As far as his solo (post-79) career goes, I'd say that I truly love a few songs many seem to downplay. Among fans I've often seen criticism or benign neglect of
We are here to change the world - mostly overlooked and probably considered sonically dated
Just good friends - dismissed due to greater expections placed on duets with Stevie
She drives me wild
Can't let her get away - these two often being called the weakest songs on Dangerous
This is it - which, in fairness, may be too painful for many considering it was the first song released after June 25th
The general public is sadly unaware of quite a few other masterpieces. The lack of exposure as singles goes a long way in explaining that though
Why you wanna trip on me?
Tabloid junkie
Childhood
Stranger in Moscow (especially in the U.S.)
Little Susie
Is it scary?
You are my life
Break of dawn
Speechless
We've had enough
These are all songs I wish the world had gotten wind of because I believe they are most important. They all capture Michael's life and spirit superbly.
With the risk of upsetting the Michael-album-puritans, I'd go as far as saying that even the highly controversial Breaking News manages to do that to a certain degree, in spite of Michael's "minimal" vocal input, let us call it :lol: In spite of the mixed vocal delivery, the lyrical content of the song remains faithful to Michael's vision and attitude and to me that is what matters most; I've always believed the message to be much more important than the messenger. And that particular song, irrespective of how many people featured on it, does send a rather powerful message, Michael's message.
And I always felt that the performance of History on the HIStory tour was one of the best songs performed on those shows. The staging, the intro music and the overall atmosphere... I remember being there at Wembley Stadium and it was just electric. Probably the best atmosphere I've ever experienced in person at a live show.
And when you think about it, it's such an unconventional, disjointed song, and yet Kenny and MJ made it translate to the stage so well. It's one of the few songs from the HIStory tour where the lip-synching doesn't bother me, because the theatrics are so stunning. Plus, MJ always looks so happy performing that song. Whenever I picture it in my mind, I just see his massive, broad smile in my head.
You couldn't be more right. The performance of the song on the tour truly is epic and momentous. I've always loved it. Being there in person to witness it was even better. I just tend to get a bit sad when thinking about it - when he spoofed away beneath that stage twenty years ago it was the last time I got to see him. Irrespective of that, it remains a wonderful song with an incredible message and a masterful visual setup. Michael and Kenny really outdid themselves with that concert ending. Cultural diplomacy at its very best with all the flags, the flames, the band, his white jacket
Highly inspirational and uplifting, both on an individual and collective level.
Not sure if the song is truly overlooked, not on this message board anyhow. I've seen two threads dedicated to it within the last year or so (
here and
here). But overall yes, I agree, there are many (both within the fan community and outside) who fail to see its greatness.
As far as his early career is concerned, I'd say most of those songs are unfairly treated and underrated. I'll have to come back later on with a list of my many favorites from those days.