Innocence

→ single Silent Voice Let's Push It Reflections Natural Thing Matter Of Fact Higher Ground Remember The Day Moving Upwards Come Together Reprise

Where do I start? This album has some of my best memories of music. Silent Voice starts off with the relaxing sounds of a forest oasis before bursting out with a deep soulful bass beat reminiscent of Soul II Soul in full swing. Above it all though, Gee Morris' melodic voice proclaims "I don't wanna be a silent voice", and silent voice she isn't. Blending through to her next song, she produces another soulful vibration of drums. The most memorable line? "...don't rush it If you mean it, we can achieve it... And it can all be yours." The next number is an instrumental...Reflections, and it does just that. I find myself thinking Hey, wait a minute, what just happened? as the lack of lyrics lets your mind wonder free on its own... Ready and refreshed in the sparkling rain for the next pinnacle of Natural Thing. WOW! Another case of the unique mix of triple beats and moods-esque soundstage, probably the best song of the album (if you don't believe me, listen to the extended 12" mix of the single). Now I find myself on side B with Higher Ground, Moving Upwards, and Come Together all fulfilling the same role as Let's Push It. This leaves Matter Of Fact and Remember The Day to be frank testaments to affairs of the heart. The latter again mixes the deep baritone bass rumble of organs with an energetic trippy beat to leave you mesmerised. Well that's it, I'm hooked...

Family Ties I'll Be There Build Looking For Someone Solitude Family Ties Reprise One Love In My Lifetime Promise of Love Hold On Respect No Sacrifice Build Reprise

...and for my next fix... Hold on, it's all changed! All of a sudden you're thrown into a futuristic scene comparable to one from Bladerunner. The beat is still there but this time overlaid with a more open, happy and synthetic rhythm. Gee's vocals are more sensual, No Sacrifice is brimming with it. There are similar strong themes explored as in the first album. It's just that this time, you're taken into a whole new direction. In fact, a better description would be like something out of the scene from 2001:A Space Odyssey. The one at the end where David Bowman becomes Starchild...Hmmm. There's also a lot of blending here, with fewer blanks in between tracks. An example is the beginning of Solitude which appears to be a continuation of Family Ties, you find yourself pulling into a train station run by gospel singers. The song then skilfully comes back at you with the soulful beat of Family Ties Reprise. Another great break, worthy of an old dance track, is found in Promise Of Love, a non-urgent bass rumble coupled with an effervescent surrounding beat. The whole album seems a lot more similar to Dina Carroll's style (Hold On!) and is more upbeat than before. It's happier, as if Gee's found the answers to the questions posed in the first album... "Future looks bright Keep the dream alive It's what you believe..."

Final Thought...

So what's next? Where is everyone? It's been fourteen years since the last album and still no word (and me being their number 1 fan means that the wait is killing me). So what's goin' on? (to quote a lyric). Where are you Innocence? Have you broken up? Are there plans for a new album? Is anything in the pipeline?
I've been patiently waiting for outing number three. Gee, if you're reading this, maybe sometime in the future...?

Michael Jackson

Talking of innocence, lets look at some FACTS surrounding the allegations that have dogged another brilliant artist through out his career. I'll look at this in a case by case basis.

Chandler case

The first case was simply a mother who wanted money. What was never admitted into evidence was the fact that she had tried the same thing earlier with her son's school. She was found out and at that time warned by the police that she would end up in jail if she persisted. As such it was considered prejudicial to her cause and not allowed to be part of her civil suite. The second miscarriage of justice here was that the court ordered the civil case be tried first and then the criminal one. The problem with this approach is that any criminal defence is then compromised because the prosecution knows your exact defence from the prior civil trial - this is extremely unfair and today would be successfully overturned by any higher court (i.e. the criminal case must ALWAYS be heard first).
Michael wanted to fight both cases but was told by his team that if both were being heard, the criminal case was more important so therefore he HAD to settle with the family so that there wouldn't be a civil case and therefore the criminal prosecution wouldn't be able to pre-prepare or gain unfair advantage in what should be a fair trial...so he settled.
As soon as he gave this family money, they withdrew their criminal case by refusing to appear under oath...hence there was no criminal trial (and seeing as they had no physical evidence the prosecution could only rely on verbal evidence).
Now if your child was actually molested, what amount of money would you settle for? 1 million? 4 million? 23 million? ANY amount at all? I would've thought that if any human being had to go through what was alleged, then NO amount of money would suffice. You would want the perpetrator punished and put behind bars at the very least. The prime motivation of this family, however, needs to be questioned if they have settled for MONEY over Justice.

Arvizo case

Arvizo was a recovering cancer patient whom Michael invited to stay with him. Over the next few months, his mother proceeded to invite more and more family over and overstay their welcome. When finally asked to leave, all of a sudden she remembers lots of allegations and alleges abuse of her son...coincidence eh?
She initially approached a lawyer for a civil case and was told there needs to be a criminal conviction first so again, clear evidence of MONEY being her priority not justice (if it were justice she wanted, she would've gone to the police first). Again, despite the FBI and local police going over his estate with a fine toothed comb (for a total period of 10 years in the end), there was NO physical evidence of any sort whatsoever to in any way indicate anything had taken place. In interview Arvizo appeared to be smirking and smiling whilst giving his evidence, does that sound like an abused victim to you? The only physical evidence was actually doctored evidence. The prosecutor handed Arvizo an adult magazine (only had Michael's finger prints on it) whilst interviewing him - Arvizo held it and handed it back - NOW it had both Michael's and Arvizo's fingerprints on it and THIS was the "smoking gun" the prosecution were using to try to convict MJ.
In fact, their case was so poor that after the prosecution rested the defence debated amongst themselves as to whether to continue at all as the jury would have acquitted MJ then and there. The result of the trial was MJ being exonerated. It was during this trial that the stars of Leaving Neverland would effectively go on to perjure themselves years later.

Safechuck/Robson cases

Safechuck was friends with MJ and had previously testified in both 1993 and 2005 that MJ had never done anything wrong to him. When Michael died he was still singing his praises in 2011. He owned a choreography group bidding for a contract which he didn't win. When he failed, he was in desperate need of money and having no immediate prospect of income at the time, Lo and Behold.....he all of a sudden now "remembers" in 2013 that he was abused by MJ...the same person he had on 2 occasions sworn under oath earlier had never touched him. So now in 2013 he changes his story and alleges the abuse took place 1988-1992 in the Train Station in Neverland...but the problem is the Train Station in question didn't even start construction until 1 year later and didn't even open until 1994. Now these are facts that can be easily verified so Safechuck has actually been PROVEN to be a liar by his own testimony.
Robson was also friends with MJ and after Safechuck appeared with his allegations in 2013, also conveniently remembered that he was abused...despite openly supporting MJ when he was alive and yes, he also went to a civil lawyer first indicating that his prime motivation is MONEY not justice. The issue here is that despite claiming he remembered in 2013 he also states he knew in 2005 but didn't want to say anything...so which is it, 2005 or 2013? You can't have both. Plus, why not say anything in 2005 in order to prevent further abuse? Surely a genuine victim would want justice first and foremost? He alleges MJ abused him when his family left to visit the Grand Canyon and left him alone with him. The problem is both him and his family members are on record at the time and subsequently clearly saying in court affidavits that Robson also went to the Grand Canyon and was never left alone with MJ...his story is again proven to be false.
So we have 2 accusers, both of whom have had ample opportunity to contact each other and synchronise/"get their stories straight" meaning they are not independent nor reliable witnesses. In a court of law, credibility is highest when the witness have NOT had a chance to collude and do not know each other. Both have changed their story multiple times. Both have perjured themselves by previously claiming under oath that there never was any abuse from MJ. Both have provided details PROVEN to be wrong. Both are aiming to sue his estate for billions of dollars so both have the motive of MONEY not justice at it's heart.
Unwilling to make these claims when he was alive (and in fact advocating FOR him then) as they both knew their cases would be thrown out of a criminal court, it's taken his death for them to attempt to gain publicity and make these claims, at a time when both need money, via a civil court.

In fact, simply looking at the many people always around him at all times of the day (his security for instance) it's improbable that anything to this scale could've taken place over many years with them not knowing about it...and to this day his staff still support him (the only allegation from a housekeeper was one she later retracted and admitted to lying about so it still stands, to this day NO member of staff has truthfully claimed he did anything untoward). In fact, compare him to other predators of the era, Jimmy Saville for instance - hundreds of victims all of whom want JUSTICE first and foremost not money and all of whom DON'T keep changing their stories, then the MJ allegations just don't add up.
To get a better idea of the very unstable ground these allegations rest upon watch Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth (2019) which substitutes people's words and claims (sometimes the only things other documentaries rely upon) with more substantive proof.