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What makes a Michael song sound so 'doggone' perfect?

Foxy..

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For years I have almost taken it for granted that I love 99% of the entire Michael Jackson backcatalouge. I have just recently begun to wonder whilst I listen to a track, why it sounds so superior to a lot of other music. Accounting for some exceptions, such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles etc; Michael Jackson's music, whether that is from his earliest solo work and recordings with the Jackson 5, all the way through his career up until present day, I have loved almost every song (even the ones I am not so fond of have their artistic merits and are never written off completely).

Of course this may be because I am a huge fan, but why am I a fan? Well.. to put it simply, its the music! So I cannot account that as a reason, its merely rhetorical. What then makes a Michael Jackson song sound so perfect, polished and acutely detailed which makes myself and everyone else here tick? What is it about the vocals, the arrangement and the production that gives it a superior edge?

How does one begin to even dissect a Michael Jackson song? Almost every time I go to listen to any of his tracks, I am almost guaranteed to unwrap another layer of sound that had up until that point nestled itself deep into my subconcious. It may be impossible to determine what exactly makes my heart and soul flip over in joy every time I hear a Michael track, but I would like to delve deep into what makes a Michael Jackson song and why does that song me us feel the way it does.

Maybe the psychologists among us maybe able to understand more acutely how his music affects the brain, triggering emotions throughout the body, or maybe its not as deep or even deeper than that?
 
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1. i believe because he puts so much emotion in his songs. he sings with all his heart, using all his power.
this is what my sister also told me once, when she heard ONE MORE CHANCE.

:heart:Michael sings from the bottom of his heart, with all his soul and so energeticly.

if its a love song, like IJCSLU, OMC he sings so romatically.
and in songs like TDCAU, he sings with pure anger and alll his power.

Compare :heart:Michael's version of FALL AGAIN, and the one the guys has. u till get it fully :D



2. his tones changes during a song, it descens and goes up. its also the same for the rhythm of his song. they r not steady and Monotonous. and so it prevents the song from becoming boring,

3. he adds excitment into his songs. by hsi famous "Aaow" "hee hee" "ma ma se ma ma sa macoosa"

4. his voice is beautiful

5. the lyrics are lovely and cool

6. he simply is :heart:Michael Jackson, the KING! :wub:
 
Michael is just so good at what he does, i havr no idea how he writes lyrics like he does, and then sings with such emotion you can't help but feel whatever emotion he wants you to feel.

For example songs like 'Will You Be There', makes me cry everytime i listen to it, because of the lyrics of course, but also the emotion he puts into it and you can FEEL it, you know what i mean?

and don't even get started on the dance songs, there must be so many amazing beats going on in his head its crazy,he makes so much great music that you HAVE to get up and dance or at the very least tap your foot, its uncontrollable you just do it! :D

i have no idea how he makes music like he does he is just so amazing at it and everything he does is as close to perfect as possible
 
Foxy.. said:
For years I have almost taken it for granted that I love 99% of the entire Michael Jackson backcatalouge. I have just recently begun to wonder whilst I listen to a track, why it sounds so superior to a lot of other music. Accounting for some exceptions, such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles etc; Michael Jackson's music, whether that is from his earliest solo work and recordings with the Jackson 5, all the way through his career up until present day, I have loved almost every song (even the ones I am not so fond of have their artistic merits and are never written off completely).

Of course this may be because I am a huge fan, but why am I a fan? Well.. to put it simply, its the music! So I cannot account that as a reason, its merely rhetorical. What then makes a Michael Jackson song sound so perfect, polished and acutely detailed which makes myself and everyone else here tick? What is it about the vocals, the arrangement and the production that gives it a superior edge?

How does one begin to even dissect a Michael Jackson song? Almost every time I go to listen to any of his tracks, I am almost guaranteed to unwrap another layer of sound that had up until that point nestled itself deep into my subconcious. It may be impossible to determine what exactly makes my heart and soul flip over in joy every time I hear a Michael track, but I would like to delve deep into what makes a Michael Jackson song and why does that song me us feel the way it does.

Maybe the psychologists among us maybe able to understand more acutely how his music affects the brain, triggering emotions throughout the body, or maybe its not as deep or even deeper than that?
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Good post Foxy..

In my opinion - Michael bring QUALITY and taste into music with lot of passion. I firmly believe that his music will rule always.

When you look at todays performers some might think they are good..only untill you see MJ singing at his peak do you realise how bad they really are. I think thats exactly what is needed to revive pop music, once again. No one makes music like this anymore, thats why he will always be no.1.
 
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The melody of his music, whether instrumental or vocal. The percussion and vocal arrangements. "Leave Me Alone", "Who Is It", "Dirty Diana", "Earth Song", "Heal The World", "Will You Be There", "Bad", etc... How he is able to take, what on the surface appears as disjointed cords, and somehow makes them flow together seamlessly. "Heartbreak Hotel", "Smooth Criminal", etc... The atmosphere his music conveys. Even without hearing the lyrics or knowing the lyrics, the compositions themselves express so accurately the emotion of what the song is about. "Billie Jean", for example, conveys a very dark, forbodding atmosphere. "Childhood" conveys hope, but ultimately, hope in vain. "Smooth Criminal" emotes fear and a sense of panic. "They Don't Care About Us" conveys deep hurt and anger. Only a genius in his field can make the art emote and convery as Michael makes his music. That's why I really call him a musical genius. Because his music reveals a truth. It reveals the purity of any given emotion. Both composition wise, and vocally, in his dilivery. No one is better then him.
 
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he is the one that sparks anger at the idea of wanting to listen to only one artist. the first. whether it is explainable or not, i am proud of it.

the magic you can't put your finger on.

i love 100% of his music.

he brought in the video era, and his songs are just as comfy without a video in the video era.
 
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I think a lot of credit needs to be given to Bruce Swedien
 
wannabestartinsomthin21 said:
The melody of his music, whether instrumental or vocal. The percussion and vocal arrangements. "Leave Me Alone", "Who Is It", "Dirty Diana", "Earth Song", "Heal The World", "Will You Be There", "Bad", etc... How he is able to take, what on the surface appears as disjointed cords, and somehow makes them flow together seamlessly. "Heartbreak Hotel", "Smooth Criminal", etc... The atmosphere his music conveys. Even without hearing the lyrics or knowing the lyrics, the compositions themselves express so accurately the emotion of what the song is about. "Billie Jean", for example, conveys a very dark, forbodding atmosphere. "Childhood" conveys hope, but ultimately, hope in vain. "Smooth Criminal" emotes fear and a sense of panic. "They Don't Care About Us" conveys deep hurt and anger. Only a genius in his field can make the art emote and convery as Michael makes his music. That's why I really call him a musical genius. Because his music reveals a truth. It reveals the purity of any given emotion. Both composition wise, and vocally, in his dilivery. No one is better then him.
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That has to be the nail on the head.. the layering melodies, intricate vocal arrangements, the pure feeling and each harmonious unique sound that each song attributes. Fantastic response, made me think long and hard about how his music affects me, and its so much deeper than just making me feel good, it makes me feel good because of how many elements hit the 100% perfect mark in each track.

Btw, will you marry me? :angel: :smilerolleyes:
 
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lol, I'm flatterd. I understand you though, what you mean. There is an almost intangable element in Michael's music which just makes it totally stand out from anything else. It's unique, in terms of sound and overall feeling. I've never heard another artist's work that sound's like Michael's. It's pure emotion in each track of his. I always say a great song is priceless, if it's real art, that's why I won't think twice about buying an album with all previously released material if it has just one unreleased song from Michael.
 
some great posts here, articulated real well.

vncwilliam said:
i'm also big on any Jackson five stuff that involves MJ, invincible and hold my hand....and Bruce didn't work on that stuff..
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seems my instincts were spot-on in the last thread.

and correction: Swedien was all over your Invincible.

i really don't understand what's so wrong to give credit to those who deserve it.
 
wannabestartinsomthin21 said:
It's unique, in terms of sound and overall feeling. I've never heard another artist's work that sound's like Michael's.
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That is exactly right, his songs are unique, yet you always know if it's a Michael track, or something he has an influence on, there is something about the temporality and arrangement, and to an extent some songs lyrically show his involvement. Even if Michael had nothing psysically to do with a track, you know if an artist has been heavily influenced by Michael, elements of contemporary funk, soul, pop and many other genres, glisten so clearly in tracks that have been made to sound like his, but never quite make the unique quality we are talking about. What does he have that no other has? As I said there are a few exceptions, but they come rarely and not at all in todays modern music industry.. His music is timeless also, another quality which is rare in most songs, play a track from HIStory or Invincible, they sound up to date and to a certain extent still ahead of its time, some songs won't be appreciated by a general audience until years to come.. unfortunately if at all.

What is it Michael!!! Give me that abilty, or I will take it with force! :p

(Btw..Intelligence is attractive, thats why I asked haha)
 
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arXter said:
some great posts here, articulated real well.


f_laugh.gif
seems my instincts were spot-on in the last thread.

and correction: Swedien was all over your Invincible.

i really don't understand what's so wrong to give credit to those who deserve it.
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no..you were not spot on. bruce was not involved in everything MJ did.

bruce was not the only engineer MJ ever worked with...

and you know this.

you ever hear of George Mayers? he was involved with Invincible. and even if he wasn't...

like i said...bruce didn't follow MJ around on every project he ever did. so your argument doesn't make sense. MJ and bruce weren't joined at the hip any more than MJ and quincy jones.

did he do hold my hand?

you have only picked one of the things i mentioned...and you are not correct on that, so how can your argument jibe?

and this thread is not really about engineering values..or production values..it's about what makes MJ's songs the way they are according to the op...

and, please, sir.... i don't appreciate you implying that you know what i am thinking.

you only see what i am posting. you don't know what i am thinking. you have no idea what my opinion is of bruce, except what i post about him.
 
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The answer is in the question you seek...

Mr.Jackson has 45 years experience in music, has been trained throughout the years by the best in the business, he is a perfectionist, desires his music to be timeless, and has been blessed with a gift...

Roll all those ingrediants into the mix...what do you get..?

Michael Jackson King of Pop, Rock & Soul~~~

Heal The World~~~"Education Is The Key"
 
vncwilliam said:
no..you were not spot on. bruce was not involved in everything MJ did.
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i never said or implied he did, where did you get this from? irrelevant and false diversion.

i responded to your illogically defensive reply to the fact that Sweden has had a big impact on the sound of Michael's most known solo recordings in all released albums from Off The Wall onwards. i'm sure Michael will happily tell you this himself. there's nothing wrong with that?

it seems like you need someone to automatically praise Michael alongside praising those who helped him - otherwise, what? well... this is a Michael Jackson fan site LOL it goes without saying from Michael Jackson fans.


you ever hear of George Mayers? he was involved with Invincible. and even if he wasn't...
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as were the dozens of one-off engineers working on any one of Michael's albums. for your info, Mayers in particular was a digital editing engineer. i don't think you realise just how important Swedien is in the engineering and mastering world - and all primarily because of his work with Mike.

and obviously you did not know that Bruce Swedien was yet again a recording and mixing engineer in Invincible. check your facts, sunshine, open up your album credits before telling me that my argument doesn't jibe
f_erm.gif
.
 
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arXter said:
i never said or implied he did, where did you get this from? irrelevant and false diversion.

i responded to your illogically defensive reply to the fact that Sweden has had a big impact on the sound of Michael's most known solo recordings in all released albums from Off The Wall onwards. i'm sure Michael will happily tell you this himself. there's nothing wrong with that?

it seems like you need someone to automatically praise Michael alongside praising those who helped him - otherwise, what? well... this is a Michael Jackson fan site LOL it goes without saying from Michael Jackson fans.


as were the dozens of one-off engineers working on any one of Michael's albums. for your info, Mayers in particular was a digital editing engineer. i don't think you realise just how important Swedien is in the engineering and mastering world - and all primarily because of his work with Mike.

and obviously you did not know that Bruce Swedien was yet again a recording and mixing engineer in Invincible. check your facts, sunshine, open up your album credits before telling me that my argument doesn't jibe
f_erm.gif
.
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there is nothing irrelevant or false..and i am not diverting from anything.

as i said..this is about the song...not the engineer..

and you do speak as if bruce had to be there for everything MJ ever did. and he was not. all of MJ's albums are MOST known. people love all of MJ's music..not just the albums you are implying. like i said..it doesn't matter who worked on invincible at this point..many worked on invincible..

again, you don't know what i realize or what i don't realize...

and what is a one off engineer? an engineer is an engineer.

you seem to be downplaying them.
 
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vncwilliam said:
as i said..this is about the song...not the engineer..
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this is about the sound of the song and an engineer (as A.Siz rightly pointed out) is a very important contributor to the sonic qualities, the overall AND detailed sounds of a song(s). so underrated.

recording, mixing and mastering is a core element to this very discussion. i'm sure Michael was very hands-on in this engineering department. actually, i know he was at least on mentioned occasions by Swedien himself.


you seem to be downplaying them.
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indeed i am in comparison to Swedien. they'll graciously tell you that themselves, no doubt. no one has the history or influence he had on shaping and evolving the Michael Jackson sound, from which sprung many standards in later engineering and mastering techniques.
 
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Swedien was and is most definetly important to the sound quality of Michael's records, there's no denying that. Michael want's the best. But as arXter also pointed out, Michael himself is heavily involved in the engineering, although he himself isn't an engineer. He has big input though.

I'm just talking from the view point of Michael's song writing and what makes that special, and how the music he writes has a very distinctive and a totally unique feel.
 
most people walk into a studio and wanna create a sound, MJ just has that sound already created and the studio is just the way of getting it out. Very few have that gift, that's why he takes so long in there, lol.
 
Oh yes, I forgot to add that. Michael doesn't work the parts out, he already has all the parts in his mind, the whole composition, from the strings, the percussion, the horns, the melody and vocal parts, etc... That's remarkable. The hard part is bringing what he's hearing in to reality.
 
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wannabestartinsomthin21 said:
I'm just talking from the view point of Michael's song writing and what makes that special, and how the music he writes has a very distinctive and a totally unique feel.
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yes..wbss. i am too.

quincy, i'm sure could hear it, as well..

so can the musicians..the phillinganes(sp) etc.

i am guessing it cannot be understood, unless a person is there, based on this:

i remember hearing sessions with Michael and his siblings on the box set. you can hear EVERYTHING right there. like in shake your body down to the ground. MJ makes it so clear, that you can hear it long before it reaches a studio.

perhaps mJ was showing the process by way of him and his siblings..via the boxset. so that he would not have to feel that he wishes he could play a piano or somn. everybody can hear it all when he opens his mouth.
 
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everyone's points in this thread are valid, let's please not get all excited about the possiblity of thrashing each other with our own knowledge.
 
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