Michael Jackson
History

Album review "History: past, present and future book I" by Michael Jackson

The 1995 marks the release of the album History: past, present and future, composed of 2 CDs of which the first is a highly valuable collection of the singer's past hits, and the second is a collection of unreleased tracks, some of which date back to the previous Dangerous sessions of 1991. I will focus solely on the CD of unreleased tracks known as History Continues. The album contains 15 tracks that cover various themes, practically all related to the singer's own life. History is considered Jackson's most mature and autobiographical album that takes greater awareness of a social system he does not agree with. Jackson actively participates also in the recording of the music showing his multi-instrumentalist abilities, indeed he plays guitars, percussion, keyboards, drums, and synthesizers, making it an album Jackson has full control over. Famous collaborators include Bill Botrell, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis, not to forget R. Kelly, a master of R'n B.

The album opens with the angry and electronic “Scream” in collaboration with his sister Janet, an already well-established pop star. The track is also the first single from the album, and it shows the two Jacksons full of suppressed anger towards the mass media, heavily criticized as ruthless tools that have no respect for artists' privacy. The two singers manage to intertwine their voices really well, and the rock guitar solo is very energetic. Children's protest choirs introduce us to the military cadence and hard sounds of the up-tempo rock “They don’t really care about us.” The song is an outburst of the indignant singer towards a political system of governance insensitive to people's rights. Jackson is angry and makes himself heard vigorously, showing raw scenes of violence in one of the two videos of the song, an unforgettable protest anthem. The pace slows down, and the atmosphere becomes magical and evocative with the R'n B ballad “Stranger in Moscow.” The piece is introduced by the sound of heavy rain, and then the rhythm starts with the singer's beatbox which serves as the background to a delicate melody that instills great emotions in the listener. In the song's lyrics, the artist expresses all his profound loneliness following his fall from grace, caused by the sexual abuse allegations of 1993 that turned public opinion and the press against the singer; 1993 is the year when Jackson wrote the song’s lyrics. “Stranger in Moscow” is one of the singer's greatest masterpieces, a perfect blend of melodies and words that express all the genius of an artist who is now misunderstood.

The fourth track, with Hip-Hop and R'n B nuances, sees the collaboration with the famous rapper Notorious Big, the piece in question is “This time around,” from the words you can feel the strong sense of paranoia of the singer trying to escape from someone who's on his trail. Sounds of nature and a harp introduce us to a timeless work of art with great social value for the theme addressed. “Earth song” is a poignant cry of despair from Jackson, who on behalf of all humanity asks what will become of our world with the reckless and disrespectful abuse by man of natural resources, a question that still has no certain answers today. The piece starts off quietly but the tones rise with the singer's lamenting cries. The epic rhythm starts after the second chorus when Jackson screams along with the choirs, wondering what will become of this world. The basses, keyboards, synthesizers, and percussion perfectly intertwine with the orchestra in this epic and timeless song that reaches very high tones. The atmosphere turns dark and rocky with the sixth track “D.S” in collaboration with guitarist Slash, the piece is very energetic and angry, even though it tends to be repetitive, here too the lyrics highlight the great paranoia surrounding Jackson in accusing Dom Sheldom of being a “cold” man. Great interplay of basses, percussion, and synthesizers in the mid-tempo “Money,” sung by a whispered and muted voice. In this piece, Jackson ironically addresses how men find their purpose in mere monetary gain. A sad truth, but one that cannot be ignored; the choir work is truly excellent. The air returns to rock with the 80s cover of the Beatles' “Come together.” The guitar riffs are aggressive, and the voice is edgy, not lacking the screams that make the song strongly Jacksonian. A decidedly R'n B turn in the best style for this sentimental ballad on loneliness crafted by the famous R. Kelly. This single achieved incredible success, the melodies are sweet, and Jackson's voice is passionate, the choir intervention at the end adds a gospel touch to the piece. Another ballad we find at number 10 is “Childhood,” famous for being included in the Free Willy 2 soundtrack. The versatility of Jackson's voice allows him to perfectly blend with orchestral melodies in this decidedly introspective and autobiographical song where Jackson speaks about his childhood that he could not fully live in his youth due to work commitments.

The overlapping voices of journalists and reporters introduce the convulsive rhythm of “Tabloid junkie,” supported by a meticulous beatboxing work from the singer. The piece is yet another protest cry focused against tabloids and scandal sheets labeled by him as trash. The song's beat is the result of an appreciable experimentation also found in the next piece titled “2bad,” an up-tempo in full street Hip-Hop style. The convulsive rhythms of the electronic drums and synthesizers mix with the singer's angry and defiant voice attacking in open field all his detractors who try to drag him down by throwing mud at his persona. At position number 13, we find the title track, “History,” highlighting the magnificent production work and lyrics of this album. Voices of reporters recount the most important dates in American and world history, then the orchestra opens the piece leaving space for synthesizers and keyboards to create an epic rhythm in which Jackson's words narrate hope and the duty of every man to leave his own mark in human history for a future where it is possible to harmonize all peoples. This track shows the great expectations of the singer for a world in decline. The sound of strings and orchestra takes us into the ballad “Smile,” a cover of Charlie Chaplin's song. The song is an excellent testament to the versatility of Jackson's chameleon-like voice that can span within a single album from electronic Pop to Rock, Hip-hop, and orchestral music. The singer invites us to always smile at life, even though it is often sad and hard to face. Eerie chants and choirs invite us to listen to the delicate and sad final ballad of the album “Little Susie.” After the choirs, we hear the poignant sound of a music box and a little girl singing its melody, from this point on, the sounds of strings and violins accompany the singer's suffering and passionate voice narrating the terrible demise of a girl found dead following a fall from the stairs. The singer wonders who killed the girl but the answer soon arrives: the true cause was negligence that forced the child to live in solitude and sadness. This track is a real cry for help from a man now abandoned to himself in a slow psychological decay. This gloomy ballad concludes an epic album with a thousand facets.

History is a complete album both musically and in terms of lyrics, it is undoubtedly the most profound and engaging work of a singer increasingly interested in the problems of a society he does not appreciate. Jackson's sensitivity emerges in all its forms, from sweet and sad ballads to up-tempos charged with tones of protest. History is an unmissable appointment for those who want to delve into the musical style and human side of this artist, whose genius and vocal versatility are unmistakable.