Michael Jackson: Classic or Dud?

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Okay, for many the undisputed "King of Pop" but I don't recall him being mentioned much here. He had many hit singles but I sometimes feel that his legendary status often outshone the quality of his work. What do you people think?

― james e l, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

'beat it' is great, obviously

as an aside. i love it, when, in 'earth song', he suddenly shouts 'what about the elephants!?', as though he just remembered about the elephants. he's really upset about the environment and that, and then, all of a sudden, there's the elephants, and its like the final straw...

― gareth, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Thriller was, commercially speaking, a bigger success than Off The Wall. However I do prefer the latter. For those two records alone I would rate him classic.

― Stevie Nixed, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Michael Jackson is clearly a classic. I'm trying to think of an overall bad album from him and the only one that comes close is _HIStory_, which isn't so much bad as it is ordinary. Pretty much all of his up-tempo singles are great (exlcuding "Black Or White", maybe) and a surprising number of his ballads work, too. Add on top of that the fact that in real life he's such a freakshow that punks and anarchists everywhere shuld curl up and die with envy, and there's really no question.

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Dud, Dud, and thrice fucking Dud. THRILLER has aged more like milk than like wine. Why are people so afraid to admit that his work is well under par? The sky won't fall. The man's best days are well behind him, and he's become a freakish parody of himself. HIS MUSIC IS NOT TIMELESS. Perhaps brief moments of the Jackson Five have earned their place in rock history, and indeed there were handfulls of decent moments circa OFF THE WALL and THRILLER, but let's face facts....they were isolated moments of disposable pop...and not even classic pop at that. He has done precious little in the past fifteen years to sustain his reign o'er all things pop (given his SELF-proclaimed status as the "king of pop"...what an asshole move that was!). The man's a narcissitic creep...why do we reward him? And I'm not even going to mention those allegations of child molestation. I think Jarvis Cocker of Pulp should be fucking KNIGHTED for his brilliant piss-take a few years ago. At least Pulp make listenable records that age well. FUCK MICHAEL JACKSON...and JANET TOO for that matter. May they all rot.

― alex in nyc, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Alex:

I would hate to live in your parallel universe of horrifically-dated Michael Jackson songs. Personally, I'm happy here in my world surrounded by "Rock With You", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", "She's Out Of My Life", "Billie Jean", "Wanna be Startin' Somethin'", "Human Nature", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Smooth Criminal", "Liberian Girl", "Leave Me Alone", "Dirty Diana", "Jam", "Remember The Time", "Who Is It?", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me?", "Scream", and "You Are Not Alone". I'm also glad that, in my world, an artist doesn't have to have a good song out right now to be considered a classic.

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Anyone named Jackson should be considered classic for the opening of "ABC" alone. Even Latoya.

The solo stuff... Oh my god. So many great songs. He's certainly one of the few artists who can claim to have touched that many people emotionally.

― Keiko, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

With all due respect, Dan, I stand by every single syllable I typed. Are you seriously defending embarassing piffle like "Dirty Diana", "Scream" and "Jam"? We're going to have to agree to vehemently disagree on this one. My problem isn't with Jackson's back catalogue as much as it is with his insistence on *MAINTAINING* a "throne" he had precious little right to claim as his own in the first place. His time has passed. And once again, his sister Janet is crap too.

― alex in nyc, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

And two more happy souls dance down Agree To Disagree Boulevard.

I can almost see how "Dirty Diana" could be considered embarassing, but "Jam" is pure rockin' fun and "Scream" may be simplistic sermonizing but DAMN does it make me want to shake my booty.

I will not rise to the obvious Janet-fan baiting. :)

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

My brother and I always sing "What about the elephants? Have we lost their trust" as "What about the elephants? Have we got their tusks?"

Always a source of fun, MJ. Often of late that fun has not been musical but I would probably enjoy his greatest hits a lot more than I'd guess just reading the tracklist. Just for "Thriller" though he'd be a classic.

― Tom, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

In my world "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" merits a classic on its own. That song is SOOO over-the-top good. Disco's finest moment, for me. Then tack on another 6 or 7 great songs and this one is a no brainer.

― Mark, Tuesday, 24 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Gentech post-racial ubermensch synthpop pierrot, we salute thee!

Jarvis v Jackson: a heterosexual harrassing a homosexual in public and getting lots of right on people's applause for it. Something a little worrying there, no?

― Momus, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Do we know Michael is homosexual (exclusively?) Do we know Jarvis is heterosexual (exclusively?). The really annoying thing about that as I once (foolishly) said on a Pulp newsgroup is that "Earth Song" is a better record than "Disco 2000".

― Tom, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

For the music: Dud of course. Sorry gotta go with Alex here. Never liked him, but thanks to the zillion times you still hear the music everywhere it all becomes utterly meaningless.

For the social, aesthetic, philosophical, satirical implications of the Man, the Myth: classic.

― Omar, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I have to disagree with Alex about the Jarvis incident. Jacko's performance lifted the whole evening from the sorry spectacle of a Britpop backslapping contest into something fantastic. Silly, yes! Preposterous, pompous - you bet! But when Jarvis got up on stage it instantly showed up the Britpop scene as small-time indie losers.

Classic for that. Classic for Billie Jean. Classic for being bonkers.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Along with Tom, I wonder *exactly* where Nick got his information about the sexuality of MJ and Jarvis. I suspect it's a little more complicated than that.

And, for Nick's information, "right-on" people like myself were on Jarvis's side because Jackson, that night, was arrogant and offensive in his presentation of himself as a godlike figure, and of course his proximity to young children would always have seemed creepy anyway. But I'd concur with Tom in that large parts of MJ's back catalogue are classic, as is the man and the myth as a whole, though a lot of the "Dangerous" era now sounds like really embarrassing clock-chasing.

― Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

and nobody's even mentioned the Macca duet "Say Say Say" yet! Are you all quite deaf?

Jarvis hardly confirms to the stereotypical check-shirted homo- baiting jock image does he? It was boorish behaviour, but I'm sure that something other than sex-hatred was on his mind when he stormed the stage. Quite what was, I'm not sure, other than a dislike of bombast.

― Peter, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I suspect Jarvis was just drunk. The event has gone down in history as being about 'keeping it real'. But I'd have thought Jarvis of all people would appreciate the splendid fakeness of pop.

Jackson is a shining example of how pop performers can extend this fakeness into the realm of their own identities. Seen in this light, the incident was a culture clash between UK and US values on the question of the mutability of identity. The US, a nation of immigrants and self-made people, has always been more Nietzschean about this.

It was also, ironically, a man who lived in a monarchy attacking a citizen of a revolutionary republic because he'd been enough of an upstart to grab the title 'king' for himself, rather than leave it to Prince Charles or whoever.

If we attacked every performer who's ever styled himself 'Earl' or 'Duke' or 'King' we'd end up harrassing half the black jazz and pop greats.

― Momus, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

wow! if only Roland Barthes was still around he could make a little essay on the subject for his next mythologies volume. "The texture of the hooligan"

― Peter, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Momus, I do believe you're overthinking this. Jackson was "dangerously" close to being smothered by his own deluded behemoth of an ego until Jarvis healthily took the wind out of his sails (actually, was Jackson even aware of Jarvis' actions at the time of the event?) Based on the way Jackson carries himself and his overall conduct, I'd say it's fairly clear that he *BELIEVES* his own hype, and definetely suffers from messianic delusions.

Regarding Nick's allegations that it had something to do with homophobia, I believe you're projecting your own preconceptions onto this episode.

― alex in nyc, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I would like to publicly retract my defense of Michael Jackson on the basis of this article. Absolutely nothing forgives extended the shelf life of Limp Bizkit.

Classic for the past music, but now I hate him with the burning fury of a supernova.

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Alex: A world without the odd messianic delusion would be a pretty dull place, don't you think?

― Momus, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Might we expect Jarvo to flash his arse at Jaz Coleman next?

― Tom, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Point taken, Momus, but I prefer my Deluded Messiahs to have a bit more substance, merit and meat to their work. If you're going to cast yourself in the image of a deity or even a monarch, you best have something more to say than "Mamma Say Mamma Sah Ma Ma Coo Sa!", "Billie Jean is Not My Lover" and/or "What about the Elephants!"

― alex in nyc, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Don't think I didn't notice that one, Tom! JAZ IS WATCHING!

― alex in nyc, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Do real monarchs have nothing to prove, whereas pop pretenders have to justify every quirk? Why has Jarvis never thrown eggs at Prince Charles?

The next King Of Britain says stuff like 'Modern architecture is a hideous carbunkle' and 'Genetic engineering is an affront to the Creator'.The American King Of Pop builds Neverland and performs genetic experiments on monkeys and himself while grabbing his crotch and singing about 'keeping it in the closet'.

I know who gets my vote, er, sorry, constitutional allegiance.

― Momus, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Nick: I'm not denying the value of self-created personae, I'm not into "keeping it real" and the irony is that my attitude to such things is far more American than British. I just thought Jackson's performance that night was obnoxious and deeply offensive and therefore Jarvis had every right to do what he did. I also find it hard to imagine Nick idolising Tim Westwood, who is at least as much a self-created persona, though maybe I'm wrong.

― Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Possibly oversimplifying, but I think part of the reason Michael J can be such a compelling figure to some (if not to all) is that he can trip out and do all these very strange to himself and with himself without us having to do it. Slow-motion catharsis, perhaps.

Musically, my radio-drenched youth would have been poorer without him. But frankly, over the long term I think Janet ended up kicking his butt.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 25 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I think that what Jackson was doing that night was naff, to say the least, and Cocker's response was equally naff. As bad as each other, in a way.

― the pinefox, Thursday, 26 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

just who the hell does michael jackson think he is? that night at the brits jarvis was just doing what every other person wanted to do... jesus, michael was looking as though he was some sort of god attached to the crucifix. sorry for the digression from his music, but that is too shite to talk about anyway. do you not think though that all popstars seem to acquire this celebrity status above and beyond their actual musical ability? take the spice girls for example. Can any of them sing? are they anywhere near as talented as say, radiohead? But who will be remembered in years to come? Exactly. Nuff said.

― jane r, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

use other words please

― ethan, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of people who can make up such false unsubstantiated statements and still seem to keep some glimmer of a conscience. *Michael Jackson gay??? I mean who cares anyway, but ROTFL... no way. For HOW long has he been in the media spotlight? Don't you think it would have become apparent by now... oh and whats that?... Michael Jackson has been married twice and has two kids to his second wife!!!! *The 'self proclaimed' King of Pop? *sigh* If you had done your homework you would actually find that it was Elizabeth Taylor who coined that phrase, and the fans stuck with it. *...and another thing, isn't it amazing how many people can pull apart MJ and say his songs mean nothing and aren't timeless... but they know the names of the albums and the songs... and are such classics that they are used as covers by other artists... and they go down in history pretty successfully also... OFF THE WALL (1978) - 14 million copies THRILLER (1982) - Still the world's best selling album of all time with 52 million copies sold to date. BAD (1987) - With more than 25 million copies sold, Bad became the second biggest selling album of all time. DANGEROUS (1991) - With 26 million album sales HISTORY (1995) The best-selling double album of all time with 14 million sales - the equivalent of 28 million discs. BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR (1997) - The best selling remix album of all time with five million copies sold

― Kylie, Saturday, 17 August 2002 00:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Classic. if michael is the most famous person of all time, there MUST a reason. Surgery ? Music ? Dance ? Video ? Talent ? Beauty ? Singing ? Perfect shows ? Kindness ? Generosity ? All of those ones ? Maybe...

― sansselorus, Wednesday, 21 August 2002 17:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

And he's a Grecian now. Classic.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 22 August 2002 10:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Clearly, he's a classic. His songs have staying power, period. I defy you to find a song that gets people moving better than "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" or "Billie Jean." "Who Is It", "Stranger In Moscow" and "They Don't Care About Us" are three of the best songs to come out of the 90s, too. Even his new charity anthem (that Sony squashed), "What More Can I Give" in undeniably catchy. The man is a genius and anyone who fails to recognize this is just deluding themselves.

― Josie, Monday, 28 October 2002 06:46 (10 years ago) Permalink

I have "Rock With You", "Beat It", "Don't Stop Till Get Enough", and "Billy Jean" on non-stop repeat. Anything after 1987 = DUD.

― Dan I., Monday, 28 October 2002 08:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

CD80 'portable' MJ go!

I Want You Back
A.B.C.
The Love You Save
I'll Be There
I Wanna Be Where You Are
We Got a Good Thing Goin'
Shoo Be Do Be Do Da Day
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)
Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
Rock With You
Off the Wall
Workin' Day and Night
Billie Jean
Wanna Be Startin' Something
P.Y.T.
Thrilller
Bad
The Way You Make Me Feel

(80:54 - chronological, It was difficult to cut "Dancing Machine" since it really shows the midpoint of his voice change. I know there are a lot of great latter day tracks missing here that would be good on a MJ solo stuff only disc).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was gonna say! This list is seriously missing some "Smooth Criminal"/"Who Is It?"/"Remember The Time"/"Scream"/"You Are Not Alone"/"They Don't Care About Us" action.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

Classic, obviously.

― Shaun (shaun), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

classic
i only got around to getting some michael jackson albums recently...
i wish the video version of thriller was on the album though,its much much better

― robin (robin), Friday, 7 November 2003 22:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

God he sucks now.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

He's always sucked.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

madam you go too far!

― stevem (blueski), Saturday, 8 November 2003 13:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

Absolute classic.

HIStory and Dangerous are ridiculously underrated. Sure, they're a big departure from Off The Wall and Thriller, but they sounded distinctive and considerably more courageous than a lot of other pop pap out at the time. Forget Black Or White or the execrable Childhood, listen to Jam, She Drives Me Wild, In The Closet, Who Is It, Scream, They Don't Care About Us, Money, Tabloid Junkie, 2Bad, HIStory, even the remix album had high-calibre tracks like Morphine and Ghosts, and none of these sounded remotely like anything else on pop radio at the time. I happen to think they sounded mighty funky.

The most recent album is a total dud though, mostly because (apart from 2000 Watts) it's full of songs that sound like they really really care about being hits, and really really want to sound like all the other songs that have been hits recently. For the first time ever it is Michael Jackson trying desperately to sound like something other than himself, and it fails miserably.

Almost everything else is CLASSIC, CLASSIC, CLASSIC.

― syntaxfree, Saturday, 8 November 2003 14:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

I liked him better when he was a cartoon.

― Brandon Welch (Brandon Welch), Saturday, 8 November 2003 15:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

Jackson Five anno 1970 and his 1979-87 solo output is classic, classic and nothing but classic. No denying that, even though he is a weirdo and the quality of his output has dropped considerably lately.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Stranger In Moscow, Scream and Money are the keepers for me off of History. I'd add They Don't Care About Us, but the "jew me/screw me/kick me/kike me" stuff is pretty rank.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Stranger In Moscow" is definitely a strong track. However, I feel like the general quality of his 90s material was a bit below par (better than most of his latest album though)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 9 November 2003 03:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

I don't hate his music.
True, for the most part, nothing else sounded anything like it.
But it's boring, guys.
Just dull, watered-down stuff that was already being done better, by other people.

Even Off The Wall and Thriller are just PRETTY GOOD despite getting the collective nod from most sides as being the over-exposed weirdo's golden era.

But he's a hands-down classic for his legacy as a freakshow media juggernaut alone, ongoing as it is into it's fourth goddam decade!

Whoever saw such a public spectacle than this ageing, trans-racial, trans-gendered, trans-humanist effigy - shyly, yet boldly parading himself through the media hoisted upon his own shoulders?!?

― Stephen Stockwell (Stephen Stockwell), Sunday, 9 November 2003 09:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

Let me take a wild guess - you are about 22 years old or younger. Am I correct?

― Broheems (diamond), Sunday, 9 November 2003 10:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 28 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Alex in NYC's hate upthread looks hilarious in retrospect.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 25 May 2006 21:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

it didn't at the time?

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 25 May 2006 21:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

hilariously OTM maybe

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 25 May 2006 21:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

Michael Jackson is classic, and he has made a lot of great music.

However, he isn't even one hundredth of the Godlike creature that his fanatical fans have turned him into.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 25 May 2006 22:08 (6 years ago) Permalink

oh geirpaws

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 25 May 2006 22:10 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, but when do you ever meet these fans? I mean, they show up outside the courtroom and google their way to ILM threads, but ... are they even real?

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 25 May 2006 22:12 (6 years ago) Permalink

they are all old abandoned animatronic Disney robots run amok and only Jacko truly loves them

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 25 May 2006 22:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

I am a Michael Jackson fan!

Uh, a fan of Michael Jackson's music!

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 26 May 2006 00:33 (6 years ago) Permalink

Alex in NYC's hate upthread looks hilarious in retrospect.

I stand by every word of it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 26 May 2006 01:39 (6 years ago) Permalink

they are all old abandoned animatronic Disney robots run amok and only Jacko truly loves them

I just coughed up a cup of coffee for laughing.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 26 May 2006 01:40 (6 years ago) Permalink

Hey, Alex! I can send you a YSI of "Morphine" -- a track as anything by Killing Joke.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 26 May 2006 01:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

*er, whack

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 26 May 2006 01:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

If guilty pleasures are the best kind, I've just discovered the joy that is "Off The Wall". Against my better judgment, my arse is shaking, and disco is rarely better than that, my friend.

And all because I heard "Rock With You" in a porn shop.

― Bimble, Monday, 30 April 2007 00:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

classic (though I'd rather listen to Prince)

I was kinda surprised when I bought HIStory that he says "stop fucking with me" on Scream

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Friday, 11 January 2008 05:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7927497.stm

Page last updated at 08:42 GMT, Friday, 6 March 2009

Jackson eyes $400m comeback plan

By Ian Youngs Music reporter, BBC News

Michael Jackson announces his comeback

Michael Jackson could earn more than $400m (£283m) from a comeback deal involving new music and movies as well as concerts, his promoter has revealed.

The pop superstar has announced 10 gigs at the O2 arena in London this summer.

Randy Phillips, head of AEG Live, which is staging the gigs, said they had a wider deal that could cover a world tour and a 3D film based on Thriller.

He also said: "We're talking to him about helping him figure a new plan for the release of singles, new music."

Last tour

Jackson appeared at the London venue on Thursday to announce his comeback concerts.

He billed them as "the final curtain call" and "my final show performances in London".

Speaking afterwards, Mr Phillips said: "These will be the last shows in London. Whether he will go on from here around the world... this will be his last tour.

"All he's agreed to are the London shows at this point."

He said AEG Live had a "broader relationship" with Jackson.

"We have a film development deal that's part of this to do a film, Thriller 3D," he said.

It would be a new film that could star Jackson himself, he said.

Asked how much Jackson could earn from the ventures, Mr Phillips replied: "If we complete the full three-and-a-half year plan, he could gross over $400m in that time. London could be north of $50m (£35m)."

The star made a five-minute appearance in front of hundreds of screaming fans on Thursday to announce the 10 London dates.

I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear - this is the final curtain call
Michael Jackson

Is the King of Pop still a thriller?

His first words to fans were: "I love you so much.

"This will be it. When I say this is it, it really means this is it," he added.

"I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear."

Jackson had been expected to appear at the 02 arena at 1600 GMT, but arrived an hour and a half late for the announcement.

The first concert at the 20,000-capacity venue will be on 8 July, with tickets costing between £50 and £75. They go on general sale on 13 March.

Jackson last toured 12 years ago. In 2006, he performed at the World Music Awards in London, but disappointed fans by singing just a few lines of We Are The World.

― Bee OK, Sunday, 8 March 2009 04:50 (4 years ago) Permalink

Michael Jackson: Child Molester or Pedophile?

― ilxor, Sunday, 8 March 2009 15:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

Add on top of that the fact that in real life he's such a freakshow that punks and anarchists everywhere shuld curl up and die with envy, and there's really no question.

OTM. IMO GG Allin has got nothing on Michael Jackson. While obviously MJ is less of a freak than GG, dude went from being the most famous person in the world to a freaky looking creep and child molester, and has lost probably millions of fans as a result: it's not how low you go but how far you fall.

― samosa gibreel, Monday, 9 March 2009 02:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

Good lord, who cares that MJ out-freaks an idiot like GG Allin? Is that supposed to be a compliment?

― thirdalternative, Monday, 9 March 2009 08:48 (4 years ago) Permalink

While the court cases have definitely mattered and cause his downfall, they are not the main reason. I think a lot of people are able to say that, well, he seems kind of weird and maybe even creepy, but he was found innocent, and then he should be viewed as innocent.

His downfall has more to do with the constantly detoriating quality of his output. "Off The Wall", "Thriller" and even "Bad" were all fantastic. "Dangerous" and "HIStory" were not, but still quite good. But then, "Invincible" contained hardly anything of value at all.

I think what he would need now is to do an album with Quincy Jones again. Q has earlier showed the ability to get the best of him, and also to take influence from current music, but without losing sense of the typical Jackson style. If the music holds up, people (well, not all, but most) can forgive him for being creepy as long as he isn't proven creepy in an illegal way.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 9 March 2009 13:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

The BBC got approx. 9000 hits over the weekend for people typing in "bbc.co.uk/O_2" presumably in an effort to find out ticket information

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 9 March 2009 13:41 (4 years ago) Permalink

Touring your old hits is always a secure way of getting income for somebody whose artistic prime was in the past. Just as Rolling Stones or AC/DC.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 9 March 2009 13:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

Agree with Geir. But I feel as if those first two MJ albums were mostly inspired by the (at the time) new drum machines and synths. I don't know how easily MJ could return to that sound.

Although, looking at shots of his home studio, it looks like MJ's got an eye for "old school"... I saw Distressors and an MPC-60. Chouette!

Regarding his creepiness. After watching that Bashir documentary, I found him to be far less creepy than expected. Considering that he's an extremely famous, vitiligo'd, surgery addicted, child-abused, multi-millionaire, gay dad and (chaste) pederast, he seemed kind of... normal? Like he'd be fun at a dinner party? Bashir, on the other hand, would have two glasses of wine and start talking about boning chicks.

― Tourtiere (Owen Pallett), Monday, 9 March 2009 16:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

pretty amazing how often the phrase child molester appeared in the thread despite the second case being thrown out, and the first never going to criminal court (and rumors flying that Jordan Chandler may come forward and say the allegations were false)....

― III IV V (Bo Jackson Overdrive), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 04:09 (3 years ago) Permalink

Your post and this one are the only two times the words "child molester" are in this thread.

― LOL me a LOL (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 04:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

WS!

― bad crack (Eric H.), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 04:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

michael s. jackson ws all this white girls

― shows you bobs (The Reverend), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 05:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

Your post and this one are the only two times the words "child molester" are in this thread.

― LOL me a LOL (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:18 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Michael Jackson: Child Molester or Pedophile?

― ilxor, Sunday, March 8, 2009 11:19 AM (4 months ago) Bookmark

OTM. IMO GG Allin has got nothing on Michael Jackson. While obviously MJ is less of a freak than GG, dude went from being the most famous person in the world to a freaky looking creep and child molester, and has lost probably millions of fans as a result: it's not how low you go but how far you fall.

― samosa gibreel, Sunday, March 8, 2009 10:40 PM (4 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink[/i]

― III IV V (Bo Jackson Overdrive), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 05:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

he really did like that massive going up a key thing like in man in the mirror didnt he? listening to a lot of songs i didnt really play that much before, ive noticed he uses it a lot. you are not alone, earth song (i think), heal the world, i think he ruined quite a few otherwise good songs with this device.

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 09:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

http://www.gearchange.org/FAQ.html

― blap goin ham (The Reverend), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 09:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

you should be aware that it may make you physically sick

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 09:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

he mostly did that on his ballads, yea.....course God knows many of those weren't penned by him, and that's a device the Diane Warrens of the world live by. (not that he ever used her to my knowledge but that's besides the point)

― III IV V (Bo Jackson Overdrive), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 22:12 (3 years ago) Permalink

― Le présent se dégrade, d'abord en histoire, puis en (Michael White), Wednesday, 15 July 2009 22:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

"While obviously MJ is less of a freak than GG"

GG's freakishness is completely explicable given his horrible but probably not too uncommon upbringing. MJ's freakishness is kind of singular.

― Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 22:54 (3 years ago) Permalink

At the very least, GG had nothing to hide. Hell, he was damn proud of his....ummm... indiscretions.

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 23:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

so are most neo-Nazis....big deal

― III IV V (Bo Jackson Overdrive), Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

and MJ didn't molest nobody. INNOCENT!11!!1111

― III IV V (Bo Jackson Overdrive), Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

pass the Jesus Juice.

― Jack Cole (Reginald Mantle), Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

I just shit.

― III IV V (Bo Jackson Overdrive), Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:38 (3 years ago) Permalink

Who is "WS!" and why is he eating himself and not me?

― Spinspin Sugah, Thursday, 16 July 2009 06:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

Kind of amazing hair-on-fire footage

― Goethe*s Elective Affinities, Friday, 17 July 2009 17:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

rage, the national broadcaster's late-night clips show over here, are playing pretty much everything tonight in order.

― "woah man, flügelhorn" (haitch), Saturday, 1 August 2009 14:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

That's a shame.

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 1 August 2009 14:41 (3 years ago) Permalink

haha, oh alex.

COUNTDOWN - 2nd September 1984 Thriller Dance Competition

^^ have big hopes that this will bring the lols.

― "woah man, flügelhorn" (haitch), Saturday, 1 August 2009 14:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

i want to find my disc 2 of HIStory. it ain't bad like everybody says.

― Elvin Wayburn Phillips, Sunday, 2 August 2009 05:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

Michael Jackson's previously unreleased anti-abortion song, "Song Groove (Abortion Papers)". On the 25th anniversary edition of Bad.

Sister don't read, she'll never know
What about love?
Living a Christian soul
What do we get, she runs away
What about love?
What about all I pray

Don't know the worst, she knows a atheist
What about God?
Living is all I see
What do you get, things she would say
What about love?
That's all I pray

Those abortion papers
Signed in your name against the words of God
Those abortion papers
Think about life, I'd like to have my child

Sister confused, she went alone
What about love?
What about all I saw?
Biding a life, reading the words
Singing a song, citing a Bible verse

Father's confused, mother despair
Brother's in curse
What about all I've seen?
You know the lie, you keep it low
What about heart?
That's all I've known

Those abortion papers
(Hee-Hee Hee Hee-Hee)
(Hee Hee-Hee Hee Hee-Hee)
Those abortion papers (Hee-Hee Hee Hee-Hee)
I'd like to have my child (Hee-Hee Hee Hee-Hee)
Those abortion papers (Hee-Hee Hee Hee-Hee)
(Hee-Hee Hee-Hee).

― DavidM, Friday, 21 September 2012 22:35 (8 months ago) Permalink

Those abortion papers
(Hee-Hee Hee Hee-Hee)

― stop swearing and start windmilling (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 21 September 2012 22:39 (8 months ago) Permalink

lol that atheist line cannot be right but still, what

― teledyldonix, Saturday, 22 September 2012 03:58 (8 months ago) Permalink

I can't make out what the word is there but it's definitely not "atheist"

― frogbs, Saturday, 22 September 2012 16:35 (8 months ago) Permalink

One of the best pop voices ever. 9 or 10 excellent songs. No masterpiece albums. Incredible stage presence...perhaps best ever. Career went to shit after 1982 in terms of song quality. I'd still undoubtedly say classic.

― Tyler Burns (burns46824@yahoo.com), Sunday, 23 September 2012 06:14 (8 months ago) Permalink

― buzza, Sunday, 23 September 2012 06:23 (8 months ago) Permalink

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