audio review : I’m A Mean Ole Lion ( song ) … Ted Ross

This is a song from The Wiz. “Beware,” Ted Ross, playing the role of The Cowardly Lion, warns, “This is the king of the jungle here.” He stretches that last word out to a roar, of course, and those yellow-brick bridges, laced with the royal blare of trumpets, sound magnificent. The rest of the song is also nice.

my rating : 4 of 5

1978

audio review : I'm A Mean Ole Lion ( song ) ... Ted Ross

audio review : Morphine ( song ) … Michael Jackson

This song is addictive. It rocks and rolls as a manic Michael Jackson rants and raves; the verses mimic the fragmented thoughts of a broken addict fiending for a fix; over its intense industrial-style beat.

Demerol provides some relief; the song is a rhapsody of sorts; but it’s not the opioid of choice. He “heard what the doctor said”, but he doesn’t give a shit. He’s in pain (dammit) and he wants his Morphine.

my rating : 5 of 5

1997

audio review : Blood On The Dance Floor [ History In The Mix ] ( album ) ... Michael Jackson