Music reviews : Michael Jackson and family tribute
Michael Jackson encyclopedia : songs, life and family: On the night of November 14, 1991, 500 million people scattered across 27 nations simultaneously watched Michael Jackson grab his crotch 17 times. He simulated masturbation, shattered car windows with crowbars, and unleashed the primal screams expected from a man who owned publishing rights to the Beatles catalogue. Then he turned into a black panther. The video ends with Bart Simpson striking a B-Boy pose in a Michael Jackson shirt, and ordering Homer to “chill out, homeboy.” It shattered all previous viewing records on Fox. So, of course, a Michael Jackson best-of sells, but it’s a misnomer. His bests are Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and Dangerous. Few argue. There was just enough time in between these monuments for each to be events in themselves. Madonna’s Immaculate Collection is a blessed mixtape from the gods after boiling down mostly good records to the essentials, and she did learn to make essentials of her own shortly after. Jackson’s discography divvies up neatly on its own.
But if you recall the release of his landmark records, you’ll remember his promotional magic. Everything from the time the first single hit radio stations to when the big video premiered, it was all something out of this world. Technically, that was always the most exciting aspect of a Jackson release. We loved the music, but we loved seeing what he’d do with it – namely his videos, which are arguably just as important as the music itself. (Hey, even Invincible had that delectable “You Rock My World” video.) They’ve tried to recreate that idea – what with the world premieres of tracks here and there – but it will never be the same. So, that leaves us with just the music.
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1 (1995) : This is a very tough album to rank. On one hand, it has the unfair advantage of being a pseudo greatest hits album – the number of classic songs reissued here alone should thrust it into the top 3. But the other half of the album features new material that, while not as legendary as the hits, still deserve plenty of props. However, for every memorable cut like “You Are Not Alone” or “Scream,” there are several more inferior cuts to drag down the experience. Despite the uneven nature of the album, it still succeeds, thanks to MJ’s ability to diversify his sound, willingness touch on social issues and, of course, the inclusion of his impenetrable collection of pop hits.
Michael Jackson family: Mocienne Petit Jackson’s (Michael Jackson’s daughter) books are now available in french! For our french guests: La deuxieme partie de l’autobiographie en trois parties de Mocienne Petit Jackson commence par une description detaillee de l’enlevement de Mocienne et de sa vie aux Pays-Bas (Le Cote Sombre des Pays-Bas). Par la suite, le recit nous devoile comment se deroule sa vie avec sa famille adoptive, chez qui elle reste en compagnie de la cousine Delivrance. Petit a petit, elle decouvre que son vrai pere est Michael Jackson. A l’age de 15 ans, elle quitte sa famille adoptive et vit dans un internat pendant 4 ans, avant de s’installer vivre toute seule. Nous la suivons tout au long de son adolescence et de son entree dans la maturite, ce qui n’a pas toujours ete facile. Mocienne rencontre un homme avec lequel elle a un enfant. Cependant, cet engagement ne dure pas. Nous en apprenons davantage sur les problemes qu’elle rencontre avec les Services de Protection de l’Enfance, suivis de nombreuses affaires judiciaires. Au debut, celles-ci portaient sur sa propre personne, plus tard, elles se transforment en bataille pour la garde de son fils. Une situation inacceptable prend le relais d’une autre situation inacceptable. Nous sommes egalement mis au courant de nombreux evenements traumatisants vecus par le personnage principal, de ses depressions et de ses nombreuses luttes pour faire face a la misere impregnee dans sa vie et a son combat pour s’en debarrasser. L’auteur explique clairement ces luttes a travers de vifs flashbacks.