History Past Present & Future [MINIDISC]

HIStory Continues, the second disc, has fifteen new tracks, inlcuding the cover of the Beatles' Come Together, previously only available as a B-side to the Remember The Time single. It's slightly more hit-and-miss than his last two albums; of Bad's eleven tracks, nine were released as singles - how's that for quality? But the best songs on the album are among his best ever. Scream is a monumental comeback single. While it was expected he would brush the recent controversies under the carpet, here he is at his angry best, fighting back. The same can be said of They Don't Care About Us, and potential buyers should be aware that the alleged anti-semitism is a myth. Here, any racist words that appear in the lyrics are used to show the stupidity of racism, not to endorse it. Stranger in Moscow is his most adult song to date, a beautiful and haunting ballad that shows how far this album has moved from his 80s heyday. These first three tracks are by far the best on the album, but there are other highlights: the title track is a messy epic; Childhood is MJ at his most open and honest; Tabloid Junkie and 2Bad kick ass; and Earth Song doesn't need anything more written about it!

His previous albums had a little more balance between the best and the slightly-less-best songs, but this is the most important album Michael Jackson has made. It has an honesty in the lyrics which makes his earlier work seem slightly empty, and will make you realise that "King of Pop" is too narrow a title for this guy. I would recommend this album to everyone. The greatest hits and the new tracks are stunning.

HIStory contains two quite separate discs. The first being a collection of 15 of Michael Jackson's greatest solo hits. The second containing his most recent music at time of release. The first album is a retrospective showcase of musical genuis. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Beat It, The Way You make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Black or White, etc, etc, etc. This is quite simply a soundtrack to the popular culture that most of us have been exposed to over the last two decades.

It's the 2nd half of HIStory that can only classed as a "proper" Jackson album and when you consider quite how strong many of the tracks really are, it's unfair to discard this as the beginning of the end for "The King Of Pop". The 15 songs that make up the 2nd disc yet again demonstrates MJ's diversity, with several songs almost impossible to categorise. This is both good and bad. Good becasue none of us want to listen to an album where every songs sounds the same, bad however as some songs quite simply don't fit in with the overall vibe of the album.

Onto the actual songs. They Don't Care About Us and Earth Song are breathtaking. There's not another popular artist around in the world releasing music anywhere near this creative. These songs could quite comfortably be wedged between any of Jackson's more famous classics. This is a legend at his best and whilst some may snipe at the planet-saving theme of Earth Song, you'd be hard pressed to deny it's impact. Scream is a thumping opening track, You Are Not Alone is a stunning ballad, Stranger in Moscow is brilliantly haunting and there's another half-dozen typical Michael Jackson slices of pop. People are split into two camps over the epic title track featuring sound bytes of some of the world's most famous moments in ... history. Take away the glitz of the track though and you are still left with a superbly melodic chorus. Things all turn a bit odd with the disturbing Little Susie and Michael bizarrely ends the album whistling along to Charlie Chaplin's Smile !

Stranger moments aside though, HIStory contains enough superb music to be regarded as a brilliant album. If anyone other than the much-maligned Jackson released this collection I wouldn't be surprised if it scooped award after award. Ignore the back-stabbers, listen to this album and listen to a living legend STILL producing the goods.