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Week 12:
Michael Jackson
Artist Introduction
Yup, I wanted to surprise everyone with a different artist selection. I also wanted to show that “the old man” is NOT a cold-hearted bastard when it comes to Pop music. What better way than to choose “The King of Pop”. Me, Mom, and Uncle Vin first were introduced to MJ and the Jackson Five when they had a Saturday morning ½ hour cartoon in the 1970’s, and I’ve always listened to MJ’s music thru the years, some good and some not. And this dive surprised me a bit. I always thought MJ only performed music written for him by handlers, producers, and other music sort. But I was dead wrong. Unless noted in my review of songs, everything you’ll hear was written by MJ himself, music and lyrics. And along with master producer Quincey Jones, MJ was a workhorse in the studio, co-producing most of this music. Talented? Well, let’s all take a dive into the world of Michael Jackson. Hope you enjoy
Dad Cascella
Most Popular
Thriller
Title song to one of the biggest selling albums of all time, this single peaked at #4 on Billboard chart. Starts hauntingly with howls and an organ, then goes into a very good bass driven rhythm with synthesizer. This song has a huge production feel, lots going on. And it gets you moving right away. Fun song with a good chorus, it’s perfect for the framework of the idea of the Thriller album. At 4:25 we hear the spoken word of the master of macabre, Vincent Price. A bit cheesy for me, but hell, the song still holds up. One of only two songs in this batch not written by MJ, but he did help produce with Quincy Jones. A bit too long at 6 minutes.
Beat It
Huge hit for MJ, hitting #1 on Billboard. Starting with a solid rock riff by Eddie Van Halen, this is another bass driven song with very catchy lyrics. While MJ’s lyrics are not too deep here (him getting in a gang fight, I don’t think so), the lyrics go very well with the music. At 2:50 mark the unmistakeable sound of EVH’s lead guitar takes over. Good popish, rock song. This is not usually my type of rock and roll, but I like it nonetheless.
The Way You Make Me Feel
This song is a classic example of why MJ is known as the King of Pop. Very easy listening song, very catchy, with good lyrics. You can’t help but move to this song. And Vincent, is that bass GLORPING at beginning of song. MJ’s singing is really good on this one, giving his voice a little edginess at points. And I really liked the progression changes throughout. Again, I thought longer than needed to be, could have been ended at 4 minute mark.
Personal Favorites
Billie Jean
Probably MJ’s biggest hit (but I had to put it in favorites), hitting and staying at #1 for quite awhile. Another bass driven rhythmic song, and I think featuring some of his best singing. Listen thru headphones, his inflections and changes in tone are near perfect. Music and lyrics by MJ are some of his best for this pop music tour de force. A quick side note, watching this batch of songs performed live naturally had me seek Billie Jean live. Nearly impossible. At 3 of MJ’s biggest shows (MSG, Munich Stadium, Motown 25) his performances were musical artwork BUT he lip-synced at all three. Very, Very disappointing. But still, this is a great song.
Man In The Mirror
Yup, another #1 single, this is a very heartfelt song by MJ. Some of his best lyrics, very introspective, put to a nice simple rhythm. It’s almost like he knew he was fucked up and wanted to change his ways. Sadly we know that never happened. I like the song a lot, though it may not resonate with most people, because it didn’t really follow his pop sound.
I'll Be There
I couldn’t review Michael Jackson and not include Little Mikey. This song was written by Berry Gordy (Motown) and was a huge hit for The Jackson 5. Mikey was 11 when he recorded this, and I’m sure whoever was in the production room when MJ was singing couldn’t believe their ears. His singing is nearly flawless and impeccable. A soft, simple song sung with a beautiful and innocent tone. Adding a chorus sung by Jermaine Jackson and harmonies by the other brothers in the band elevated the song even more. Yup, definitely my favorite Little Mikey song.
Unique Songs
Dirty Diana
Another #1 hit for MJ, this is a pretty cool rock song with great guitar work by Billy Idol’s guitarist, Steve Stevens. MJ wrote the song about the trappings of groupies for musicians (tho I thought the lyrics sounded metaphorically about drugs). And a straight rocking song throughtout (how’s that for different by the King Of Pop). Interesting story I read was that this song was a regular on MJ’s setlist when he performed on tour. But knowing that Princess Diana was to attend a show, MJ removed it from the set. When Princess D heard this, she got word to MJ to please perform the song, it was one of her favorites.
Black or White
Yup, another #1 on Billboard, this is a good pop song with catchy verses and chorus. Different in two aspects in that MJ for the first time wrote a socially conscious song about race relations. And also different in that we hear Slash on guitar, no lead, just chords. But wait, at the 1:30 mark, a change to rock, and then at 1:45 we get a rap verse, then at 2:00 minutes, we’re back to a Pop song. That’s different. Good song.
Give In To Me
couldn’t get any more different for MJ, this is a power rock ballad that could have been done by POISON, RATT, MOTLEY CRUE or any other Hair band. And yes, that’s Slash again on guitar. It’s a slow rocker where MJ stretches his singing a bit. Slash gets a good turn at the 3:30 mark. I almost can’t believe MJ wrote these lyrics and song (he did) but it’s just a decent song all-around.
Conclusions
So that’s it for Michael Jackson. Again, outside of his personal life, I’ve always enjoyed MJ music. Listening to him and that voice, you always know it’s him. And to watch him move and dance when he performed was truly great stuff. I didn’t want to harp on videos, but truthfully, he’s got some great ones. And now knowing he wrote music and lyrics to most of his music, I have a new found respect. But damn, I have to take away points due to the lip-syncing (that drives me nuts). Would I have gone seen MJ in concert, nah, I’d pass. I’ll score him 7.9
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
Thriller: I obviously know this song but I don't think I ever really paid attention to how much is going on. The bassline and drums are great and hold it down but there's full horn portions and some cool little guitar riffs under the song as well. Tons of production and theatrics going on which I think is distinctly missing in pop music nowadays. Also it’s 6 minutes long without dragging on. Honestly, I thought I was going to be disappointed by this selection but we’re batting 1.000 so far.
Beat It: A guitar riff that rocks harder than most “rock” bands of the era and with a solid little guitar solo (Eddie Van Halen-esque sound) as well. Less theatrical than Thriller (obviously) but not a bad thing. Little side note, I watch this Youtube channel where professional drummers play other band’s music without ever hearing it and without the drumtrack included. Michael Jackson’s drummer Jonathan “Sugarfoot” Moffett has a really cool episode where I first learned about him. Here’s a great quote that summarizes him really well. “All metronomes are calibrated to Sugarfoot”. Dude is just a machine back there holding it down.
The Way You Make Me Feel: I mean not my style but still a very famous song. Song could have wrapped at 3:30 and then kind of just kept going for another minute and a half. It’s not a bad song by any means, it’s kind of just there. It’s a good catchy pop song. Critique about the 80s. I know synth and electronics drums were in but who decided that all 80s songs needed the most obnoxious snare sound?
Billie Jean: Iconic intro. This song and Thriller are the same song to me. Both amazing. Almost the same exact formula. Again I never realized how much is happening in the background of these songs. Lyrically a hilarious song, was MJ considered a sex symbol at one point? Obviously that ship had long sailed in pop culture by the time I was aware of Michael Jackson.
Man In The Mirror: This song stinks lol. Some George Michael shit with runs. Also really try to separate the art from the artist but he really didn’t take these lyrics to heart. I actually liked the last 2 minutes where it just drags on with adlibs and the gospel sound. First 3 minutes I can do without, lyrical self sanctimonious nonsense. Also surprised that dad chose this as one of his favorites with all of the runs he sings. Okay googled it. He did contribute millions to philanthropic efforts. So I half take back what I said. Sticking to the music though, this song is stinky.
I’ll Be There: Does this count? Are we allowed to pick songs by bands that the artist was a part of? Well we’re here now. I vaguely know this song. I like the music a ton, it reminds me of a good Beatles song. This is probably my favorite “normal” song that’s been played so far. “I love little Michael”.- The Longest Yard
Dirty Diana: This is the first time I’ve heard this song. Most rocking song by a long shot so far. This got me looking into who was the studio guitarist for MJ. Looks like there has been a few but former Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens played the lead for this track. I like it, at times it reminds me of Tom Morello. Also I’m proud of myself. I said earlier than the guitar solo in Beat It reminded me of EVH… well that's because it is EVH!
Black or White: Know this song because of the very famous music video. What was the cultural impact when this song was released, google seems to say it was generally well received as a racial unity song? It's kind of hard to just stick to the music with this track since it’s literally a social commentary. Little tidbit, the rap verse is done by the song’s co-producer Bill Bottrell, a white guy who was not a rapper. Really went all out with breaking barriers with this song.
Give In To Me: This is a cool ballad and relatively unique from the rest of the work. I heard it a few times throughout my listen but this is the closest sounding to a lot of the Glam and Hair Metal of the time. Except, it doesn’t suck. I like that although he is considered a pop artist every song was 4 minutes or more. He’s really good at building up an atmosphere around his music. A lot of the intros, and background music really set the mood and the tone of the song before it kicks in.
That was fun. Tragic that Smooth Criminal didn’t make the cut but that's part of the fun of this music club. I don’t think I ever really paid attention to the details in a lot of MJ’s tracks. It’s also absolutely insane that he wrote, composed, and produced most of his music. There’s a lot of details in these songs and he really nails a lot of it. Is it my favorite style of music? I think from my past selections and opinions it is obviously not but I can really get behind a lot of his genre bending pop. There were a few duds in the list but overall this selection was a pleasant surprise! 8.4/10
Joe Cascella
Alright!! We got some MJ for this week. I assume I’ll be familiar with most of not all of this, but personally, I love his music and I’m really looking forward to jamming out.
Thriller – A theatrical masterpiece. It’s fun, groovy, up beat and everything that I would hope for in the #1 Halloween song recorded of all time. It’s musically loud but in a really great way, and the chorus is an immediate sing-along. I love the production of the whole thing. Was there anything really like this beforehand, or was he the first to dive into this realm?
Beat It – A classic banger right here. The music is actually more impressive than I thought it would be, with a bit more rock n roll than I anticipated with that guitar work throughout. The solo back into the chorus is clean as can be. The layover voicing also feels like it was the first time any musician did this to the caliber that MJ does it at. He just seems to do more with post production than any musician before him.
The Way You Make Me Feel – A lot of ad libs and yelling up front. It kind of reminds me of Migos just ad-libbing throughout one of his raps. This is a bit more of a simple song, but MJ’s singing is as good. I’ll continue to say that his music just seems more advanced than anything else in his era. Even the sound of his songs is not really duplicated. This is distinctly MJ.
Billie Jean – Another great song, with some clever and witty lyrics, but also incredibly ironic lyrics. Of all of his songs, this is probably my favorite to sing-along to. Good stuff
Man in The Mirror – How about you preach what you speak, MJ?! What the hell. More ironic lyrics. The chorus is good and catchy, the rest of the song is basic and boring and I don’t care about it at all. Personal favorite, huh? He over sings the shit out of the song too, unnecessary. Maybe it would be a better song if it was simpler and shorter, maybe a little softer. Not for me
I’ll Be There – Timeout, does this count as MJ. I obviously know it’s little Mikey, but this is a Jackson 5 song. That’s like putting in Through Glass in a Slipknot review or Hungerstruck when reviewing Soundgarden. I don’t know about this, it may need to be discussed. With that, obviously a classic jam. A simple, soft, nice song with good lyrics. Little guy can sing, not much to it
Dirty Diana – Now this is what I’m talking about! A mysterious intro that leads into a building song with a fun story and an overall great performance. That’s what it comes down to, even the songs are performative, and he’s the best at it. This is another example that is very pop heavy, but had some elements of rock n roll in it. This is exactly what I want to hear if I know I’ll be listening to MJ.
Black or White – Why does the kid in the intro sound like Smalls from the Sandlot. I’m sure it’s not, but I have to look it up quickly… Welp, the kid in the audio song is not Smalls, but the kid in the video is McCauley Culkin, so now I have to go pull up the video (please hold)… will I ever start this song… wow what a wild video hahahaha. The McCauley part was awesome, and he did the eyebrow raise from Home Alone lol! As far as the song, not so awesome. MJ’s attempt of preaching equality, even though he decided to change the color of his skin. Interesting.
Give in to Me – What is this generic garbage lol. I mean the guitar solos are fun, but the rest is pretty crappy. I will say, it’s very unique for MJ, so kudos there.
Overall review – MJ is a 9.7 performer, arguably one of the all-time best leads on any stage he’s ever stepped foot on. His best songs coincide with his performative actions. The songs with large production and that loud feel are his best work. Some songs have a bit more of a rock n roll element which caught me off guard, and I was pleasantly surprised. There were also a couple of duds in this specific set of songs, which is the format of the group so I’m actually glad to see that. We could’ve listened to the 9 most popular and I would’ve known everything, and that would have been a totally different experience, and overall, a less enjoyable experience. I wanna hear a bit of everything. The boy/dude/whatever he is can really sing, and he elevated pop music to a whole ‘nother level. This was an incredibly fun listen, and cool to dive a bit deeper into his stuff. MJ would’ve been a no-brainer yes to attend a concert for me, and this set of songs gets an 8.0 (shoutout Thriller and Dirty Diana).
Mom Cascella
OK, my turn to review the King of Pop
THRILLER- I think this is a fun song, with a great video. And I like the lyrics. Always a big hit during Halloween. Having Vincent Price talk in the song is a nice touch. Nice start for this listen. I remember the hype for this song and video, and it was huge.
BEAT IT- I know you guys don’t like to talk about music videos, but with Michael song and video go hand in hand. This is the perfect example. Great song, fun video. Gayest gang ever, but well dressed (lol). Real good tempo and beat, and really great guitar work.
THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL- I can’t help but sway when I hear this song. Michael’s version of a love song. Nice, easy song.
BILLIE JEAN- Again, song and video are so much fun. One of my favorites. Like the song, like the lyrics, like the beat.
MAN IN THE MIRROR- little bit different, not my favorite. Really don’t care about his personal demons. Very poppish. It’s fine.
I’LL BE THERE- Love Little Mikey. I used to listen to this and Donnie Osmond “Puppy Love” when I was about 8 years old, and I swooned. But only Donnies poster made the wall. But this is beautifully sung song, sweet and innocent vocals. And watching it, Little Mikey in his purple pimp suit, and big old velvet hat. FUN!!!
DIRTY DIANA- Rocking song. Was this about Diana Ross, IDK. Really good song, great build, nice change of pace for Michael. Really rocks out.
BLACK OR WHITE- could have left the chatter out in the beginning. Different, fine song. Is that rap I hear in middle? Wouldn’t put it on my playlist.
GIVE IT TO ME- Slow rocker from Michael? Didn’t know he was into hair metal. Like this song, he sings the chorus really well, a little edginess.
Another sad story. He died way too young. We know he had problems, always worried about what he looked like, bleached his skin, rumours about touching the boys, and then he goes and marries Elvis’ daughter (less then 2 years). But for his music, I really enjoyed this listen, very talented. And to watch his music with choreography was something special. Would I have gone seen him in concert, sure, why not, probably a hell of a show. My rating 8.1
Uncle Vin Cascella
I have always loved MJs music, especially his vocals and the production- which is among the best. Quincy Jones produced a number of his early albums and very few people heard music the way he did. This listen is gonna be fun!
THRILLER: the electronic beat, the vocals, the horns, the percussion, the backing vocals… iconic song. So much going on. Adding Mr Price is cool but is actually my least favorite part of the song- but I totally get why it was done. Also, as we all know, the video, (the dancing, choreography, costumes and staging) was an epic piece of film making. Just sayin’!
BEAT IT- my favorite MJ song. The bass and guitar do a very nuanced mimicry that produces an awesome sound, and the ¼ beat jump to the chorus is addictive! MJ never sounded better. The signature sounds he makes (ahh, ooh, etc) are classic. The lead in to the lead guitar is great, and of course the guitar lead by EVH (in 1982 folks) is insane. There are so many production ear candies I lose track. Arguably one of the best records ever made.
THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL: Hearing 3 MJ songs in a row gave me a thought I had never had about him- I hear very similar structures and sounds. Still top notch production! The electronic sound with horns is very cool. Great vocal and lyrics.
BILLIE JEAN: always great to hear the iconic opening. A more natural bass sound is appreciated. Great song structure, great vocals and lyrics (I actually didn’t know them all). Late strings, horns, sharp guitar chords. F’in fantastic stuff.
MAN IN THE MIRROR: love the opening vocal and snap. The verse building to the chorus is very cool, then the chorus is just fantastic. I didn’t know all of these lyrics either- great stuff. His voice changes and inflections are subtle. This is the first song I kind of wondered if he’s trying to go deep into a meaning. The original was 1988- was Michael thinking “I need to change my ways”? Some introspection? Did he not like what he was doing off the grid? Who knows, and frankly who cares!! My not-so-deep thought on it was that he was probably wayyyy too stoned and wacked out to care- or was such a completely sick pedo- or both! Hey- a criticism: the song goes too long! Lol.
I’LL BE THERE: When I joined this Club, I did not fully read the Rules and the Terms and Conditions. Now that I’ve been briefed, I fully applaud this choice! The J5 were good- adding Mikey took them to a completely different level. A Gimmick? Yeah, sure, but why not- they were family. Lil Mikey’s first few lines of the vocal are even a tad shaky but he quickly gains his confidence and kills it! This is a truly beautiful song with tremendous lyrics. The strength of the notes at the start of a verse, the line “Let me fill,,,” is as good as a voice gets! Yeah, only 11 or 12 years old, but still. Berry Gordy Motown people- excellent! Sneaky good guitar late too.
DIRTY DIANA: I’ve only heard this one a few times. MJ sounds great live. Quick, very cool lyrics. Mikey doing a Rock n Roll song and lyrics. Great band work. Very well done!
BLACK OR WHITE: I had never heard the fun intro- well ok then! The song begins great too. Another RnR’er. Some really fun percussion with a super tight band. The last 45 seconds have some really fun riffs while MJ does his thing- his great vocal thing!
GIVE IN TO ME: never heard this song- and totally different. I got a Foreigner type vibe- Mike singing a love song. Great production, really good song.
*** Great choice Tony. MJ gets a top score from me: 9.5.
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