Michael Jackson's Dangerous

Reviews / Votes

Virtually all of his creative moments were moments of transition, and Ms. Fast makes a strong argument that "Dangerous" was among his most disruptive. In this book, the 100th entry in Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 series, each one devoted to a single album, Ms. Fast employs close readings of lyrics, musical production choices and video presentations to underscore little discussed aspects of Jackson's creative output. So she breaks "Dangerous" into thematically rich sections: Jackson breaking with his old self, then switching to familiar modes to make bold political statements and then coming full circle. -- Jon Caramanica * The New York Times * Throughout this book's 144 pages Fast certainly makes plenty of compelling arguments as to why 'Dangerous' represents a true coming of age album for Jackson as well as perhaps his most ambitious and experimental collection, but one that didn't really get a chance to be appreciated or properly understood before it was eclipsed by the media circus that soon engulfed Jackson's entire life. -- Chris Downton * Cyclic Defrost * As a musicologist, [Fast] is quite capable of writing about the complexity of Jackson's music, offering a clear insight into his process. By placing the work in a cultural context: racism, politics, gender and sexuality, she also offers the non-musician an excellent read and good critical insight. Mostly because she makes crystal clear that Jackson knew exactly what he was doing as a writer and performer, his versatile voice and body combining high and low art to convey a serious message. Fast's analysis also makes it clear that Jackson was able to ingeniously communicate his message through the compilation of the album itself. This book offers a much-needed in-depth analysis of Jackson's music and art...Highly recommended. -- Karin Merx * Cultural Studies * Susan Fast's new monograph on Michael Jackson's Dangerous album is an utterly compelling, utterly intelligent reassessment of Jackson's oft-maligned record of 1991 and a challenge to anyone who thinks that they have a grasp on Jackson's controversial art. Fast has an arsenal of literary theorists to help her support her claim (Gates, Foucault), but her writing style-like the Jackson album that is her subject-is dangerous. I can't think of a 33 1/3 book that's written with so much verve, so much life that the deployment of tough theory and philosophy is swept away in the author's passionate prose. -- Paul Gleason * Stereo Embers * Fast has provided a model for how to reach a broader audience with scholarly writing. * Journal of the Society for American Music *