Music Review: Alien Ant Farm "Smooth Criminal"
Alien Ant Farm
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Smooth Criminal
Album: ANThology
Year: 2001
In the violent, frenzied cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," lead singer Dryden Mitchell is concerned if his friend, Annie, is alive or dead.
Dryden lets out a blood-curdling "ow!" while the thrashing guitars create a nightmarish tone, which was absent in the original. He recalls reading hearing how the murder of his friend happened. The murderer damaged the window with a loud crash. He entered Annie's apartment as if it were his home. He perhaps had already killed earlier since his shoes left bloodstains on her carpet. Annie was sitting at the table (a subtle lyric change the original), reading the newspaper. She was paralyzed with fear. She is finally able to get away and flee to her bedroom. But he finds her there and kills her. ("As he came into the window/Was a sound of a crescendo/He came into her apartment/He left the bloodstains on the carpet/She was sitting at the table/He could see she was unable/So she ran into the bedroom/She was struck down/
It was her doom.")
A frantic Mitchell asks if she's all right. However, he's scared and in denial about her death. ("Annie, are you OK/Are you OK/Are you OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/Are you OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/You OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/
Are you OK, Annie.") The sped up tempo makes this section less repetitious. It seems as though it's only said four times instead the usual 10+ times it is said.
The first verse with "Annie, are you ok's" is sung. Mitchell singing in the same frightened tone as before. The high-pitched vocals are used as melody (which was another great improvement.) Instead of being distracting, the vocals heighten the panic in his voice. ("Annie, are you ok/will you tell us that you're ok...you were struck down/it was your doom.")
In the chorus, Mitchell once again asks if she's alive but he's frustrated by the fact her killer may never be found. ("Annie, are you ok/you ok/are you ok, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/Are you OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/Are you OK, Annie/You've been hit by/
You've been struck by/A smooth criminal.")
The cheesy police and ambulance sounds have been removed. He comments the EMS and police came through the exit. It was a horrendous Sunday for him. ("So they came into the outway/It was Sunday/What a black day.") Mitchell replaces the "mouth to mouth recisistation" with "I could made a saluation." He believes he maybe if he had gone to her house yesterday he could've prevented her death. ("I could made a saluation/sounding heartbeats/intimidations.")
He then repeats the "Annie, are you ok" section. ("Annie, are you ok...are you ok, Annie.") The first verse with "Annie, are you ok" is sung again. ("Annie, are you ok..it was your doom.")
Then the chorus ("Annie, are you ok...a smooth criminal.")
An appealing, updated guitar solo follows with Dryden's "ow's!" mixed in. The first verse with "Annie, are you ok" included is sung again. However. Mitchell mistakenly keeps the "I don't know's" sung in between. It's the only misstep and a minor one, at that. ("Annie, are you OK...it was your doom.")
"Annie, are you ok" section is repeated again. The opening riff ends the single.
The Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal" is not the least bit as self-absorbed as the original. In fact, it has layers of emotion which was not found in Jackson's version at all. He hopes for Annie's recovery and he's disillusioned it didn't happen. He's crushed by the authorities' ineffectivness to pinpoint her killer. He feels guilty and thinks it's his fault for not coming over for a visit. Alien Ant Farm trump Jackson's version. While Jackson may live up to the title of "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm make it their own.
Album: ANThology
Year: 2001
In the violent, frenzied cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," lead singer Dryden Mitchell is concerned if his friend, Annie, is alive or dead.
Dryden lets out a blood-curdling "ow!" while the thrashing guitars create a nightmarish tone, which was absent in the original. He recalls reading hearing how the murder of his friend happened. The murderer damaged the window with a loud crash. He entered Annie's apartment as if it were his home. He perhaps had already killed earlier since his shoes left bloodstains on her carpet. Annie was sitting at the table (a subtle lyric change the original), reading the newspaper. She was paralyzed with fear. She is finally able to get away and flee to her bedroom. But he finds her there and kills her. ("As he came into the window/Was a sound of a crescendo/He came into her apartment/He left the bloodstains on the carpet/She was sitting at the table/He could see she was unable/So she ran into the bedroom/She was struck down/
It was her doom.")
A frantic Mitchell asks if she's all right. However, he's scared and in denial about her death. ("Annie, are you OK/Are you OK/Are you OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/Are you OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/You OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/
Are you OK, Annie.") The sped up tempo makes this section less repetitious. It seems as though it's only said four times instead the usual 10+ times it is said.
The first verse with "Annie, are you ok's" is sung. Mitchell singing in the same frightened tone as before. The high-pitched vocals are used as melody (which was another great improvement.) Instead of being distracting, the vocals heighten the panic in his voice. ("Annie, are you ok/will you tell us that you're ok...you were struck down/it was your doom.")
In the chorus, Mitchell once again asks if she's alive but he's frustrated by the fact her killer may never be found. ("Annie, are you ok/you ok/are you ok, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/Are you OK, Annie/Annie, are you OK/You OK/Are you OK, Annie/You've been hit by/
You've been struck by/A smooth criminal.")
The cheesy police and ambulance sounds have been removed. He comments the EMS and police came through the exit. It was a horrendous Sunday for him. ("So they came into the outway/It was Sunday/What a black day.") Mitchell replaces the "mouth to mouth recisistation" with "I could made a saluation." He believes he maybe if he had gone to her house yesterday he could've prevented her death. ("I could made a saluation/sounding heartbeats/intimidations.")
He then repeats the "Annie, are you ok" section. ("Annie, are you ok...are you ok, Annie.") The first verse with "Annie, are you ok" is sung again. ("Annie, are you ok..it was your doom.")
Then the chorus ("Annie, are you ok...a smooth criminal.")
An appealing, updated guitar solo follows with Dryden's "ow's!" mixed in. The first verse with "Annie, are you ok" included is sung again. However. Mitchell mistakenly keeps the "I don't know's" sung in between. It's the only misstep and a minor one, at that. ("Annie, are you OK...it was your doom.")
"Annie, are you ok" section is repeated again. The opening riff ends the single.
The Alien Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal" is not the least bit as self-absorbed as the original. In fact, it has layers of emotion which was not found in Jackson's version at all. He hopes for Annie's recovery and he's disillusioned it didn't happen. He's crushed by the authorities' ineffectivness to pinpoint her killer. He feels guilty and thinks it's his fault for not coming over for a visit. Alien Ant Farm trump Jackson's version. While Jackson may live up to the title of "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm make it their own.