{"id":41608,"date":"2009-07-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-07-21T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/dangerous\/"},"modified":"2009-07-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-07-21T00:00:00","slug":"dangerous","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/dangerous\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

This is the point of Michael Jackson\u2019s career where he started getting seriously criticized for the choices he was making not only personally, but creatively as well. When the gargantuan epic Dangerous <\/i>was released in 1991, the first noticeable surprise was the absence of Quincy Jones as producer. Instead, Jackson opted to go with the New Jack Swing maestro Teddy Riley (for virtually the entire first half of the album) and lesser-known names like Bruce Swedien and Bill Bottrell. However, Michael took on the heaviest workload of all as executive producer, so Dangerous <\/i>was, for all intents and purposes, his baby.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p>Another criticism leveled at the singer was in the unnecessarily violent content of the video for the lead-off single \u201cBlack Or White,\u201d which depicts him smashing a car windshield and storefront windows (after gratuitously groping his crotch, of course). Censors demanded that the clip be edited down and the offensive material be deleted, but by then a lot of damage to his clean reputation had already been done. If all of that controversy wasn\u2019t bad enough, there were persistently nagging rumors that Michael\u2019s skin had been bleached and that he was getting too close to comfort to the children he had invited over for sleepovers at his Neverland ranch.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p>Michael reverted back to safe-mode for the Egyptian themed \u201cRemember The Time,\u201d getting a little help from famous friends like Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy, and Iman in the process. He even brought back some stellar special effects, something he frequently had employed in the past with memorable videos like \u201cThriller\u201d and \u201cSmooth Criminal.\u201d<\/o:p><\/p>\n

For the tongue-firmly-in-cheek hit \u201cIn The Closet,\u201d Michael hoped to dispel any gay rumors that were abounding at the time by cozying up to model Naomi Campbell. Though Madonna had initially been his first choice of duet partner, Michael ultimately decided on a lightweight \u201cmystery artist,\u201d who sounds like a cross between his sister Janet and frequent collaborator Siedah Garrett. Presumably, the Madonna direction would have only fanned the flames instead of extinguishing them. Michael kept his friendship with the Material Girl afloat just long enough to escort her to the Oscars that year.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p>We probably will never see superstars as huge as Michael Jackson and Madonna ever again. The way they manipulated the media helped to ensure that they stayed on top of their game as long as possible. Now, with Michael\u2019s untimely passing and Madonna no longer the creative force she<\/i> used to be, both thrones have been left vacant for the taking. It will be a tall order indeed for someone with the megawatt charisma, the shrewd business acumen \u2013 and the talent to back it all up \u2013 to come along and blow us all out of the water. Stranger things have happened, but it will take a minor miracle for it to in this day and age where everybody is jockeying for their five minutes of empty fame.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p>After the flawless Quincy trilogy of Off The Wall<\/i>, Thriller<\/i>, <\/i>and Bad<\/i>, the subsequent trilogy of Dangerous<\/i>, HIStory<\/i>, <\/i>and Invincible <\/i>come as second-tier disappointments. Each had some unique cuts that stood out here and there, but overall, they were spotty and redundant affairs. On Dangerous<\/i>, you get the full gospel-infused treatment of the Free Willy <\/i>theme \u201cWill You Be There,\u201d a guest appearance by Slash of Guns N\u2019 Roses on the \u201cDirty Diana\u201d <\/i>retread \u201cGive In To Me,\u201d and the vastly underrated dance track \u201cShe Drives Me Wild.\u201d<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p>Had there been less Teddy Riley, fewer spoken-word bits and shorter songs, Dangerous <\/i>could very well have ended up becoming the masterpiece Michael Jackson was clearly intent on creating. Certainly, message songs like \u201cHeal The World\u201d and \u201cGone Too Soon\u201d have a striking and sad resonance now that Jackson is no longer with us, so in that way his legacy is preserved and his music does live on. Tragically misunderstood as MJ was, we mustn\u2019t neglect the fact that he was also addicted to fame and all of its pitfalls. Somewhere along the line, Michael lost touch with reality and started trusting the wrong people (especially the unethical, deceptive, and greedy quack \u201cdoctors\u201d). After so much pain, disappointment, and struggle, he even lost his conscious contact with a higher power that he sings about so strongly in \u201cKeep The Faith.\u201d In the end, he had nothing left of himself to give.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/o:p>Life in a bubble never lasts, because eventually\u2026it bursts.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

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