HIStory: Is His Story Over?

HIStory opens with the thudding beat and "hoo-hoo..hoo-hoo" of "Billie Jean", perhaps the 20th century's most recognisable 30 seconds of music. Even after all these years, Billie Jean still hasn't lost it's appeal, and remains Michael's signature song. Nothing else could've been first track in an anthology of Michael Jackson.

As the famous Billie Jean fades away, we, with a jolt, hear the sound of a car starting up, and "The Way You Make Me Feel" kicks in. "TWYMMF" is an amazingly singable, feel-good, get-up-and-dance type song.

"Black Or White" is, in my opinion, the best song Michael has recorded yet. The memorable lyrics, comic intro and Slash on guitar all make for the best MJ experience yet.

"Rock With You" is a slow, chillout type song, the only one of it's type Michael has released. This must be a good crowd-pleaser, for audiences can easily join in by clapping to the beat, and the lyrics stick in your head. Good song.

"She's Out Of My Life" is a simplistic, sad song. No more than an vibraphone and a few notes on keyboard could've gone into the production of this song. Nonetheless, it does show off Michael's vocal talent and Michael handles pretending to sound sad quite well.

By the way, there's something interesting about "She's Out Of My Life". My dad once, after I told him MJ cried after recording this track, joked about Michael's pedophilia by saying he probably sung "HE's out of my life" and they edited in the "S". I listened to the song, and..umm..maybe im being stupid but at some points it really does sound like that! It's almost like the "S" and the "he" are seperated somehow: "S-he's out of..."

(*ahem*)

Anyway, "Bad" is another signature song, with perhaps his best known lyrics: "I'm bad, I'm bad, I'm really, really bad", the kind of thing anyone can sing along to. Who's Bad?

The hits keep rolling..."I Just Can't Stop Loving You" one of his only love ballads, "Man In The Mirror" the first in his series of lets-all-get-together-and-change-the-world ballads, "Thriller", "Beat It" (two more signature songs), "The Girl Is Mine", "Remember the Time" one of my favourite MJ songs, the exciting "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and then...
"Heal the World" brings Disc 1 to a close. It's slow, tear-jerking melody and moving lyrics make a fitting end.
Also note that the last word on the first disc is "children". This in itself is appropriate. So ends the first chapter of Michael's history - it is now time to load the second disc, and see what new magical offerings the King has for us now.

As we open the second book of HIStory, the Michael we find on Disc 2 is a warped, bizarre creature, not the fun-loving, happy Michael we left behind on the first disc. When the lyrics to "Scream" kick in you can see that he has been twisted almost beyond recognition in almost every way - his music, his lyrics, his general attitude. Once his pedophilia was finally revealed to the world, his career took a one-way train downhill.

So this Michael is bitter, disgruntled, and no longer a person - more a legend, an illusion, hiding behind a solid wall of security.

In fact, the cover of HIStory puts it the best - a statue, as if the lonely, tortured soul of Michael lies within.

The media are constantly attacked throughout Disc 2, with few breaks - and you keep wishing that he would give it a rest and get back to the old Michael we know and love. No chance.

And I don't think he ever will be again.