[78-L] Michael Jackson. A Balanced View.

[David Lennick]

The subject isn't going to go away for quite a while whether we like it or not. 
And as has been pointed out, there are connections to jazz (Quincy Jones), 
entertainers who sang and danced (The Nicholas Brothers et al) and to the 
entire recording industry, which is where I have major problems with MJ's 
meteoric rise and the leveling off that was only natural..and which 
unfortunately took the music business into the toilet. Simply put, when MJ 
turned out a disappointing album in the early 90s, customers didn't go into the 
stores. Ridiculous but true, and my royalties from Intersound in that period 
reflected that situation (and my royalties were for the production of CD 
reissues of 78s, so we're still on topic).

That aside, I have no opinions on Jackson's music or dancing since both are in 
a genre which isn't of the slightest interest to me. The only hit record I can 
name is the song about the rat.

dl

(ps..given the choice, I'd have saved Farrah)

Tim Huskisson wrote:
> I don't know if Quincy Jones made 78s (possibly with Lionel Hampton??), but
> it was him that was ultimately responsible for Michael Jackson's huge
> success. The three QJ produced albums, Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad are
> indeed magnificent examples of Pop/Dance music of the period (particularly
> the first of these IMHO). I love these albums, but I love Louis, Duke, Bix,
> Jelly-Roll, etc, even more.
> 
> Tim Huskisson
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
> [mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of Spats
> Sent: 27 June 2009 11:56
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: [78-L] Michael Jackson. A Balanced View.
> 
> Hi!
> 
> Michael Jackson's death is of-course mentioned on the media in the UK 
> as a lead story, not least because he was due to give several massive 
> concerts here in the next couple of months. However, we are not 
> getting wall to wall coverage. Other news stories from politics 
> around the world to Wimbledon's tennis (we actually have a British 
> player with a chance for the first time in decades) are also getting 
> mentioned.
> 
> He was, there's no doubt, a fine artiste in his genre, whatever his 
> strange behaviour and people in the future may well look back on his 
> best work...such as the Thriller video, in the same way that we look 
> back on Fred and Ginger routines. It definitely was a classic in its 
> genre.
> 
> Personally, however, even within the world of pop music, I think that 
> there are others, still alive, who are more important. Paul McCartney 
> and Stevie Wonder come to mind, even if their more recent output 
> hasn't been up to the standard that it once represented.
> 
> Of-course, the outpouring of grief at his death is really a 
> generation mourning the end of their own youth; just as it was with 
> the death of Presley, Lennon, Pres. Kennedy and Princess Diana. 
> Someone who had been an omnipresent icon is suddenly there no more.
> 
> He was a troubled man and I don't think that he would have found it 
> easy to face the aging process.
> None of us do, but for him, a sort of Peter Pan in ihs own mind, it 
> would have been especially difficult. So, maybe he went when he 
> should have; still able to perform...
> 
> Earl.