"Do we give a damn?"WHAT ABOUT ABRAHAM?
"Do we give a damn?"
Michael asked the questions, people are *still* not listening.
Darling, Michael, you were a visionary. The world couldn't cope with one as beautiful as you (inspiration from Don MacLean).
Sorry! I keep derailing your thread.btw i am still listening to HIStory!!! i didn't forget what this thread was about LOL.
Don't have time to watch the whole thing just now but have watched the first 10 minutes. It's fabulous. I just loved it.i am a huge fan of hector barjot on youtube and he is a major Michael jackson collector. like his whole basement is wall to wall mj merchandise. like a museum. TJ actually visted his collection a few weeks ago with his wife and children. The video was heartwarming.
YANA video is just, eww!(except Childhood and You Are Not Alone, neither of which I"m super crazy about).
Good point. 2Bad / Ghosts would be my 2nd, pushing TDCAU Brazil into 3rd place.Does Ghost count since 2Bad is in it?? Because if it does my answer might be quite different
It's beyond genius. We don't have the language for it. We can't get near it. Well, I can't get near it. I sometimes try but it's hopeless. I don't have the brain power.@zinniabooklover I don't remember where you said it, but I think Little Susie is beyond brilliant. I think it is GENIUS.
The classical intros for WYBT and Little Susie are totally underrated, imo. The transitions are freakin' ... well, you know what I'm gonna say? Freakin' awesome! I don't have the language, to my shame and endless sorrow. I cannot do justice to Michael's genius. I do think the intro for Little Susie is even more brilliant than WYBT. But I can't explain why. I'm only human! With a rubbish vocab that cannot capture what Michael was doing.And I'm obsessed with the classical intro. I think this is a highlight moment for me of the album, even if I don't listen to the song itself that often.
With Michael's music, amongst other things we are hearing about the cruelties, the loneliness and the great struggles that he fought against. But it all comes to an almost operatic crescendo on HIStory. Hopefully I don't sound TOO pretentious here but that is my feeble attempt to describe part of what I think I experience when I listen to these songs. Only part, of course. But that operatic, melodramatic sweep of emotions on this album in particular, omg, it just floors me. It's the whole journey - awful word, sorry, don't know what else to use there -I think HIStory is an interesting album because it is a mix of commercial and high art, in my opinion. It has a darkness to it, of course, but there is brilliance in that.
Exactly. It probably will never be on heavy rotation for me. Well, SIM, TDCAU and Scream would be. I mean, they already are. But most of the rest I have to take at a steady pace. Little Susie I only listen to once every few months. The power and pain in that song, I have to be very, very sparing with it.Some of the best films I've ever seen in my life I can't watch more than once, or too often at all, because they are too much for me. Sometimes HIStory is like that. I wouldn't mind if people said that was the reason they don't listen to it as much.
I find it quite painful. Maybe I'm wrong about this but it does seem to me as if the album is underrated. That's just weird.But I hate that it's just not given the credit it deserves because I think the entire album is genius and I will die on that (and every other) hill LOL.
LOL yeah, it's not for me. But good for Michael for trying something different. For what it's worth, I don't really love the song itself. I mean there are no MJ songs I dislike and I can say that quite honestly. But it's not one on heavy rotation for me.YANA video is just, eww!
Totally agree!It's beyond genius. We don't have the language for it. We can't get near it. Well, I can't get near it. I sometimes try but it's hopeless. I don't have the brain power.
I'm not sure which one I find more brilliant, but they both wreck me. I'm sorry, but it is just a totally different experience to listen to the FULL version of each song without skipping past the classical intro. It is breathtaking. it is like an entire upheaval. It's like being elevated to another level for a little while. I cannot get enough of it.The classical intros for WYBT and Little Susie are totally underrated, imo. The transitions are freakin' ... well, you know what I'm gonna say? Freakin' awesome! I don't have the language, to my shame and endless sorrow. I cannot do justice to Michael's genius. I do think the intro for Little Susie is even more brilliant than WYBT.
I love listening to album's straight through and I have managed to do so with HIStory several times. It somehow has not eviscerated me to do this, though I did work up to it. But I think this is where some of the brilliance of the album is. It is not one gutting song after another. Each song contributes something unique and approaches pain, injustice, legacy, humanity, etc. in uniquely nuanced ways. It builds energy and then collapses it, with both the journey to the peak and fall downward equally visceral experiences. I think the entire album manages an incredible balance, while constantly pushing us to the brink. Ending on Smile is such utter genius to me, I can't even describe it. It's almost like a bookend to everything Michael tried to convey to the world. It's gorgeous.With Michael's music, amongst other things we are hearing about the cruelties, the loneliness and the great struggles that he fought against. But it all comes to an almost operatic crescendo on HIStory. Hopefully I don't sound TOO pretentious here but that is my feeble attempt to describe part of what I think I experience when I listen to these songs. Only part, of course. But that operatic, melodramatic sweep of emotions on this album in particular, omg, it just floors me. It's the whole journey - awful word, sorry, don't know what else to use there -
... the journey of emotions I go through if I even just listen to one song off the album. In fact, I should point out, I never listen to it (or any album) straight through. With HIStory I especially couldn't do that. It would pulverise me.
Very true. BOTDF is it's own animal to me, though. And I'm obsessed with those 5 tracks. I really am. If we want to talk about musical genius, I could talk Is It Scary and Morphine for days.All of this said, I think the 'journey' continues with BOTDF. Is It Scary in particular is like an addendum to HIStory.
For me it is still in pretty heavy rotation, but I go through phases with it. I'm in actual love with almost every song on the album, with a few exceptions of songs I just sort of like lol.Exactly. It probably will never be on heavy rotation for me. Well, SIM, TDCAU and Scream would be. I mean, they already are. But most of the rest I have to take at a steady pace. Little Susie I only listen to once every few months. The power and pain in that song, I have to be very, very sparing with it.
The album is egregiously and offensively underrated. Considering it's his most personal album and came from a place of significant pain, it hurts my soul for fans to not give it the recognition I think it deserves. I also think it's short-sighted. Though, of course, people are allowed to like what they like. I just don't like the assertion so many fans seem to have that it was a "weaker" album or era, or something.I find it quite painful. Maybe I'm wrong about this but it does seem to me as if the album is underrated. That's just weird.
Hang on, I'm confused. Are you saying that you sometimes listen to the songs *without* the intro? Or that other people skip over those intros? Do people really do that? Seriously? Help me out here. Maybe I misunderstood what you wrote.I'm not sure which one I find more brilliant, but they both wreck me. I'm sorry, but it is just a totally different experience to listen to the FULL version of each song without skipping past the classical intro.
Just to clarify. I listen to an album straight through when I'm new to it and I need to get the gist of what it all sounds like. But I probably only listen to it all the way through maybe 2 / 3 times. After that I always cherry pick. I've always done that, even in the days of vinyl. I just don't do a whole album in one sitting.I love listening to album's straight through and I have managed to do so with HIStory several times.
Absolutely. But I do this on a micro level with maybe 3 or 4 songs rather than the whole thing.It somehow has not eviscerated me to do this, though I did work up to it. But I think this is where some of the brilliance of the album is. It is not one gutting song after another. Each song contributes something unique and approaches pain, injustice, legacy, humanity, etc. in uniquely nuanced ways. It builds energy and then collapses it, with both the journey to the peak and fall downward equally visceral experiences.
I can't remember how long I'd had the album before I finally twigged - that whole 'start with a Scream, end with a Smile' thing. I was like, 'duh!'I think the entire album manages an incredible balance, while constantly pushing us to the brink. Ending on Smile is such utter genius to me, I can't even describe it. It's almost like a bookend to everything Michael tried to convey to the world. It's gorgeous.
Oh sure. I'm not downgrading it at all. I get frustrated when it gets dismissed. It gets a rougher ride than HIStory, imo.Very true. BOTDF is it's own animal to me, though.
I don't have a fave Michael track - except for Whatever Happens - but I often think if I was really forced to pick just one I could probably survive with just Is It Scary. There is so much there. It's so complete. It's like an entire album all by itself.And I'm obsessed with those 5 tracks. I really am. If we want to talk about musical genius, I could talk Is It Scary and Morphine for days.
Come Together jars just a little bit. That doesn't really fit in. Other than that I'm fine with all of them. I can't think of any I only 'sort of like'. I've got that with the Quincy albums and with Dangerous. Not with HIStory.For me it is still in pretty heavy rotation, but I go through phases with it. I'm in actual love with almost every song on the album, with a few exceptions of songs I just sort of like lol.
oh my goodness! I hadn't picked up on that. How weird. That's just ... what? Weaker? Wow. Each to their own, obvs, but that is a bit of a stretch.The album is egregiously and offensively underrated. Considering it's his most personal album and came from a place of significant pain, it hurts my soul for fans to not give it the recognition I think it deserves. I also think it's short-sighted. Though, of course, people are allowed to like what they like. I just don't like the assertion so many fans seem to have that it was a "weaker" album or era, or something.
It could very well be yesWould money be considered Michael rapping?
I say yes! Rap doesn't have to be 60 miles an hour delivery. Rap isn't my jam so maybe a purist would say no to 'Money' but, yeah, I think those sections count as rap.Would money be considered Michael rapping?
I totally agree with this too! I've literally been playing that track so much, I love the flow and harmonies in it, this just hits.I say yes! Rap doesn't have to be 60 miles an hour delivery. Rap isn't my jam so maybe a purist would say no to 'Money' but, yeah, I think those sections count as rap.
god, I love this song. It's one of those songs that, when I'm not playing it, I forget how much I love it. And then, when I get back into it, the impact just hits me all over again.
Yes! This. 1000x this!I totally agree with this too! I've literally been playing that track so much, I love the flow and harmonies in it, this just hits.
Further thoughts - yes, of course it's rap.Would money be considered Michael rapping?
BTW as of right now at midnight of the 29th HIStory has
hopefully in the next 24hours we will get to +1k streams. but i am happy if even 5 more people stream with us lol
I am so about this idea!! There is the monthly prayer thread... maybe there should be a monthly streaming party thread? That would be so coolUp!...we should have a streaming party every week or month? Especially for the 40th anniversary of Thriller hehe