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Rating: Honestly, after the commotion I caused with the review of History, I wanted to review an album by another artist, but after reading Totisque's review on the album "Blood on the Dance Floor," I couldn't just sit idly by. I immensely respect other people's tastes, but I think it's a bit too bold to call Michael Jackson's music "a mix of horrendous techno-pop-dance"! So I will also dedicate my review to this album... sure, I'm not here to give a high score to the work, as I already mentioned in the 'History' comments, I'm not someone who tears their hair out for Jackson, defending him in any situation, but I love music and art, and in this case, even if to a lesser extent than in the past, we are still talking about art.
In 1997, Michael Jackson released this remix album to support and promote his highly successful "History World Tour" around the world, where Jackson collected a series of enviable records, even surpassing his previous tours, which showed that the "MJ" brand, despite the naysayers, was still the top representative of global pop. The album in question was therefore a pretext to facilitate the enormous marketing maneuver surrounding his live appearances; nevertheless, the quality of the album should certainly not be underestimated, and of course, the impression one gets from listening to the entire CD is that of "cunning" on the part of Sony and MJ himself! It must be said, however, that in the 13 tracks present, at least five or six episodes are reminiscent of the good old Michael, especially the five new songs.
"Blood On The Dance Floor" is a track that at the time tried to exploit the current dance trend, in fact, the song is an excellent mix of genres, with elements of Latin American in the arrangement! The typical MJ basses serve as a backdrop to a mediocre vocal performance compared to the standard, but with a catchy Hit Parade chorus that sticks to you and won't let go! I would say a nearly experimental song for Michael's style, and indeed, in these five songs, it seems almost as if the artist has ventured into experimentation (taking advantage of the fact that it was not an album of entirely new material and thus, in case of flop, he wouldn't lose too much face).
"Morphine" is a song against the use of morphine, in this electronic music track, the basses become even more pronounced, the sound effects reminiscent of distorted radio frequencies (Kraftwerk?), the sonic gems of this piece aren't bad at all, and Michael always proves to have great class, his very hard and hoarse voice (very Rock!) talks about the effects of morphine... up to the goosebumps interlude where the music suddenly becomes melancholic, in this tear-jerking interval, Michael offers us one of the most intense moments of his career, a real shame that there isn't a complete version of this melody, Michael sings in the background with a poignant voice, referring to the harmful effects of Demerol (a drug he used)... the song suddenly resumes aggressively and, after a series of repeated choruses, ends abruptly with the word "Morphine," a little gem of his career.
The first masterpiece of these five new tracks, in my opinion, is "Ghosts", a song that is extremely refined and clever, a new "Thriller" without exaggeration, where Michael experiments with ghostly settings and dark, engaging sound effects, the bass line is phenomenal! Ancestral choruses and screams of frightened women serve as a backdrop to a wonderful song, the vocal interpretation is of grand style, the verses and chorus are truly original, Michael maintains the Horror style of Thriller but does not copy it, we are faced with five minutes of great musical entertainment, this is perhaps one of Michael Jackson's most beautiful songs.
With "Is It Scary", we reach the highest peak of the entire album, the use of the music score is quite minimal, but the sound arrangements, the vocal interpretation, and a MYSTICAL chorus characterized by angelic choruses and emotionally overwhelming sound effects, make this song a unique experiment of its kind, and therefore not recognized by fans of "chart music." A real gem for connoisseurs!
Unfortunately, however... the amusement ride ends with this fifth song! From here on begins the section of remixes that have contributed to the penalization of this album! One can admire the efforts of the various DJs in mixing the songs of the king of pop, but despite everything, the "tweaked" songs of Jackson can never compare to the originals, especially in the ballads! In this case, there was a real work of distortion... making wonderful songs like "Earth Song" and "You Are Not Alone" horrific, the only danceable ones that could be saved are "This Time Around" and "Scream Louder", the first played in tribal style and the second orchestrated with a myriad of electronic effects which, however, are danced with pleasure... unfortunately, the rest of the songs are almost annoying, and once again confirm the commercial maneuver behind this album.
Ultimately, little art (only five songs are not enough) and a lot of cleverness (remixes à la Gigi d'Agostino to catch a few clubbers and bring them to Jackson concerts). However, this does not mean that we are facing CRAP, as some, many, want us to believe. It is an album characterized by the usual classy music, but nothing compared to the stunning musical works of Michael Jackson's entire career.
The album sold 4 million copies, at the time the best-selling remix album in the world... It seems absurd, incredible, and annoying for many... but Michael Jackson is the only artist in the world who manages to succeed... even when he FLOPS!!!
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 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.
By HoochieMan03
'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.'
The title track is 'already an unusual masterpiece in the singer’s discography' with dark lyrics and cutting-edge production.
