HIStory - Past, Present and Future - Book I

Michael Jackson may be one of the most mysterious people on earth. His life and his experiences are probably much more than any of us could imagine, but this album (by far his most personal) gives you a little peak into who he really is. HIStory is aptly named as it gives you a "history" of his music to date with a greatest hits collection on disk one and then gives you "HIS story" on disc two. Disk two is definately my favorite MJ album. You get the sense that it was written largely as an outlet of emotions that Michael felt after going through the allegations of 93/94. The album has an angrier tone than his others, and you get the sense that you know him a bit by the end. 1. Scream: the album starts with a duet between Michael and his sister Janet. It's obviously a push by the record company to cash in on the superstardom of these two, and as a result it's a little overproduced and noisey. But the message is true to the tone of the album and lyrics like "Tired of injustice Tired of the schemes The lies are disgusting So what does it mean" and "Tired of you tellin' the story your way It's causin' confusion You think it's okay" it sets the stage for the anger of the rest of the album. 2. They Don't Care About Us: This song is much better on the production front, smooth background vocals and strings compliment the driving beat well. The lyrics are clearly meant to cause controversy and grab attention, because Michael loves attention- and there is no better way to get attention than by causing controvsey. The song is one of my favorites of MJs, and was very successful in some parts of the world- including Brazil where the video was filmed. 3. Stranger in Moscow: Quite possibly Michael's best song EVER. The song is melancholy and shows the sadness he felt after the allegations, "Swift and sudden fall from grace/ sunny days seemed far away". Michael has said that he wrote the song in a hotel room in Moscow, while listening to the screams of fans below, but realizing that he was completely alone: thus "how does it feel when you're alone,and it's cold inside?" it feels like a "stanger in moscow". This (or earth song) is probably my favorite MJ song of all time. 4. This Time Around: The production on this song is horrible in my opinion. The "music" sounds more like noise. But the lyrics seem to be quite theraputic. "They really want to use me and then falsely accuse me". This song was basically nothing more than a way for Michael to vent his anger over the 93 allegations. And he seems to vow to "stay away from strangers" "this time around" but it didn't seem to stick as he ended up in another mess after being accused by welfare frauds and professional plaintiffs in 2003-2005. 5. Earth Song: If Stranger in Moscow isn't the best song MJ has ever done, then this is. Earth Song may be the most powerful ballad I have ever heard. Unlike his earlier Heal the World or We are the World, Earth Song does not plead for people to treat the world better- he vents his anger over the damage we've already done "what have we done to the world, look what we've done". The song has no words in the chorus- words can't express the pain and suffering humans have caused in this word- the chorus is simply a cry, Michael's expression of the world's pain. The climax of the song is truly phenomenal, and all you can do is sit back, crank up the speakers and let the emotions pour through you. The song was a HUGE hit in Europe and Britan, but was never released as a single in the US. 6. D.S.: The initials here stand for "Dom Sheldon" accordign to the lyrics, but anyone who has followed Jackson's legal troubles knows that this song is a thinly veiled reference to Tom Sneddon- the District Attorney of Santa Barbara County, California. The DA headed up both investigations of Jackson (dropping the 93 investigation when a grand jury said they couldn't not come up with any evidence to indict Jackson even after Sneddon went through all the trouble of strip searching Jackson and having his genitalia photographed and videotaped. Sneddon then lost the 2003 investigation after a jury found Jackson not guilty on all counts, despite putting 5 prosecutors on the case and spending $6 million prosecuting Jackson). Jackson lashes out venomously at Sneddon, accusing him of everything from not having a social life to consorting with the KKK (one of Sneddon's sons got into trouble in the late 90s by hanging out with a skin-head gang). The song's chorus is rather repetitive- "Tom Sneddon is a cold man" over and over. But there are many who would agree as Sneddon has been sued for malicious prosecution 14 times during his rein as DA. The song seems to be meant more for Michael's good than for listeners but the song does have a fun guitar riff and is easy listening. 7 Money: This song is clearly aimed at Jackson's accusers "they dont' care, they use me for the money/ they dont' care they sue me for the money" "lie for it, die for it, you would do anything for money". Ironically enough, Jackson was sued again by Evan Chandler (who made the accusations of molestation for his son in 93) for making this album. Evan felt the album violated the confidentiality agreement Jackson signed as part of the settlement in 94- saying he would not publicly discuss the case. But Evan also added Sony to the defendants in his case asking for $60 million. The case was eventually thrown out of court some 6 years later when neither Evan nor an attorney representing him showed up for a hearing in the case. 8 Come Together: Jackson is self-proclaimed Beatles fan and this cover is definately one of the best Beatles covers ever done. The song was recorded much before most of the other material on the album, and in fact a video of Jackson performing the song appears on the Moonwalker video Jackson released. The song is a good cover, and gives the listener a break from Jackson's anger in the album. 9 You Are Not Alone: This R. Kelly song was a huge hit for Jackson world wide and was his last number one in the US. The song is a beautiful ballad- radio friendly, but lacks the emotion of other songs on the album. 10 Childhood: This song embodies everything Jackson has always claimed about himself: "No one understands me They view it as such strange eccentricities... 'Cause I keep kidding around Like a child, but pardon me... People say I'm not okay 'Cause I love such elementary things... It's been my fate to compensate, for the ChildhoodI've never known..." "Before you judge me, try hard to love me, Look within your heart then ask, Have you seen my Childhood?" The music in the song is absolutely beautiful, the strings and piano tell a story the way classical music does. You can feel the emotion of the song in the music. Overall, it may be a bit sappy, but then again- overall, Michael Jackson is a bit sappy. Jackson himself has said that this song is the most autobiographical he has ever written. 11 Tabloid Junkie: Here Jackson vents his anger at the press that continually twists celebrities stories just to make a buck. "It's slander/With the words you use/You're a parasite in black and white/Do anything for news" The song is catchy and has an interesting drum percussion sound that is not a drum, but actually Jackson beat boxing. Not his best work, but catchy enough to listen to. 12 2 Bad: This another song that is a little overproduced and noisey, but the message is what's important. Jackson again speaks to his accusers, letting them know they havent' won:"Look who's standing if you please/Though you tried to bring me to my knees/Too bad too bad about it" The song appears in Jackson's short film "Ghosts". 13 HIStory: The title song, is not terribly impressive. News clips are scattered throughout the song and get a bit distracting. It's a nice thought but borders on cheesy, but then again, Jackson likes cheesy. The chorus is beautiful- the smooth vocals and harmony you expect from MJ. 14 Little Susie: This song is quite unique. It's not the type you would hear on the radio, yet it is haunting and beautiful. The song was written for a little refugee girl from Africa who was adopted by a family in Britan but was locked in a basement and died of neglect. The song has a gothic feel to it, and the music sounds like a horror movie version of carosel music. The lyrics tell a sad story and remind the listener how important it is to have compassion and care for others. 15 Smile: Jackson is huge fan of Charlie Chaplin, so it only makes sense for him to cover a Chaplin penned song. He does it beautifully, it may be his best vocal performance ever. And after the anger and sadness of the album, he leaves you on a high note: reminding you to just "smile, when your heart is breaking/ smile even though it's aching" "Smile, what's the use of crying /You'll find that life is still worthwhile /If you'll just Smile" I highly recommend the album, for Jackson fans and non-fans alike.

Prince had the Sign O' the Times double album. Michael Jackson has his own double album. This one. Fans of high-quality R&B, soul, funk, and rock never had it so good. Disc 1 includes hits and one miss (The Girl is Mine) from earlier albums. Disc 2 contains a mix of fascinating new material that reveals MJ's forthright, direct, and filterless expressions of anger, fear, love, horror, and sentiment. Scream, the righteous duet with sister Janet is an aggressive, industrial rock-fueled palm to the face for mainstream media that refuses to age, written and produced by Prince ex-patriates Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They Don't Care About Us is an excellent piece that stutter steps to military cadence, again with MJ stripping down his anger and disgust (tell us how you really feel, MJ) towards institutions of power and their control over the powerless. Stranger in Moscow is a beautiful piece of music with MJ's sadly sweet vocals underlaid by gentle keyboard chord changes and MJ's own beat box. So beautiful that MJ's haunting lyrics of alienation and isolation tear at the listener's heart. Impossible to turn away and pretend not to hear this cry in the rain. This Time Around is another b*tch-slap by MJ to mainstream media in the same vein as Scream, but with much more cursing. MJ is not taking any "sh*t" and has Dallas Austin's highly danceable beats and a rap by Biggie Smalls to make sure the listener understands that he means it! MJ flips the script with a wondrously clear indictment of man's mistreatment of the planet with Earth Song. Written and composed by MJ, question after question dares the listener to deny the destruction of the world's environment. This gospel opera endures as an anthem whose warnings can no longer be marginalized or ignored. With D.S., once again, MJ goes off on his detractors with barely-disguised expressions of contempt for an out-of-control jerk named "Dom Sheldon" whose thirst to take MJ down remains unsatiated. Really nice beat and you can dance to it, while giggling at Dom Sheldon over Slash's guitar riffs. MJ adopts Prince's NPG Minneapolis sound to smooth effect for Money. Nicely done! Come Together is a remake of the Lennon-McCarthy classic. Fierce, sexy, and expressive. R. Kelly, for all his uneasy reputation concerning minors, remains a an excellent songwriter and arranger whose talents in music, much the same way Roman Polanski's talents as a filmmaker, can not be denied. You Are Not Alone is a beautiful R&B slow-jam, lovely and memorable, extremely singable. Childhood is whiny and maudlin, not enjoyable. With Tabloid Junkie, MJ delivers yet another caution about the veracity of mainstream media reports. New jack-flavored, well-seasoned by Jam and Lewis instead of Riley. Good, but not as good as Scream and This Time Around. 2Bad contains nonsense clips of King of Rock by Run-DMC and more expressions of anger by MJ. This song tries too hard. Skipping a listen does not cause a large amount of regret. History's introduction is too long with a lot of speech quotations. Lectures too much like Schoolhouse Rock or a song someone's forced to learn in grade school under threat of a note sent home to your parents. Little Susie is an extremely difficult song to listen to all the way to the end. A two-minute operatic intro gives way to a child humming along to a music box which then gives way to orchestral string arrangement and the detailed description of the murder of a small girl, which leaves the listener distressed and upset. Crime scene description has been done before by MJ with Smooth Criminal. Unlike Smooth Criminal, however, Little Susie's expert straight-forward slow-paced arrangement by MJ provides no escape from the horror through breathy lyrics or dance beats or guitar riffs. Chilling. Frightening. Necessary. Smile is a classical orchestral arrangement with music by Charlie Chaplin and lyrics by Geoff Parsons. A bittersweet encouragement in the face of obstacles, Smile is the final statement on MJ's exhausting exploration of outrage and personal violation. HISTORY is an excellent album with Jackson at his most lyrically vulnerable and remains a perfect example of his strength and skill as songwriter and storyteller.

History is my favourite album by Michael Jackson, because of the new songs on Disk 2. These songs make History the most autobiographical of Michael's albums. Music critics say that "off the wall" was Michael's first "adult" album, but I think that it is in History disk two that we really see Michael in all the fullness of his mature, adult self. By saying this, I do NOT mean that Michael was not mature or adult before. In fact, he was shockingly mature even as a little boy. But before History, Michael's music came out of the rich imaginative world of his creative heart and mind which was dominated by magic and joy. Oh make no mistake, the darkness was always there - the Billie Jeans and the dirty Dianas and the tabloid press that would not leave him alone - but his response to them was one of compassion and even fun. If the world he constructed through his earlier albums was one of "magic realism", the one he presented in History disk two is one where stark realism for the first time dominates over magic realism. For 1993 was different. For the first time the darkness really got to him and affected him on the most fundamental level. The songs on disk two are his direct responses to these experiences. They are cries of pain and screams of frustration and snarls of disgust and anger from a soul convulsing under an ordeal that pushes him to the limits of endurance. What is amazing to me is that these cries and screams and snarls are so doggone BEAUTIFUL - quite simply, Michael made beautiful, impassioned music out of his pain and grief and anger and disgust. He not only turned suffering into art, he turned the personal experience of injustice into a transcendent statement. Through his own suffering he spoke for the suffering of all who are mistreated. Even the terrible ordeal of unjust and cruel persecution could not dampen his ideals which were always about love and a united and caring world. In History, we find the magnificent anthem Earth Song, which is not only a mind-boggling epic of a song, it is quite simply the most stunningly beautiful and impassioned plea for the planet that I have ever heard. This album is just incredible both as a musical achievement and as an artistic response to social and planetary injustice; beautiful and raw in its emotional honesty, yet pointing, despite all the emotional turmoil, at the highest humanistic ideals. There is nothing like it in the history of music.

The first disc contains Michael's greatest hits from his first four albums with Epic. Aside from "The Girl Is Mine", all of these tracks are brilliant and impeccable. Truly, this is a wonderful collection of songs for individuals seeking to become more familiar with MJ's musical talent. The second disc on HIStory serves as the follow up to 1991's Dangerous, and is easily Michael's most autobiographical. He even wrote and composed half of the songs by himself. As the first album he had released since the 1993 allegations, Michael was clearly motivated to tell his story on the matter. Not surprisingly, he did so brilliantly. One need look no further than "They Don't Care About Us" for proof of that. This track is oozing with anger and frustration as Michael laments about all of the injustice he's been dealing with. "Earth Song" is an emotional explosion in which Michael demands answers for why the planet is being mistreated to such a horrifying extent. In "D.S.", we hear Michael embrace his inner rock star as he severely disses Tom Sneddon, the man who ordered Michael's humiliating and brutalizing strip search. The track, "Money", serves as a clever commentary on those driven by greed and paints them in a pathetic light. "Childhood" is a plea to the public for understanding that evokes wonderment and fantasy in it's orchestral accompaniment. Finally, Michael warns people of the media in "Tabloid Junkie", a hard funk song with Michael's beat boxing skills on full display. While I have only highlighted some of the tracks on this disc, all of them are of the substantial quality Michael was known for. HIStory's second disc is a wild emotional journey that begins by asking us to "Scream" along with Michael and ends by advising us to "Smile" no matter how hard things get. This album was never going to outsell Thriller or even Bad, but it is arguably Michael's magnum opus.

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Michael Jackson's 1995 double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I is perhaps the King of Pop's most controversial album. Released after his first child molestation allegation, the pain and the scorn of Jackson following this messy situation is obviously reflected through the socially-conscious material featured on the second disc of HIStory. HIStory is easily Jackson's most social-conscious affair, bottling previous socially conscious ideas into one brand new CD. HIStory today is scarcely available in comparison to Jackson's other studio albums. As to why, it could be a number of factors including the overt controversy surrounding the material, or perhaps just the fact that it is a double album and costs much more than the standard $7.99 price tag carried by other albums. Whatever the reasons behind the scarcity, they certainly don't dictate the quality of this brilliant, Grammy-nominated (Album of the Year among other nominations) album. It is just as good as anything Jackson has ever released in my eyes. For the purposes of this review, I will only mention the first disc, HIStory Begins in passing. This disc features greatest hits of Jackson up to this point. These hits include key tracks from Off the Wall ("Rock With You", "She's Out Of My Life", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"), Thriller ("Billie Jean", "Thriller", "Beat It", "The Girl Is Mine", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"), Bad ("The Way You Make Me Feel", "Bad", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Man In the Mirror") and Dangerous ("Black Or White", "Remember The Time", and "Heal The World"). Overall, these were representative of Jackson's "greatest hits" at the time. Personally, I don't particularly listen to the first disc only because I have ALL of Jackson's other studio albums and also have a more complete greatest hits set. But for a fan who wants to hear Jackson at his best and wants a representative, concise compilation, the first disc of HIStory (which was later released as a single disc) is a good choice, though not better than say NUMBER ONES. The focus oc this review will be the disc of new material (HIStory continues, Disc 2). Disc 2, the main attraction of HIStory is where the controversy looms. Opening track "Scream" a manic, but incredibly catchy and sound duet between Jackson and his sister Janet, sets the tone for the entire album. Maybe never has one heard Michael Jackson sound so agitated and energized by the many agonies of his life. Perhaps what is so shocking is the 'f-bomb' that Jackson drops ("stop f**king with me/makes me wanna scream"). Busy production amps up this killer work, nominated for a Grammy. It would turn out to be Jackson's only recorded collaboration with his sister Janet that we know. 5 star performance, easily. "They Don't Care About Us" is easily the album's most controversial number, but also perhaps the best and most socially aware we have seen Michael Jackson. A slew of controversial lines caused censorship to rear it's ugly head, most notably "jew me/sue me", which is partially censored by a loud, rollicking synth track. No matter how you feel about the lyrics, this song is genius, propelled even more by an incredible groove and Jackson's spot on vocals. Another 5 star performance. "Stranger in Moscow" may have big shoes to fill following the manic "Scream" and the overt "They Don't Care About Us", but it fills those shoes well proving to be one killer, poignant ballad. The disconnect in which Jackson sings within this chilling track is an easy connect to the audience to anybody who has ever felt lost or lacking of direction in life. "This Time Around" is good, though not as good as either "Scream" or "They Don't Care About Us". With that said, "This Time Around" is still way above par and is still signature Michael Jackson. One of my personal favorites has also stemmed it fair share of controversy. "Earth Song" has been both praised and cursed, but I personally think aside from being an anomaly, it is one brilliant song. Jackson is in his best voice here, particularly at the epic end where he ad libs alongside Andrae Crouch's gospel choir. Pop, Gospel, Soul, and Rock all bottled together, it is no wonder why brother Jermaine and father Joe Jackson consider "Earth Song" their favorite Michael Jackson song. "D.S." will prove confusing to the uneducated listener behind the meaning of the song, but will still resonate nonetheless. Based upon the prosecutor trying to bring down Jackson (here D.S. stands for 'Dom Sneddron' or some similar name), the song is quite powerful and very groovy. "Money" is a bit of an odder fit for Jackson, but it will grow on the listener. Better though is Jackson's fine cover of "Come Together" by the Beatles. While the King of Pop doesn't ultimately usurp the original, his cover is great by all means. "You Are Not Alone" is easily another Jackson classic that arrived after Jackson's 'peak', if you will. Written by an equally controversial R. Kelly, "You Are Not Alone" is a beautiful ballad which Michael sings angelically. The matching video is the slightest bit awkward, but despite this, the song is powerful and pleasing to listen to over and over again. "Childhood (Theme from 'Free Willy 2')" is solid, but doesn't seek to break any barriers, particularly compared to more socially conscious material. It still reflects an "agonized" man questioning where his 'childhood' went and why he was stripped of one of the basic, fundamentals of life. "Tabloid Junkie" points fingers at the media, while "2 Bad" proves to be another rollicking uptempo, high-energy dance track. "History" is strong, if a bit odd. It does feature a memorable hook, signature of Jackson's work. "Little Susie" doesn't stand out amongst the strongest material, though the closing "Smile" is perfect by all means. Essentially a good album, HIStory is a bit overstuffed, but should remain as a classic album. It was an incredibly successful double album debuting at #1 where it reigned in the U.S. for three weeks I believe. In my opinion it is too often overlooked in Jackson's catalog. In my mind, it is a fine work - a masterpiece.

I have a hard time looking for the songs I want. I wish they had put a list on the cover.

This is the best Michael Jackson Album I have ever had! Part 1 contains with all 15 of his amazing greatest hits and Part 2 includes all 15 original new songs of The History Album: One of my favorites are: Scream with His Sister Janet Jackson, They Don’t Care About Us, Stranger In Moscow, Earth Song, and You Are Not Alone is one of my Favs!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾 Happy 30th Anniversary to the History Album!! 🙌🏾❤️