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Rating: When I signed up on this site to write reviews, I had no idea what the first one would be—could it be a newly released album, a music classic, a greatest hits of some great or small artist, or just another album that enjoyed due or deserved success and now everyone has forgotten about it. Instead, for my first review, I chose a particular album, a particular project that, however, was released in 1997 and immediately fell into oblivion, becoming indeed the most unknown and underrated album of the artist. The album in question is "Blood On The Dance Floor" from 1997 by Michael Jackson, the undisputed "King of Pop." Starting with the production of this album, it should be said that it is not an album entirely desired by the artist. In fact, it was created and forced by the record company to accompany the second part of the "History World Tour" and is a remix album, or rather divided into two parts, namely the first 5 tracks are previously unreleased tracks by the artist that are mostly songs discarded from previous albums, like the title track that was originally supposed to appear in "Dangerous" of 1991, but was only later completed and rearranged to be included in this album, or "Is It Scary," a track better known for its long production rather than the song itself. In fact, it was supposed to be the soundtrack for "The Addams Family 2" movie, and indeed Jackson himself prepared a special video clip for the song with the two main actors of the movie making cameos in the video. Unfortunately, following the well-known 1993 allegations, the video remained unfinished, and the song ended up in the record company's archives until the production of this album. But why does the album, in my humble opinion, turn out to be an album simply released at the wrong time, with wrong production, but that can actually be truly considered not a masterpiece but at least on par with the previous one, namely "History"? Starting with the fact that the real downside of this album are the remixes, unfortunately, although they were made really well with great experts of the genre, the remixes appear weak due to the simple fact of having used songs that were not suitable for remixing, like "Earth Song" or "You Are Not Alone," which are tracks meant to be listened to, not danced to. Indeed, they are among the slowest tracks in Jackson's career, so converting them into a remix version can only harm both the track and the album itself. Other remixes are otherwise entirely lively and danceable, although they are just like every other Saturday night club song. This doesn't mean that it shouldn't have been the effect it was meant to provoke, but from a great artist like Michael Jackson, everyone always expects the best when he tries to experiment with new techniques or musical genres. Instead, in this case, the classic types of remixes that every artist made during that period are resorted to without novelty. If it were for the remixes, the album would be a failure, yet as I mentioned above, the previously unreleased tracks raise the album and make it a truly beautiful work worthy of Michael Jackson. Now let's talk about the previously unreleased tracks. Then the first song, which is also the first single, is also the title track. It's a really particular pop song in the artist's career. Indeed, it has a chorus that is hard to forget but also a much darker instrumental section compared to other tracks by the artist. In fact, even the really strange and entirely dark lyrics actually narrate the story of a murder in a club. All these qualities, along with a completely instrumental part (typical of Jackson's tracks) really well produced with synths and special effects, are cutting-edge at the time, making this track already an unusual masterpiece in the singer's discography. It continues with "Morphine," which is also a completely dark and black song about morphine (as the title suggests) and the inability to sleep. A song that spans pop but also rock with an entirely singular guitar riff in the singer's career, indeed a riff that seems very heavy metal. This song also uses (in a perfect and brilliant way) a sample from the "Elephant Man" movie, sampling exactly one phrase, yet the fact remains that even not being a single, the track is itself a half masterpiece, and you can feel all the rage of the singer, who was not having a good time during that period. Then it goes on with "Superfly Sister," which is perhaps the only song that vaguely recalls Michael Jackson's style, however, from the "Dangerous" period, thus a classic RnB only as Jackson knows how to do it. Then it reaches another single, namely "Ghosts," where in this case, the video clip of the song itself is more famous, a video presented even at the Cannes festival and written together with Stephen King. The idea was to redo or recreate the success of "Thriller" from the last decade with a song with dark horror tints but at the same time pop and danceable, with a video clip that seems like a film full of special effects. Unfortunately, despite all the premises, the video clip of "Ghosts" almost went unnoticed, and the single did not reach the top10, so the idea of a new "Thriller" was not entirely successful. However, it remains that "Ghosts" is a nice song, but it is not at all comparable to "Thriller"; it doesn't even seem like a single as it is a nice song to listen to, but it doesn't have a great chorus, it is not entirely danceable, and then the video clip is blatantly an attempt to recreate what had been done with "Thriller," but multiplied by ten; indeed, it is much longer, has many more special effects, many more sets, and even many more actors, but the fact remains that you don't need grandeur (like special effects or sets) to make a great video clip but a good song and, in this case, it was not entirely up to par. But as I mentioned, the track runs well. It may not be a masterpiece; it didn't deserve (in my opinion) to be a single, but it is not to be thrown away either. The section of the previously unreleased tracks concludes with the already mentioned "Is It Scary," which instead results in more or less the same formula as "Ghosts," namely a dark but at the same time pop song, much better and danceable than the latter. It has a really nice chorus worthy of being a single, and then special effects and a rhythm that faintly recalls gothic-rock. Unfortunately, however, this great track is a single only in some parts of the world, not internationally. This makes this track not remembered and mostly played at some concerts, but it remains another masterpiece of this album. At the end of this very long review, I wanted to say that despite being the most unknown album by the artist with not entirely famous tracks and a completely weak and in some cases indecent remix section, the album remains (in my opinion) a forgotten masterpiece, mostly in the unreleased section with entirely different tracks from the classics of the "King of Pop" both concerning the instrumental part concerning the genres but also concerning the lyrics. As already said, they address very hot topics such as murder or drugs, so it stands to reason that as an album, I cannot but recommend it regarding the unreleased tracks, and at least let's try to discover it more because today, it remains simply a remix album of Michael Jackson and nothing more. Thank you for reading.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Morphine (06:29)
He got flat baby
Kick in the back baby
A heart attack baby
I need your body
A hot kiss honey
He's just a bitch baby
You make me sick baby
So unrelying
I'm such a swine baby
All down the line daddy
I hate your kind baby
So unreliable
A hot buzz baby
He's one of us baby
Another drug baby
You so desire
Trust in me
Trust in me
Put all your trust in me
You're doin' morphine
Hoo!
They got place baby
Kicked in the face baby
You hate your race baby
You're just a liar
Your every lick baby
Your dog's a bitch baby
You make me sick baby
You soul survivor
She never cut from me
She never cut baby
I had to work baby
You just a rival
Always to please daddy
Right up and leave daddy
You're throwing shame daddy
So undesirable
Trust in me
Just in me
Put all your trust in me
You're doin' morphine
Go'on babe
Relax
This won't hurt you
Before I put it in
Close your eyes and count to ten
Don't cry
I won't convert you
There's no need to dismay
Close your eyes and drift away
Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he's taking Demerol
Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he's taking Demerol
He's tried
Hard to convince her
To be over what he had
Today he wants it twice as bad
Don't cry
I won't resent you
Yesterday you had his trust
Today he's taking twice as much
Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he's taking Demerol
Hee hee
Demerol
Demerol
Oh my, oh God it's Demerol
Hee
Oooh
Oh!
He got shit baby
Your dog's a bitch baby
You make me sick baby
You are a liar
Is truth a game daddy?
To win the fame baby?
It's all the same baby
You're so reliable
Trust in me
Trust in me
Put all your trust in me
She's doin' morphine
Hoo!
You just sit around just talkin' nothing
You're takin' morphine
Hoo!
Go'on baby
You just sit around just talking about it
You're takin' morphine
Hoo-hoo!
Just sit around just talking nothing about it
You're takin' morphine
You just sit around just talking about it
You're taking morphine
You just sit around just talkin' nothin'
And takin' morphine
Hoo-hoo
Something going down baby
You're takin' morphine
Go'on baby!
Hoo!
Hoo!
Morphine!
Do it!
Hoo!
He's takin' morphine
Morphine!
Morphine!
03 Superfly Sister (06:28)
Written by Michael Jackson
Composed by Michael Jackson and Bryan Loren
A shoo-heh
Oooh
Hee hee
A shoo
A shoo-heh
Woh
A shoo-heh
Woh
Hee
Love ain't what it used to be
That is what they're tellin' me
Push it in, stick it out
That ain't what it's all about
He wanna do somethin' freaky to you
He wanna wrap his arms all around you girl
He wanna shake it up, shake it down
Doin' it right
He wanna jump back, half flap, doin' it right
He wanna lay you down
Turn it up
Kickin' it loose
He wanna fly high, nigh high
Baby for you's
He wanna motormouth
Float around
Baby the back
He wanna shake it up, shake it down
Moving rou-ha-hound
Love ain't what it used to be (hee)
That is what they're tellin' me
Push it in, stick it out
That ain't what it's all about (woh)
Susie like to agitate
Get the boy and make him wait
Mother's preaching Abraham
Brothers they don't give a damn
He wanna do something freaky to you
He wanna wrap his arms all around you girl
He wanna do it up, make it hot
Deep in the night
He wanna eyeball
Get all
Playin' it right
He wanna turn the key
Work the sheets
Groove to the left
He wanna hot stuff
Hot love
Making it wet
He wanna give hot, jump shot
Groove to the left
He wanna time bump
Slam dunk, hump, hump, hump
Hoo
Hee (Keep it goin')
Party down
Hoo
Hoo
Love ain't what it used to be (hoo)
That is what they're tellin' me
Push it in, stick it out
That ain't what it's all about
Sister say she love him some
(She's doin' it, she's doin' it)
Got his jimmy on the run
(hoo hoo)
Mother's preaching Abraham
(hoo)
Brothers they don't give a damn
(oh)
(What) (ho)
Johnny's begging pretty please
Keep the brother on his knees (Keep the brother on his knees)
(hee hee)
Susie likes to agitate
(She's doin' it, she's doin' it)
Get the boy and make him wait
(uh)
Sister's married to her hood
Sayin' that she got it good
Holy Mary Mercy me
(hee)
Can't believe the things I see
Thinkin' that they got it great
(hoo)
They doin' what they used to hate
(uh)
Push it in, stick it out
(She doin' it)
(She doin' it)
That ain't what it's all about
That ain't what it's all about
Holy Mary Mercy me
(She's holy moly moly Mary)
Can't believe the things I see
(Little things I see)
(hee hee)
Mother's preaching Abraham
(She's preachin' Abraham now)
Brothers they don't give a damn (hoo)
(hoo hoo) (Holy Mary moly Mary)
Sister say she loves him some
(She love him some)
(hee)
Got his jimmy on the run
(His jimmy)
(hee hee)
Holy Mary Mercy me
(She's holy, she's moly) (Holy Mary, moly Mary)
Can't believe the things I see
(Keep on goin')
(hee)
(hee)
She's doin' it
You're dirty
She's doin' it
You're dirty
She's nasty
You're nasty
You're doin' it
You're dirty
You're dirty
You're doin' it
You're nasty
You're doin' it
She's dirty
She's dirty
You really don't want it
Oooh
Hoo
Hoo
(Go'on now)
Hoo
Hoo
(Doh)
Talk a little something, then close your eyes
I gotta make her, close the door
(She's doin' it)
(She's doin' it)
(She's oh)
(She's)
(hoo)
(Keep on goin')
(Party down)
Holy Mary mercy me
(hoo)
Can't believe the things I see
Push it in, stick it out
That ain't what it's all about
04 Ghosts (05:09)
There's a ghost out in the hall
There's a ghoul up under the bed
There's something in the walls
There's blood up on the stairs
And it's floating through the room
And there's nothing I can see
And I know that that's the truth
Because now it's on me
I don't understand it
Hey
I don't understand it!
Aaow!
There's a thumpin' in the floor
There's a creak behind the door
There's a rocking in the chair
But there's no-one sitting there
There's a ghostly smell around
But nobody to be found
And a coffin inlay open
Where a restless soul is pokin'
Don't understand it!
Hey
Don't understand it!
...Ha-hey!
And who gave you the right to shake my family?
And who gave you the right to shake my baby, she needs me
And who gave you the right to shake my family tree?
You put a knife in my back
Shot an arrow in me!
Tell me are you the ghost of jealousy?
The ghost of jealousy
There's a thumpin' in the floor
There's a creak behind the door
There's a rocking in the chair
But nobody's sitting there
There's a ghostly smell around
But nobody to be found
And a coffin inlay open
Where a restless soul is pokin'
Don't understand it!
Yeah yeah!
Don't understand it!
You're just a dog gone!
Aaow!
And who gave you the right to scare my family?
And who gave you the right to scare my baby, she needs me
And who gave you the right to shake my family tree?
And who gave you the right to take intrusion, to see me?
And who gave you the right to shake my family?
And who gave you the right to hurt my baby, she needs me
And who gave you the right to shake my family tree?
You put a knife in my back,
Shot an arrow in me!
Tell me are you the ghost of jealousy
A suckin' ghost of jealousy
...Aaow!
And who gave you the right to shake my family?
And who gave you the right to shake my baby, she needs me
And who gave you the right to shake my family tree?
And who gave you the right to take, intrusion to see me?
And who gave you the right to hurt my family?
And who gave you the right hurt my baby, she needs me
And who gave you the right to shake my family tree?
You put a knife in my back
Shot an arrow in me!
Tell me are you the ghost of jealousy
The ghost of jealousy,
Aaow!
Aaow
Dog gone
But there's no doubt about it, piece of mind
Tell me are you the ghost of jealousy
05 Is It Scary (05:39)
There's a ghost out in the hall
There's a ghoul beneath the bed
Now it's coming through the walls
Now it's coming up the stairs
There's a spirit in the dark
Hear the beating of his heart
Can you feel it in the air
Ghosts be hiding everywhere
I'm gonna be
Exactly what you wanna see
It's you who's haunting me
Because you're wanting me
To be the stranger
In the night
Am I amusing you
But just confusing me?
Am I the beast
You visualized?
And if you wanna see
Eccentric oddities
I'll be grotesque
Before your eye
Let them all materialize
Is that scary for you baby
Am I scary for you oh boy
Is it scary for you big baby
Is it scary for you
You know the stranger is you
Is it scary for you big baby
There's a creaking in the floor
There's a creak behind the door
There's a rocking in the chair
But nobody's sitting there
There's a ghastly smell around
But nobody to be found
And a coffin inlay open
Where a restless soul is pokin'
I'm gonna be
Exactly what you gonna see
So did you come to me
To see your fantasies
Performed before
Your very eyes
A haunting ghostly treat
The ghoulish trickery
And spirits dancing
In the night
But if you came to see
The truth, the purity
It's here inside
A lonely heart
So let the performance start
Is that scary for you baby
Am I scary for you oh boy
Am I scary for you big baby
Am I scary for you oh boy
So tell me
Is it scary for you baby
Tell me
So tell me
Is that realism for you big baby
Am I scary for you
You know the stranger is you
Am I scary for ya
Masquerade the heart
Is the height of hurting souls
Just not what you see of me
Can hardly reveal the proof
Like a mirror reveals the truth
See the evil one is you
Is that scary for you big baby
Am I scary for you oh boy
Am I scary for you baby
Am I scary for you oh boy
So tell me
Am I scary for you baby
Am I scary for you baby
Is it scary for you baby
Am I scary for you oh boy
Wanna talk about
I wanna talk about
I don't wanna talk about
Wanna talk about
Am I scary for you baby
Is that scary for you
I'm tired of being abused
You know you're scaring me too
I see the evil is you
Is it scary for you baby, oh
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Other reviews
By Ilpazzo
Michael Jackson is the only artist in the world who manages to succeed... even when he FLOPS!!!
"Ghosts" is perhaps one of Michael Jackson’s most beautiful songs, a refined and clever new 'Thriller'.
By ronnie92
The album starts wonderfully with the title-track, which is very danceable, with an excellent rhythm and listenable to anyone.
So to sum it up, I’d give a nice 2 to the damn remixes and a 4 to the five new tracks, and if I’m not mistaken, that averages to 3.
