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Michael Jackson dead at 50. And...?
Jun. 26th, 2009 09:56 amCan't say I'm shocked, but it is sad- well, it's been sad for years really. The abrupt change in skin color, weird nose, health issues, odd relationships with little boys, bizarre spending habits, farcial marriage(s) kinda killed the love- I lost interest in the guy officially when he dangled his kid over a balcony covered in a towel. He was everyone's sickly, weird friend who had some genius moves and whom you invited to your parties even though he stood in the corner muttering to himself and picking seeds out of his watermelon.
Musically I think he peaked in the late 70's/early 80's with Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). The guy wasn't the least bit sexy, his voice was a bit odd though he had some nifty vocalization techniques, but in the end he was an awesome dancer who influenced and inspired later artists. I mean, hello, MOON. WALK. And that "anti-gravity lean" in "Smooth Criminal" (for which he apparently has a patent).
He's going to live on through the remakes (Alien Ant Farm). And then there are the parodies. Most recently the folks who do "psych" used a bit of "Ebony & Ivory" for one of their promos. And of course Weird "Al" Yankovic's takes on "Bad" (Fat) and "Beat It" (Eat It). I liked his collaborations with Paul McCartney, particularly this one:
My first albums- and by "album" I mean "vinyl"- were the Sesame Street disco thing-y (I could look it up, but I clearly remember "Disco Frog" and the rest is sorta... blocked) and the Jackson 5 reunion album. My friends went through gliltery glove, military jacket, and big sunglasses phases. "Thriller" was one of my favorite music videos- I didn't have cable but we'd huddle up in front of MTV at friends' houses and everyone would stop talking when the video came on and watch the dancing. When I had cable, any time "13 Going on 30" came on, I stopped to watch for the "Thriller" scene with Jennifer Garner in heels doing the dance sequence from the video.
Anyway, Michael Jackson definitely left his mark on the music scene and will be remembered for decades. Which is all anyone can ask for, really.
Musically I think he peaked in the late 70's/early 80's with Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). The guy wasn't the least bit sexy, his voice was a bit odd though he had some nifty vocalization techniques, but in the end he was an awesome dancer who influenced and inspired later artists. I mean, hello, MOON. WALK. And that "anti-gravity lean" in "Smooth Criminal" (for which he apparently has a patent).
He's going to live on through the remakes (Alien Ant Farm). And then there are the parodies. Most recently the folks who do "psych" used a bit of "Ebony & Ivory" for one of their promos. And of course Weird "Al" Yankovic's takes on "Bad" (Fat) and "Beat It" (Eat It). I liked his collaborations with Paul McCartney, particularly this one:
My first albums- and by "album" I mean "vinyl"- were the Sesame Street disco thing-y (I could look it up, but I clearly remember "Disco Frog" and the rest is sorta... blocked) and the Jackson 5 reunion album. My friends went through gliltery glove, military jacket, and big sunglasses phases. "Thriller" was one of my favorite music videos- I didn't have cable but we'd huddle up in front of MTV at friends' houses and everyone would stop talking when the video came on and watch the dancing. When I had cable, any time "13 Going on 30" came on, I stopped to watch for the "Thriller" scene with Jennifer Garner in heels doing the dance sequence from the video.
Anyway, Michael Jackson definitely left his mark on the music scene and will be remembered for decades. Which is all anyone can ask for, really.
