Analysis of Album Cover

Michael Jackson is well known for his extravagant life and extraordinary performances and multi coloured and gold plated military jackets. His personality is described as loving, outgoing, warm hearted and caring man. It was said he had love innocent children, wildlife, animals, unity and peace. Although he has a giving and loving person, was shy on day to day basics when not performing or not in the lime light. Which seem very unusual for a man known as ‘The king of Pop’

However this album cover falls hand in hand to his creatively and unique ideas he brought to music and amazing fashion sense. The album cover conveys numerous connotations and has numerous symbols that have been very controversial. The album cover is busy, exhilarating and eye catching making people like myself engrossed into this particular album cover.

As Michael Jackson was known for liking the finer things in life, like antiques, statues, and expensive paintings, and his album cover is a great donation of the things he liked and took an interest in. The white bald headed man on the right hand side is a very well-known to the occult as Aleister Crowley known as Satanist however people are questionable about his believes as he has a picture of Aleister Crowley on his album cover, however Aleister is also well known as a American circus showman, businessman and entertainer that practiced astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician and was responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. This gives some explanation as to Michael Jackson’s have Aleister Crowley on the front cover of his album cover. He was never really devoted and explored different alternative religions throughout his adult life. As he moved between three more religions.

The album cover also expressed a collection of from things he took interest in at that moment in time. This album cover has similar concepts that were used in the music video ‘Leave me alone’ where there was many special effect, Michael Jackson riding an old-style aircraft and flying through a wide chattering set of teeth. The concept of the music video was surreal. The album cover also was used ideas and material from his singles. One being ‘Do you remember’ based on an Egyptian concept, where traditional clothing and old Egyptian artefacts in were in the music video and the album cover.

The album ‘Dangerous’ has Michael Jackson eyes in the middle of the album cover a facial feature he was well known for after his album ‘Bad’ especially after he gave off that bad boy representation. Throughout the Bad era Michael Jackson was recognised through his piercing eyes and the album covered used this to his advantage, drawing us into his dark mysterious eyes that tell many stories