Jerkins, whom was responsible for many popular artists from the late '90's/early '00's, such as Destiny's Child and NSync. The album took over two years to record, due to the hiring and firing of producers, writers, staff, etc., so by the time the album actually did drop in fall '01, was it worth the wait? Well, it depends on what kind of standard you're holding MJ to. If you're comparing this album to any of his earlier work, then no, it was certainly NOT worth the wait. But if you're comparing him to many other artists from that time period, then yes, it was worth the wait, because we all know MJ's C game could beat practically any other artist's A game. So, without further ado, I give you, once again, a track-by-track analysis of this album:
1. Unbreakable
You can try to stop me, but it won't do a thing
No matter what you do, I'm still gonna be here
Through all your lies and silly games
I'll still remain the same, I'm unbreakable...
You know, if you're anything like me, when you first pop this disk in, after all the electronic bloops and bleeps that go on for about half a minute, and you're introduced to heavy-dance sounds of this song a'la' NSync, you're probably going to want to vomit. It's that bad, until you get used to it. This is one of those songs that have to "grow on you". After you grow to like it, you'll find it's actually a pretty decent song, with a killer hook for its chorus. Clocking in right at 6:25, it's the album's longest track, and it can seem even longer placed right at the front of the disk. This is one of the only songs here reminiscent of HIStory at all, with this song dispelling the notions that MJ's career is over (which it basically was by the time this album released, sadly).
2. Heartbreaker
She plays a game with such an innocent face
I didn't know heartbreaking was her case
Her actions confess and her actions put me through the test
I was surprised that I was caught inside...
Here we are at the first track that is pure filler. It's VERY similar to "Unbreakable" musically, perhaps too much. You'll notice something that unfortunately pops up in many of the others songs here, too-- MJ's voclas sound strained, half-hearted, and nasally (one too many nose surgeries, perhaps?) It also doesn't help that the chorus is so repetitive, It's actually sad to see songs like this come to fruition on a MJ record, when I know he can write stronger songs about women. Just look at "Liberian Girl", "She Drives Me Wild", "Dangerous", and "Human Nature" for solid proof of that.
3. Invincible
If there's somebody else, he can't love you like me
And he says he'll treat you well, he can't treat you like me
And he's buying diamonds and pearls, he can't do it like me
And he's taking you all across the world, he can't trick you like me...
And, we hear the same recycled electronic/dance beats from "Heartbreaker" and "Unbreakable". Ugh. At least it's a light at the end of the tunnel tot hink this song's going to be another one about Jackson being "invincible" from the media's accusations or whatever. But no, it's another song about Jackson trying to get a woman, so I guess the light at the end of the tunnel is actually an oncoming train. That's lovely. The lyrics are strained here, once again, but at least the chorus is half-way catchy. This song says nothing the previous train wreck of a song didn't, but if I had to pick, I'd choose this one, mainly because it has a good hook. But that's just me grasping for something good to say about this song. So... next!
4. Break of Dawn
I don't want the sun to shine, I wanna make love
Just this magic in your eyes and in my heart
I don't know what I'm gonna do, I can't stop lovin' you
I won't stop 'til break of dawn makin' love...
This is where the album takes a sharp upward turn, with it's first ballad - a slow jam, no less. Yes, it's about making love, and yes, it's important to get the mental image of Jackson nude out of your head to be able to fully enjoy this song. It's this album's ballads that show us Jackson had any musical talent left, with this song being exhibit A. While this isn't my very favorite song here (some are just better by comparison), it's high up on my list.
5. Heaven Can Wait
Unthinkable
Me sitting up in the clouds and you are all alone
The time might come around when you'd be moving on
I'd turn it all around and tyr to get back down to my baby girl...
Alright, Mike. This is getting a bit ridiculous. This song is downright embarrassing to listen to. The lyrics are dismal at best, with no creative energy, the song itself drags on way too long, and MJ, you sound like Justin Timberlake in the chorus, and no, that's NOT a good thing, no matter what your 7 producers tell you. It's kind of amazing (in the not-so-good way) how similar parts of this album are to NSync. Maybe that was all on purpose. I hope so, because if not, that's downright sad, considering the gems from earlier in his solo career. Whatever. It's nothing the skip button can't fix.
6. You Rock My World
Ooh, it feels so right
I've searched for the perfect love all my life
Ooh it feels like
I have finally found a perfect love this time...
It's a relief! Finally, we have arrived at some musical sanity! ("Break of Dawn" notwithstanding) While I could do without the cheesy introduction to this song, featuring comedian Christ Tucker and MJ admiring a girl whom is "pretty bangin", the song itself is classic (although I did have to chuckle at the part in the introduction when Christ Tucker bet Jackson Never-Neverland he couldn't get said girl). The rhythm and vocals are reminiscent of Jacko classics such as "Remember the Time" and "Rock With You". This song was released as the debut single from this album back in '01, but sadly only peaked at #10 in the U.S, due to lack of promotion on Sony's part, and that is rather unfortunate, because this song had the potential to go to #1, with proper promotion, in my opinion.
7. Butterflies
All I gotta say is that I must be dreaming, can't be real
You're not here with me, still I can feel you near me
I caress you, let you taste us, just so blissful listen
I would give you anything baby, just make my dreams come true
Oh baby you give me butterflies...
In perhaps what is MJ's best vocal performance on this album (a la' Off the Wall), we are given another excellent slow jam. This is one of the only songs here MJ had no part in writing - Andre Harris and Marsha Ambrosius penned this one. It was also released as a single, but also didn't chart very high, due to a lack of a music video and again, lack of promotion. Perhaps my favorite part of the song is the second verse, where Michael goes into a heart-wrenching falsetto, something we haven't heard since Thriller, if even that album.
8. Speechless
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel...
Here we are, the centerpiece of the album, and also my favorite track here, hands down. This is one of two songs solely penned by Jackson, and it's everything you'd expect from the "king of pop". The basis of this song is nothing more than Mike's (excellent) vocals, a few strings, and a drum machine. It's pretty much a Capella for the first minute or so, and it's absolutely beautiful. However, I have to admit, what made MJ first think of the idea for this song is a bit... odd. Basically, MJ had a water balloon fight with some children (in his Neverland home, perhaps?), and he wrote this song dedicated that - the love he felt for/from those children, and the wonder of being with said kids. Creepy? A bit, but that's just Michael Jackson for ya.
9. 2000 Watts
Bass note, treble, stereo control, how low you go
Just enough to make your juices flow
Press play, don't stop, rotate, too hot
You feel I'm real...
You know, this song would be a great energetic moment for the album, if it made some fucking sense. Seriously, all this song is is MJ listing off different musical things such as Dolby, bass notes, treble, ohms, and feedback, all in a low electronic vocal. It's all a bit weird for me. Maybe it would've been better live. MJ didn't promote this album with a tour or anything, however, and this song wasn't ever performed live, as far as I know, so the world will never know what this song would've sounded like in a live setting. It certainly isn't the album's worst track (we'll get to that in a while), but it would've been better if it made some sort of sense. Oh well.
10. You Are My Life
Now I wake up everyday
With this smile upon my face
No more tears, no more pain
'Cause you love me...
And here we are, traveling down abysmal lane, once again, with a song so cheesy it should be illegal. The song actually sounds like Jackson is gonna pull some psychotic, stalker song (which I have to admit would have been... interesting), but no, all we get is a slow jam about how great some girl is, and how she is "the moon", "the stars", :the sun", "the daytime and nighttime", and on and on and on. It gets to be a bit vomit-inducing, actually.
11. Privacy
Ain't the pictures enough, why do you go through so much
To get the story you need, so you can bury me
You've got the people confused, you tell the stories you choose
You try to get me to lose the man I really am...
Ah, "Privacy", my second favorite song here. It's the song on this album that's the most similar to the fierce, take-no-shit attitude that made up so much of HIStory, with this song taking the same approach: screaming (sorry, no pun intended!) at the press to back off, and leave MJ alone. (Again, sorry, I didn't mean to make a punny!) I also like the vocal style that Mike uses here -- his 'deep-er, snarling-through-the-teeth" type of singing, which hasn't been used on this album at all up until this point. Perhaps I could've done with a bit more originality in the chorus, instead of it's "I need my privacy, yeah yeah, so paparazzi, get away from me," but that's just a miniscule complaint.
12. Don't Walk Away
I close my eyes
Just to try and see you smile one more time
But it's been so long, now all I do is cry
Can't we find some love to take this away...
Now this song works, unlike its kin "You Are My Life" and "Heaven Can Wait". The emotion felt in MJ's vocals here: the pain, the regret as he realizes he is losing the love of his life just radiates through your speakers. The music is based around a rather somber electric acoustic guitar pluck, some strings, and the works. It's nothing short of amazing, because the emotion is just so real. The backing vocals layered behind MJ's just add to this, mournfully singing, "If you go, I won't forget you girl / Can't you see that you will always be / Even though I had to let you go / There's nothing left to do / Don't walk away..." We can all relate to this song, because break-ups are never easy, and this song captures that feeling quite beautifully.
13. Cry
Stories buried and untold
Someone is hiding the truth, hold on
When will this mystery unfold
And will the sun ever shine
In the blind man's eyes when he cries...
Ah, you knew it was coming. This wouldn't be a Michael Jackson album without a socially-conscious song, and "Cry" is that for this CD. Perhaps it's a little too similar to "Man in the Mirror" from Bad, what with the gospel choir and all, but it's a good song, albeit cheesy in some areas, what with the line sin the chorus "You can touch the sky (Gonna take somebody's help) / You're the chosen one (I'm gonna need some kind of sign)", and it's certainly not as elegant as "Earth Song" from HIStory, but ti works, especially in comparison to the some of songs from earlier in the album. But by this point, you are getting a bit weary of this disk, simply because of the decent song/good song/cheesy ballad type of formula that's going on, and for the fact this disk has already been running for 13 damn tracks, and you still have 3 more to go!
14. The Lost Children
Home with their fathers
Snug close and warm, loving their mothers
I see the door simply wide open
But no one can find thee...
Alright, Mike. I've cut you a LOT more slack that I could've in this review, but this is just bad. There are no other words for this. It is bad. I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to convey here, or what the hell this song is even talking about-- is it about kidnapped children, or is it a loose metaphor for those who feel they have lost their childhood? If it's the latter, dude, you already have a song about that, it was on your last album, and it's called "Childhood". And if it's about the former, well... that's just creepy. It doesn't help that this is the other song that you penned solo, and it also doesn't help that you have children singing the chorus of this song with you on toward the end of the track. This song does nothing more than leave a bad taste in my mouth.
15. Whatever Reason
'Everything will be alright,' he assures her
But she doesn't hear a word that he says
Preoccupied, she's afraid
Afraid that what they're doing is not right...
This is probably the most interesting track here, musically anyway. Featuring a guest guitar lead from Carlos Santana, this song is given a Spanish flavor, which is desperately needed at this point, because the songs are starting to sound similar, so this song is excellently used to break up the monotony. It's an interesting tale-- a man and woman are making big changes in their lives, that much is obvious, with the hook of the song being "Whatever happens, don't let go of my hand". I could have dealt with perhaps a bit more detail-- what exactly is happening to the man and woman, are they getting divorced, are they moving, what? But even without that much in the way of detail, the song gets merit for being musically different (in a good way, mind you).
16. Threatened
You're trapped in halls, and my face is the walls
I'm the floor when you fall, and when you scream it's 'cause of me
I'm the living dead, the dark thoughts in your head
I know just what you said
That's why you've got to be threatened by me...
Fortunately, this album ends with another gem, this time the "Thriller"-esque "Threatened". What truly makes this song stand out is it's multiple samplings of Rod Sterling, whom in the beginning of the track, introduces us to the "monster", leading into Jackson's vocals for the first verse. The production and music here may be a bit too much like Rodney Jerkins had too much control, but that's just a little beef. However, in light of MJ's death 9 months ago in June, this track can be a bit eerie to listen to, especially with the sampling of Rod Sterling saying "What you have just witnessed could be the end of a particularly terrifying nightmare. It isn't. It's the beginning," but it's a great way to show that MJ actually had balls, unlike many of the other songs here.
*Whew*
You're still there? You read all of that? Congratulations! While some songs here are nothing short of dismal ("The Lost Children", "Heaven Can Wait", "You Are My Life", "Heartbreaker"), other tracks such as "Don't Walk Away", "Speechless", "Threatened" and "Privacy" more than make up for it. I'm actually torn on this album, as to whether to label it "good" or "bad". I think that's impossible, because this CD has elements of both. I'm going to call it spotty, and leave it at that. It's excessively long, with too many filler tracks. I recommend it, but only at a low price, and do not let this be your introductory to the wonderful world of MJ. I'd recommend Dangerous, Bad, Thriller, or Off the Wall for the potential fan.
3/5
1. Unbreakable
You can try to stop me, but it won't do a thing
No matter what you do, I'm still gonna be here
Through all your lies and silly games
I'll still remain the same, I'm unbreakable...
You know, if you're anything like me, when you first pop this disk in, after all the electronic bloops and bleeps that go on for about half a minute, and you're introduced to heavy-dance sounds of this song a'la' NSync, you're probably going to want to vomit. It's that bad, until you get used to it. This is one of those songs that have to "grow on you". After you grow to like it, you'll find it's actually a pretty decent song, with a killer hook for its chorus. Clocking in right at 6:25, it's the album's longest track, and it can seem even longer placed right at the front of the disk. This is one of the only songs here reminiscent of HIStory at all, with this song dispelling the notions that MJ's career is over (which it basically was by the time this album released, sadly).
2. Heartbreaker
She plays a game with such an innocent face
I didn't know heartbreaking was her case
Her actions confess and her actions put me through the test
I was surprised that I was caught inside...
Here we are at the first track that is pure filler. It's VERY similar to "Unbreakable" musically, perhaps too much. You'll notice something that unfortunately pops up in many of the others songs here, too-- MJ's voclas sound strained, half-hearted, and nasally (one too many nose surgeries, perhaps?) It also doesn't help that the chorus is so repetitive, It's actually sad to see songs like this come to fruition on a MJ record, when I know he can write stronger songs about women. Just look at "Liberian Girl", "She Drives Me Wild", "Dangerous", and "Human Nature" for solid proof of that.
3. Invincible
If there's somebody else, he can't love you like me
And he says he'll treat you well, he can't treat you like me
And he's buying diamonds and pearls, he can't do it like me
And he's taking you all across the world, he can't trick you like me...
And, we hear the same recycled electronic/dance beats from "Heartbreaker" and "Unbreakable". Ugh. At least it's a light at the end of the tunnel tot hink this song's going to be another one about Jackson being "invincible" from the media's accusations or whatever. But no, it's another song about Jackson trying to get a woman, so I guess the light at the end of the tunnel is actually an oncoming train. That's lovely. The lyrics are strained here, once again, but at least the chorus is half-way catchy. This song says nothing the previous train wreck of a song didn't, but if I had to pick, I'd choose this one, mainly because it has a good hook. But that's just me grasping for something good to say about this song. So... next!
4. Break of Dawn
I don't want the sun to shine, I wanna make love
Just this magic in your eyes and in my heart
I don't know what I'm gonna do, I can't stop lovin' you
I won't stop 'til break of dawn makin' love...
This is where the album takes a sharp upward turn, with it's first ballad - a slow jam, no less. Yes, it's about making love, and yes, it's important to get the mental image of Jackson nude out of your head to be able to fully enjoy this song. It's this album's ballads that show us Jackson had any musical talent left, with this song being exhibit A. While this isn't my very favorite song here (some are just better by comparison), it's high up on my list.
5. Heaven Can Wait
Unthinkable
Me sitting up in the clouds and you are all alone
The time might come around when you'd be moving on
I'd turn it all around and tyr to get back down to my baby girl...
Alright, Mike. This is getting a bit ridiculous. This song is downright embarrassing to listen to. The lyrics are dismal at best, with no creative energy, the song itself drags on way too long, and MJ, you sound like Justin Timberlake in the chorus, and no, that's NOT a good thing, no matter what your 7 producers tell you. It's kind of amazing (in the not-so-good way) how similar parts of this album are to NSync. Maybe that was all on purpose. I hope so, because if not, that's downright sad, considering the gems from earlier in his solo career. Whatever. It's nothing the skip button can't fix.
6. You Rock My World
Ooh, it feels so right
I've searched for the perfect love all my life
Ooh it feels like
I have finally found a perfect love this time...
It's a relief! Finally, we have arrived at some musical sanity! ("Break of Dawn" notwithstanding) While I could do without the cheesy introduction to this song, featuring comedian Christ Tucker and MJ admiring a girl whom is "pretty bangin", the song itself is classic (although I did have to chuckle at the part in the introduction when Christ Tucker bet Jackson Never-Neverland he couldn't get said girl). The rhythm and vocals are reminiscent of Jacko classics such as "Remember the Time" and "Rock With You". This song was released as the debut single from this album back in '01, but sadly only peaked at #10 in the U.S, due to lack of promotion on Sony's part, and that is rather unfortunate, because this song had the potential to go to #1, with proper promotion, in my opinion.
7. Butterflies
All I gotta say is that I must be dreaming, can't be real
You're not here with me, still I can feel you near me
I caress you, let you taste us, just so blissful listen
I would give you anything baby, just make my dreams come true
Oh baby you give me butterflies...
In perhaps what is MJ's best vocal performance on this album (a la' Off the Wall), we are given another excellent slow jam. This is one of the only songs here MJ had no part in writing - Andre Harris and Marsha Ambrosius penned this one. It was also released as a single, but also didn't chart very high, due to a lack of a music video and again, lack of promotion. Perhaps my favorite part of the song is the second verse, where Michael goes into a heart-wrenching falsetto, something we haven't heard since Thriller, if even that album.
8. Speechless
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel...
Here we are, the centerpiece of the album, and also my favorite track here, hands down. This is one of two songs solely penned by Jackson, and it's everything you'd expect from the "king of pop". The basis of this song is nothing more than Mike's (excellent) vocals, a few strings, and a drum machine. It's pretty much a Capella for the first minute or so, and it's absolutely beautiful. However, I have to admit, what made MJ first think of the idea for this song is a bit... odd. Basically, MJ had a water balloon fight with some children (in his Neverland home, perhaps?), and he wrote this song dedicated that - the love he felt for/from those children, and the wonder of being with said kids. Creepy? A bit, but that's just Michael Jackson for ya.
9. 2000 Watts
Bass note, treble, stereo control, how low you go
Just enough to make your juices flow
Press play, don't stop, rotate, too hot
You feel I'm real...
You know, this song would be a great energetic moment for the album, if it made some fucking sense. Seriously, all this song is is MJ listing off different musical things such as Dolby, bass notes, treble, ohms, and feedback, all in a low electronic vocal. It's all a bit weird for me. Maybe it would've been better live. MJ didn't promote this album with a tour or anything, however, and this song wasn't ever performed live, as far as I know, so the world will never know what this song would've sounded like in a live setting. It certainly isn't the album's worst track (we'll get to that in a while), but it would've been better if it made some sort of sense. Oh well.
10. You Are My Life
Now I wake up everyday
With this smile upon my face
No more tears, no more pain
'Cause you love me...
And here we are, traveling down abysmal lane, once again, with a song so cheesy it should be illegal. The song actually sounds like Jackson is gonna pull some psychotic, stalker song (which I have to admit would have been... interesting), but no, all we get is a slow jam about how great some girl is, and how she is "the moon", "the stars", :the sun", "the daytime and nighttime", and on and on and on. It gets to be a bit vomit-inducing, actually.
11. Privacy
Ain't the pictures enough, why do you go through so much
To get the story you need, so you can bury me
You've got the people confused, you tell the stories you choose
You try to get me to lose the man I really am...
Ah, "Privacy", my second favorite song here. It's the song on this album that's the most similar to the fierce, take-no-shit attitude that made up so much of HIStory, with this song taking the same approach: screaming (sorry, no pun intended!) at the press to back off, and leave MJ alone. (Again, sorry, I didn't mean to make a punny!) I also like the vocal style that Mike uses here -- his 'deep-er, snarling-through-the-teeth" type of singing, which hasn't been used on this album at all up until this point. Perhaps I could've done with a bit more originality in the chorus, instead of it's "I need my privacy, yeah yeah, so paparazzi, get away from me," but that's just a miniscule complaint.
12. Don't Walk Away
I close my eyes
Just to try and see you smile one more time
But it's been so long, now all I do is cry
Can't we find some love to take this away...
Now this song works, unlike its kin "You Are My Life" and "Heaven Can Wait". The emotion felt in MJ's vocals here: the pain, the regret as he realizes he is losing the love of his life just radiates through your speakers. The music is based around a rather somber electric acoustic guitar pluck, some strings, and the works. It's nothing short of amazing, because the emotion is just so real. The backing vocals layered behind MJ's just add to this, mournfully singing, "If you go, I won't forget you girl / Can't you see that you will always be / Even though I had to let you go / There's nothing left to do / Don't walk away..." We can all relate to this song, because break-ups are never easy, and this song captures that feeling quite beautifully.
13. Cry
Stories buried and untold
Someone is hiding the truth, hold on
When will this mystery unfold
And will the sun ever shine
In the blind man's eyes when he cries...
Ah, you knew it was coming. This wouldn't be a Michael Jackson album without a socially-conscious song, and "Cry" is that for this CD. Perhaps it's a little too similar to "Man in the Mirror" from Bad, what with the gospel choir and all, but it's a good song, albeit cheesy in some areas, what with the line sin the chorus "You can touch the sky (Gonna take somebody's help) / You're the chosen one (I'm gonna need some kind of sign)", and it's certainly not as elegant as "Earth Song" from HIStory, but ti works, especially in comparison to the some of songs from earlier in the album. But by this point, you are getting a bit weary of this disk, simply because of the decent song/good song/cheesy ballad type of formula that's going on, and for the fact this disk has already been running for 13 damn tracks, and you still have 3 more to go!
14. The Lost Children
Home with their fathers
Snug close and warm, loving their mothers
I see the door simply wide open
But no one can find thee...
Alright, Mike. I've cut you a LOT more slack that I could've in this review, but this is just bad. There are no other words for this. It is bad. I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to convey here, or what the hell this song is even talking about-- is it about kidnapped children, or is it a loose metaphor for those who feel they have lost their childhood? If it's the latter, dude, you already have a song about that, it was on your last album, and it's called "Childhood". And if it's about the former, well... that's just creepy. It doesn't help that this is the other song that you penned solo, and it also doesn't help that you have children singing the chorus of this song with you on toward the end of the track. This song does nothing more than leave a bad taste in my mouth.
15. Whatever Reason
'Everything will be alright,' he assures her
But she doesn't hear a word that he says
Preoccupied, she's afraid
Afraid that what they're doing is not right...
This is probably the most interesting track here, musically anyway. Featuring a guest guitar lead from Carlos Santana, this song is given a Spanish flavor, which is desperately needed at this point, because the songs are starting to sound similar, so this song is excellently used to break up the monotony. It's an interesting tale-- a man and woman are making big changes in their lives, that much is obvious, with the hook of the song being "Whatever happens, don't let go of my hand". I could have dealt with perhaps a bit more detail-- what exactly is happening to the man and woman, are they getting divorced, are they moving, what? But even without that much in the way of detail, the song gets merit for being musically different (in a good way, mind you).
16. Threatened
You're trapped in halls, and my face is the walls
I'm the floor when you fall, and when you scream it's 'cause of me
I'm the living dead, the dark thoughts in your head
I know just what you said
That's why you've got to be threatened by me...
Fortunately, this album ends with another gem, this time the "Thriller"-esque "Threatened". What truly makes this song stand out is it's multiple samplings of Rod Sterling, whom in the beginning of the track, introduces us to the "monster", leading into Jackson's vocals for the first verse. The production and music here may be a bit too much like Rodney Jerkins had too much control, but that's just a little beef. However, in light of MJ's death 9 months ago in June, this track can be a bit eerie to listen to, especially with the sampling of Rod Sterling saying "What you have just witnessed could be the end of a particularly terrifying nightmare. It isn't. It's the beginning," but it's a great way to show that MJ actually had balls, unlike many of the other songs here.
*Whew*
You're still there? You read all of that? Congratulations! While some songs here are nothing short of dismal ("The Lost Children", "Heaven Can Wait", "You Are My Life", "Heartbreaker"), other tracks such as "Don't Walk Away", "Speechless", "Threatened" and "Privacy" more than make up for it. I'm actually torn on this album, as to whether to label it "good" or "bad". I think that's impossible, because this CD has elements of both. I'm going to call it spotty, and leave it at that. It's excessively long, with too many filler tracks. I recommend it, but only at a low price, and do not let this be your introductory to the wonderful world of MJ. I'd recommend Dangerous, Bad, Thriller, or Off the Wall for the potential fan.
3/5
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Our Hearts are Close, even if we are 600 Miles Apart.
"Vanilla Twilight", Owl City
The stars lean down to kiss you
And I lie awake and miss you
Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere
'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly
But I'll miss your arms around me
I'd send a postcard to you, dear
'Cause I wish you were here
I'll watch the night turn light-blue
But it's not the same without you
Because it takes two to whisper quietly
The silence isn't so bad
'Til I look at my hands and feel sad
'Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly
I'll find repose in new ways
Though I haven't slept in two days
'Cause cold nostalgia
Chills me to the bone
But drenched in vanilla twilight
I'll sit on the front porch all night
Waist-deep in thought because
When I think of you I don't feel so alone
I don't feel so alone, I don't feel so alone
As many times as I blink
I'll think of you tonight
I'll think of you tonight
When violet eyes get brighter
And heavy wings grow lighter
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again
And I'll forget the world that I knew
But I swear I won't forget you
Oh, if my voice could reach
Back through the past
I'd whisper in your ear
Oh darling, I wish you were here
Long-distance relationships can be a hard. With no means of communication besides phone calls, text messaging, and internet chat sites such as myspace and facebook, it can be a bit harder to help these kind of relationships grow. This song I just quoted could be applied to this type of situation -- a long-distance relationship, which is the type of dating relationship I am in currently. And it's hard. But I can honestly say that I would not wan to be with anyone else. This song helps me a lot when I feel alone -- it brings back the image of Austin (my girlfriend's) face, her voice, her laughter, and as the song so excellently puts it, it makes me feel "not so alone". So, if you are in a long-distance relationship, let this blog entry be an encouragement. Work at it. Anything you work hard at will work out in the end, no matter how hard or difficult your relationship is now. I'd also recommend checking this song out. <3
The stars lean down to kiss you
And I lie awake and miss you
Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere
'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly
But I'll miss your arms around me
I'd send a postcard to you, dear
'Cause I wish you were here
I'll watch the night turn light-blue
But it's not the same without you
Because it takes two to whisper quietly
The silence isn't so bad
'Til I look at my hands and feel sad
'Cause the spaces between my fingers
Are right where yours fit perfectly
I'll find repose in new ways
Though I haven't slept in two days
'Cause cold nostalgia
Chills me to the bone
But drenched in vanilla twilight
I'll sit on the front porch all night
Waist-deep in thought because
When I think of you I don't feel so alone
I don't feel so alone, I don't feel so alone
As many times as I blink
I'll think of you tonight
I'll think of you tonight
When violet eyes get brighter
And heavy wings grow lighter
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again
And I'll forget the world that I knew
But I swear I won't forget you
Oh, if my voice could reach
Back through the past
I'd whisper in your ear
Oh darling, I wish you were here
Long-distance relationships can be a hard. With no means of communication besides phone calls, text messaging, and internet chat sites such as myspace and facebook, it can be a bit harder to help these kind of relationships grow. This song I just quoted could be applied to this type of situation -- a long-distance relationship, which is the type of dating relationship I am in currently. And it's hard. But I can honestly say that I would not wan to be with anyone else. This song helps me a lot when I feel alone -- it brings back the image of Austin (my girlfriend's) face, her voice, her laughter, and as the song so excellently puts it, it makes me feel "not so alone". So, if you are in a long-distance relationship, let this blog entry be an encouragement. Work at it. Anything you work hard at will work out in the end, no matter how hard or difficult your relationship is now. I'd also recommend checking this song out. <3
Monday, March 8, 2010
I Recommend - 3/8/10
Recommended for 3/8/10 - Jars of Clay - The Long Fall Back To Earth (2009)
After 2 1/2 years of waiting, Jarks (Jars of Clay fans) finally got what they had been waiting for in spring 2009, with The Long Fall Back To Earth, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The band had changed their sound up once again -which is something these guys are notorious for- to a rather 80's inspired synth-pop sound, and it works. After the stark, dark, rock sound that was Good Monsters in 2006, this album was a bit of a surprise, but... it was a good one. The whole album is consistent, keeping with the overall theme of relationships -- with God and with one another.
Song Highlights: "Safe To Land", "Closer", "Headphones", "Scenic Route"
Have comments on this album? Questions? Feel free to comment!
After 2 1/2 years of waiting, Jarks (Jars of Clay fans) finally got what they had been waiting for in spring 2009, with The Long Fall Back To Earth, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The band had changed their sound up once again -which is something these guys are notorious for- to a rather 80's inspired synth-pop sound, and it works. After the stark, dark, rock sound that was Good Monsters in 2006, this album was a bit of a surprise, but... it was a good one. The whole album is consistent, keeping with the overall theme of relationships -- with God and with one another.
Song Highlights: "Safe To Land", "Closer", "Headphones", "Scenic Route"
Have comments on this album? Questions? Feel free to comment!
From bad to dangerous: The saga of MJ
Alright, so today, I'm going to attempt to review my very favorite album of all time, Michael Jackson's 1991 Dangerous, without being overly biased. This is a daunting task, so please excuse me if I "fanboy" during this review at any given time.
In 1991, the world had a very different opinion of MJ than their opinion of him now (or, better yet, the last few years of his life). In 1991, MJ was known as being rather quirky and eccentric (Elephant Man's bones and the oxygen chamber he was rumored to sleep in, anyone?) in the late '80's. While the two events I just told you about were planted into the press by Michael himself, the fact that he did plant those stories himself further proves the man was a little odd. Also, him having Vitiligo (which is a skin disease, causing pigment in the skin to lighten) didn't help his "weirdness" case much. So, while almost everyone thought he was a bit of a nutcase, or at least a little eccentric, he was still the biggest star in the music biz in the '80's/early '90's. And in the tail-end of his heyday, he released what is (in my opinion) the best album of his career, Dangerous, which featured a different producer than whom he had previously worked with, Teddy Riley, a producer who helped change MJ's sound from soul/pop sound to a more hip-hop feel (with pop elements still blended in), AKA "jack swing".
So, this review is going to be in a style in which I usually write, despite my general hatred for it: song-by-song analysis. It usually takes MUCH longer to type, but I feel this is the only way this excellent album can be described: each individual song spoken about.
(If you do not wish to read through each song description, please skip down to the bottom.)
1. Jam
Nation to nation, all the world must get together
Face the problems that we see
And maybe we can work it out...
As soon as you pop this disk in, you hear the sound of shattering glass, and sampled of voices saying "jam", before giving way to a very '90's-esque hip-hop beat. This tune gives us an idea as to what to expect throughout the album: more "socially conscious" lyrics, usually sung over a new (at the time, anyway) funky beat. This song is actually really fun to listen to and sing along with, especially it's chorus, which goes as follows: "Go with it / Go with it / Jam! / It ain't too much stuff / It ain't too much / It ain't too much for me to jam," repeated twice. Rapper Heavy D makes a guest appearance, adding to the new sound MJ wanted in his music here. Overall, it's a catchy song, even if it can drag on a bit too long when you're not in the mood to listen to it (a problem that plagues a good portion of the songs here, actually).
2. Why You Wanna Trip On Me
We've got drug addiction
In the minds of the weak
We've got so much corruption
Police brutality...
If you're not a HUGE Michael Jackson fan like myself, then chances are pretty high that you've never heard this song before. It's one of only two songs here not penned by Jackson - this song's lyricists being producer Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle (whoever the Hell THAT is). It pretty much follows the same formula that "Jam" did, which may or may not be a good thing. "Jam" was a good song, yes, but the same idea of "let's join together and heal the world" DOES get admittedly tired after two straight songs about it. But, that doesn't necessarily make it a bad song. There are some great points brought up here, such as awareness for the AIDs epidemic (which was extremely bad in 1991), world hunger, etc. And the vocals in the chorus are outstanding. But does this album really need this song? No, not really. But that is proof that even when MJ is bad, he's good (seeing as I do like this song, I just don't love it).
3. In The Closet
One thing in life you must understand
The truth of lust, woman to man
So open the door and you will see
There are no secrets, make your move
Set me free...
Ah, this is where the album gets really interesting. Easily in what is the sexiest song of his career, MJ gives us a song about a woman cheating on her husband with him, and how they must keep this affair "in the closet". Lyrics like "And if it aches, you have to rub it" make this song extremely sensual, but that's not a bad thing AT ALL. Easily one of the best tracks here, this is a unique tale about the "truth of lust". While certain lines like "Just promise me / Whatever we say / Whatever we do / Let's make a vow / For now/ To just... keep it in the closet" seem creepy now, seeing as this song was released a mere two years before Jackson was sent on trial for molestation charges, this song is easily the best song on the first half of the album. It's songs like THIS that make this my favorite album of all-time.
4. She Drives Me Wild
She got the look, she's so fine
nd you know damn well the girl will be mine
She got the breaks, she's a scene
And you know damn well she gives it to me...
With a musical soundscape of beeping car horns, and a once again hip-hop/"jack swing" beat, we set to sail with a rather playful song, which is about a rather lightweight topic - a woman Jackson finds enticing, and thus, she "drives him wild". At first, I hated this song. I really did. But after a while, it really started to grow on me, and now it's one of my favorite songs here. It's one of the shortest tracks here, running at just over 3 1/2 minutes, and is a catchy song that I'm surprised was no released as a single way back when.
5. Remember The Time
Do you remember back in the Fall
We'd be together all day long
Do you remember us holding hands
In each others' eyes we'd stare...
Ah, yes. The second single released from this album, with it's video that's more memorable than than the song itself, with it's Egyptian theme. You can hear the desperation in Jackson's voice as he pleads with a girl, asking her if she "remembers the time". It doesn't stick out to me as much, as, oh say, "Jam", "She Drives Me Wild", "In The Closet", "Dangerous", or "Heal The World", but it's still a pretty damn good song, even if it isn't as immediate as one would like. It made for a pretty good choice for a single, however.
6. Can't Let Her Get Away
I try so hard to love you
Some things take time and shame
I think the whole world of you
Your thoughts of me remain...
Okay. As tough as I have been on the sings leading up to this point, I love all of them. But this... this is perhaps the only song not deserving of being here. It's cheesy at best, and by this point, you're ready to hear something other than the early '90's-influenced "jack swing" style Jacko has been employing heavily on this album. Also, the repetition of "I can't let her get away" throughout this song's duration doesn't help much. It's nothing more than wasted space, sadly.
7. Heal The World
And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face
And the world we once believed in will shine again in grace
Then why do we keep strangling life, wound this Earth, crucify its soul
Though it's plain to see this world is heavenly
Be God's glow...
Here we are, at the center of the album, with what is my favorite song of MJ's. Heck, this is my favorite song, period. Everything about this song is just... perfect. It's structure, the vocals, the lyrics, the music, everything.It starts out with a light piano intro, with the sound of a little girl talking, speaking about how we should make the world a better place, for our children, grandchildren, etc. It really opens up the song nicely, giving it a light, friendly feel. The chorus is nothing short of anthemic, and it's catchy as Hell, too. Some people write this song off as a cheap, cheesy version of "We Are The World", but I beg to differ. This one features Jackson at his very best vocally and musically here, making this the standout track on the album, for me, anyway.
8. Black or White
I am tired of this devil, I'm tired of this stuff, I am tired of this business
Sew when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother, I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody
Girl, when the goin' gets mean...
And here we have what was the first single released from this album. The controversial music video for this song, which had a record-setting audience for it's debut in late 1991 sparked immediate interest in this album (the original music video was about 7 minutes long, featuring Jacko vandalizing a car, grabbing his crotch, pretending to masturbate, etc. The video was then edited, cutting that out. The original music video is now referred to as the "panther video", because at the end of the original video, MJ turned into a panther), causing high sales in its first week of release. It's actually a REALLY catchy song, calling for equality within all races.
9. Who Is It
I am the damned, I am the dead
I am the agony inside the dying head
This is injustice, woe unto thee
I pray this punishment would have mercy on me...
Perhaps this is the most underrated cut on the album. It's a song that hints at the paranoia that was prevalent in Jackson's previous two albums - Thriller and Bad. This song finds him searching for answers, as he realizes his girlfriend has left him, asking the inevitable question, "Who is it?" It's not as immediate as some of the other cuts here, but it's an epic song once you let it sink in, and it's internal beauty shines through.
10. Give In To Me
Love is a feeling
I'll give it when I want it
'Cause I'm on fire
Quench My Desire...
And here we have the token rock song, with legendary guitarist Slash showing up to do a cameo guitar solo (he also appeared in the intro of "Black or White"). This shows Jackson being the most brutal, with rather demanding lyrics (for him, anyway), talking to a girl, telling her that "he's on fire", and for her to "give in to him". While it's (sadly) not as popular as his other takes on the rock genre - "Beat It" and "Dirty Diana", respectively - it is perhaps the best song out of those three. MJ is very passionate in his vocals here, and you can tell the song means a lot to him. It shines here because it shows an attitude that we don't get to see much otherwise on this album, with that album being nothing more than Jackson being a bad ass, and not caring anything about what others think.
11. Will You Be There
Everyone's taking control of me
Seems that the world's got a role for me
I'm so confused, will you show it to me
You'll be there for me, and care enough to bear me...
Didn't Skillet have a song titled "Will You Be There" at track 11 on their Alien Youth album? No matter. This song is the strongest ballad in the back-half of the disk, being an inspirational song, asking the question of "will you be there to hold me when I fall?" and the like. It's a beautiful song, albeit the 1 1/2 minute intro does drag it down some, pushing the song to a very lengthy 7:40 running time. It's a good track nevertheless, and it's even better live (you can check it out on his live concert DVD of the Dangerous tour). Perhaps what is my favorite aspect of the song is the spoken outro at the end, with Jackson saying, and I quote: "In our darkest hour, in my deepest despair... will you still care? Will you be there? In my trials and my tribulations, through our doubts, and frustrations, in my violence and turbulence, through my fear and my confessions, in my anguish and my pain, through my joy and sorrow, in the promise of another tomorrow, I'll never let you part... for you're always in my heart." It's very touching, actually, although I could do without the crocodile tears as he says this.
12. Keep The Faith
If you call out loud
Will it get inside
Through the heart of your surrender
To your alibis...
MJ goes gospel on us here, with a song that inspires to keep the faith, and if we do so, we could move a mountain with said faith, and the like. It's a good song, sure, but it can be a little cliche'. The chorus is pretty sound, musically, however, with it's interesting drum-and-percussion rhythm, and the bridge is pretty killer, with a gospel choir repeating "keep the faith" under Jackson's vocals, with all the sound dropping, except the drum machine (at least, I think that's what that is). But the song is too similar to "Man In The Mirror" for comfort, in my opinion. I can see why the song was placed on the album, with it working so well right after "Will You Be There", but the song itself can come across as filler.
13. Gone Too Soon
Shiny and sparkly
And splendidly right
Here one day
Gone one night...
This would be the other song that was not penned, or co-penned, by Mr. Jackson. It's an excellent vocal performance from the man, with a musical background that gives off the atmosphere of a faraway, Disney-esque wonder land, with the song topic being that of a serious one: death. This song is, in fact, dedicated to AIDs victim Ryan White. It's the shortest song here, running just under 3 1/2 minutes, which is a welcome break from some of the longer tracks from earlier in the album.
14. Dangerous
I never knew, but I was walking a line
She said, "come go with me"
I said, "I have no time"
She said, "don't you pretend we didn't talk on the phone"
My baby cried, and left me standing alone...
And last, but certainly not least, we have the title track for the album. This is probably the most epic title track from any MJ album (yes, including Thriller), with it's spoken, sexy verses, and it's catchy-as-Hell chorus. You can just sense the tension from the situation, with this strange, dangerous woman, as she hurt Jackson's "baby", and how he can't "sleep at night" because of this. It's the best way possible to end the disk, honestly. The chorus is perhaps the best part of the entire song, with it's exclamations of "the girl is dangerous!", with Jacko's signature "hee-hoo's!" in the background. The song doesn't get old, not once, in it's entirety: just at 7 minutes. Like I said, this is the single best MJ title track, and quite possibly the best album closer of his career, too.
... and there you have it. If an album can sell over 27 million copies worldwide, and still be underrated, this would be it. This was solid proof that the magic MJ put into his music easily carried over into the '90's. Sadly, however, this CD is often overshadowed by his three albums that were released earlier in his career: Bad, Off The Wall, and Thriller, specifically the latter. Honestly, there is only one song I wish was not here, being "Can't Let Her Get Away". And while there are certainly a couple "filler" tracks, the albums overall is mind-blowingly amazing, a true masterpiece. And this opinion isn't me just "fanboying", it's my purely objective view. So, even if you don't like MJ's '80's stuff, pick this one up. And if you've never checked out the music of Michael Jackson, I would highly suggest starting here. This is one of very fews albums in my musical collection that I truly could not live without. So, check out the music of MJ, as he was teetering on the edge of insanity, as this album was released a mere 2 years or so before his personal AND public life would be in smithereens, due to child molestation allegations. He was certainly bad, and he was also... dangerous.
5/5
In 1991, the world had a very different opinion of MJ than their opinion of him now (or, better yet, the last few years of his life). In 1991, MJ was known as being rather quirky and eccentric (Elephant Man's bones and the oxygen chamber he was rumored to sleep in, anyone?) in the late '80's. While the two events I just told you about were planted into the press by Michael himself, the fact that he did plant those stories himself further proves the man was a little odd. Also, him having Vitiligo (which is a skin disease, causing pigment in the skin to lighten) didn't help his "weirdness" case much. So, while almost everyone thought he was a bit of a nutcase, or at least a little eccentric, he was still the biggest star in the music biz in the '80's/early '90's. And in the tail-end of his heyday, he released what is (in my opinion) the best album of his career, Dangerous, which featured a different producer than whom he had previously worked with, Teddy Riley, a producer who helped change MJ's sound from soul/pop sound to a more hip-hop feel (with pop elements still blended in), AKA "jack swing".
So, this review is going to be in a style in which I usually write, despite my general hatred for it: song-by-song analysis. It usually takes MUCH longer to type, but I feel this is the only way this excellent album can be described: each individual song spoken about.
(If you do not wish to read through each song description, please skip down to the bottom.)
1. Jam
Nation to nation, all the world must get together
Face the problems that we see
And maybe we can work it out...
As soon as you pop this disk in, you hear the sound of shattering glass, and sampled of voices saying "jam", before giving way to a very '90's-esque hip-hop beat. This tune gives us an idea as to what to expect throughout the album: more "socially conscious" lyrics, usually sung over a new (at the time, anyway) funky beat. This song is actually really fun to listen to and sing along with, especially it's chorus, which goes as follows: "Go with it / Go with it / Jam! / It ain't too much stuff / It ain't too much / It ain't too much for me to jam," repeated twice. Rapper Heavy D makes a guest appearance, adding to the new sound MJ wanted in his music here. Overall, it's a catchy song, even if it can drag on a bit too long when you're not in the mood to listen to it (a problem that plagues a good portion of the songs here, actually).
2. Why You Wanna Trip On Me
We've got drug addiction
In the minds of the weak
We've got so much corruption
Police brutality...
If you're not a HUGE Michael Jackson fan like myself, then chances are pretty high that you've never heard this song before. It's one of only two songs here not penned by Jackson - this song's lyricists being producer Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle (whoever the Hell THAT is). It pretty much follows the same formula that "Jam" did, which may or may not be a good thing. "Jam" was a good song, yes, but the same idea of "let's join together and heal the world" DOES get admittedly tired after two straight songs about it. But, that doesn't necessarily make it a bad song. There are some great points brought up here, such as awareness for the AIDs epidemic (which was extremely bad in 1991), world hunger, etc. And the vocals in the chorus are outstanding. But does this album really need this song? No, not really. But that is proof that even when MJ is bad, he's good (seeing as I do like this song, I just don't love it).
3. In The Closet
One thing in life you must understand
The truth of lust, woman to man
So open the door and you will see
There are no secrets, make your move
Set me free...
Ah, this is where the album gets really interesting. Easily in what is the sexiest song of his career, MJ gives us a song about a woman cheating on her husband with him, and how they must keep this affair "in the closet". Lyrics like "And if it aches, you have to rub it" make this song extremely sensual, but that's not a bad thing AT ALL. Easily one of the best tracks here, this is a unique tale about the "truth of lust". While certain lines like "Just promise me / Whatever we say / Whatever we do / Let's make a vow / For now/ To just... keep it in the closet" seem creepy now, seeing as this song was released a mere two years before Jackson was sent on trial for molestation charges, this song is easily the best song on the first half of the album. It's songs like THIS that make this my favorite album of all-time.
4. She Drives Me Wild
She got the look, she's so fine
nd you know damn well the girl will be mine
She got the breaks, she's a scene
And you know damn well she gives it to me...
With a musical soundscape of beeping car horns, and a once again hip-hop/"jack swing" beat, we set to sail with a rather playful song, which is about a rather lightweight topic - a woman Jackson finds enticing, and thus, she "drives him wild". At first, I hated this song. I really did. But after a while, it really started to grow on me, and now it's one of my favorite songs here. It's one of the shortest tracks here, running at just over 3 1/2 minutes, and is a catchy song that I'm surprised was no released as a single way back when.
5. Remember The Time
Do you remember back in the Fall
We'd be together all day long
Do you remember us holding hands
In each others' eyes we'd stare...
Ah, yes. The second single released from this album, with it's video that's more memorable than than the song itself, with it's Egyptian theme. You can hear the desperation in Jackson's voice as he pleads with a girl, asking her if she "remembers the time". It doesn't stick out to me as much, as, oh say, "Jam", "She Drives Me Wild", "In The Closet", "Dangerous", or "Heal The World", but it's still a pretty damn good song, even if it isn't as immediate as one would like. It made for a pretty good choice for a single, however.
6. Can't Let Her Get Away
I try so hard to love you
Some things take time and shame
I think the whole world of you
Your thoughts of me remain...
Okay. As tough as I have been on the sings leading up to this point, I love all of them. But this... this is perhaps the only song not deserving of being here. It's cheesy at best, and by this point, you're ready to hear something other than the early '90's-influenced "jack swing" style Jacko has been employing heavily on this album. Also, the repetition of "I can't let her get away" throughout this song's duration doesn't help much. It's nothing more than wasted space, sadly.
7. Heal The World
And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face
And the world we once believed in will shine again in grace
Then why do we keep strangling life, wound this Earth, crucify its soul
Though it's plain to see this world is heavenly
Be God's glow...
Here we are, at the center of the album, with what is my favorite song of MJ's. Heck, this is my favorite song, period. Everything about this song is just... perfect. It's structure, the vocals, the lyrics, the music, everything.It starts out with a light piano intro, with the sound of a little girl talking, speaking about how we should make the world a better place, for our children, grandchildren, etc. It really opens up the song nicely, giving it a light, friendly feel. The chorus is nothing short of anthemic, and it's catchy as Hell, too. Some people write this song off as a cheap, cheesy version of "We Are The World", but I beg to differ. This one features Jackson at his very best vocally and musically here, making this the standout track on the album, for me, anyway.
8. Black or White
I am tired of this devil, I'm tired of this stuff, I am tired of this business
Sew when the going gets rough
I ain't scared of your brother, I ain't scared of no sheets
I ain't scared of nobody
Girl, when the goin' gets mean...
And here we have what was the first single released from this album. The controversial music video for this song, which had a record-setting audience for it's debut in late 1991 sparked immediate interest in this album (the original music video was about 7 minutes long, featuring Jacko vandalizing a car, grabbing his crotch, pretending to masturbate, etc. The video was then edited, cutting that out. The original music video is now referred to as the "panther video", because at the end of the original video, MJ turned into a panther), causing high sales in its first week of release. It's actually a REALLY catchy song, calling for equality within all races.
9. Who Is It
I am the damned, I am the dead
I am the agony inside the dying head
This is injustice, woe unto thee
I pray this punishment would have mercy on me...
Perhaps this is the most underrated cut on the album. It's a song that hints at the paranoia that was prevalent in Jackson's previous two albums - Thriller and Bad. This song finds him searching for answers, as he realizes his girlfriend has left him, asking the inevitable question, "Who is it?" It's not as immediate as some of the other cuts here, but it's an epic song once you let it sink in, and it's internal beauty shines through.
10. Give In To Me
Love is a feeling
I'll give it when I want it
'Cause I'm on fire
Quench My Desire...
And here we have the token rock song, with legendary guitarist Slash showing up to do a cameo guitar solo (he also appeared in the intro of "Black or White"). This shows Jackson being the most brutal, with rather demanding lyrics (for him, anyway), talking to a girl, telling her that "he's on fire", and for her to "give in to him". While it's (sadly) not as popular as his other takes on the rock genre - "Beat It" and "Dirty Diana", respectively - it is perhaps the best song out of those three. MJ is very passionate in his vocals here, and you can tell the song means a lot to him. It shines here because it shows an attitude that we don't get to see much otherwise on this album, with that album being nothing more than Jackson being a bad ass, and not caring anything about what others think.
11. Will You Be There
Everyone's taking control of me
Seems that the world's got a role for me
I'm so confused, will you show it to me
You'll be there for me, and care enough to bear me...
Didn't Skillet have a song titled "Will You Be There" at track 11 on their Alien Youth album? No matter. This song is the strongest ballad in the back-half of the disk, being an inspirational song, asking the question of "will you be there to hold me when I fall?" and the like. It's a beautiful song, albeit the 1 1/2 minute intro does drag it down some, pushing the song to a very lengthy 7:40 running time. It's a good track nevertheless, and it's even better live (you can check it out on his live concert DVD of the Dangerous tour). Perhaps what is my favorite aspect of the song is the spoken outro at the end, with Jackson saying, and I quote: "In our darkest hour, in my deepest despair... will you still care? Will you be there? In my trials and my tribulations, through our doubts, and frustrations, in my violence and turbulence, through my fear and my confessions, in my anguish and my pain, through my joy and sorrow, in the promise of another tomorrow, I'll never let you part... for you're always in my heart." It's very touching, actually, although I could do without the crocodile tears as he says this.
12. Keep The Faith
If you call out loud
Will it get inside
Through the heart of your surrender
To your alibis...
MJ goes gospel on us here, with a song that inspires to keep the faith, and if we do so, we could move a mountain with said faith, and the like. It's a good song, sure, but it can be a little cliche'. The chorus is pretty sound, musically, however, with it's interesting drum-and-percussion rhythm, and the bridge is pretty killer, with a gospel choir repeating "keep the faith" under Jackson's vocals, with all the sound dropping, except the drum machine (at least, I think that's what that is). But the song is too similar to "Man In The Mirror" for comfort, in my opinion. I can see why the song was placed on the album, with it working so well right after "Will You Be There", but the song itself can come across as filler.
13. Gone Too Soon
Shiny and sparkly
And splendidly right
Here one day
Gone one night...
This would be the other song that was not penned, or co-penned, by Mr. Jackson. It's an excellent vocal performance from the man, with a musical background that gives off the atmosphere of a faraway, Disney-esque wonder land, with the song topic being that of a serious one: death. This song is, in fact, dedicated to AIDs victim Ryan White. It's the shortest song here, running just under 3 1/2 minutes, which is a welcome break from some of the longer tracks from earlier in the album.
14. Dangerous
I never knew, but I was walking a line
She said, "come go with me"
I said, "I have no time"
She said, "don't you pretend we didn't talk on the phone"
My baby cried, and left me standing alone...
And last, but certainly not least, we have the title track for the album. This is probably the most epic title track from any MJ album (yes, including Thriller), with it's spoken, sexy verses, and it's catchy-as-Hell chorus. You can just sense the tension from the situation, with this strange, dangerous woman, as she hurt Jackson's "baby", and how he can't "sleep at night" because of this. It's the best way possible to end the disk, honestly. The chorus is perhaps the best part of the entire song, with it's exclamations of "the girl is dangerous!", with Jacko's signature "hee-hoo's!" in the background. The song doesn't get old, not once, in it's entirety: just at 7 minutes. Like I said, this is the single best MJ title track, and quite possibly the best album closer of his career, too.
... and there you have it. If an album can sell over 27 million copies worldwide, and still be underrated, this would be it. This was solid proof that the magic MJ put into his music easily carried over into the '90's. Sadly, however, this CD is often overshadowed by his three albums that were released earlier in his career: Bad, Off The Wall, and Thriller, specifically the latter. Honestly, there is only one song I wish was not here, being "Can't Let Her Get Away". And while there are certainly a couple "filler" tracks, the albums overall is mind-blowingly amazing, a true masterpiece. And this opinion isn't me just "fanboying", it's my purely objective view. So, even if you don't like MJ's '80's stuff, pick this one up. And if you've never checked out the music of Michael Jackson, I would highly suggest starting here. This is one of very fews albums in my musical collection that I truly could not live without. So, check out the music of MJ, as he was teetering on the edge of insanity, as this album was released a mere 2 years or so before his personal AND public life would be in smithereens, due to child molestation allegations. He was certainly bad, and he was also... dangerous.
5/5
Monday, February 22, 2010
I Recommend - 2/22/10
First off, I give full credit to JesusFreakHideout.com for the idea of using a blog to recommend favorite albums weekly. It's an exercise they've been practicing for a while now - I am merely doing the same thing. I saw that, and thought it would be pretty cool to add it to my music blog, so... voila! But instead of giving you, the reader, a newly recommended album per week, I am going to do one every two weeks, preferably on Mondays. So, without further ado, I give you the first installment of my "I Recommend" blogs. Enjoy!
Recommended for 2/22/10 - Skillet - Skillet (1996)
Ah... every good band has to start somewhere, and this good band's debut is one of their best. Featuring raspy vocals from lead man John Cooper in their rawest form, set to a lush grunge soundtrack, this album is a highlight of these artists' career. While the production may not shine as well as it probably did in '96, the original, creative lyrics (something we haven't saw from this band in quite a while...) more than make up for it. So be sure to pick this one up, don't get Awake and Comatose, and stop there.
Song Highlights: "I Can", "Paint", "Saturn", "Boundaries
Have comments on this album? Questions? Feel free to comment!
Recommended for 2/22/10 - Skillet - Skillet (1996)
Ah... every good band has to start somewhere, and this good band's debut is one of their best. Featuring raspy vocals from lead man John Cooper in their rawest form, set to a lush grunge soundtrack, this album is a highlight of these artists' career. While the production may not shine as well as it probably did in '96, the original, creative lyrics (something we haven't saw from this band in quite a while...) more than make up for it. So be sure to pick this one up, don't get Awake and Comatose, and stop there.
Song Highlights: "I Can", "Paint", "Saturn", "Boundaries
Have comments on this album? Questions? Feel free to comment!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A review of "Tonight"
Okay, so if you ever checked out my old blog, you may be curious as to why I have a new one. Well, there is no real answer to it, besides the fact that I just wanted a new one. My old blog was created in a different time in my life. I was different. So, I decided to abandon that blog as a whole, and start fresh.
First things first - my URL. The "speaking slowly" idea comes from my favorite bible scripture, James 1:19, which states: "You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger." This scripture means a lot to me. It relates to my life, and I'm sure it can relate to others' lives as well. It's a hard lesson to learn, but we all need to learn to bite our tongues every once in a while. While this has hardly anything to do with what this blog is meant to do - inform people of my opinions of music, I feel everyone should check this scripture out - whether you're a believer or not.
The name "the sound" was a name I admittedly came up with in a hurry. It simply refers to the fact that this blog is all about music. That's it. Sorry there isn't some deep story behind it. (-;
Now, onto the most important part of this post - the music! Today I'm reviewing toby Mac's newest release Tonight, which was released just under two weeks ago. While having a new toby Mac album is always nice, I've become more and more let down with each album he has released. While his first two solo efforts Momentum and Diverse City are two albums I hold near and dear, his third effort, 2007's Portable Sounds, was nothing like his first two albums, being nothing short of a major fail on his part. Sure, the album had it's share of highlights, namely "Boomin", "Ignition", and "Feelin' So Fly", but other than that, the album came up short. So, three years later, we have Tonight, Toby's newest album. Does it measure up, or does it crash and burn? Well... a little of both, actually.
As soon as you pop the disk in, you get the heavy pop sounds of the album's title track, which features Skillet's lead man, John Cooper on background vocals. While an album highlight, the tune overall is nothing that we haven't heard before, and the idea actually gets replayed throughout the duration of the album. It's rather sad, actually, seeing as both John and Toby could have come up with something a bit more unique - I know they could have.
The more melodic songs take the gold here, those being "Hold On", "Get Back Up", and "City On Our Knees", mainly. The auto-tune effects on Toby's voice are much more noticeable here, but they add to the quality and beauty of these three tracks. Of these three, "City On our Knees" is my favorite, and it's an excellent song, perhaps in my top 5 of toby Mac's entire solo career. It touches on the idea of unity among humans, and works perfectly here.
Some other favorites are the fun "LoudNclear", which is the inevitable "TruDog" track that appears on ever toby Mac album. "Funky Jesus Music" is rather unique, expanding on the bouncy sound that made "Diverse City" and "Feelin' So Fly" such highlights, yet taking on a life of it's own. "Captured" helps in picking up the pieces of what is the album's back half. It takes on a desperate feel a la' "Burn For You" from his 2004 Diverse City project, and works just as well as that song.
And we can't have album highlights without album lowlights! Perhaps the songs that are the worst here are two that are rather popular in public opinion, it seems - "Showstopper" and "Hey Devil". "Showstopper" is nothing more than a quick grab at the popularity of "Boomin", and is frighteningly similar to said song. "Hey Devil" is simply too cheesy for my tastes, treating the devil as a boyfriend, or something, and it just does not work. It sounds like something Carman would have wrote in the mid-'90's, and no, that is not a compliment.
Overall, I have to say I'm sadly disappointed in this album. Not all of it, just a good portion of it. While there are many highlights, they just stay overshadowed by the horrible songs. Perhaps I had too high of hopes for it. Nothing could possibly reach the heights that Momentum did in it's heyday. The main problem with this album is that fact that it feels like we've heard it all before - a problem that also plagued much of Portable Sounds. I'd recommend it to anyone, just approach with caution, or perhaps check out some previews first.
3/5
First things first - my URL. The "speaking slowly" idea comes from my favorite bible scripture, James 1:19, which states: "You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger." This scripture means a lot to me. It relates to my life, and I'm sure it can relate to others' lives as well. It's a hard lesson to learn, but we all need to learn to bite our tongues every once in a while. While this has hardly anything to do with what this blog is meant to do - inform people of my opinions of music, I feel everyone should check this scripture out - whether you're a believer or not.
The name "the sound" was a name I admittedly came up with in a hurry. It simply refers to the fact that this blog is all about music. That's it. Sorry there isn't some deep story behind it. (-;
Now, onto the most important part of this post - the music! Today I'm reviewing toby Mac's newest release Tonight, which was released just under two weeks ago. While having a new toby Mac album is always nice, I've become more and more let down with each album he has released. While his first two solo efforts Momentum and Diverse City are two albums I hold near and dear, his third effort, 2007's Portable Sounds, was nothing like his first two albums, being nothing short of a major fail on his part. Sure, the album had it's share of highlights, namely "Boomin", "Ignition", and "Feelin' So Fly", but other than that, the album came up short. So, three years later, we have Tonight, Toby's newest album. Does it measure up, or does it crash and burn? Well... a little of both, actually.
As soon as you pop the disk in, you get the heavy pop sounds of the album's title track, which features Skillet's lead man, John Cooper on background vocals. While an album highlight, the tune overall is nothing that we haven't heard before, and the idea actually gets replayed throughout the duration of the album. It's rather sad, actually, seeing as both John and Toby could have come up with something a bit more unique - I know they could have.
The more melodic songs take the gold here, those being "Hold On", "Get Back Up", and "City On Our Knees", mainly. The auto-tune effects on Toby's voice are much more noticeable here, but they add to the quality and beauty of these three tracks. Of these three, "City On our Knees" is my favorite, and it's an excellent song, perhaps in my top 5 of toby Mac's entire solo career. It touches on the idea of unity among humans, and works perfectly here.
Some other favorites are the fun "LoudNclear", which is the inevitable "TruDog" track that appears on ever toby Mac album. "Funky Jesus Music" is rather unique, expanding on the bouncy sound that made "Diverse City" and "Feelin' So Fly" such highlights, yet taking on a life of it's own. "Captured" helps in picking up the pieces of what is the album's back half. It takes on a desperate feel a la' "Burn For You" from his 2004 Diverse City project, and works just as well as that song.
And we can't have album highlights without album lowlights! Perhaps the songs that are the worst here are two that are rather popular in public opinion, it seems - "Showstopper" and "Hey Devil". "Showstopper" is nothing more than a quick grab at the popularity of "Boomin", and is frighteningly similar to said song. "Hey Devil" is simply too cheesy for my tastes, treating the devil as a boyfriend, or something, and it just does not work. It sounds like something Carman would have wrote in the mid-'90's, and no, that is not a compliment.
Overall, I have to say I'm sadly disappointed in this album. Not all of it, just a good portion of it. While there are many highlights, they just stay overshadowed by the horrible songs. Perhaps I had too high of hopes for it. Nothing could possibly reach the heights that Momentum did in it's heyday. The main problem with this album is that fact that it feels like we've heard it all before - a problem that also plagued much of Portable Sounds. I'd recommend it to anyone, just approach with caution, or perhaps check out some previews first.
3/5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
