Xscape: A Review From the Fanatic's Point of View

I've been waiting for this day for at least six months. After hearing the news of a posthumous album in the works, I've been very curious about what Timberland and LA Reid would do with the demos he left behind. How would these reworked tracks measure up? So this review will be a bit different, as I'll compare the original demos to the 'finished' tracks. 

Love Never Felt So Good: I love the demo, and how simple it is; just his voice and the piano and minimal instrumental accompaniment. I enjoy the new version as well. Some people seem iffy about it, and say it's too over processed but I like it. I actually really enjoy the version with Justin Timberlake as well.It reminds me a bit of 'Working Day and Night' from his Off the Wall album, and I can understand the direction to appease the masses. After all, retro throwbacks are all the rage right now, and it fits the song really well. 

Chicago: I'm gonna be honest and say I actually like this version more then the demo. I love how they layered his vocals, and the beat is really nice. Of course I love the theme of the song, and I think it's one of my personal favorites on the album. It's practically a fan fiction come to life. 

Loving You: I LOVE this one. I don't really like the demo for this either. The original has this beat that reminds me of a warped music box that terrifies me to the core, and I personally don't like it. However, the new version is happy, upbeat and reminds me a bit of 'Sunday Morning' by Maroon 5, both in theme and structure. 

A Place With No Name: This is kind of an infamous song among us MJ fanatics. It's a reworking of 'A Horse With No Name' by America, which is a song I personally cannot stand. However I love the demo for this song a lot. It's so different than anything else I've heard from him, and it's very simple: his voice, the guitar, the drums, the backing vocals all meld together to describe a place that, to me, sounds almost like heaven. It's really beautiful. The new version isn't bad at all, but it all feels a bit unnecessary.  I prefer the original with its more minimalistic approach. 

Slave to the Rhythm: The whole time I was listening to both versions I kept thinking "come on pick up the pace!" because as much as I love the lyrics and his voice on this song, it's too slow for me. Like it's about someone who dances but how do you dance to it when it's so slow? I think I prefer the new version though, as it's slightly faster and feels more finished.

Do You Know Where Your Children Are: This is a surprisingly gripping song that I did not expect to like as much as  I do. I don't think the new version is as bad as it's made out to be, if a little overdone. I feel like 5 years from now someone could listen to it and think 'wow this sounds like 2014'. This isn't something to really be proud of, at least not for Michael Jackson. However I like the demo. I like the lyrics, and the overall feel, and his voice is incredible, as always. 

Blue Gangsta: I really like both, to be honest. But I would definitely pick the original over the new, for several reasons. I like the intro much better, and parts of the song are harder to hear under all that synth. It's just far too complex for my taste. Keep it simple, people! 

Xscape: Last but not least, we have the title track, Xscape. I think once again, they did a pretty decent job. The demo lays the groundwork for a catchy song, and the new version fine tunes it. I can see this song playing in the background during an action sequence of a film, right at the climax. 

I would say the album is worth purchasing. I recommend the deluxe edition that comes with the demos, which are all good in their own right. Let's be honest: Michael Jackson's demos are better than some artist's lead singles. The man could've sang the ingredients on a can of pork and beans and made it sound beautiful. I really hope we can keep his legacy alive for years to come, and this album is definitely a step in that direction.

In Memory of Charlotte Adams

so I don’t know what’s wrong and what’s right when someone you love dies, so I’m just gonna go with my gut.

My grandmother never really understood how wonderful she was. But I respect her for the life that she lead. She got married at 18 years old, had five kids, and went to school to become a registered nurse. Anyone who knew her would know how kind and generous she was. When she knew someone needed help, she would do whatever she could to make things better.

She had the loveliest eyes, which I'm told mine resemble, and the nicest laugh. I always loved making her laugh.

She's been around my whole life. She was at the hospital the day I was born. She always told me that she knew I was a girl even before I was born, and she was one of the first people to hold me. 

I spent so much time at her house. We would bake cookies, and she would take me to the zoo, and I would spend several nights in a row there. I loved being there. 

When my parents got divorced, we moved in with them. Things did change, as one might expect. But she became another parent, not just a grandparent to me. But I always knew that she still loved me to pieces, and that she genuinely viewed me as a wonderful, beautiful person. Even though I still don’t see that in myself, she always did.

She got sick when I was in the 5th grade. She was diagnosed with cancer, and I was always terrified. Terrified of living in a world without her. And for awhile, I just tried to ignore it, pretend it wasn’t there, and nothing was wrong.

But for the last year or so, things have gotten so much worse. She’s been losing her memory, and her body has slowly shut down. I hated that this was happening to her, this amazing woman who was so kind and good having to go through this. I still don’t think it’s fair. 

She was in so much pain,  completely incoherent, and couldn't move on her own, and it was so sad to see. 

Last night she passed away, peacefully in her sleep.

I know that more than anything she wants me to be happy and make every day as good as I possibly can. I’m gonna try to do that for her. I will never forget the wonderful memories I have with her, and I will try to use all that she taught me to make myself and the world better, even in the smallest of ways. 

It’s going to be okay. It has to be okay. 

The AMAs

So I'm a bit (okay a lot late) but I did watch the AMAs and I thought I should try to give my opinion on it. I did watch all three hours and take notes.

I missed Katy Perry's performance, but I didn't hear anything horrible about it. Everyone just says the same thing always, which is that she's a better radio artist than a live performer. Usually I agree.

Pitbull was the host, and I guess he was okay. I find him kind of boring, and I think the awards show should have been hosted by an actual pit bull in a tuxedo.

Look at that face! awww

One Direction did Story of My Life, and I will just say that Zayn's high note will be the death of me. I love One Direction and I'm not afraid to admit it. 

Arianna Grande performed after them and damn that girl can SANG. I have her album and I've listened to the entire thing multiple times, and she's very talented. She did Tatooed Heart, which was good. She's incredibly beautiful and her voice is incredible. So I enjoyed that. 

Rihanna won Best Female Artist, which I guess makes sense. I like her to an extent and no one puts out as much popular material as she does. 

And of course Taylor Swift one Best Country Album for Red, which I will go to my grave insisting is not a country album, though it's a pretty good album. But what can you do. 

Then Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won Best Rap Album, and they did like a lifestream thing from Florida. Then Macklemore starts talking about Trayvon Martin and how shooting is a huge issue and we need to do something, which is true enough. It was kind of random but he's right. I can see where he's coming from. 

Rihanna won some award for her achievements as an artist, which is cool I guess. Although I think she really needs to take a break at some point.

And then I watched the TLC thing and freaked out. Although I assumed they would use like a hologram of Lisa and I wondered who the chick with blue hair doing her part was. I later found out it was lil Mama. 

After that, I kinda zoned out. I came back to see Miley Cyrus close the show with Wrecking Ball, and even though it was a bit weird, I liked it. She sounded good, she looked good, and it flowed nicely. So no complaints there. 

It was a decent show I suppose. There was just a lot of stuff I didn't care about. But what I did care about was worth it.

CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story

I finally watched that TLC biopic that premiered about a month ago on Vh1, and personally I really liked it. I never realized how attractive Keke Palmer is until she played Chilli. Damn.

I mean DAMN girl. 

No but really, I thought it was good. The acting was good, the script was decent, the costumes were AMAZING. I'm about 99% sure that T-Boz and Chilli had some input in making it, so nothing could be terribly inaccurate or came off as stupid (I'm looking at you, created of the Diana biopic.) Overall, I would give it a B+. It's a tv movie, there's gotta be some wiggle room. 

Anyway, I have a lot of feelings about TLC. When people ask me what my guilty pleasures are, I like to say "TLC, both the channel and the girl group." I LOVED them as a child. They were my Spicegirls. And not to bash on the Spicegirls or anything, but I think TLC holds way more talent and charisma. The only reason they had more success was because they had a catchphrase little girls could scream everywhere (GIRLPOWER! GIRLPOWER! GIRLPOWER!). I feel like TLC had a stronger message to share than the Spicegirls. I mean they had a music video where they wore condoms on their clothes. 

I wasn't kidding.

I admire that they were sting promoters of safe sex, I mean that's certainly something you don't see a lot of in music. The interesting thing is that it's a message that doesn't feel forced. It feels like its something genuine, something they care about. Makes sense too considering that Chilli had some things going on beforehand (I don't wanna say it at the risk of making people angry.) 

They have so many good songs: Creep, Waterfalls, What About Your Friends, No Scrubs, and Unpretty are just a few of them. I still listen to them often, to be honest. 

To everyone who just watched the movie and are angry about Pebbles cheating them out of their money back in the day, I just wanna say this: That happened years ago, and everything worked out. I think the movie should be looked at as a celebration of what they did as a group, and remember Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes the way she would want to be remembered. That's how I look at it anyway. 

Either way, I'm glad I watched it, and if you haven't you definitely should. 

Everything I've Ever Been Angry About in the Music World

I try to be a happy, positive person. However, sometimes I just need to let everything out, and there's certainly some things that bother me about the thing I love the most: the music world. So I'm just gonna go.

Chris Brown is a horrible, horrible person. He's a talented dancer, an okay singer, and an awful human being. I like a few of his songs, but I honestly don't understand "team Breezy" at all. What is there to like about this man? It's not just that he beat a woman, it's that he acts like he has learned absolutely nothing from it. So why does he still have fans?

Why are One Direction fans looked down upon? I'm sick of the media portraying them all as crazy stalkers. I mean look at the fans of the Beatles. They used to chase them down the streets and grab at them and one girl even tried to mail herself to the home of one of them, yet if you say you're a beatles fan, no one ever looks at you with distain. Why is that?

Why does no one understand that Michael Jackson was NOT a child molester? The guy who first accused him in 1993 CAME FORWARD AFTER HE DIED and said he only did it so his dad could be rich. It was all a lie that people continued to build upon for their own personal gain, it was all just a lie, so why does no one understand that?

Why does everyone act like Robin Thicke singlehandedly liberated women with his incredibly offensive song? Yeah, Blurred Lines is awful, and the song itself is mediocre at best. Also the music video is cheap and ugly.

I'm sick of everyone acting like Ke$ha is a talentless moron who doesn't deserve to be famous. She's a very intelligent woman who writes her own music and has her own style. She sings songs about having fun, and what's so bad about that?

I'm really sick of twerking. Let it die, please.

I don't understand the censorship. I personally don't believe that songs on the radio should be so heavily censored. I listened to Eminem as a child and I turned out just fine. Why lie to children?

Please stop picking on Miley Cyrus. She's just doing her own thing, and this is her year. Get over it, she isn't Hannah Montana.

I don't have anything against Selena Gomez, but Come and Get it is terrible. It's the blandest song I've ever heard. Also dressing in Indian clothing when you're hispanic is offensive. Nothing pisses me off more than wearing a bindi 'for fashion'. Just no.

Why do people like 2 Chainz? he has no flow, his voice is annoying, and his rhymes are weak. The only time I find him tolerable is when he collaborates with Nicki Minaj, and that's only because she makes everything better.

Abby's November Picks

Halloween is over so you know what that means...It's officially okay to start preparing for Christmas! Well, after Thanksgiving if you live in the U.S. but still. I thought I'd get a kick start on this month by talking about a few songs I'm currently listening to. So get out your mug of tea and your oversized sweater and get comfortable...let's go.

Team by Lorde

This is my favorite song by Lorde so far, and I don't really know why. You can groove to it I guess, it's just so CATCHY and her voice is so good. And she's right, I AM tired of throwing my hands up in the air, SO THERE. It's awesome and she's awesome.

Standing in the Dark by Lawson

It's just really nice and it gives me a lot of feelings that's really it.

 

Chocolate by the 1975

Have I mentioned that the 1975 are my current favorite band? Yeah they are. Apparently they're an alternative band from Manchester (I read all of that in an English accent by the way.) Chocolate is so good, and as someone who loves chocolate I can relate quite heavily to this song. 

Sweater Weather by the Neighbourhood

I didn't think I would like Sweater Weather but I just can't help it. It may reek slightly of hipster-indie garbage but who cares? It's still nice and I know the feeling of having a comfy sweater with long floppy sleeves to hide your hands in. 

I Wanna be Yours by Arctic Monkeys 

I have so many feelings about this song it's ridiculous. It's so strange and has weird lyrics (wanna be your vacuum cleaner/breathe in your dust) but somehow it's so beautiful, it reminds me of like a bizarre relationship that's a mystery to most people but somehow it completely works. Also if you like your coffee hot/let me be your coffee pot is just the greatest set of lyrics ever sorry not sorry. 

Shiver Shiver by Walk the Moon

The whole EP is excellent to study to, but I like Shiver Shiver the most. I don't know why, but I found that it flowed nicely with this whole theme of November. This is probably because of how damned cold it is right now. 

Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey

This was at one point my favorite Lana song. I love the religious imagery, the slow build, the wistful chorus, it's just all so perfect. It also has one of my all time favorite lyrics: you fit me better than my favorite sweater. It's a masterpiece. Also the video scared the crap out of my friend so that's also a plus. 

Halloween Special: Thriller by Michael Jackson

So in honor of Halloween, I decided to go back in time a bit, and talk about something very near and dear to my heart, and this would be Michael Jackson. Specifically, his 1983 short film, Thriller. Widely considered a masterpiece of epic proportions, even those who have little to know understanding of Michael Jackson know of Thriller's existence. It's practically a staple of halloween. So, without further ado, I give you my review of....

Okay, so this is gonna be a different type of review for me, as a real, honest to god review would be me just going OMG THIS IS SO COOL!!!! over and over until you want to punch me in the face. So instead, as an official Michael Jackson expert, I thought I'd share some interesting things about the making of this video. 

Okay so the video opens with this disclaimer, which seems a bit odd because why would anyone think that in the first place? The reason why Michael put this in is because he was a Jehovah's Witness at the time and Jehovah's Witnesses are really strict about this kind of thing. So there's that out of the way. A disclaimer on the disclaimer, if you will. 

The guy on the left is John Landis, who was the director. He was known previously for doing some pretty kick ass movies, such as Blues Brothers and Animal House. After doing Thriller he went on to direct another Michael Jackson video called Black or White in 1991, which is also epic. 

The girl in the video, Ola Ray, was a playboy centerfold the year before. the book I have, The Making of Thriller refers to her as an actress, but refrains from mentioning that she hadn't done any real acting at that point, or how in the documentary had her talking about how she was found because of the centerfold. I don't get why, what's the big deal? Michael Jackson looked at dirty magazines, so what? if anything I imagine that would make people think of him as more of a human than as some sort of pedophile monster. Just saying. 

ANYWAY, the video was shot in four days, and the monster makeup took hours to apply. Michael said that none of it bothered him, except the yellow contacts. They made his eyes water. 

The prosthetics and make up artist was Rick Baker, who was also part of the film An American Werewolf in London, which John Landis also directed. 

The song was written by Rod Temperton (this was before Michael established himself as a songwriter) and it was initially titled starlight. Quincy Jones asked him to retool it to be a title track for Michael's album. The song then became Midnight Man. Then according to him, he woke up one morning and one word came to mind; Thriller. So it was retooled again, Quincy Jones got Vincent Price to do the rap type verse which is really just the icing on the cake, and that's how this song came about. In fact after doing a little digging, I found the demo for starlight. Here's the link if you want to check it out. 

The idea of a short film where he turned into a monster was his idea. It would be the crowning jewel of this album. Which of course is exactly what it became.