Adisa said:

its soo funny i came across this thread this morning cause i was listening to it during my mornin jog and thought the same thing...the lyrics really hurt the songs appeal.

I think the hardcore people that LOVE HIStory are in 1 of 2 groups:

1)Michael Jackson Himself
2)Michael Jackson fans who has a REALLY STRONG interest in Michael's lifestyle, his life, his inner self, who generally find him INTERESTING.

I think the people that dislike HIStory are in 1 of 2 groups:

1)Michael Jackson Haters
2)People who think Michael's lifestyle, his life, his inner self are generally just tired, borring, and creepy.

I know where I stand and I also know where some of the orgers stand. All I'm sayin...

JasonStar said:

thats a silly generalization...

sosgemini said:

Most certainly is.

Isn't it possible, just possible, that HIStory simply...isn't that good? I just don't think it's that good, lyrically or musically.

It's paranoid sounding, insecure, freakin' anti-semetic at one point, and desperate. Shaq rapping? Good Christ.

PurpleKnight said:

Stranger In Moscow is one of his best melodies.

VoicesCarry said:

And D.S. is one of his worst.

VoicesCarry said:

agreed.

PurpleKnight said:

agreed...

PurpleKnight said:

There are a few bad tracks on it, but overall it's a good record. More hits than misses IMHO.

Stranger in Moscow was and is lovely. The rest is so so. All I know Michael music comes across as so chessy and naff nowadays. I know he was trying to say something on History but it either came across as all sappy and Whiny or like a screaming, screetching mess.

PurpleKnight said:

As you stated earlier, that's your opinion. I think HIStory is really good. Earth Song alone is worth the price, in my opinion. I think its one of his greatest tracks. If you're not into it, you're just not into it. Even Prince liked "2 Bad" enough to bite the rhythmic tracks and feel for "Judas Smile"
You may not like it but its good.
[Edited 12/6/06 12:18pm]

It's definately not his best album but I did admire him at the time for being one of the very few artists still making uptempo funk instead of selling out to midtempo shit hop, the shit hop look, speech, and lifestyle, and weak adult contemporary ballads. He held on for a looooong time before he finally sold out with "Invicible". I didn't even buy that album because I won't have one cent of my money supporting bullshit.
.
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[Edited 12/6/06 12:31pm]

Whatever vainandy, I bet you would enjoy "Fergalicious"

CinisterCee said:

I bet he wouldn't

Well then I bet he would like "Give It All You Got" by Afro-Rican.

All I needed to hear was the lead single and that was enough for me. After I heard it, I went and bought the "Destiny" album.

I love that one!

Gi-gi-gi give it all you got
Gi-gi give it all you got

That's back when rap was still jammin'. Also, the way they used samples in the song was good. It was short snips of various songs and not a continuous loop of one song as the background. In other words, they actually did something creative rather than just talking over someone else's old record.

While I wouldn't say this album "sucks," out of all his albums, I listen to this the least (tied with "Invincible"). I have to be in a certain mood to listen to it and I haven't been in that mood in YEARS. Even then, the only songs I could ever get through are Scream, They Don't Care About Us, Stranger in Moscow, Earth Song, Money, 2 Bad, and Smile.

Honestly, I'm not into this kind of music. I prefer 70's/80's soul music over anything else (outside of gospel). Therefore, I'll take 'early MJ' over 'late 80's and beyond MJ' any day of the week.

I hate that the uptempo tracks lack melody. There was a time when Michael would actually SING on an uptempo track.

PurpleKnight said:

I know what group you are in

I think the title of HIStory should be "Justified Victim." After the bullshit Michael was put through in 93, it is only fair he had the right to bitch about it ALL he wanted. And often people knock HIStory for being "too personal" and "too insecure" like you pointed out, but those same people, then bitch when Michael sings about love and "everyday things" like he did on Invincible. When Michael makes pop (You Rock My World) people want personal, when Michael makes personal, people want pop. Gosh. People are so damn greedy when it comes to having things a certain way. If you don't like HIStory fine, then sell it to me. It is my favorite CD OF ALL TIME and I would gladly take it off your hands. (If nothing else, it would make a great coaster for when guests are over.)

What I find funny about HIStory was that Evan, the father of Michael's 1993 "victim" (cough BULLSHIT cough), there are documents that show he had EVERY intention of releasing an album called EVANstory. (Which would be an album responding and telling his side of the story.) What a joke. When people say this guy is some hero for standing up to Michael, it makes LAUGH OUT LOUD.

In short..I LOVE HIStory. And if you don't like it, fine, but it doesn't mean IT SUCKS. Sorry.

JasonStar said:

Because you are into Mj whole lifestyle and are a hardcore fan you obviously going to think everything he does is great, especially his work post Thriller, but lets face it you have to be a hardcore fan to prefer screetching, screaming and whining over actual singing..you know once upon a time Michael actually use to sing..... properly. I am not a fan of History because of it's message, I understood what he was trying to say with that album, but he could have delivered it in a better way, IMO, and if that makes me a hater so be it..
[Edited 12/6/06 14:47pm]

I didn't buy HIStory till I heard the title song and it blew me away. I think it's a great bunch of songs. I think it's one of MJ's best songs ever.

That post sounded daft: I meant to say - HIStory the album is great; HIStory the song is killer, one of my all-time faves.

vainandy said:

Yeah! That's the song that Fergalicious covered. The only part that they didn't keep was Foxy's "Get Off" snippet, but they used the same string of different samples as Afro-Rican.

Scream...now that's a song that I love

CinisterCee said:

THAT track is Michael Jackson doing gangsta rap in his own image. I love it! I wish Michael would write angry songs more often.

VoicesCarry said:

How does it feel?
How does it feel?
How does it feel.....when you're alone and you're cold inside?

MikeMatronik said:

The bridge is the best. Very haunting.

PurpleKnight said:

Are you kidding? It the same We Are The World-type bullshyt that Michael has done too often!!!

VoicesCarry said:

that guitar distorcion...