Weird Music Videos - "Torture" by The Jacksons

Well, the long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic has come out, and I'm still waiting for it to hit streaming. We got kids at home, and I don't think my wife wants to sit through a two-and-a-half hour biopic. Honestly, I kinda don't want to either because that has got to be a dang good movie with how much things cost these days. The critics haven't been gracious, but I've seen some good takes. My sister saw it, and she really liked it. Chances are that I'll enjoy it.

I don't know what's worse, the manniquen or the fact that I can't tell if any of them are real especially with that fashion!

Today's video is one most will probably not view fondly. "Torture" (hilarious name) was a song from the Jacksons' 15th studio album, Victory. This was kind of considered to be a special album because it featured all 6 Jackson brothers. Jermaine had left the group when the family left Motown, and Randy took his place. They all reunited during Motown's 25th anniversary special  This was right off the release of Thriller and the Jacksons' reunion. The Victory tour was even spun out all this, but weirdly enough, NONE of the songs on this album were sung during the big tour. After taking a gander at the album... I can see why. No one wants to hear Marlon singing "Body," but seeing him gyrate on stage is hilarious. I saw the music video years ago on VH-1.

 

So, what can be said about this kinda forgotten single and its video?

• Okay Song - Jackie actually wrote the lyrics for this one. It was meant to be about the hardships of being in a relationship. Apparently, he was supposed to sing lead with Michael (who does the second verse), but Jermaine got lead instead... not sure what happened there. The funny thing is that it's the only song Jermaine takes part in on the album! The song itself is alright though. It's probably one of the better songs on the album. Tito's guitar solo is nice, and Michael's verse is cool.
• Thriller 2.0 - I'm guessing that the director wanted to capitalize on the "Thriller" music video because the spooky vibe is ramped up to 11 here. Basically, the Jacksons are trapped in some hell dimension with spiders, evil-looking dancers, eyes popping out of hands, ghouls, and all sorts of dastardly things! Jackie is walking through this Hell trying to save the band and some lady. It's definitely the weirdest Dungeons and Dragons campaign around. Also, this vid is part-nightmare fuel and part-hilariousity.
• Mixed Message - The song was meant to be about the hardships of a relationship, but the video kinda adds another topic: bondage! I'm guessing someone on the production listened to the song and was like "let's make this even weirder than it needs to be!"  You got this chick running around in a mask with a whip! It also doesn't help that Jackie's wearing something that has that BDSM vibe to it. He's getting whipped here and there and gets trapped quite a bit. I did notice Tito was wearing a Flash shirt at some point. What was up with that?
• Introducing... 4 Jacksons and a Stand-In! - Probably the funniest fact about the video is that you only see 4 brothers in the video. Jermaine didn't even show up to the shoot since he had an album out. Michael, who was really only doing the album and tour for his family, didn't show up either. Since you really can't have a Jacksons vid with no Michael, they got a dummy from one of those wax museums. It's so obvious too! The dummy looks so off when paired with the rest of the brothers.

This is what happens when someone tries to wear Michael's glove without permission!

In the end, it's surprising that this video turned out as "mid" as it did. Apparently, it was "torture" to get it produced. The song was alright at least. I don't think I'd throw this song or any song from this album on a "Best of the Jacksons" playlist though. Maybe that's what I'll work on next. I was meant to do it years ago. Anyway, that's all I got. Peace, God Bless, and don't walk into hell dimensions with your 3 brothers and a mannequin.

Okay... forgive my French, but what the hell was this???

Weird Music Videos - "Rapture" by Blondie

 And my first post back from a pretty long sabbatical is... a random post about the first Rock/Rap combo. Well, the blog is called "Random Thoughts", so there you go. Anyway, Blondie was a rock band from the late 1970's. They blended a bit of new wave, punk, and other genres.  They're known for songs like "Heart of Glass" and "One Way or Another." Those two songs and today's song, "Rapture", are the only ones I know from them though. They're aren't exactly on my "Find Old Music To Listen To" journey, but some of their songs are catchy. 

"Rapture" is from their fifth album, Automerican, released in 1981. The music video was released about the same time on MTV and Solid Gold. It was a bit of a rock and rap mixture. Rap was in the early stages at this point but not on the grand stage just yet. You had ones already out like the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambatta, and Fab Five Freddy. Fab Five Freddy is important to this because he knew Debbie Harry and Harry Stein, two members from Blondie. They were inspired by Freddy and the growing rap sound to write some into one of their songs. It was pretty much a success on their end with "Rapture" being one of the first successful rap songs. I would see this video show up on VH-1's Pop Up Video when I was younger. Is it good though?

• Great Music Arrangement - Say what you want about the rapping, but the music and Harry's vocals in the beginning are awesome. It's got a slick bassline, good drumming, and some nicely placed saxophones. It's what I love from music. The added bonus are the chimes which give it a dreamlike vibe.
• THE RAP IS KINDA WACK - Hey, I like the song, but the lyrics are pretty bad. I don't know if I can relate to the man from Mars who eats cars and then suddenly decides to eat guitars. Harry's flow is alright. You can kinda tell where they ran out of stuff to say at times. I guess they didn't know what to rap about which I get. If you listen to rap songs from this era, their lyrics tend to be weird. Just check out "Rapper's Delight" where you'll hear about the following: The hip-hop hippity hop, Super-sperm, and something about bad macaroni and cheese.
• Dreamlike Video - Not only does the song have this dream-like vibe, the video is about the same. You got all sorts of randomness here. You got dancing, people painting graffiti, and a few other things I'll mention in a minute. Also, were Debbie and the rest of the band mannequins at first? That's what it seemed like to me. I also gotta admire most of it taking place in one shot. 
• Black Man in a White Suit - I don't even get who the dude in the white suit was supposed to represent. I know it ain't Fab Five Freddy. I know that from Pop Up Video. He apparently sports red, glowing eyes, so maybe he's the man from Mars... or what some people think Jesus might've looked like. He even dances with the girl ballerina for a sec, and that was cute... oh yeah, why is a girl ballerina hanging in an alley with all sorts of mischief ?!?
• Random Indian who looks like Richard Pryor - Yes, I know what I said. When I first saw this vid, I was like, "Why's Richard Pryor dressed up like an Indian Chief?" I now know it wasn't him now, but still, so random! I ain't even mentioning Homeless Uncle Sam, the weird scientist, the dancers from a cult, and some lady who looks like she escaped Arkham Asylum.

.....................................

In the end, it's a classic song and video with some weird rap lyrics. When I say it like that, it definitely sits in good company. I might add Blondie to a listen pile, but I'm not sure. Maybe someday.  I don't know how much I'll post these days, but hopefully, I won't take too long with something. Until then, Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there... The Richard Pryor chieftain may still be around.

Look I'm just saying... it looked like Richard Pryor to me, dang it!!!

Weird Music Videos – “White Horse” by Laid Back

This may be the first post where the video AND song are both weird. Also, Hello there! Yeah, I been gone for a little bit longer than I wanted. Life’s still going on, you see. The Lord has been good to us. We’re even having another boy soon, so that’ll be two rascals me and Liz will have to chase. So, let me talk about a Danish song that apparently hit the R&B charts back in the 80’s… yeah. I think America didn’t know what to do with this song.

“White Horse” was done by Laid Back, a Danish electric group. While the song was released on the B-side of their album in 1983, it somehow got a lot of traction over here in the US. I guess we really liked those beats or something. I actually remember my first interaction with this song from 1998. Me and my dad were driving down to Huntsville for Thanksgiving and this song came on 104.3 WZYP during their 80’s hour. Even he was wondering what was up with this song. He even brought it up to my cousin and great uncle who were visiting from Chicago. Apparently, I talked about this song here years ago, so it may be time for a redo and something more detailed.

So, what was this song about? And what was up with the video???

• Shady Dancing Dude – We get introduced to some shady Danish dude being followed by a shady Danish reporter who I guess wants to know about the white horse. Shady Dude also got some dance moves, and I can’t blame him. That intro makes you want to move. I see why this hit the charts over here.
• This song makes no dang sense – After a pretty long, upbeat intro, we learn a few things. First, if you want to ride, don’t right the white horse. Second, if you want to be rich, you gotta be a – uh, let’s say witch. You’ll figure it out. Finally, and most importantly, if you must  ride, ride the white pony. Some say that’s about drugs which makes a lot of sense because they were probably on drugs when they wrote this! I remember one commenter said that the white pony is sex… Okay?
• Cross-eyed Lady – During the video, we see a sultry lady dressed in a suit with a short skirt. Why she has the captain sailor’s hat, I have no clue. She also looks a bit-cross-eyed during it all which adds the video’s weirdness. All I can say to that is “Anchors Away!”
• David Hasselhoff?? – Look, when I first saw this vid, I was like “Michael Knight’s in the house!” I know John Guldenburg (the guitarist) looks nothing like Hasselhoff, but it stuck out to me. Maybe they have the same vibe.
• White Pony – The video ends… with a white pony in a hotel. Don’t know what’s being said there, but at least the fun has ended.

………………………………………..

Le me guess... she hit up some of that White Horse before shooting this video, right?

In the end, this is definitely one of the weirdest 80’s songs. That’s probably why it was such a hit. Even their other hit,“Sunshine Reggae,” isn’t too bad. That’s all I know about the duo. They got a bit of a discography, but I’m not too interested in it. Anyway, that’s all I got for now. Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there.

This may or may not be me dancing to "White Horse".

Random Weird Music Videos - "Whatzupwitu" by Eddie Murphy featuring Michael Jackson

For my next foray in the wonderful, weird world of music videos, it's time to look at one of my favorite comedic actors: Eddie Murphy. Yes, he actually recorded a few music albums. I guess he thought he could also hit it big in this realm. No, he's not the best singer around, but he ain't too bad. I imagine that he'd do well at a church on any given Sunday. Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the One-Hit Wonder known as "Party All the Time" which was produced by Rick James. No, I got "Whazupwithu," a song off his third album that features one of my favorite singers, Michael Jackson. 

I always wondered why I never heard of this song back in the day. I mean, knowing that it was on an Eddie Murphy album definitely didn't help. I saw the video for this a few years ago and was amazed at how horrible it looked. My sister (who's a big MJ fan) sent a reel of it to me on Instagram a while ago. I also saw a reel of the podcast Double Toasted reacting to it, so that's why it's here. I gotta put my piece in on this wholesome horridness.

• "The Elephant is dying!" - Excuse my French, but what the hell was that? I had to do a double take at the beginning!
• "Eddie Mercury" - I saw a comment on Instagram and that just made me LOL. I definitely see it! I guess Eddie thought he could fill the void left by Freddie Mercury or something.
• Why, Michael? Why? - While I could be asking that question to MJ on a plethora of stuff, this is definitely a question that has to be asked. He's featured on stuff for years, but this one is the most baffling to me. Apparently, he liked the wholesome feel of the lyrics, so he agreed to do the song and the video. I can say that at least it looked like they were having fun making the video. Plus, MJ brought his usual A-game to the song.
• PBS Intro - This seriously looks like it could be an intro to a kids' learning show. That's not the vibe you should be going for... unless you're trying to create an intro for a kids learning show. It's like the wholesome version of "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" featuring Michael Jackson as the magic imp!
• Disney Channel Feel - All this video made me think of was those Disney Channel drawing bumpers you'd see from the early 2000's.  You'd have someone from those shows come on screen and be like "This is Disney" and pull out some magic wand. I almost thought the song was gonna end with Hilary Duff or Raven showing up with that wand!
• "Whatzzzuppwithuuu" - I don't know what Eddie was thinking adlibbing that in the song. The song itself is okay at best, but hearing him say it like that throughout the song is hilarious!
• The children choir - No comment there. While I got my theories about all that involving Michael, seeing a kids' choir show up here cracked me up. I guess this was shot before all those allegations started.

In the end, this is horrible. The song itself isn't that good, but the video just... dang! I don't know what the heck the creators were thinking about this! At least it's a video you can laugh out loud to. We need some of that these days. It may not be what Eddie Murphy was going for, but he did create one of the worst and funniest music videos ever. Anyway, I'm outta here. Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there.

At least some fun was to be had.

Random Weird Music Videos - "I Can't Remember" by Peter Gabriel

I didn’t realize that I had another one in me. Recently, I’ve been looking at some of Peter Gabriel’s music. You wouldn’t think that a 37 year-old Black dude from the country would be into some Gabriel, but here were are. I mean, I did do a post on Genesis and Phil Collins, alright? I lost my “Awesome Black Dude” card years ago, and I don’t even know how I got it in the first place! I also didn’t realize that did a quick post on his biggest hit “Sledgehammer” years ago. Weird, huh?

Now, I’ve had his greatest hits album for a few years, and for some reason, listening to “Red Rain” for the first time in years sparked something in me. By the way, Stewart Copeland (the drummer from the Police) had a part to play in the song, and I think that’s another reason I kept coming back to it. I was scouring YouTube for some more hits I hadn’t heard before. I ended up looking at some of the early music he did after he left Genesis back in the 70’s and ran into a familiar tune, “I Don’t Remember.” Apparently, Gabriel had more than a few versions of the song out there,  and it does show up on the greatest hits album. The song was ultimately was released on his third solo album in 1980. It got a music video in 1982, and… well, there’s a reason there’s a post for it here.

So, what in the heck is up with this video?

• That Bass – The first thing you hear is the bass from Tony Levin who’s a great bass player. He’s mainly known for being the bass player from King Crimson, another Prog Rock group from the 70’s. Here, he’s playing a special instrument called the Chapman Stick which gives a pretty unique sound.
• A Man in Search of Something – We got Gabriel in the video in search for something. What it is, we don’t know, but my guess is a distant memory. I mean, walking through disheveled places littered with pictures, plasters of his face, and a crazed traveling dance group must mean something.
• WEIRD WHITE FOLK – Yeah, if you’re feeling unsettled by the travelling dance crew from Arkham Asylum, you’re not the only one. This was weird. I don’t know if they’re supposed to be demons, old memories taken form, or what. They kinda remind me of those aliens from Dark City. I know that they do make the video cool and kinda unsettling. It feels like Gabriel played with the box from Hellraiser, and these Cenobite wannabes popped out!
• Random Shamans – Yeah, what were the random shamans who use blowdarts and sit in disheveled apartments gonna do? Apparently transform into those white ghost/demon/alien things which is what happens to Gabriel towards the end. We even get a nod to another music video he did during this time, “Shock the Monkey.”
  

Overall, it’s a weird but good video. It also helps that the song itself is pretty good. Somehow, Peter Gabriel also evoked that weird, unsettling vibe to the album version of the song too. It kinda makes me want to check out the rest of that album. I’ve heard a couple of more songs from it and thought they were pretty good. Heck, since Gabriel’s released another album, I might go on and do a true deep dive. Anywho, I’m outta here. Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there. Also, make sure you don’t invite that traveling dance group from Wherever anytime soon. They'll either have sights to show you or want to whisk you away to their homeworld.

Random Weird Music Videos - Cameo's "Back and Forth"

You know, I haven’t talked about any weird music videos for years, so I might as well try to get back to that. This is called “Random Thoughts,” after all. Besides, some of these need a talking!

In the last few years, I’ve been trying to make my music catalog a little deeper. Thanks to Pandora, I’ve been able to listen to more than just the popular songs from certain groups. One of those groups was the funk/soul group, Cameo. Now, I only really knew about Cameo from their biggest hits like “Word Up” and “Candy”. What I didn’t know was that this group had quite a few hits under their belt. They started in the 70’s with a big booming band akin to most funk groups from that time. The changing music scene of the 80’s whittled that 14-member group to about five guys, but the funk persisted!

Now, the group had some wild music videos. Heck, most artists had some wild music videos in the 80’s. Today’s is no different. “Back and Forth” was a modest hit off from their biggest album, Word Up! I picked this because it goes into Weirdtown in the first second. Here are just some of things you’ll come across here:

• FLOATING CODPIECE – Seriously, the first thing you seen on screen is Larry Blackmon’s red codpiece coming at you on screen! Yeah, it lets you know to not take things seriously, but still, what the heck? It even makes cameos (no pun intended) throughout the video swinging like a pendulum!
• Sexy Dancing – If there’s one thing you’ll run into with Cameo’s videos, it’ll be a bunch of attractive people dancing. Of course, you got the women, but also get the men in on the action.  Even some of the members try to dance… just try. There’s reason they stick to just singing and playing music. If you really want to see the band get down, check out one of their first videos, "Shake Your Pants."
• Romance Troubles – The song’s message is pretty simple: love is a battlefield… wait, wrong artist. Anyway, anyone who’s been in a relationship knows that it can be a lot of “back and forth” between two lovers. You end up seeing two members getting into spats with their pretty nimble ladies and then going to the club for funsies.
• Body builders? – Apparently, someone had a bit of muscle fetish because we get a couple of body building men and women here. Even Larry Blackmon tries to show off his chiseled-ness.
• MILES DAVIS? – So, you’re wondering who the dude decked in black staring deep into your soul is, well that’s the legendary jazz musician, Miles Davis. It’s definitely one of the most random cameos ever. He did some collaborations with the group, so I guess that’s why he’s here. Either way, Random! It also doesn’t help that he looks like he might fight you in the corner of a dark alley!

………………………………..

In the end, it’s just another weird music video for Cameo. It’s not their best video or song, but it’s a good one. For me, their best song is either “Word Up” or “Attack Me With Your Love”. Those videos are pretty wild too. They have one that I may talk about one day because it is wild. Anyway, I’m outta here. Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there.

Also, don’t say Miles Davis’ name in a mirror five times in a row, or you’ll be visited by him like he’s Candyman or something.

This is Halloween! - "Bela Legosi's Dead"

For this next post, I thought I’d continue down the rabbit hole of the vampire. Maybe that Batman/Dracula movie would’ve suited better here, but it is what is. When it comes to the big monsters, vampires aren’t exactly on my list of favorites… well, Blade is, but the Daywalker is one bad brother. Also, Angel’s a good vampire… when he isn’t sometimes transforming into Angelus. Unfortunately, I have no Dark Shadows episodes for today, but these definitely fit with that gothic feel… well, three of them do. So, here a couple of recent watches, one of the first movies I watched on HBO Max, and one of the worst things I’ve watched in years.

Favorites - 12 Favorite Songs from Mr. Mister

It’s been a minute since I’ve gone into some music, so I thought I’d take a left at Albuquerque and talk about some 80’s pop group called Mr. Mister. I don’t have to turn in my “Awesome Black Dude” Card again, do I? Oh well, I think I switched it out for the “Average Black Dude” Card anyway. For those who don’t know who Mr. Mister is, they’re the dudes who did the 80’s classic, “Broken Wings.” Another song they’re also known for is “Kyrie.” That was where my knowledge of the group ended for years. Those were the only two songs I heard from the group. I can thank Mixed 92.9 FM for that.

It didn’t stop there, though. As I started to peruse through different stations on Pandora, I came across the group again and something clicked for me. I think it had to do with hearing another song of theirs, “Don’t Slow Down.” For some reason, that made me want to search more for the group on YouTube, and I started to look for more music. I even bought their most successful album, Welcome to the Real World, on iTunes. As I listened to more and more, I started to become a bit of a fan. Also, and this is a personal detail, some of their music helped me get through some tough times last year. Heck, it’s still helping me.

The group was formed in 1980 and lasted throughout the decade. The members were Steve Farris (guitar and background vocals), Steve George (drums/percussion), Pat Mastelotto (keyboard and background vocals) , and Richard Page (bass and lead singer). They technically released four albums during that time with Welcome to the Real World, the second album, being their biggest one. Pull, their last album, didn’t see the light of day until 2010. It was supposed to be released in 1990, but their studio didn’t release it.  The group went their separate ways after that. Since I’ve finally listened to all four albums, I thought I’d do a list of my favorite songs. It’s not in order, but my favorites are up top.

Mini-Music Reptrospective - Jamiroquai Part 2

Here is are the rest of Jamiroquai's studio albums. I also got a ranking of all the albums from least favorite to favorite. 

A Funk Odyssey (2001)

This is probably my least favorite album from the group. Something about it just feels off. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought that. Even reviews from that era were mixed on this one. It really sways into the techno/disco side of things, and most of the songs don’t stick with me at all. Now, they do try to do some new things and use some different sounds. Only a couple of songs here really come  to mind. The rest are fine for the most part.

Favorite Songs:

• Little L – Of the fast songs on here, this one and another one are the only ones that really hit with me.
• You Give Me Something – This is another fast love song. It’s cool and funky, but that’s about it.
• Corner of the Earth – This is one of the songs where the group tries to use a different sound. iN this case, it’s Bossa Nova… not Chevy Nova for you 1990 TMNT movie fans out there. It’s slower, not funky, and just more spiritual. Heck, Jay Kay is wearing Native American regalia in the music video, something that would probably get him into trouble these days. Still, it’s a pretty cool song.

Mini-Music Retrospective - Jamiroquai Part 1

You know, it’s been a while since I’ve geeked  out on some music here. I don’t have a lot of favorite artists, but there are some I tend to go back to from time to time. You can find most of them here on the blog. One group I’ve been listening to a lot has been… (checks Google)… Jamiroquai. If you don’t know who they are, you can do two things: look up that music video with the white room and moving floor, or check out that Napoleon Dynamite dance scene. Yeah, it’s those dudes. That “Virtual Insanity” music video was my first intro to the group, and that was pretty much it for a long time.

For those not in the know, Jamiroquai is a British funk and acid jazz group. Acid Jazz basically mixes funk, disco, R&B, and soul into a blender. They also started to add a lot of house and techno music to their repertoire in the 2000’s. Their front-man, Jason “Jay” Kay, is pretty much known for the wacky hats he wears, his soulful voice, and some of the dancing he does. While the group has some success in the US, they do much better on the UK charts. They’ve released eight studio albums between 1992 and 2017.

“Virtual Insanity,” “Canned Heat,” and couple of other songs were the only ones I heard for a long time. I think it was a couple of years ago when I decided to check out the rest of their discography starting with their first album, Emergency on Planet Earth. Since then, I’ve been listening to more on my iPod. Since I’ve finally gotten to listen to their latest album, Automaton, I thought I’d quickly talk about their albums and list off some of my favorite tracks. I was going to originally do a favorites list, but I couldn’t do it.  Besides, I think I would’ve thrown most of their first two albums on there.

Favorites - Favorite Soundtracks from Video Games

You know, there is one thing I haven’t talked about here in a while: music. I guess it got lost in the shuffle of comics, books, movies, and TV. Heck, I’m still not letting go of a couple of those things in the next couple of posts. I started to wonder about my favorite movie scores and started to run into blanks. I got them, but I really couldn’t call up many except for a few. Then, a lot of the ones I could think of are from the same dudes.

Then, I began to wonder about my favorite musical scores from video games. I shockingly had more luck there. Music is one thing that helps enhance gameplaying. It can help you get hyped up at the big moments and it can make you pretty annoyed at the low moments. I can’t count how many times I heard Saren’s theme when I died in the first Mass Effect. So, here are my ten favorite musical scores from video games. It’s not completely in order, but I do have the best up front.

Favorites - 11 Favorite James Bond Theme Songs

For Thanksgiving, I was going to post something different but this little topic recently popped into my head. This is something I’ve wanted to blog on, so this feels like the right time to do it. Besides, there’s probably a James Bond marathon on TV somewhere. I remember TBS or SpikeTV would do marathons of all the James Bond movies. I’d sometimes tune in especially if it’s one of the good ones.

If there’s one thing that always a “must have” about the movies, it’s the theme song and opening. The visuals and the music combine to make something that shouldn’t be missed. It’s not the visuals that folk center on so much as it is the songs themselves. Unfortunately, someone didn’t tell Sam Smith that with SPECTRE. I mean, the guy isn’t a bad singer, but I thought “Writing’s On the Wall” was not a good one. I think Smith’s style wasn’t to my liking there with that whining he does. So, here are my 11 favorite Bond theme songs. I’m also including the instrumental ones too. They’re also not in order favorite-wise but you’ll know what I think are the best of these bunch.

Favorites - Favorite Songs From Genesis

You know, I haven’t talked about anything music-related in a long minute. I think I need to change that today. It’s back to Genesis, and yes, I’m a black dude talking about Genesis, a progressive rock/pop/new wave band. I’m allowed to have good taste, right? Right. A few years ago, I did a small list of my favorite songs from both the group and Phil Collins and I think it’s time to update that list. I’ve listened to a lot more of Genesis since then. I don’t know if I’d call myself a big Genesis fan. I’m probably a decent fan. I’ve even listened to the era that doesn’t get played on radio.

For those who don’t know, Genesis started out in the late 60’s and grew over time into a progressive rock group. Collins wasn’t even in it at the beginning. He didn’t come around until their third album. After their original frontman, Peter Gabriel, left in the mid-70’s, the group stayed like that until the late 70’s and 80’s where their music started to become more mainstream. You didn’t come here for a history lesson though. Today, I’ll list off my favorite songs from the group. Since the group’s catalog is pretty sizable, I thought I’d split it up by eras: The Gabriel Era and the Collins Era. That should keep things simple.

Favorites - Top 10 Cover Songs

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about anything related to music, so here’s something a little different. For the longest time, songs have been covered by other artists. Whether it’s for TV, a random artist, or some random bloke on YouTube, just know that they are out there. For this list, I’m pretty much talking about covers by professional artists. Let’s just leave the Glee stuff out of this. What was the appeal of that show? Anyway, most if not all covers are pretty inferior to the original. There are a lot of examples out there. Then, there are some that are pretty decent but still aren’t as great or memorable.

Today, here are some of the covered songs that I think are as good or are greater than the original songs. It’s not in order and I’m leaving it at ten. There are other songs out there but I have to cut it off somewhere. I was curious in seeing what songs were covers and a couple actually shocked me. I’ll include links to both the original and cover so you can make up your own mind.

Music Retropspective: Michael Jackson - Conclusion

Well, it’s been a while, but it’s finally time to end this. Here are my top 30 songs by Michael Jackson. I knew I couldn’t stop at ten or twenty, so I have to go all out for this. Now, if you’re wondering why songs like “ABC” and “I Want You Back” aren’t here, there’s a simple reason for that. I’m only including solo or duet songs here. Including Jackson 5 songs would make this list even tougher to do and I don’t want to do that to myself. Besides, I do have a little something for the family on down the line.

It’s weird that I started to work on this around the anniversary of Jackson’s death. I actually remember where I was when I heard the news. I was taking my sister home in my old Toyota Camry when my mom called her. We then turned on the radio and heard the unfortunate news. I guess I was discouraged about it. I never knew the guy, but I always liked the music. My sister got some memorabilia afterwards. I’d say she’s the bigger fan, but she didn’t devote some of a blog to talking about his albums.

Before I get there, I might as well talk about my favorite Jackson album. It’s kind of tough to say, but I’ll have to go with the obvious: Thriller. It was what made me a fan of Michael Jackson. While some of his later albums are probably better on a technical level, I just love this album. All of the songs are pretty good even if a couple of are a bit forgettable. Bad would easily be my second favorite album. After that, I’d actually have to think about it. By the way, these are my favorites, so don’t be shocked if you don’t see some popular ones on here. I’ll say a little something about the songs but if you want a more in-depth description, just look at my retrospectives.

Music Retrospective - Michael Jackson's Albums Pre-Off The Wall

Remember when I said I was done with looking at Michael Jackson’s albums? Well, I… exaggerated. I started to think about his other solo albums he did before Off The Wall. He actually did four solo albums with Motown while he was also singing with his brothers. Some of the songs are original stuff while some are covers of songs. I don’t even think my sister owns them, so listening to them on my iPod would be pretty hard. Instead of skipping them entirely, I’m just going to briefly talk about them. I was able to listen to them on YouTube and as of now, they’re still there if you want to take a listen.

Music Retrospective - Michael Jackson: Invincible

Well, it was bound to come to this. I’ve finally gotten to Michael’s last album… official last album, anyway. I’m not counting the post-death ones like Michael and Xscape. Invincible was released in 2001 and it was Jackson’s first studio album in a long time. He had help in writing a lot of the songs. The album sold well but not as well as most of his previous albums. I do remember that there was some talk going on about the album not being promoted enough. The album only released four singles. It was apparently supposed to release more, but that didn’t happen for some reason. One song did get nominated for a Grammy though.

This is another album I don’t own physically own though I probably should. My sister has it, so I downloaded it from her. It’s also one I really hadn’t listened to until I really started this project. The only songs I knew about were the two singles that were played on radio back in the day. I really didn’t know what to expect when I got to listening to it a few months ago. So, how does this album ultimately shape up?

Invincible

Music Retrospective - Michael Jackson: Blood on the Dance Floor - History in the Mix

So, it’s Another Michael Jackson album in the same month. It must be the water or it could be the fact that a certain Man of Steel will be the subject of next month. Today’s album is Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix. It was released in 1997 and it released three singles. Jackson only worked on five songs from the album. The rest of the songs, which are remixes of songs from HIStory, were worked on by other artists. It sold well but not at the levels of the other albums.

This is one album I don’t physically own. My sister owns it and I was able to download it from her copy. I wondered if I should skip this album because it’s essentially a remix album. Still, there are five “new” songs on here, so I should at least talk about them. I won’t talk about the remixes much since there’s really not much to say about them. With all of that said, let’s get a mop and clean this mess up!

Blood on the Dance Floor: History In The Mix

Music Retrospective - Michael Jackson: HIStory - Past, Present, and Future Book 1

Well, it’s time to throw on the hat and glove because it’s time for another Michael Jackson album. It’s definitely a big one and I mean that literally. HIStory: Past, Present, and Future Book 1 was released during the summer of 1995. It’s split up into two discs. Disc One is a compilation of all of his biggest hits from Off The Wall to Dangerous. The other disc is the one that has new material. Unfortunately, it seems the the first disc is the only one that gets seen these days because it was eventually put out on its own.

The album sold well but not like the rest of his previous albums. Seven (technically eight) singles were released from the album. Jackson also wrote all but three of the songs on the album. It took me a long time to find this two-disc album. I didn’t want to download it from iTunes, so I looked around in music stores until I found it for a cheap price. I think my sister doesn’t even have this one though she probably does have the songs somewhere. Since I’ve basically looked at the first disc on my previous posts, I’ll only be concentrating on the second disc with new material. I will list what songs were included with the disc though.

HIStory: Past, Present, and Future Book 1

Music Retrospective - Michael Jackson: Dangerous

Well, it’s another day and another album from that guy named Michael Jackson. Today’s album is one that should be approached with caution because it is “dangerous.” Yes, I know that pun was a little lame. Anyway, Dangerous was released towards the end of 1991. It incorporated a lot of music styles just like his previous albums. It was also was fully produced by Jackson meaning he didn’t collaborate with Quincy Jones on this one. 10 singles were released from the album. It only received four Grammy nominations in 1993. He also wrote the majority of the songs on here as well.

I’ve had bits and pieces of this album for years but I never owned the complete thing. My sister even got the album before I did. Since I’ve really never heard the whole thing, I bought it last year. I just didn’t see the urgency in getting it until then. I don’t have much else to say, so let me see if this album is truly hazardous or just causes sunburn.

Dangerous