Michael Jackson - Dangerous Spec (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

A Massive, Epic, Grandure Album!

Busy Body | London, England | 04/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Firstly I'd like to thank the media for creating such unnecessary fuss about Michael Jackson's personal life over the past few months. If they hadn't, I'd never have got into Michael Jackson's music as much as I have done recently; I basically had no interest in him for years. A few months back I happened to pick up a copy "Dangerous" which I borrowed from my dad. Well, if I wasn't just blown away by the excellence of this record! The album "Dangerous" was the follow up to the immensely successful "Bad" from 1987. Dangerous was released in November 1991 and sold 27 million copies worldwide - 10 million copies of which were sold in its first four weeks of worldwide release. Nine songs were released as singles in the UK from this album, leaving a minority of five songs left unreleased.

Dangerous opens with the rather disappointing "Jam." The fifth song to be released as a single from the album, it peaked at No.13 in the UK in September 1992. The song is good, but fails to live up to the rest of this amazing album. "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" has an amazing guitar intro, followed by a different guitar beat that's very similar to that of Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You." Coincidence? Hardly. The chorus with the exact words as in the title of the song is amazing. "In The Closet" has to be one of the absolute best songs on the entire album. Michael has never been this [] explicit before, but it works rather well with the female vocals of the 'Mystery Girl'. The video was banned in some countries, and features Naomi Campbell while the song peaked at No.8 in the UK upon its May 1992 release. The song runs for more than six minutes, but this is only a good thing because of the amazing beat that we are treated to. While not the most upbeat and lively song on the album, it definitely is a highlight because of its pure funk nature. "She Drives Me Wild" is a fairly good song, with a great funky beat and a cool rap. A great song, but the car horn beeping away at the beginning is dreadful!

"Remember The Time" is just an all-time classic. By far the best released song from this album, it charted at No.3 in the UK in February 1992. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat is so funkadelic and the video was truly eye-popping. Michael's world-famous "Woo!" also crops up a few times towards the end of the song. Just brilliant. Things can't possibly get better after that, and they don't. "Can't Let Her Get Away" shows strong promise, but falls flat on its face with far too many beats all clustered together, and the extreme repetition of the lyrics "I can't let, I can't let her get away." Take a look at the lyrics on the inlay and you'll know what I mean - the same line fills half the page. Luckily, things pick up with the amazing "Heal The World." Released as the sixth single from the album, this touching and heart-felt ballad peaked at No.2 in the UK in December 1992. In my opinion, Michael has never been very successful in promoting all this world peace stuff. In this case, however, Michael is very convincing because the message is not one that involves a mass audience, but the song speaks to you as an individual - each and every listener. "Black And White" was the biggest and most successful single from this album, peaking at No.1 in both the UK and US upon its November 1991 release. The lyrics are great and the rap is excellent, while the video is particularly memorable because of its comedy.

"Who Is It" and "Give Into Me" are another two brilliant songs, perfectly executed with killer beats and funky basslines. The former is about Michael's lover who has run off with another, while his voice is filled with the raw emotion necessary to make this song excellent. The latter has the same emotion in Michael's vocals, and a superb rocky chorus. "Will You Be There" runs for almost eight minutes, which is a bit too long for this exceptional ballad. The first two minutes are taken up by pointless, but effective, choir vocals that really do sound epic and heavenly. The song featured in 1993's smash-hit blockbuster 'Free Willy' and was brilliant even before the film claimed it. "Keep The Faith" is another excellent song about self-power and really does make an impact on the overall face-value of the album. "Gone Too Soon" is perhaps one of the worst songs on the album. The term 'worst' when reviewing this album can only be used lightly, as no song is [bad] - all are consistently good, but there is obviously a line which separates the great ones from the stunning ones. The album finishes with the title-track, "Dangerous." At almost seven minutes long, the song is the perfect finish to a near-flawless record with incredibly descriptive lyrics which are displayed on the inlay and shaped like the hourglass figure of this 'dangerous' lady.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Dangerous is by far one of the most essential albums of the 1990's. The entire album is almost 80 minutes long, so you definitely get your money's worth, with each song usually running into the six/seven minute time bracket. I'd definitely put this stunning piece of work in my top 10 albums of all time, because every song is great and there's nothing like Michael Jackson's music to get you moving and grooving on the dancefloor. Also, the record still sounds brand new despite being released more than ten years ago. Buy this now - you'll feel like a fool if you decide not to and pick it up years later..."

Classic

TMC | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was watching tv this afternoon and they were showing footage of an interview with Michael from about 8 years ago-- he's in his hotel, and there are tons of toys and games laying around and at one point the interviewer asks about a scooter sitting in the corner. Michael says "Well, I like to ride it around at night in the hallways". Interviewer: "You're joking, right?" MJ: "No, it's fun for me".

Which made me think about the fundamental problem he and many other creative people (especially at the genius level) face: people refuse to take them on their own terms. Of course its fun to ride a scooter in a hotel hallway!! And who cares if it seems strange-- you'd be doing it too if you had the chance... but instead you're making someone else feel bad about one of the few joys he can indulge in (that is completely harmless, too).

I felt terrible for Michael just thent-- compounded by the fact that here is one moment where we can actually see his adult humanity-- it isn't a sit down interview talking about his family or the moonwalk-- and this interviewer is so blind to the little ray of light shining at that moment that he completely squashes the moment.

Anyway, I suppose that's my tribute to Michael Jackson. I remember when this album came out, it was all I listened to for a time, and the music videos were a constant source of enjoyment for me. In fact, the intensity he communicated (through dance and his singing) through this album and those videos was probably a major factor in pushing me to develop myself as a musician. And what a great album to get started on. Enjoy, please!"

GENIUS

psychojazz | Helsinki, Finland | 10/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DANGEROUS is arguably Michael Jackson's most ambitious album to date. Overshadowed by the success of the previous two albums (especially THRILLER), DANGEROUS failed to receive the credit it definitely deserved.The overall atmosphere on this album is noticably darker than on its predecessors (OFF THE WALL, THRILLER, BAD). The production is superb as always on MJ albums, but the sound is completely different than on his previous albums (mostly due to different producer/producers). The rhythms and grooves are quite loud and aggressive and they hold a strong grip on the album from the beginning of "Jam" to the very end of the title track.With DANGEROUS it's pretty pointless to even attempt to list the standout tracks beacuse, above all, this album is a beautiful entity which it obviously was meant to be. There are absolutely no weak tracks on this album, which is a HUGE achievement with an album that lasts for almost 80 minutes! This is clearly some of the best material Jackson has ever written. There ARE quite a few hit singles on DANGEROUS, though, so if that's what you're looking for, you got it (Black Or White, Heal The World, Remember The Time, Will You Be There, Who Is It).This new remastered edition, the album sounds even better and the clarity is incredible! Unlike on the other remastered MJ albums, DANGEROUS doesn't contain any extra tracks because there isn't any space left on the disc. This is 77 minutes of pure genius.ESSENTIAL"

Dangerously Awesome

ravenwing17 | California | 07/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Michael Jackson somehow manages to be both one of the most overrated and underrated artists. Thriller was very overrated, relative to the quality of his other albums (HIStory, anybody?), and by the same token, albums like Dangerous are entirely ignored. This to me is a great injustice, but I won't get into that. Dangerous is an amazing work with its own unique sound. Although there are a few songs that would only be defined as "filler", most of the tracks are masterpieces.1) Jam- This is one of the great songs on the album, a rhythmic and uptempo tune, a great beginning to a great album. 9/10 stars.2) Why You Wanna Trip On Me- One of my personal favorites, at least the first sixty times. It has an excellent intro and harsh whispered lyrics... and then there's the chorus, an almost-yelled melody that makes you go "He has a point." 7/10 stars.3) In the Closet- This one is incredible, although a little disturbing to some, maybe. It's a little more sensual than his usual style, but he definetely pulls it off. 7.5/10 stars.4) She Drives Me Wild- To me, a twin of In the Closet. Same type of theme, same type of sound- not nearly as good as its brother, but not horrible either. 6/10 stars.5) Remember the Time- A fantasic sounding melody with a hint of Egyptian flare. This is a definite hit for this album, it will have even the staunchest nonbelievers on the floor dancing. 8/10 stars.6) Can't Let Her Get Away- Sadly, although it has a catchy bridge, this one always seems to be forgotten amidst all the hits. 6/10 stars.7) Heal the World- A sharp change of background, with a more ballady feel. This song is beautiful, with a message that needs to be heard today. 8/10 stars.8) Black or White- One of the songs that will never die. With an amazing melody and a deep meaning, this song is what Michael Jackson is all about. 10/10 stars.9) Who Is It- Another of my personal favorites, but maybe it's because the video is so amazing. This song has an excellent underlying bass tune that makes the song come alive. A fantastic work. 9/10 stars.10) Give In To Me- Has a more rockish feel to it- I love the intro and the guitar melody, this is basically an awesome song. 9/10 stars.11) Will You Be There- An entirely beautiful masterpiece. What makes it as great as it is, of course, is the spoken verse at the end. 10/10 stars.12) Keep the Faith- Possibly my favorite MJ song, I love the verses and the chorus and the bridge and of course the closing, with the choir in the background. This is a fantastic song. 10/10 stars.13) Gone Too Soon- A beautifully sad goodbye to a young teenager, Ryan White, who died of AIDS around this time. The song isn't quite as catchy as others, had has a gorgeous melody. 7/10 stars.14) Dangerous- One of the greatest songs on here, it has awesome spoken verses and a chorus that will have you singing all day. A spectacular close to a spectacular album. 9/10 stars.And that's Dangerous. It is truly one of Michael Jackson's greatest works, the one that makes you see that Michael will live forever."

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