The first record single I can remember buying with my pocket money was ‘Black Pudding Bertha’ by the Goodies in 1975. Not a great musical masterpiece by far but at that time I avidly watched the Goodies and being a child their surreal wackiness appealed to me. Later at the age of 10 I can remember two other singles I bought, one was Billy Joel’s ‘My Life’ and the other was The Jacksons and ‘Blame it on the Boogie’. I guess the latter song typified the era, Disco was at its height and I recall the summers being long and hot.
As a family we would sit and listen to the top 40 countdown on a Sunday evening, my dad would often tape the songs off the radio because as a working class family we couldn’t afford to go out and buy records all the time. They were magical days, quality time as a family, laughter, dance and song, and hilarity at my dad trying to time taping the songs to avoid the DJ talking!
So Michael Jackson is dead, long live Michael Jackson… do I really think that? The answer is no, not really. Firstly Blame it on the Boogie was the first and last Jackson record I bought, later as a teenager I discovered lots of different types of music, bought Smash Hits every week and became more aware musically to different styles of music. Of course back then Smash Hits was more informative that the gossip/celeb orientated one now. As I recall it had good features and printed song lyrics but I digress, back to Mr Jackson.
Of course when Michael Jackson died suddenly yesterday I was surprised but not completely shocked. That’s because his past exploits have always raised an eyebrow and my first reaction on hearing the news was ‘he’ll do anything to get out of those O2 concerts’ but that’s because I wasn’t really taking his death seriously at that point, such is his outrageous past.
So began a day of musings about Michael Jackson and what I really think. He’s termed the ‘Legendary king of pop music’ and I guess on paper that stands up well, record breaking signings by Sony and record breaking sales testify without doubt his fan base is massive but in my eyes he just isn’t up there with the greats. Sure a couple of his videos I like, Thriller and Scream (with Janet). Looking at a video tribute to him last night on channel 4 I can’t help thinking most of his dancing and video cardboard like backdrops are the same, some windy street corner, with the city as a backdrop or some rundown alleyway etc. Then we have the really self indulgent messiah stuff like the Earth Song video. But that phrase is very apt for Mr Jackson, I refer of course to ‘self indulgent’. In 1989 he had a reputed fortune of around 75 million and I’m betting at the time he died he actually had very little, the O2 concerts, merchandise and spin offs being his last gambit.
I’m not going to really go into the past controversies surrounding him, no doubt some were factual and some were calculated people trying to debase him, the rest of course is celebrity hype and speculation. You have to feel sorry for him really, since being a youngster he has known nothing but fame and all the trappings it brings, though in Michaels case it ranged from the bizarre to the absurd. Of course, he’s not alone here, most stars and celebrities have their quirks and styles but in reality Michael’s left him wide open to tabloid manipulation and mockery.
The truth is, I feel there are far more important and influential musicians out there past and present than Michael Jackson who in essence is basically a manufactured eccentric. His songs are generic his style and self indulgent presentation – the same. Is he up there with past greats? Many will see it that way, alas I don’t, and not because how he himself or the media have portrayed him but because of my own opinion.
As a family we would sit and listen to the top 40 countdown on a Sunday evening, my dad would often tape the songs off the radio because as a working class family we couldn’t afford to go out and buy records all the time. They were magical days, quality time as a family, laughter, dance and song, and hilarity at my dad trying to time taping the songs to avoid the DJ talking!
So Michael Jackson is dead, long live Michael Jackson… do I really think that? The answer is no, not really. Firstly Blame it on the Boogie was the first and last Jackson record I bought, later as a teenager I discovered lots of different types of music, bought Smash Hits every week and became more aware musically to different styles of music. Of course back then Smash Hits was more informative that the gossip/celeb orientated one now. As I recall it had good features and printed song lyrics but I digress, back to Mr Jackson.
Of course when Michael Jackson died suddenly yesterday I was surprised but not completely shocked. That’s because his past exploits have always raised an eyebrow and my first reaction on hearing the news was ‘he’ll do anything to get out of those O2 concerts’ but that’s because I wasn’t really taking his death seriously at that point, such is his outrageous past.
So began a day of musings about Michael Jackson and what I really think. He’s termed the ‘Legendary king of pop music’ and I guess on paper that stands up well, record breaking signings by Sony and record breaking sales testify without doubt his fan base is massive but in my eyes he just isn’t up there with the greats. Sure a couple of his videos I like, Thriller and Scream (with Janet). Looking at a video tribute to him last night on channel 4 I can’t help thinking most of his dancing and video cardboard like backdrops are the same, some windy street corner, with the city as a backdrop or some rundown alleyway etc. Then we have the really self indulgent messiah stuff like the Earth Song video. But that phrase is very apt for Mr Jackson, I refer of course to ‘self indulgent’. In 1989 he had a reputed fortune of around 75 million and I’m betting at the time he died he actually had very little, the O2 concerts, merchandise and spin offs being his last gambit.
I’m not going to really go into the past controversies surrounding him, no doubt some were factual and some were calculated people trying to debase him, the rest of course is celebrity hype and speculation. You have to feel sorry for him really, since being a youngster he has known nothing but fame and all the trappings it brings, though in Michaels case it ranged from the bizarre to the absurd. Of course, he’s not alone here, most stars and celebrities have their quirks and styles but in reality Michael’s left him wide open to tabloid manipulation and mockery.
The truth is, I feel there are far more important and influential musicians out there past and present than Michael Jackson who in essence is basically a manufactured eccentric. His songs are generic his style and self indulgent presentation – the same. Is he up there with past greats? Many will see it that way, alas I don’t, and not because how he himself or the media have portrayed him but because of my own opinion.
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