okay so the skinny jeans didn't work out for me so well …

Nothing better to do so I figured I’d go back in time and check out some of what I consider some of Micheal Jackson’s most innovative videos.  First up is “Liberian Girl” which doesn’t rely on any special effects or cgi, but in which Micheal plays a trick on all of his friends by directing his own music video while everyone else looks for him.  Of course Michael Jackson knows literally everybody in Hollywood, so there are entirely too many cameos to count.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjtI2WZTZ9k

Michael wanted to change the world.  This song is one of those rare finds where you get to see the utopia of people holding hands all over the world.  A familiar message, but one of which Michael does better than everyone else, of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P06fI4n1MH8&feature=user

This is a familiar motif that has been ripped off by everyone, most notably Nas on One Mic.  Those the Nas song is one of his best, the video itself; using the backdrop of Africa as a medium in which to describe what Black people all over the world are going through, isn’t really all that original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCqQ2JcQWGs&feature=user

This song intrigued me for two reasons.  First off musically it is one of Michael’s more geniune and honest attempts at creating a great song for music’s sake that just happens to crossover without actually sounding like the obvious stuff written for the charts.  The other reason is that I never really knew what this song was about, still don’t; I’ll have to ask around and see what I come up with.  The consencous seems to be about being lonely as a celebrity, but as most of Michael’s songs; it’s often about what you want to take away from the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfZz-q8CRLE&feature=user

Another interesting takeaway from that song is that by the time Stranger In Moscow had came out, Michael was more of less writing songs about whatever he wanted to write about and you either had to accept it or reject it.  If Michael was ever writing songs specifically for the public, instead of himself, it became increasingly more difficult to see so as his career moved on through the eighties.

“Gone Too Soon” is not one of my favorite at all.  In fact it’s corniness is reminiscent of R Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” but the video is indisputable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=101iXwPTNE0&feature=user

One of Michael’s classic videos, heavy on the effects, but still original for the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5KAJw4y8wE&feature=user

Yeah this next video I know what you are thinking.  But it is one of Michael’s best.  Almost better than Thriller itself.  The first 3 minutes are so Twisted Sister, but it get’s pretty interesting once the song actually starts. 

FInally, “Scream” a great video, though by this time things seemed to have turned around for Michael.  The song itself seems uninspired and dated, though the video still stands the test of time.  It was also a great idea for him to work with Janet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNl2Pm9-7Vk

So thanks for the memories.  Until next time, while you’re waiting check out this new video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEObeRJrq-Q

This one sounds a lot better though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V87yIn_ZZg&feature=related