Customer Reviews

Dangerous

5 star:		(138)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is probably my favorite MJ cd ever. It's packed with hard hitting dance hits, SFX, heartfelt lyrics, touching melodies and beautiful harmonies. It's a perfect capture of the MJ persona. It also sports one of the greates album covers of all time. Not only is it visually stunning to look at, but it can be read as a psychological exam of MJ himself! Notice that all the flash is a mask, hiding the real MJ behind it.

This special edition is remastered, given a booklet with 6 new photos (one featuring Eddie Murphy and Iman from the Remember The Time video) and a cardboard keepsake case. Dangerous was recorded with the best technology available when it was first released and this special edition doesn't sound that much better. Actually, as special editions go, it's pretty flimsy, but seeing that the original album is packed with 77 minutes of some of the best music from the 90's you can hardly complain. This cd is packed to the teeh already! Yes it would be nice to have a picture disc, a photo underneath the clear cd tray, a bonus song or two, but look at what you do get.

JAM - A slammin dance track that says all the worlds problems aren't enough to get MJ (and hence us) down. He can still jam!

Why You Wanna Trip On Me - A very personal song that still gets us to dance. Listen to that rock lick in there!!

In The Closet - MJ sexiest song yet! There is such a sexual tension running through out.

She Drives Me Wild - Great companion song to 'Speed Demon' from BAD. Great use of SFX, and a kicking beat. MJ's on the prowl, watch out!

Remember The Time - Beautiful layerd vocals, a chorus that won't leave your head. It's a song about a failed romance but somehow manages to be uplifting. Always brings a smile to my face. Showcases the power of melody and rhythm over lyrics.

Can't Let Her Get Away - MJ doin his funky best.

Heal The World - A beautifully written and sung message of hope for the world. Listen to his range on this song. MJ's still got it!

Black or White - A guitar riff to end all gutiar riffs, a positive message, and it's uplifting! How can you go wrong? You can't, just as long as you skip the spoken intro.

Who Is It - Haunting song of a broken relationship. Again MJ piles on the vocals to tremendous effect. He's an expert at the atmospheric, jilted lover type songs.

Give In To Me - MJ rocks out and give a preformance you'll not soon forget. Listen to that ache in his voice!

Will You Be There - Probably the stongest song on the album. Suprising in the fact that it's such a religious song. It oozes emotion.

Keep the Faith - Truly inspirational. It's songs like this, 'Will You Be There' and 'Man in the Mirror' that make me long fo rthe day when MJ makes a full out gospel album.

Gone Too Soon - A loving tribute that has MJ in top vocal form. Simple yet very powerful.

Dangerous - A kickin dance song to end the set. A therapist would have a field day with lyrics like "Deep in the darkness of passions insanity, I felt taken by lusts strange inhumanity". Hear the poety in that? This song is an entire film set to music. Stunning!

So pick up this CD not for it's special edition features, but for the music itself. You won't be disappointed. If you really want a special edition keep your eyes open for the rare Australian edition that featured an entire second disc of remixes or the extremely limited edition that came in a case featuring a pop up rendition of the albums cover art!

Firstly I'd like to thank the media for creating such unnecessary fuss about Michael Jackson's personal life over the past few months. If they hadn't, I'd never have got into Michael Jackson's music as much as I have done recently; I basically had no interest in him for years. A few months back I happened to pick up a copy "Dangerous" which I borrowed from my dad. Well, if I wasn't just blown away by the excellence of this record! The album "Dangerous" was the follow up to the immensely successful "Bad" from 1987. Dangerous was released in November 1991 and sold 27 million copies worldwide - 10 million copies of which were sold in its first four weeks of worldwide release. Nine songs were released as singles in the UK from this album, leaving a minority of five songs left unreleased.

Dangerous opens with the rather disappointing "Jam." The fifth song to be released as a single from the album, it peaked at No.13 in the UK in September 1992. The song is good, but fails to live up to the rest of this amazing album. "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" has an amazing guitar intro, followed by a different guitar beat that's very similar to that of Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You." Coincidence? Hardly. The chorus with the exact words as in the title of the song is amazing. "In The Closet" has to be one of the absolute best songs on the entire album. Michael has never been this [] explicit before, but it works rather well with the female vocals of the 'Mystery Girl'. The video was banned in some countries, and features Naomi Campbell while the song peaked at No.8 in the UK upon its May 1992 release. The song runs for more than six minutes, but this is only a good thing because of the amazing beat that we are treated to. While not the most upbeat and lively song on the album, it definitely is a highlight because of its pure funk nature. "She Drives Me Wild" is a fairly good song, with a great funky beat and a cool rap. A great song, but the car horn beeping away at the beginning is dreadful!

"Remember The Time" is just an all-time classic. By far the best released song from this album, it charted at No.3 in the UK in February 1992. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat is so funkadelic and the video was truly eye-popping. Michael's world-famous "Woo!" also crops up a few times towards the end of the song. Just brilliant. Things can't possibly get better after that, and they don't. "Can't Let Her Get Away" shows strong promise, but falls flat on its face with far too many beats all clustered together, and the extreme repetition of the lyrics "I can't let, I can't let her get away." Take a look at the lyrics on the inlay and you'll know what I mean - the same line fills half the page. Luckily, things pick up with the amazing "Heal The World." Released as the sixth single from the album, this touching and heart-felt ballad peaked at No.2 in the UK in December 1992. In my opinion, Michael has never been very successful in promoting all this world peace stuff. In this case, however, Michael is very convincing because the message is not one that involves a mass audience, but the song speaks to you as an individual - each and every listener. "Black And White" was the biggest and most successful single from this album, peaking at No.1 in both the UK and US upon its November 1991 release. The lyrics are great and the rap is excellent, while the video is particularly memorable because of its comedy.

"Who Is It" and "Give Into Me" are another two brilliant songs, perfectly executed with killer beats and funky basslines. The former is about Michael's lover who has run off with another, while his voice is filled with the raw emotion necessary to make this song excellent. The latter has the same emotion in Michael's vocals, and a superb rocky chorus. "Will You Be There" runs for almost eight minutes, which is a bit too long for this exceptional ballad. The first two minutes are taken up by pointless, but effective, choir vocals that really do sound epic and heavenly. The song featured in 1993's smash-hit blockbuster 'Free Willy' and was brilliant even before the film claimed it. "Keep The Faith" is another excellent song about self-power and really does make an impact on the overall face-value of the album. "Gone Too Soon" is perhaps one of the worst songs on the album. The term 'worst' when reviewing this album can only be used lightly, as no song is [bad] - all are consistently good, but there is obviously a line which separates the great ones from the stunning ones. The album finishes with the title-track, "Dangerous." At almost seven minutes long, the song is the perfect finish to a near-flawless record with incredibly descriptive lyrics which are displayed on the inlay and shaped like the hourglass figure of this 'dangerous' lady.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Dangerous is by far one of the most essential albums of the 1990's. The entire album is almost 80 minutes long, so you definitely get your money's worth, with each song usually running into the six/seven minute time bracket. I'd definitely put this stunning piece of work in my top 10 albums of all time, because every song is great and there's nothing like Michael Jackson's music to get you moving and grooving on the dancefloor. Also, the record still sounds brand new despite being released more than ten years ago. Buy this now - you'll feel like a fool if you decide not to and pick it up years later...

I was watching tv this afternoon and they were showing footage of an interview with Michael from about 8 years ago-- he's in his hotel, and there are tons of toys and games laying around and at one point the interviewer asks about a scooter sitting in the corner. Michael says "Well, I like to ride it around at night in the hallways". Interviewer: "You're joking, right?" MJ: "No, it's fun for me".
Which made me think about the fundamental problem he and many other creative people (especially at the genius level) face: people refuse to take them on their own terms. Of course its fun to ride a scooter in a hotel hallway!! And who cares if it seems strange-- you'd be doing it too if you had the chance... but instead you're making someone else feel bad about one of the few joys he can indulge in (that is completely harmless, too).
I felt terrible for Michael just thent-- compounded by the fact that here is one moment where we can actually see his adult humanity-- it isn't a sit down interview talking about his family or the moonwalk-- and this interviewer is so blind to the little ray of light shining at that moment that he completely squashes the moment.
Anyway, I suppose that's my tribute to Michael Jackson. I remember when this album came out, it was all I listened to for a time, and the music videos were a constant source of enjoyment for me. In fact, the intensity he communicated (through dance and his singing) through this album and those videos was probably a major factor in pushing me to develop myself as a musician. And what a great album to get started on. Enjoy, please!

Michael Jackson somehow manages to be both one of the most overrated and underrated artists. Thriller was very overrated, relative to the quality of his other albums (HIStory, anybody?), and by the same token, albums like Dangerous are entirely ignored. This to me is a great injustice, but I won't get into that.

Dangerous is an amazing work with its own unique sound. Although there are a few songs that would only be defined as "filler", most of the tracks are masterpieces.

1) Jam- This is one of the great songs on the album, a rhythmic and uptempo tune, a great beginning to a great album. 9/10 stars.

2) Why You Wanna Trip On Me- One of my personal favorites, at least the first sixty times. It has an excellent intro and harsh whispered lyrics... and then there's the chorus, an almost-yelled melody that makes you go "He has a point." 7/10 stars.

3) In the Closet- This one is incredible, although a little disturbing to some, maybe. It's a little more sensual than his usual style, but he definetely pulls it off. 7.5/10 stars.

4) She Drives Me Wild- To me, a twin of In the Closet. Same type of theme, same type of sound- not nearly as good as its brother, but not horrible either. 6/10 stars.

5) Remember the Time- A fantasic sounding melody with a hint of Egyptian flare. This is a definite hit for this album, it will have even the staunchest nonbelievers on the floor dancing. 8/10 stars.

6) Can't Let Her Get Away- Sadly, although it has a catchy bridge, this one always seems to be forgotten amidst all the hits. 6/10 stars.

7) Heal the World- A sharp change of background, with a more ballady feel. This song is beautiful, with a message that needs to be heard today. 8/10 stars.

8) Black or White- One of the songs that will never die. With an amazing melody and a deep meaning, this song is what Michael Jackson is all about. 10/10 stars.

9) Who Is It- Another of my personal favorites, but maybe it's because the video is so amazing. This song has an excellent underlying bass tune that makes the song come alive. A fantastic work. 9/10 stars.

10) Give In To Me- Has a more rockish feel to it- I love the intro and the guitar melody, this is basically an awesome song. 9/10 stars.

11) Will You Be There- An entirely beautiful masterpiece. What makes it as great as it is, of course, is the spoken verse at the end. 10/10 stars.

12) Keep the Faith- Possibly my favorite MJ song, I love the verses and the chorus and the bridge and of course the closing, with the choir in the background. This is a fantastic song. 10/10 stars.

13) Gone Too Soon- A beautifully sad goodbye to a young teenager, Ryan White, who died of AIDS around this time. The song isn't quite as catchy as others, had has a gorgeous melody. 7/10 stars.

14) Dangerous- One of the greatest songs on here, it has awesome spoken verses and a chorus that will have you singing all day. A spectacular close to a spectacular album. 9/10 stars.

And that's Dangerous. It is truly one of Michael Jackson's greatest works, the one that makes you see that Michael will live forever.

DANGEROUS is arguably Michael Jackson's most ambitious album to date. Overshadowed by the success of the previous two albums (especially THRILLER), DANGEROUS failed to receive the credit it definitely deserved.

The overall atmosphere on this album is noticably darker than on its predecessors (OFF THE WALL, THRILLER, BAD). The production is superb as always on MJ albums, but the sound is completely different than on his previous albums (mostly due to different producer/producers). The rhythms and grooves are quite loud and aggressive and they hold a strong grip on the album from the beginning of "Jam" to the very end of the title track.

With DANGEROUS it's pretty pointless to even attempt to list the standout tracks beacuse, above all, this album is a beautiful entity which it obviously was meant to be. There are absolutely no weak tracks on this album, which is a HUGE achievement with an album that lasts for almost 80 minutes! This is clearly some of the best material Jackson has ever written. There ARE quite a few hit singles on DANGEROUS, though, so if that's what you're looking for, you got it (Black Or White, Heal The World, Remember The Time, Will You Be There, Who Is It).

This new remastered edition, the album sounds even better and the clarity is incredible! Unlike on the other remastered MJ albums, DANGEROUS doesn't contain any extra tracks because there isn't any space left on the disc. This is 77 minutes of pure genius.

ESSENTIAL

MJ, largely aided and abetted by New Jack Swing King Teddy Riley really produced a great album here!

Originally released in two LP package, the first half (written in main by Teddy Riley) is so funky it hurts.

"Jam" is a real stomper of a tune and is followed by my personal album favourite, "Why You Wanna Trip On Me". This song although simple lyrically has such great vocal layering, Princely funk guitar and hard beats. It's very defiant, almost angry and dark as a large amount of this album proves to be.

This similar uptempo New Jack vibe continues through the great single "In The Closet" and "She Drives Me Wild".

"Remember The Time" (A massive hit) is the most commercial of the upbeat material but is excellent with it and contains very addictive melodic refrains.

"Can't Let Her Get Away" brings to a close the uniformly, superb, themed material before the vibe changes greatly...

"Heal The World" while too sickly for some is a well conceived anthemic ballad and sincere enough to merit musical acclaim (Unlike those it spawned: "Childhood", "Litle Suzie" and some of the "Invincible" ballads such as "Lost Children" one could argue). Criticise if you will but back in 1991 it was done profficiently and is ultimately well intentioned.

"Black & White" is another commercial (What else do you want from "The King Of Pop"?) song, which bar the embarassing Macaulay Culkin intro and throwaway rap is a groovy, addictive call for racial unity.

It then get's much darker with the brooding, dark "Who Is It?" and unoffical Dirty Diana Pt 2, "Give In To Me". Both are excellent and it just goes to show what a master of all trades MJ at his peak can be.

"Will You Be There" is a real highlight. After an operatic intro the song segues into a rousing gospel number. MJ's pleading vocals are truly on top form here.

"Keep The Faith" goes to lift the dark mood with it's inspiring lyrics and mid tempo funk instrumentation on the chorus.

"Gone Too Soon" is a peaceful little tune with string accompaniment. It's good enough but is arguably amongst the weakest on the LP and perhaps the album as a whole whould have benefited from a shorter length (It's 77 minutes long!) with this track edited off for B-Side duties.

The final joint "Dangerous" takes us back to the opening New Jack Swing material and is equally as consistent as the other Teddy Riley songs. A worthy title track and great way to close out the album.

"Dangerous" (The album) proved an exciting evolution for Michael. Teddy Riley really laced him with top class material here and broke him into the 90s with ease. The album is universally superb with few (if any) weak moments and this over 14 tracks and 77 minutes! It ranks comfortably alongside his previous three legendary Epic albums and that says a lot.

This new re-mastered format can only add to the experience when the original CD album sounds great anyway.

Long before the invention of MP3's, I bought Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" album on audio tape. I loved it. Most critics said Michael's voice sounded "strained." "Black or White" was the first single and music video to ever debut on prime time television on the major networks. After it aired they criticized MJ for grabbing his crouch. They did the same thing to Elvis for shaking his pelvis a few decades earlier. This amazing album continued to release singles for 2 whole years after it debuted, then came the allegations. People stopped buying this album overnight. Now after his death, whenever the media does a story about MJ they always play a song in the background from "Dangerous" and people are buying it again. I'm glad everyone is rediscovering this really great work of art.

This is his fourth studio album under Epic Records originally released in November 1991. Although artistically it may not be quite as consistent as "Thriller" or even "Bad" it's still a terrific album that stands well on its own. The two biggest hits were "Black Or White" and "Remember The Time". But there were several other hits here as well: "In The Closet", "Heal The World", "Jam", "Will You Be There" (later featured in the film "Free Willy"), "Who Is It" and "Give In To Me". Some noteworthy album cuts include "Gone Too Soon", "Keep The Faith" and the title track.

This album was one of four re-released in 2001 just ahead of "Invincible".
Because of the album's extensive length however, it's the only one not to include any bonus material.

If you've been a die hard fan of MJ, you probably have this album already like me. But if you're a new one, this is definitely essential. The artist may be gone, but the music lives on.

TT 76:59

Michael Jackson is definitely one of the most powerful (and controversial) figures in popular music. Aside from the alleged sex abuse scandals, plastic surgery and countless other stories about him, he's made some of the most enduring music to be heard. _Thriller_ and _Bad_ are certified classic albums released during the 1980s. Entering the 1990s, he makes an updated, funky, catchy and addictive album with loads of dance grooves - without losing any of the emotion, passion and sincerity he always injects into his music. However, with the updated production, it still sounds like Michael Jackson...with all those hypnotic vocal nooks and crannies found lurking in many of the tracks, period!

Songs like "Jam," "Why You Wanna Trip On Me" and "Can't Let Her Get Away" are so funky and downright exciting and energetic, they should get many lovers of energetic dance grooves jumping. Sex-tinged numbers like "In The Closet" and "She Drives Me Wild" show off Michael's latent sexual interests. There's also diversity to be found (Michael always possessed a certain diversity.) Slower, poignant numbers like "Heal The World" and "Will You Be There" are almost certain to tug at your emotions. The former is mainly a "wordly" pop anthem with it's earthy, mellow melody. All this changes when the choir comes in near the end of the song and a pattern of two semitones are increased from the standard, backing keys twice during the song. The vocal/choiral crescendos send shivers down my body. The latter track some will recognize from the movie "Free Willy." Like the former track, it mostly begins softly featuring Michael's plaintive vocals, exotic percussion and the hushed vocals of a choir. Later, you know it'll progress to an emotional high, as Michael goes through this passionate and almost crying vocal performance, backed by the heavenly choir in full-effect by now. Both these tracks nearly send me to tears.
"Black Or White" is the big hit of the album featuring Slash (Guns N' Roses) on guitar. "Who Is It" has a somber atmosphere combined with a forcefulness that is downright sexy, and "Give Into Me" is a passionate, intense and smothering number featuring some keyboards (if not synthesizers) and fiery guitar licks.

I've always admired Michael Jackson and the music he's made, even with all the scandals, rumors and other stories that have bogged the airwaves. Let's hope he continues to make music for another 30 years or so.

This whole album is good. I can play it all the way through. I can't say that for any of MJ's other albums. I remember Thriller coming out when I was in the 1st grade, then the Bad album after that. But as far as when I was really at the age to get into music and when I started to appreciate it the most, this album was it for me. I don't think it's a coincidence that this was the album that Michael had his hand in the most and thus is the reason that EVERY track is nice. You cannot be disappointed by buying this album- guaranteed!
BTW- My favorite MJ song is "Rock With You"!!! So you know I like the older stuff too!!