Why did I review the album? MJ is my favorite artist
Did I like it? Yes
Will I listen again? Yes, I’ll replay this
one for years
This album is the most intriguing
one I’ve listened to in a while. The regular version has 8 tracks produced
mainly by Timberland (there are others, but he is the headlining producer). The
deluxe version features the original version of the song plus an additional
version of Love Never Felt So Good featuring Justin Timberlake.
The reason that I like this album has nothing
to do with music. Forgive the example, but it bears relevance. I once read a
book by Brandon Sanderson. He released the book for free on his website, Along
with the final edition of the book he also allowed readers to download several
drafts that led to the final edition.
Through releasing several copies of the book in its various stages of
drafting, the reader gets a process of writing a book. Although not completely
the same (because Timberland is not MJ) we are offered the same opportunity
with this album. I see the first tracks as covers of the originals (technically
they are reworked) performed by MJ. We are given a chance to see how different
artist would attack the same content which is fun. Additionally we are exposed
to the idea that the sound of music changes over time. The MJ songs were
recorded anywhere from 89-03 while the standard edition ranges from 13-14. How
much of the changes were based off Timberlands own feel with music and how much
did the time of recording affect the overall product? I don’t think we’ll ever
find out exactly, but it was fun to ponder these ideas while listening.
For me, classic albums need to
have at least two tracks that transcend time, or speak to issues of the time
period. This album doesn’t quite have that. It’s missing the Thriller,
Man in
the Mirror, You are Not Alone, and songs of that ilk. If I
were generous, I could say that Do You
Know Where Your Children Are and Slave
to the Rhythm fit the requirements, but I think I’d be
giving the songs a BIT too much credit. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the
album and recommend it
My Favs
3. Loving You
2. A Place With No Name
1. Xscape
Overall Rating: 87 with a recommendation to Buy
The song as a whole is rather
tame. It doesn’t sound overly produced, but still has many moving parts. The
sound creates a hopeful atmosphere which is appropriate considering the content
of the song. 4/5
Chicago- The song layers MJ’s voice and
does so effectively. One features a tense MJ that is apprehensive that he’s
been used as a pawn for devious purposes. The other is an eerily calm,
sometimes detached MJ. The two work together to make the song quite menacing
and enjoyable. I see the apprehensive MJ
as the immediate voice in his head berating himself for the activities he’s
partaken. The calm MJ works as his inner conscience. First it tries to parlay
the blame in order to deflect wrongdoing, but later on acknowledges his part in
the deed. The voice reforms to a menacing one; almost like a ghost, forever
haunting his thoughts until the guilt consumes him. 4.5/5
Loving You- First off, is the beginning of this song (the first 15
seconds) sampling a song? Specifically, Mary J. Blige? I think it is, but can’t
remember the name of the song.
My only issue with this song is
that it is extremely similar to Love Never Felt So Good (LNFSG). This song has
the same dreamy and optimistic atmosphere. That wouldn’t be a problem if I
hadn’t JUST listened to Love Never Felt So Good about five minutes and
two tracks ago. The song should have
been towards the end, possibly after Do You Know Where Your Children Are or as
the last track to end on a happier optimistic note.
Despite all that I have just
said, I like this song more than its predecessor because it is more
interesting. It has the same content, but a better beat. LNFSG used
an effective albeit less interesting beat. Also, the content is more
descriptive than LNFSG, but escapes the trap of becoming crude.
Because the song sounds as pretty and is upbeat it manages to hide some sexual
content. I had to listen three times before I noticed. It’s interesting because
he does it without using a double entendre. 4.5/5
A Place With No Name- I could easily see Timberland and Justin
Timberlake collaborating for this song. It uses an outlandish beat to discuss
an imaginary world that leads to seduction.
That sounds like the content for a typical JT and Timberland
collaboration.
At first I thought this song was
about an alien abduction that sent him to a fairy tale world. But if you listen
to the lyrics MJ is taken to a utopia.
Because of the seduction and sexual
nature the song takes in the latter half, “take me to a place without no name”=
rock my world/ do something so dirty that I’ll never forget it.
Considering the end of the song,
the increasingly sexual innuendo could be a metaphor for the idea of a utopia.
The idea of a utopia sounds great at first, but once you realize it is
impossible, the illusion of a utopia falls apart, just like MJ relationship
with this woman. 4.5/5
Slave to the Rhythm- Does anyone else find
the electronic sound a bit odd? It’s not Lady Gaga electronic, but the type of
electronic sound you’d find in a video game. It’s not that it sounds bad,
actually it was pretty cool. But, I had to ask myself, why is it here? What
purpose does using this beat on this track serve other than to implement an
outlandish beat in a song? If you ask me
this type of sound would have worked perfectly with A Place With No Name
because it harkens back to my idea that he’s taken to an alien planet.
This song talks about the obligations that are
forced upon women. Even though they are asked to do a lot, most of the time it
is taken for granted. The most important thing about this message is that it
applies to everyone. Far too often people don’t realize the magnitude of what
others do for them until it is taken away. The phrase “you never know what you
have until it is gone” works perfectly here.
With this song, Jackson pays
homage to the women in the world and the work they do. This is his way to say
thank you and let them know that they are appreciated.
This would probably be my
favorite song if the beat wasn’t out of place. 4/5
Do You Know Where Your Children Are- If
there is one song that would be considered the Classic that people would
remember it’s probably this one. There is only one thing that stops it from
achieving that goal. The beat doesn’t. match with the content. He’s talking
about missing children, child abuse, sexual assault and other serious content,
but the beat sounds like it should be in a video game. Admittedly this time
it’s not as bad as the previous track because this time the quirky sound
doesn’t play as pivotal a role (it’s mainly in the beginning), but it’s still
distracting. I wanted to dance and considering the song content, there’s
obviously a disconnect. 4/5
Blue Gangsta- The song reminded me of Bad
for some reason. I can imagine this song finding itself in movie with a
shootout or gambling scene. It would
have been perfect for The Wolf of Wall Street or The Great Gatsby.
I still don’t know what a Blue
Gangster is, but I love the song. 4/5
Xscape- I’m confused by this song. I wonder
how much of the content of this song is based from his life experience. Part of
me believes they made this song to end the album on a festive note, but there’s
so much tantalizing content I have a hard time believing it’s just a “fun“song
He claims that the system is always
controlling his life instead of him. I believe the system here is a substitute for
society and/or the media. At first I believed “escape is all I
need, away from electric eyes” should be taken literally. He’s overwhelmed
by the negative media attention and wants to get away from it for a while. But
what if he’s saying that when he’s overwhelmed he writes music and clears his mind
and forgets his problems. Through the music he is able to think and work though
his problems.
He mentions the people that “lie on
my name.” I’ve got to believe that’s a reference to the sex abuse
scandal. He says he doesn’t need to run away because he’s done nothing wrong,
but it still bothers him to have that stigma continually attached to his name.
In the fourth section he mentions
the man which I believe is another substitute for the society and media. This
section is interesting because he’s essentially complaining that other people
are writing his narrative without asking him first and disregard for the
consequences their narrative has to his career. He also writes, “Xscape, the pressures that I face from relationships
that’s gone away.” I have no idea what he’s referring to, but if anyone
knows please let me know.
He
talks about how he’s tried to let people in, but has been “burned” every time
he’s tried. I’m not sure when this song was written, but he’s harsh words for
whoever this person is. And it is interesting that he is doing the same thing to
the woman that he complains others have done to him. Because let’s face it didn’t
say a good thing about her. The ONLY reason I give him a pass is that he doesn’t
name her. Everyone that has badmothed MJ through the years has used his name
directly, but he has saved her from that embarrassment.
The next section he complains
that people are trying to dictate his life and have pried into his personal life
where they do not belong. He then tells the world that he is his own person and
will decide how to live by himself. Essentially, it’s a lyrical middle finger,
and I loved it.
The rest of the song he repeats
lines from previous parts of the song, but one line sticks out for me. “When I
go, this problem world won’t bother me no more.” That’s a borderline suicidal
comment. It gives us a hint about how aware MJ was of the negative media and how
much it weighed on his mind.
I’ve been critical of the sound
in some of the other songs, but I do not mind it in this case. This may seem
illogical because the content in this track is quite negative, but the beat is
up tempo. As I noted before, I originally thought the song was targeted as a “let
the fans go home happy” type song, so even when I discovered the lyrics, I had
already convinced myself of the songs harmless nature. Also, you could make the
argument that the beat is up tempo to serve as a symbol for a happier end.
Considering his continued defiance toward those that he believes have wronged
him, it is a valid point.
This song does a perfect job
merging content with sound and is a great closeout to the album. 5/5
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