Tracks which define "Dangerous"

[MAQ]

I've always considered the tracks to be so varied and yet so coherent in Dangerous. However, to me Dangerous paints a theatre/circus like image with Michael seeming like a very aggressive and impulsive and emotional ringleader surrounded by circus animals (the media/his critics).

Moreover, it's the first album of his which radiates "danger". It's like a trip into the dark side of MJ. Whereas in Bad, Michael appeared playfully "bad" and in HIStory he basically just defended himself, in Dangerous there were no excuses, no justifications, no reasons, no apologies - just carnal emotion and desire and sensuality and a realistic outlook on things. Instead of justifying himself or clearing out things, he points out problems that are bigger than him. Instead of saying that they could save the world, he's saying that it might just be too late and the only way you could live is to live every moment like it's the last. Instead of craving for a sweeter relationship, he expresses his desires openly about a secret, sexual affair. Instead of being playful, he flirts and expresses his lust. He wallows in self hatred and pain and his loneliness. Instead of rejecting his demons, he fully embraces them and accepts that they're there to stay. Could anyone expect the MJ of the 80's and 70's, a sweet kid, a manchild to say such stuff?

That's the - I think - brilliance of Dangerous, how it was a transitional point in his life. Most stars when they come of age like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, they just get more hypersexualized. Their views don't mature rather their desire to have sex gets even more out of hand. But Michael transitioned in such a way! I mean, Jam, Why You Wanna Trip On Me, In the Closet, Will You Be There, Dangerous, She Drives Me Wild, Give Into Me, Who Is It, Can't Let Her Get Away. This is probably one of the maturest albums I've ever heard. He doesn't curse once, neither does he mention drugs or sex, yet he conveys so much development in his character it blows me away.

Moreover, on such an album, I think songs like Black or White and Heal the World (while I love them both dearly) don't really have any place. However, they're there to probably lighten up the thick mist of realism and pain and carnal emotions. And they do that job perfectly.

So I've listed the tracks which I think define Dangerous. What do you guys say?

 

[MJInTheMirror]

I think that all of the songs deserve to be on the album and they are all great, but the ones that define the darkness of the album are probably Jam, WYWTOM, In The Closet, Who Is It, Give In To Me, Will You Be There and Dangerous

 

[SmoothCriminal1995]

Great thread totally. I love the Dangerous album. Masterpiece doesn't do it enough justice!!!

 

[barbee0715]

I'm not a fan of "Dangerous" although I absolutely adore the album cover and really think it's his very best.

I'm crazy about "Black or White" and listen to it a lot. I love "Heal the World", "Will you be There" and "Gone Too Soon" although I don't play them much. I watch the videos more than play the songs.
"Remember the Time" and "Who is It" FINALLY grew on me after listening to them for years.

But I think all the other songs are the songs that actually define "Dangerous" and those songs are the reasons I don't care for it. It's absolutely not the subject matter-it's the music. And again, music is totally subjective.

 

[mjprince1976]

MAQ: Great Thread and great questions, I too see the darker and more brooding side to his brilliance here. I think overall he sounds REALLY grown up here like an elder in music rather than just an adult star. I agree that songs like Dangerous, Who Is it, In the closet, Can't let her get away, Why you wanna trip on me, Give into me, Can't let her get away and even Black and White to some degree hint at a deeper, but also darker and more brooding Michael Jackson, and yet like you say he does not have to swear or resort to graphic lyrics to put the point across. Its Michael being dark, but still being the gentleman.

I think too, like you said OTW, Thriller and Bad, hinted at these, but the music was cuter and more professional (Jams on Bad like Smooth Criminal, Leave me alone, Dirty Diana, Speed Demon and Another Part of me) and accessible to everyone, whereas with Dangerous you could listen to it, but it felt like the songs had a deeper meaning like Michael was letting you inside his soul. I feel the songs I named off Bad are heading in that direction, particularly Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal, but do not get there like the songs on Dangerous. I want to add though, that I feel The Price of Fame does, the fact the song is so brooding is probably why it was left off Bad along with Abortion Papers and the lyrics to Al Capone were made less confrontational. Yet as much as MJ sang of these themes, by this time he was actively staying away from them, with Neverland and all these children, trying to have this prolonged childhood rather than be a bard for our times.

There is ajumbo step in maturity and darkness themes between Bad and Dangerous, and it coincided with my life. Up to Bad the sweetness and cuteness of a lot of the music resonated with me, but by the time Dangerous came out I was 15 and was thinking MJ might be too childish for me, as I was into Gangsta Rap and Prince by that stage. But listening to the album, I felt MJ had got me and was looking for more teen and adult listeners to. The insertion of lyrics like "We got more problems than we ever need, we got gang violence" etc in Why you wanna trip on me is a clear sign MJ was also thinking outside the limited circle of pop lyrics and its this deep thinking that makes the album not just a great sounding one, but a well thought out one too.

Teddy Riley's production also gives the album a very modern (early 90s) sound, its like the drum machines are faster and funkier and MJ's voice has more depth and gravitas on it. Yet he does leave some of the cuter and more innocent songs (Gone too soon, about a sick child passing on) Remember the Time and songs like Keep the Faith and Will You be there have the lighter side of Dangerous. To me Bad and Thriller are the big hits and crowd pleasers, but Dnagerous is the album that was his critical and artistic peak.

In a way it is like Thriller is MJ's 1999, Bad is his Purple Rain and Dangerous is Michael's version of Sign o the Times!

Most defining songs in NO order.

1. Why you wanna trip on me
2. Heal the world (The sound is light with the kiddie choir, but the message is thought provoking)
3. Jam
4. Who is it
5. She Drives Me wild
6. Dangerous
7. Can't let her get away
8. Will u be there (The gothic choir and the theme, will you be there for me or if the world implodes?)

 

[Smooth72]

His best album in my opinion. Finally out on his own and expressing how he feels. Quincy held that back I think tried to control too much. A lot of opinions here some I follow others not so much. Mjs version of Sign O the times? Lol. I think I follow your meaning on that, just wish it was a more valid point and not a garbage album. I guess I don't like Prince comparisons manly because Prince thought of Mj as his rival but man that shit was never even close.

 

[TheManinTheMirror]

This album is his Musical Puberty if you will. It's him growing up and recognizing that times are changing, and he must transform with them. The album is dark, provocative, especially for Michael. This album really expresses his disinterest in being under his father's thumb. If you look closely, and listen, each album after Off the Wall is him escaping the grasp his father had on him. By Bad there was almost no proof of his Father influencing his music. By the album Dangerous he really flaunted his personal self. The tracks that define this album are - In The Closet, Remember The Time, Who Is It, Dangerous & Give In to Me.

 

[MJsBollywoodGirl7]

I had always L.O.V.E. the Dangerous album. It has always remained my number 1 favorite MJ album. Ever since the Dangerous Era had started. Back when I was 11 years old. Even though I didn't actually get the album. Until late August of 1993. But I have seen all the videos except for Black Or White. For some reason I had miss the premiere of it. Who Is It is the only MJ song. I had an obsession with since first hearing the song on the Oprah Interview in 93. So I totally agree with what the others had said of the songs that define the album. Most especially Who Is It, In The Closet, Remember The Time, and Give In To Me.

 

[MAQ]

MAQ: Great Thread and great questions, I too see the darker and more brooding side to his brilliance here. I think overall he sounds REALLY grown up here like an elder in music rather than just an adult star. I agree that songs like Dangerous, Who Is it, In the closet, Can't let her get away, Why you wanna trip on me, Give into me, Can't let her get away and even Black and White to some degree hint at a deeper, but also darker and more brooding Michael Jackson, and yet like you say he does not have to swear or resort to graphic lyrics to put the point across. Its Michael being dark, but still being the gentleman.

I think too, like you said OTW, Thriller and Bad, hinted at these, but the music was cuter and more professional (Jams on Bad like Smooth Criminal, Leave me alone, Dirty Diana, Speed Demon and Another Part of me) and accessible to everyone, whereas with Dangerous you could listen to it, but it felt like the songs had a deeper meaning like Michael was letting you inside his soul. I feel the songs I named off Bad are heading in that direction, particularly Dirty Diana and Smooth Criminal, but do not get there like the songs on Dangerous. I want to add though, that I feel The Price of Fame does, the fact the song is so brooding is probably why it was left off Bad along with Abortion Papers and the lyrics to Al Capone were made less confrontational. Yet as much as MJ sang of these themes, by this time he was actively staying away from them, with Neverland and all these children, trying to have this prolonged childhood rather than be a bard for our times.

There is ajumbo step in maturity and darkness themes between Bad and Dangerous, and it coincided with my life. Up to Bad the sweetness and cuteness of a lot of the music resonated with me, but by the time Dangerous came out I was 15 and was thinking MJ might be too childish for me, as I was into Gangsta Rap and Prince by that stage. But listening to the album, I felt MJ had got me and was looking for more teen and adult listeners to. The insertion of lyrics like "We got more problems than we ever need, we got gang violence" etc in Why you wanna trip on me is a clear sign MJ was also thinking outside the limited circle of pop lyrics and its this deep thinking that makes the album not just a great sounding one, but a well thought out one too.

Teddy Riley's production also gives the album a very modern (early 90s) sound, its like the drum machines are faster and funkier and MJ's voice has more depth and gravitas on it. Yet he does leave some of the cuter and more innocent songs (Gone too soon, about a sick child passing on) Remember the Time and songs like Keep the Faith and Will You be there have the lighter side of Dangerous. To me Bad and Thriller are the big hits and crowd pleasers, but Dnagerous is the album that was his critical and artistic peak.

In a way it is like Thriller is MJ's 1999, Bad is his Purple Rain and Dangerous is Michael's version of Sign o the Times!

Most defining songs in NO order.

1. Why you wanna trip on me
2. Heal the world (The sound is light with the kiddie choir, but the message is thought provoking)
3. Jam
4. Who is it
5. She Drives Me wild
6. Dangerous
7. Can't let her get away
8. Will u be there (The gothic choir and the theme, will you be there for me or if the world implodes?)

Great post and yes I think it was Michael stepping away from the mainstream purposefully. But it still ended up selling about as much as Bad.

The production I think matches today's standards. I mean, when I first listened to "Circus" and "She Wolf" by Britney and Shakira I immediately thought about some of the tracks on Dangerous. Why You Wanna Trip On Me and In the Closet particularly sound more MJ influenced than NJS. There were a lot of NJS albums around in the late 80's to mid to late 90's, like Rhythm Nation, and none of them sound as fresh as Dangerous. It has that "MJ flavor" to it.

 

[MAQ]

This album is his Musical Puberty if you will. It's him growing up and recognizing that times are changing, and he must transform with them. The album is dark, provocative, especially for Michael. This album really expresses his disinterest in being under his father's thumb. If you look closely, and listen, each album after Off the Wall is him escaping the grasp his father had on him. By Bad there was almost no proof of his Father influencing his music. By the album Dangerous he really flaunted his personal self. The tracks that define this album are - In The Closet, Remember The Time, Who Is It, Dangerous & Give In to Me.

I think his puberty album was Off the Wall tbh. But he slowly developed himself into a fully grown adult with the following albums. And in Dangerous, his music truly came of age - the way a kid finally turns into an adult during the late teens. That's why I think Dangerous is more like his transition into being a fully grown adult.

And I'm surprised you didn't add WYWTOM!

 

[TheManinTheMirror]

I think his puberty album was Off the Wall tbh. But he slowly developed himself into a fully grown adult with the following albums. And in Dangerous, his music truly came of age - the way a kid finally turns into an adult during the late teens. That's why I think Dangerous is more like his transition into being a fully grown adult.

And I'm surprised you didn't add WYWTOM!

Well yes and no to your comment about Off the Wall. Yes it was his puberty, but MUSICALLY speaking in the sense of tones. This album wasn't as "Pop" oriented as it was Hip Hop I guess. Off the Wall was Disco and Pop bliss! But Dangerous was New Jack Swing glory, it showed that as the times changed so did he. He definitely matured and realized what the latest thing on the market was in the sense of music.

 

[HIStory]

Great post and yes I think it was Michael stepping away from the mainstream purposefully. But it still ended up selling about as much as Bad.

The production I think matches today's standards. I mean, when I first listened to "Circus" and "She Wolf" by Britney and Shakira I immediately thought about some of the tracks on Dangerous. Why You Wanna Trip On Me and In the Closet particularly sound more MJ influenced than NJS. There were a lot of NJS albums around in the late 80's to mid to late 90's, like Rhythm Nation, and none of them sound as fresh as Dangerous. It has that "MJ flavor" to it.

Agree.

Dangerous is often called a NJS album and while it is of course strongly influenced by NJS through Teddy's presence but it does not really sound like the typical NJS album of the time. It's a bit like with OTW and disco. The same way OTW took disco to another level and became a lot more than just another typical disco album, Dangerous did the same to NJS IMO. I am biased of course, but Dangerous is the peak of NJS in my opinion (well, the NJS songs on it, anyway - because half of it isn't NJS).

Will You be there have the lighter side of Dangerous

I don't think WYBT is a light song.

 

[Psychoniff]

Great post and yes I think it was Michael stepping away from the mainstream purposefully. But it still ended up selling about as much as Bad.

The production I think matches today's standards. I mean, when I first listened to "Circus" and "She Wolf" by Britney and Shakira I immediately thought about some of the tracks on Dangerous. Why You Wanna Trip On Me and In the Closet particularly sound more MJ influenced than NJS. There were a lot of NJS albums around in the late 80's to mid to late 90's, like Rhythm Nation, and none of them sound as fresh as Dangerous. It has that "MJ flavor" to it.

It didn't sell as much as BAD, where did you hear that?

 

[MAQ]

It didn't sell as much as BAD, where did you hear that?

God we've been through this before I think. Dangerous outsold Bad in 2 continents. Bad outsold Dangerous in 2 continents as well. The total difference between the "certified" sold copies of the two albums is of 3 or 3.5 million records - with Bad taking the lead. However in Asia, where Dangerous outsold Bad by more than a million records, the estimated records sold are much higher, since there are very few countries which offer certifications - so there is a wide margin in the estimations as well, meaning that Dangerous could've outsold Bad by more than 2 million records in the region.

So, it sold around the 30 million figure, same as Bad - with the latter taking the lead by a relatively very small margin.

However, this was not my point ( i.e belittling Bad).

 

[mjprince1976]

God we've been through this before I think. Dangerous outsold Bad in 2 continents. Bad outsold Dangerous in 2 continents as well. The total difference between the "certified" sold copies of the two albums is of 3 or 3.5 million records - with Bad taking the lead. However in Asia, where Dangerous outsold Bad by more than a million records, the estimated records sold are much higher, since there are very few countries which offer certifications - so there is a wide margin in the estimations as well, meaning that Dangerous could've outsold Bad by more than 2 million records in the region.

So, it sold around the 30 million figure, same as Bad - with the latter taking the lead by a relatively very small margin.

However, this was not my point ( i.e belittling Bad).

Thats what I though too, there's very little in it between both albums, pretty much 25 of the 30 million who bought Bad, also bought Dangerous too, but there may have been some overlap of say 5 million fans who either left after Bad, or became MJ fans with Dangerous.

Does Asia also include Australia/New Zealand or just really Japan/Taiwan and South Korea (China hardly figured until the 2000s, when Western music became much more buyable) as well. If it does then the figures would definitely be higher, as Dangerous had many hits here and was in the Top 10 for ages, same in Australia, where they have always loved MJ. Also here in NZ Thriller and Bad were not as successful as other countries (Were successful yes, but only 1 song from Bad hit #1 and that was Bad) whereas Dangerous had 5 Top 10 hits here and HIstory was also very successful.

Guys, I meant WYBT as a lighter song, as the gothic choir and the passioned vocals at the end are more gravitas, but he is singing about love and acceptance and that really counts as the more gentle and sweet Michael Jackson sound. Either way whether the songs on the album are darker and more brooding ones, or light pop infused frothy fluffy love lyrics, they are all still brilliant. It's all about how you want your Michael Jackson music served and this album has something to please everyone!

 

[Prince Of Pop]

Dangerous was and still is Michael's greatest album ever. From track 1 to track 14, it is the perfect album. IMO it's like a storybook. Each song is it's own chapter of the story. MJ was all about making history, and I honestly think he could have pulled off making a short film for every track on the album, and have them hook up together 1 way or the other.

The out takes were pretty good too (with the exception of If You Don't Love Me....to me that song is nails on a chalk board).

Hopefully if there's a D25, they do it justice by releasing it the correct way with unreleased tracks & demos. Do not...I repeat DO NOT remix any of those songs!

 

[MAQ]

Thats what I though too, there's very little in it between both albums, pretty much 25 of the 30 million who bought Bad, also bought Dangerous too, but there may have been some overlap of say 5 million fans who either left after Bad, or became MJ fans with Dangerous.

Does Asia also include Australia/New Zealand or just really Japan/Taiwan and South Korea (China hardly figured until the 2000s, when Western music became much more buyable) as well. If it does then the figures would definitely be higher, as Dangerous had many hits here and was in the Top 10 for ages, same in Australia, where they have always loved MJ. Also here in NZ Thriller and Bad were not as successful as other countries (Were successful yes, but only 1 song from Bad hit #1 and that was Bad) whereas Dangerous had 5 Top 10 hits here and HIstory was also very successful.

This is probably off topic but it's even more interesting when you consider that not only Dangerous, but HIStory too outsold Bad in Asia and Oceana and had as much UK top 10s as Bad did until 2009. Even in the American continents, the main difference comes from the sales in the US. If you take US out of the equation, his hits have been much more consistent than what's reported in the media.