Love him or leave him, Michael Jackson turns 50 today
It's hard to believe and difficult to really wish Michael Jackson a "Happy Birthday." On the one hand, he was a musical genius. His albums "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" are peerless. And when that 13-minute "Thriller" video came out in 1983, it was a huge pop culture moment. Everyone had to see it. To this day, people still copy those dance moves. He was the most famous entertainer in the freaking world.
But then he started to short-circuit into weird, eccentric and, allegedly, criminal behavior. (He was acquitted of child molestation charges.). No need to run down that laundry list again, but you can read this story about Jackson (seen here from a November appearance in L.A.). It includes an interview with MJ, his thoughts on turning 50 and brings up some of his controversial issues. It also includes a photo rendering of what he would look like now, if he hadn't become so addicted to the plastic surgeon's knife.
So, today, I'll just focus on his music and a favorite MJ song. For me, it's not "Billie Jean" or "Beat It." I'm going with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" off the Thriller album.
What's your's?
Comments:
I always loved Beat It for the Eddie Van Halen solo and Bad cause Martin Scorsese directed the video.
Posted by: Michael at August 29, 2008 2:55 PM
I remember back in 82-83 sitting in the Pine Street Beveridge Room (home of Sally's Chili) In Philly
--we never had any chili, though,
---and she would video tape MTV and bring it in. (
This was the one bar that would serve us (minors) as freshman and sophomore Art Students... (until a more high end college liked the place, --and she started to card...)
Anyway.
Thriller always stopped the house...
Same as Billy Jean...
It was the dance moves...
Though Thriller was like, just so freakin' cool because of Vincent Price doing the voice-over...
Though we sort of knew something was up when Michael said '..no you don't understand, I'm not like other boys..' -and he turns into a Where-Kitty or something...
Brilliant was the tagline (and preemptive roll-through-screen print explaining that 'due to his deep religious beliefs he was in no way encouraging the occult or occultic practices...' (which, I guess lycanthropy (turning into a where-something would raise a few eyebrows at the local Jehovah's Witness Worship Hall...)
It gave everybody a chance to pepare to watch the vid, --and generated 'controversy,' (ahuh...)
I still think one of the funniest times here in Fresno, was sitting at Million Elephant, eating something, and a guy dropped by who was a dance teacher, --and got a whole table of goth kids to learn the 'thriller dance,' ---with no music...
-THAT was classic.
Posted by: wet towel at August 29, 2008 11:55 PM
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