On Michael Jackson

Surprisingly Interesting Movie

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:06:20 +0000

Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot. Like a lot of other people I grew up with the sights and sounds of Michael Jackson, with that I mean that I was born in the same year as him. His music always intrigued me and I have enjoyed hearing the music from thriller and all of the albums that he put out. But, with the death of MJ he was just as big as Elvis Presley. Why are all of the really talented artist taken from us early, and why is it that more times than not it has to do with drugs. Michael Jackson’s life was unhindered by controversies. With the accusations of child molesting a couple of times and everyone around him trying to get their hands into the pot of gold that MJ offered if you were employed by him, Michael remained the humble self that I remember his as I was growing up. This movie was just one example of his kindness and eccentricities that he had. He may have been weird in a lot of eyes around the world but all he wanted was to take care of his kids and show them how to treat the things that God has given us.

I finally got a chance last night to see this spectacular film about his show “This Is It”. I know that it has been a while that this has been out but I saw mixed reviews about this movie I decided to hold off seeing it until it came out on a movie channel. Well, last night was when I finally got a chance. It was showing on Starz movie channel and while I was flipping through all of the channels I happened upon it and told my wife to stop and lets see what all of the hubub was about. I was only going to peek at it a little and the next thing I knew was that we were watching the whole movie. This documentary about a 50 show concert tour was very interesting to say the least. Originally this tour was scheduled to last from July of 09 to March of 2010, but that was cut short by his untimely death on 6-25-09. All of his shows were cancelled and they made this documentary of his special talent of being an artist.

Not knowing what to expect when we flipped to the proper channel, we got the first hand look at the way that he interacted with all of his entourage. During the documentary they showed how all of the scenes were gone through by all of the musicians and dancers. They also showed the special costumes that were going to be worn by the great MJ and how and who they had to consult with to get these special costumes made for him. They has to collaborate with different very high profile designers to get everything just right for MJ. During this documentary you will not be disappointed with the music that you hear. I counted 20 of MJ’s songs that just amazed me. These include; “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”, “Jam”, “The Drill”, “They Don’t Care About Us”, “Human Nature”, “Smooth Criminal”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “I Want You Back”, “The Love You Save”, “I’ll Be There”, “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)”, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Thriller”, “Beat It”, “Black or White”, “Earth Song”, “Billie Jean”, “Man In The Mirror”, “This Is It”, “Heal The World”. I may have missed some songs but this is all of the ones that I knew.

This documentary shows the human and touching side of MJ that a lot of people may have mistook as weird, but deep down inside all of us there lives some part or type of MJ’s persona. If you were to look into a mirror you will see that all of us want to be like MIKE, in some way shape or form but were to afraid to show it, In this movie he shows that we all have kids inside of us and that if given a chance that inner child would come out. This movie also showed how many people it actually took for MJ to become so famous. He did not do this all on his own but he was a very big part of the show. This also shows that all of the people that he employed and you are not just talking about a few dozen, there were probably a few hundred people that depended on him to put on a good show.

This is not about MJ bosssing a bunch of people around, but on the contrary it shows that you need greatness to make greatness. So, all of the people surrounding MJ had to be just as good as MJ to be in the show. All though on the other hand, as they would not be able to exist without MJ, it is also true that MJ could not exist without them. From the lowest form of dancers to the highest form of special effects guys that it took to create the spectacular pyrotechnics part of the show, this will show you how much of a perfectionist that MJ was.

As they go through this show they also have people inserted and tell you how special MJ really was. The media gave the regular public the idea that he was a nut or a weirdo, but, to the contrary I got the impression the he was kind and always treated everyone especially kids to the way of a childhood that he had never experienced. He may have had a rough childhood growing up in the streets of Gary Indiana but the strict upbringing that he had showed in this show. The physical endurance that he showed when the band wanted to call it a day, only showed that he was a perfectionists. He would only push as hard as he would push himself. This documentary hopefully put all of those naysayer’s to rest, that MJ was a great artist and that he would never harm the hair on an ant let alone harm any children. This is to bad that his reputation was tarnished by the greedy and all of the officials that just wanted to be around because of his money. The doctors should have had his best interest at heart instead of trying to line all of their pockets. We might still have MJ around if the doctors that took that solemn oath to save MJ instead they would take advantage of his good nature.

This movie will open your eyes as to how sensitive MJ really was. All he wanted was to make everyone appreciate what was around people on a daily basis. He did this through the words of his songs, and his actions on stage. The rigorous way that he treated himself was astounding, he would not take a break until he thought that, that part of the show was exactly perfect. This movie was great and I think that if we had more people out there that thought like MIKE then we could save a lot more of the children across the globe.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older

Michael Jackson Quick Tip by BaronSamedi3

Tue, 17 May 2011 01:59:40 +0000

Yes, there's a nasty streak of ferocious anger on his later records, but they didn't call him the King of Pop for nothing.

Michael Jackson's VISION - 42 Groundbreaking Music Videos on DVD

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 23:26:09 +0000

No matter what has happened in Michael Jackson's controversial short life, no one can deny the genius of his talent. Watching his music videos, or short films as Michael Jackson's VISION refers to them, reminds me of just how unique and gifted he was.

Michael Jackson's VISION includes a 2 DVD set of all 35 of his groundbreaking music videos, or short films, fully restored and remastered. A Bonus DVD of 7 additional music videos is also included, with the previously unreleased 'One More Chance'.

Watching Michael Jackson's videos can not be compared to any others. He revolutionized music videos and nobody ever caught up. Included are videos directed by movie directors John Landis, John Singleton, Spike Lee, David Fincher and Martin Scorsese. Families would come together to watch a Michael Jackson video.

I recently watched some of the older videos from Michael Jackson's video with my son he had to admit that Michael Jackson was amazingly talented and all the videos from the thriller album, made before he was born, are phenomenal. I highly recommend Michael Jackson's VISION for not only Jackson's fans but for any fan of music videos.

See also: Michael Jackson - I'll Remember the Early Years

This post originally appeared at Connect with your Teens through Pop Culture and Technology.

Dance Along With The King of Pop!

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:13:42 +0000

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my niece and soon proved why I'm the coolest Auntie EVER (that's what she said). I grew up watching MJ videos and wishing I could dance like him, so this was a must play for me.


The dances vary from easy to hard and you can either dance with Michael or as one of his back-ups (for multiple players). They have a section for warming up, so you don't hurt yourself, with a real dancer walking you through a full warm up routine. There is a dance school to teach you the moves and allow you to rehearse before the "show". However, my ADHD (or typical 10-year-old) niece had no patience or time for that so we just jumped in and it was easy enough to pick up.

You only have to move the controller and match it up at the right time to the exact action as it hits a circle in the upper corner of the screen. The dance moves are shown as human outlined figures with the controller arm highlighted. I couldn't stand still when following the moves even if I wanted to, so I was doing the full dance moves which helped me keep time and get a few Perfects in a row! It isn't a watered down version of MJ moves like I had originally expected. This helped me realize what an amazing dancer MJ was- I can't believe he did all that for 50 years! I could barely do it for 5 minutes and I'm a freestyle breakdancer LOL! I actually felt like I was dancing with the King of Pop and that makes it well worth the $40.

The range of songs from ALL MJ albums was fantastic and you get to unlock more along the way. The full list of songs is:

Another Part of Me (from Bad)(Only with Wal-Mart or HMV special edition)
Bad (from Bad)
Beat It (from Thriller)
Billie Jean (from Thriller)
Black or White (from Dangerous)
Dirty Diana (from Bad)
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (from Off the Wall)
Earth Song (from HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I)
Ghosts (from Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix)
The Girl Is Mine (from Thriller)
Heal The World (from Dangerous)
In the Closet (from Dangerous)
Leave Me Alone (from Bad)
Money (from HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I)
Remember the Time (from Dangerous)
Rock With You (from Off the Wall)
Smooth Criminal (from Bad)
Speed Demon (from Bad)
Streetwalker (from Bad - 2001 Special Edition)
Sunset Driver (The Ultimate Collection)
The Way You Make Me Feel (from Bad)
They Don't Care About Us (from HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I)
Thriller (from Thriller)
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (from Thriller)
Who Is It (from Dangerous)
Will You Be There (from Dangerous)
Workin' Day and Night (from Off the Wall)

Another fun part of the game is that it also has a karaoke option. The words to the song are played along the bottom of the screen so you can sing and dance, if you're a multitasker or really want to become the King of Pop.

It should be noted that the game will be released in February 15,2011 on Kinect and Playstation Move. However, for now, it's on the Wii, DS and Playstation Portable. Though I can't imagine how you'd play it on a mobile system and I'm not sure I'd want to try, I'll leave that to someone else to review.

I like this game so much that I want to go out and get a Wii System just so I can do it in my living room. In fact, by the end of the evening, Nando and I were convinced we needed a Wii station playing this game at our reception to get everyone up and dancing. So, if you always wanted to dance and sing like the King of Pop- this is your game.

Perhaps Nothing Earth-Shattering, MICHAEL Still Delivers

Mon, 6 Dec 2010 22:41:07 +0000

To be perfectly honest, I’ve never been that much of a Michael Jackson fan … or, at least, it’s safe to say that I think his early solo stuff (up through BAD) was exceptional, but I think somewhere along the way he kinda/sorta lost his way musically but NEVER as a performer. As others have already said elsewhere, there’ll only be one Michael Jackson in many a generation.

Still, in my opinion there’s little earth-shattering here, despite the fact that this may be a large part and parcel of the last music Michael ever performed for his fans, and that may not be a bad thing. For Michael, it was always about the music as much as it was about performing, and so much of his life was spent exploring his sound that I found much of MICHAEL just pleasant ‘listening music.’ For a master of his craft, MJ deserved to write and perform what he wanted, and that’s largely the impression I take from this (possibly) final album.

If anything, MICHAEL presents a bit of a historical throwback in Michael’s career, perhaps back to a time when it was more about ‘the sound’ than it was ‘the career.’ Much of this comes across as soft rock – the kind of territory Michael staked out early in his work – and that came as a welcome surprise.

Hollywood Tonight: (2.5 out of 5)
Shades of THRILLER as Michael resorts to a spoken word bridge in ‘Hollywood Tonight,’ the musical story about the search for fame and fortune. Not the best choice as, outside of his backing vocal sounds, there isn’t much here to distinguish itself from other superior tracks on this disc and elsewhere.

Keep Your Head Up: (5 out of 5)
Vintage Michael vocals as he swoons lyrically – complete with a chorus – across this tale of musical inspiration, though a fair amount of it is a bit clichéd. “Gimme your wings so we can fly.” Still, this is the kind of stuff he could easily hit out of the park every time he sang.

(I Like) The Way You Love Me: (3.5 out of 5)
There’s a bit of an opening vocal story of Michael telling you what the song would sound like as opposed to the instrumentation comes across as a bit bizarre, but it finally gives way to the music and a adult ‘soft rock’ vibe that’s easy on the ears. “I thank the heavens above that I met ya.” Again, a bit clichéd and not nearly as strong as other tracks, but it’s a harmless confection for your ears in Michael’s gifted hands.

Monster (Feat. 50 Cent): (3.5 out of 5)
Hate the softer, thoughtful-sounding refrain paired with the driving and fist-pumping main verses. Musically, I don’t think it works as well as it could, especially given the message of fame corrupting and haunting the individual spirit. Clearly, this is intended as a warning label about the dangers of celebrity. We make our own Frankensteins these days, and Michael was as much a victim of celebrity as any has ever been.

Best of Joy: (1.5 out of 5)
Way too clichéd, way too disconnected, & way too predictable to really achieve much, ‘Best of Joy’ is probably the weakest track here. “We are forever” repeated over & over again sometimes is nothing more significant than “we are forever” repeated over & over again. Michael will live forever, but, hopefully, this song won’t.

Breaking News: (2 out of 5)
Another personal statement from Michael, ‘Breaking News’ opens with a montage of reporters and pundits announcing the latest bit and byte about the King of Pop. This is undoubtedly intended as an indictment of paparazzi destroying celebrity, but haven’t we heard this message before, arguably even on this album? I give it a few props for the jazzy horns backing up the instrumental part, but, otherwise, it’s still much too tame to be memorable.

(I Can’t Make It) Another Day (Feat. Lenny Kravitz): (5 out of 5)
OK, now this ROCKS, and I mean it’s hip, groovy and magical in the way only Michael could ROCK. Great soft verse rises to a powerful refrain backed with a soft Lenny Kravitz accompanying a masterful Michael. “I can’t make it another day …” is a much more relevant lyric for Michael at this point in his life, and I’ll always recall tune when I think of his final days. An instant classic that can stand alongside anything Michael’s done.

Behind the Mask: (3.5 out of 5)
A synthesizer-infused Motown rhythm about life and love behind the mask. “Who do you love?” Again, the track is lifted by some great sax work and that certain toe-tapping appeal that distinguished Michael’s craft throughout the years.

Much Too Soon: (5 out of 5)
Beautifully soft guitar backed by a simple but wondrous musical arrangement, ‘Much Too Soon’ is pure Michael ballad. “Would you like to go with me, and she answered no to me, but I guess I learned my lesson much too soon.” It ends as magically as it began. This one deserves to stand the test of time, and it’ll no doubt be found and appreciated by others for quite some time.

Hold My Hand (Feat. Akon): (5 out of 5)
“This life don’t last forever, so tell me what we’re waiting for …” Is there any more relevant an opening line for a Michael Jackson song given the tragedy of his passing? “The nights are getting darker, and there’s no peace inside, so why make our life harder by fighting love tonight?” Happiness is found together – between two lovers, between a singer and his song, between a performer and his audience – and that’s the significance of this closing tune.

Jackson 5 Quick Tip by MNeulander

Wed, 1 Sep 2010 20:54:30 +0000

Boy, do I remember watching the "Jackson Five" on TV growing up as a kid!!! Michael was so talented, definitely carried the group!!! Unfortunately, Michael's meteoric rise to stardom and his precipitous fall reminds me of the plot of a typical Greek tragedy. It is such a shame that a talent of his caliber fell to such lows, and by his own actions.

After seeing some of Michael's MTV videos, Gene Kelly remarked that Michael was the most talented dancer he ever saw! It just adds more weight to the depth of the tragic fall.

Michael Jackson Quick Tip by MNeulander

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 04:48:00 +0000

Loved Michael in the Jackson Five and his early MTV work. He just got so weird that I couldn't stand who he became, for me it interferd with whatever pleasure his music could bring. He toppled like a classic figure of Greek tragedy in the end, too bad, he had been a great talent.

Michael Jackson Quick Tip by Butterfly1961

Sat, 7 Aug 2010 07:09:47 +0000

I grew up with Michael's music; I had Jackson 5 posters in my room. Growing up as he went on his own, his videos thrilled the world. Back then as a young adult, the only time to see his videos was on MTV; he actually is the one who launched black entertainers on MTV. Just one milestone for him, and many more to come. I loved watching him dance, and was also amazed with his sister Janet's dancing as well. I thought his voice was angelic - perfect tone, pitch, never any mistakes; after all he was a perfectionist. He amazed everyone at the MTV awards when he joined his brothers and introduced his version of the Moonwalk; no one had seen this before and with his perfect form (always perfect) he awed the audience and the world with his surprise dance technique. Even though I was amazed at his talent, I had no idea at the time how generous, kind, humorous, and sadly, how lonely he was.

He was always around people, but was the loneliest man in the world, as he admitted this time and time again. I blame the fact that most of us did not know him as a person well enough because of the press and paparazzi. They only seemed interested in his eccentricities, and they couldn't wait to tell the world how "strange" he was.

While on stage, he perfected the term "entertainment" - every little detail, including lighting, dance moves, musicians, sound effects, EVERYTHING was led by him through his perfection. If you notice his live version videos now, (my favorite ones) you will see that every move he make, from the facial expressions, to his fingers, to his feet, to his moves, was deliberate. He made no mistakes. They say there was nothing more exciting or thrilling than to see this magical man in concert, and I believe it. He had a say in everything that went on, and hired the best of the best to make sure his needs were met; he wasn't satisfied in just putting on a show, he needed to make sure he left a lasting impression. There were many times he had to be hospitalized because of exhaustion after performing; he gave it his all, and unlike many entertainers today, he needed no special effects to make him sound good - he was a true musician whose voice was natural and beautiful. Who else could sing "Dirty Diana", a song to make you wanna move, then turn around and break your heart with a ballad?

The truly unique thing about his performances and tours was that he was never motivated by money; his mission was to use his God-given talent to help the world in any way he could. The songs he wrote sent out a message in one way or another; the all time favorite being Man In The Mirror. Other songs that were meant to send a message to the world were The Earth Song, Black Or White, and many many others. He decided long ago that he was put on this earth to accomplish something with his talent, and he proved he could do it, and with thrilling results.

His first thought was of the children; the hungry, poor, handicapped, and the orphans. He was a truly "magical" person who believed anything could be accomplished, so he built Neverland. At the time, the only news going around was that he had built a zoo, carnival rides, etc. for his own entertainment because he was child-like. Not true; yes, this was his HOME, his refuge, but no one can count the many bus loads of children and their families that visited Neverland so that they could take one day, enjoy themselves without any worry, and ride the train named after Michael's mother, be around the animals and enjoy the carnival rides. You can only imagine how many children's lives were enriched by such a day. Michael also made sure everything was handicapped enabled, so no one would be left out. These particular facts were usually never mentioned in the press; I guess that part wasn't interesting enough for the reporters.

The press made a big deal that Michael took his chimp Bubbles on tour with him; he was even there during the making of the "Bad" video. How many other female celebrities take their little dogs with the diamond necklaces, manicured toenails and expensive grooming with them when they go somewhere? They love the attention it brings. Michael had Bubbles with him because he had no one else. We must all realize that Michael was actually 2 people; the genius entertainer who thrilled audiences, but when the lights went out and the people left, he turned into the painfully shy and lonely man he actually was. The press made him seem "weird" because he had a chimp companion, but who else did he have-Bubbles was an animal that showed him genuine love, unlike some people Michael was around.

Do you have any idea how many orphanages are in better shape right now because of Michael? When getting off the plane with Kenny Ortega in Romania, where Michael was to tour, he asked Ortega if he would like to go with him to the orphanage. Not to his hotel, but to the ORPHANAGE. Ortega went with him, and saw how grim the place was. Michael went around visiting all the children, and was seen whispering things to some of the staff. Later, Ortega learned that Michael had told the staff that if no new beds, linens, more staff, and other necessities were not made available within 24 hours, he would not perform the tour. He provided the resources, and within 24 hours the orphanage had everything Michael requested. He had PURE POWER, and he used it to his advantage to make others happy. While touring, every city he went to had a new piece of expensive equipment in the children's ward in every hospital he visited. Did the press report any of this? Well of course not.

“I am bewildered at the length to which people will go to portray me so negatively,”

When the child molestation allegations came out, his true friends and his family said "the light literally went out of his eyes" - it was too much for him to bear to be accused of something that he was never capable of doing. He became unbearably depressed, had extreme insomnia, and ended up depending on the greed of others who pretended to be his friends to deal with it by becoming addicted to prescriptions. Even though he was exonerated; there was absolutely no proof of anything bad going on, the damage was already done to his reputation and more importantly, to the human side of the man. I have seen documentaries on the trial, and it has been said by both reporters and attorneys, that the fact there was even a trial was ridiculous, because the state had nothing to prove to begin with.

“I will say again that I have never, and would never, harm a child. It sickens me that people have written untrue things about me.”

After all this, Neverland was closed because Michael stated "This is not home anymore" - such a generous man who shared his wealth had to close his refuge and the joy of children visiting was no more. There are SO many things I wish I could mention to defend this man, but will leave that to a review in the future. So many people are better because of Michael Jackson, but unfortunately this was not brought out in the media until he died. Michael stated "Awards are nice, but the smile and the hug from a child means much more to me" - his life was motivated by helping others, and his life was cut short because of the greed of physicians who enabled his addiction to prescription medicine. Meds that were not to be given to anyone outside of a hospital in the first place. Think about it; if Joe Blow from off the street went to Dr. Murray and asked for Propofol to help him sleep, would he have agreed and given it to him? Of course not, because Joe Blow wasn't Michael Jackson. The greed of people that unfortunately Michael trusted helped send him to his grave.

Yes, there were true friends who did try to help him, but Michael would get angry and not let them help. But if you put yourself in his place, or anyone else who has a bad addiction for that matter, would you readily agree to an intervention? Probably not; it's scary to admit you have a problem, and it's damned scary to think about rehab and the effects of detoxification from these all too powerful drugs. There is NO medical protocol for dealing with a Propofol addiction, because no one is addicted to it to begin with; this a drug used to put you to sleep during surgery; it's anesthesia for God's sake!

His whole life was in the eye of the entire world, and I believe the irony is that no matter how much good he did, it always seemed to backfire on him, but despite the hurt he still continued on with what he believed in. It's also ironic to me that his power, which was used to help others, also killed him in the end.

He has been a true inspiration to me in more ways than I can say, and my 11 year old daughter, who didn't really know who he was until his death, has also been inspired by him. She not only sees the genius in him as an entertainer and as a person, but she is awed by the messages he gives in his music. She loves to click on YouTube and watch his videos, especially videos that include the lyrics, and when she actually sees and listens to what he's trying to tell us, she literally feels it. For someone that young, I think that's pretty impressive.

Even if you're not a Michael Jackson fan, you can't deny that he was and always be a inspiration to anyone who truly listens to his words.

“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.”

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.”

“And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance.”

“Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone. This simple goodness shines straight from their hearts and only asks to be lived.”

“I believe in my heart that the music community will come together as one and rally to the aid of thousands of innocent victims, ... There is a tremendous need for relief dollars right now and through this effort each one of us can play an immediate role in helping comfort so many people.”

“There's a Mother's Day and there's a Father's Day, but there's no Children's Day. It would mean a lot. World peace.”

“Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul, and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation.”

“And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face... and the world we once believed in will shine again in grace. Then why do we keep strangling life wound this Earth, crucify its soul. Though it's plain to see, this world is heavenly. We could be God's glow... Heal the world.”

Michael Jackson Quick Tip by brianna

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:32:29 +0000

Mickael Jackson in itself isa legendary for the places he went with his famil;y and solo carrear

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Quick Tip by sa2008

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:51:20 +0000

hmm

Tomorrow, June 25, marks the 1 year anniversary of Michael Jackson's tragic and untimely death.

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:55:47 +0000

With Michael Jackson's children in mind, they lost a wonderful father, and I, along with other fans, have lost a true musical genius, a man whose generosity is unsurpassed, and a gentle soul who loved everyone.

I saw This Is It when it first came out in the theater; I was so excited to see this masterpiece that Kenny Ortega had put together so quickly. When the DVD came out, I bought that too and have watched it several times since.

I admit, you would have to be at least somewhat of a fan to enjoy this movie, but even if you only liked him a little (shame on you!) you would certainly appreciate this movie; it brings new-founded respect to a man who endured so much tragedy and betrayal in his life and yet who never turned his back on anyone despite it all.

Before watching the movie itself, it's a great idea to view the extras first; in different sections, you will meet his wardrobe designer and see the fabulous outfits he would have worn and also when during the concert he would be wearing it. This young designer was a pure genius and Michael himself came up with the ideas of exactly what he wanted. Thousands of dollars were spent in jewels on some of the clothes that were described by the designers as "so bright you had to wear sunglasses to use them" - nothing gaudy, just pure beauty. The Thriller jacket that was designed was pure genius; and unfortunately Michael did not get to see the intricate lining of it where the designer made a surprise embroidered wolf. Another costume lit up with different colors and was controlled by a remote-type thing - I can only imagine how spectacular this would have been. I can not describe how wonderful Michael would have looked in these divine clothes and the effect it would have had on the audience.

Another extra section described in detail the special effects that would have been used in this year long London concert. Details and effects that you would not have known existed or even possible to do. Michael was proud of the fact that during the concert, he had the largest 3D, HiDef screen in the world behind him - scenes and images and videos of his new family of dancers would continuously be playing while he performed. It is literally impossible to describe the beauty of it; for instance, during The Earth Song, he wanted a particular waterfall on the huge HD screen behind him; you can only imagine the effect of this in 3D!

Other extras include all who were involved in the tour; from Kenny Ortega, to other directors, producers, musicians and dancers describing Michael personally and about his musical talent and genius. There was a comment made by Ortega, which I completely agree with, where he says Michael was a true entertainer because while most other singers need special effects to sound good, Michael did not - he was a natural singer, dancer and entertainer - he knew how to control the audience with his talent alone. So many traits were revealed about Michael, you can't help but respect the man.

Now to the movie itself: watching Michael rehearse, making sure everything was pure perfection in his soft-spoken gentle way, was emotional for me. If he needed something done, he asked and then would say "God Bless You" - he also stressed to everyone on set that "We are doing this for love" - he was clearly not motivated by money at all; Michael has always used his God-given talent to make a statement, to try and change the bad happening the world, to help the hungry and poor, and through his music he accomplished more than I believe he thought he did. Being 50 years old, you may think his dancing may have been a little slower but he still had the energy he always had and he kept up with his new dance crew who were half his age. I thought that maybe his voice may not be quite up to par since he has not entertained in 12 years, but believe me, he still had it!! You can see the determination and sacrifice during these rehearsals and I kept thinking "My God, how could he accomplish all this during his horrible fate with addiction?" Another thing that I appreciate about Michael was his dedication and love for the people who were working with him. Arrogance and conceitedness were NOT a part of him at all. He has always used metaphors with his music, but this movie really shows that part of his genius - this is how he reached people. I felt so sad seeing his excitement and all the work that went into his tour, only for the tour not to happen because of his tragic ending.

I am completely in love with this movie; I do however think it is a crying shame that most of us did not appreciate all that he was until after his death. I blame this on the bad publicity from the annoying press. You will see in This Is It that Michael was not strange at all; he was just a brilliant angel who did everything in his power to make the world a better place. You simply have to see this one!

In Memoriam

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

THIS IS IT is now all there is. Watching this film in the DVD format in the home strikes many chords for almost every viewer. Michael Jackson's life was made far too public and this brief recording of the preparations for his final tour sets much straight about why he was such a remarkable talent. It allows us to forget all the raucous press that hounded him during his life and simply watch Michael Jackson doing what he did best - perform. Some of his gifts can be listed. Creative body language that permanently influenced dance movements both popular and classical. Articulation of his sensitivity to even the minor details of his performances. Total involvement in whatever he performed. His genuine kindness in dealing with both his troupe of musicians and dancers as well as his producers/stagehands/publicists. A mind that could push the edges of entertainment like few others. A seemingly indefatigable energy level while rehearsing. A genuine love for his audience and yes, for life. One could wish that the DVD showed the completed THIS IS IT show as there couldn't have been more than one more day of rehearsals before is tragic death. But maybe that will come later. What this DVD preserves is the quality of uniqueness that was Michael Jackson. Grady Harp, June 10

Truly an inspiring read that never gets boring

Sat, 22 May 2010 06:12:03 +0000

This book is wonderful for those who seek inspiration in their lives, regardless of whether you are a Michael Jackson fan or not. I bought this book, which was reprinted after his death, and was amazed at his insights, thoughts, reflections and common sense on the subjects of everyday living. His thoughts are intimate and deep, and I found them to be profound. The book itself is beautiful with photos and drawings, and I find when I feel down or lost, picking it up and reading seems to have a calming effect on me. Michael inspired the world through his music and talent, and this book just adds to the world of how much of a genius he was, yet still has the innocence that was Michael. I would recommend this read to anyone who is a fan, to those who need some inspiration, or to anyone who just needs to think about the simple things in life that we all seem to take for granted. I did not find anything negative about this book - it has actually made me gain respect for a musical genius who only wanted to help others regardless of what personal trauma he went through.

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Quick Tip by MelissaAq

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:39:14 +0000

Admittedly not the biggest MJ fan but found this to be tedious to get thru. Mostly just liked the stage affects.

"Look over your shoulders, honey!"

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 19:41:26 +0000

I was finally able to see this "highly anticipated" film once it came out on DVD. Overall I would recommend this film to anyone that has any interest in Michael Jackson and his music.

Experience

Overall my experience with This Is It was great! To me it was unreal when Michael Jackson passed away. I can’t say I was a diehard fan, but I definitely can say I was big fan. His music always made me want to get up and dance. When I heard his songs, they brought back memories of when I was a kid. This Is It brought back those memories, made me want to get up and dance, and also had me wishing Michael Jackson didn’t pass away so I could have seen this amazing concert he would have put on.

At first it was hard for me to get into the film. I had to remind myself a few times that this was footage that wasn’t initially meant for me to see and that the footage came from rehearsals. Yet, once I got past all of that, I truly found myself getting engaged in the film. I heard so much hype about this film that I expected a lot. To be honest with you, the beginning of the film wasn’t doing it for me, but once a few of Michael Jackson’s more popular songs came on I started getting in the groove.

One thing that really shined through in the film was how professional Michael Jackson was. He knew exactly what he wanted. I could tell he is a perfectionist when it comes to his shows and music, which I think is a good thing. He knew all the tempos and keys to all his songs and I could tell he truly worked hard.

Favorite Part

For me the best part of the film was when the song They Don’t Care About Us was being rehearsed. The way they were able to make you feel like you were actually there blew me away. I love the beat in the song and Michael Jackson’s dancing during this song is amazing. I watched this film almost a month ago and I still have this song stuck in my head.

Recommendation

I would recommend this film to everyone. Once you are able to get past the idea that this is raw rehearsal footage, you’ll have a good time watching this film.

Tips

I waited a while to see the film on Blue Ray. After countless times of trying to rent the film on Blue Ray I finally gave up and just grabbed the normal DVD version. To be honest with you I don’t think you need to watch this film on Blue Ray, DVD is good enough.

It is difficult to wade through the dense and meandering prose

Sat, 2 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

This is a hard book to read because some of the authors seem more eager to engage in dense and metaphorical prose rather than explain the life and influence of Michael Jackson. There are times, especially in the last essay "Note Towards a Ritual Exorcism of the Dead King" by Ian Penman, where I wanted to shout, "Get to and stay on your point about Michael!" Like many of the others, the author wanders from topic to topic, comparing Michael Jackson to many things and making apparently absurd comparisons.
There are also instances of questionable dialog, for example, in "True Enough: Michael in Fifty Shards" by Chris Roberts, there is a supposed conversation between Michael and Lisa-Marie Presley that leads to them having sex and Michael proposing. It may have been a parody, but the problem with the life of Michael Jackson is that it is naturally hard to separate the parody from the reality.
Fortunately, there is enough reality-based discussion so that you can learn some hard facts about Michael's life and much of that leaves you sympathetic. There are descriptions of how rough his father treated the children, especially the most significant meal ticket, Michael. From these stories, it is easy to understand why Michael would want to recapture his childhood as an adult, simply because he never really had one.
I was not a Michael Jackson fan; I was simply neutral over his status as the "King of Pop." I have heard his music played on the radio but have never seen a single one of his videos. After reading this book, I sympathize with him, he most likely did some very bizarre and inexcusable things, but after reading about the environment he grew up in I can understand why at least some of that behavior was expressed. It is difficult to believe that he was ever a happy man.

BEAUTIFUL BOOK........

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

...and so appropriately titled. You will not find pictures of the iconic, larger-than-life Michael Jackson that the public had come to know over the last several years; but rather a more intimate, behind-the-scenes portrayal of the King of Pop before his reign began. Fresh-faced and naturally handsome, the book tells the tale of a hardworking superstar in the making, and the familial love and togetherness surrounding him. A fabulous conversation piece...would be beautifully coupled with another book of equal aesthetic value documenting the star's reign (which continues to this day) as the paralleled superstar that he eventually came to be.

DYB

Wonderful addition to our collection.

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Previous to the passing away of Michael Jackson, my 12 year old daughter starting collecting CDs, DVDs, apparel and pretty much anything to do with Michael Jackson. After his passing, she immediately went full throttle to add more to the collection. It has has been growing pretty big, but Michael Jackson: Before He Was King for sure is the icing on the cake. It was a pleasure to see Michael Jackson in his younger adult years, from the 70's to early 80's. He was full of life, love and happiness. This is a tribute that his family and fans can be proud of. The pictures and stories reflect the positive life Michael had that the media and tabloids never showed. The pictures are beautiful and represent the Michael Jackson everyone wants to remember him as.

Many of the photos we have never seen before and you can easily tell they reflect the real Michael Jackson, no touch ups or photo-chopping going on. The author, Todd Gray is obviously was a true friend of Michael. He portrays himself as a "real" individual through his comments and not as a typical paparazzi wanting to get that money shot. Looking at the pictures and reading his journeys, you can actually feel the love and respect Mr. Gray had for Michael come out through his words and photos.

This is an excellent book for any Michael Jackson fan, young and old.

It's All For Love...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:28:31 +0000

@Nando1 and I went to go see "This Is It" yesterday. I LOVED IT! I do wish that it was more like how the show would've been since they had the footage but, I also really liked that you get to see Michael as he was. Now, my disclaimer that I thought of after reading @KevinTRod's review, I am not a professional reviewer nor, even though I studied film, do I ever pay extra attention to the technical aspects of a film. It has to be a pretty obvious error for me to even notice or care.

You get a real sense of Michael in this film, a sense of him that I hadn't seen in a long time. This man, for whatever you may think of him, is full of love and humility. When he gives a note to his musicians, he notes, "It's all for love" and "God bless you". When his dancers and the crew cheer him on enthusiastically, he says "God bless you all, I love you." He's humble and grateful to every lighting designer, sound guy, dancer and musician, doling out hugs and blessings like he's Santa Claus on Christmas.

You get an incredible sense of what it's like to work with Michael and we're all reminded of what a pure talent he was. He would be doing some James Brown footwork, separating out his upper body in his freestyle pops and you could tell he was listening to every beat, tempo, note, conversation and thinking about it from the audience's perspective.

Michael's always cared for his fans. The opening of the film states that it's for the fans and you never doubt it for a second. At one part, when he's giving a note to the musical director, he says, "I'm hearing it as they would hear it, as the audience would see it..." After reading @KevinTRod's review, he has a good point that I had thought about, why wasn't it edited as if it was going to be the show? Well, maybe there was more worth in respecting Michael's memory and remembering him as more than just the "King of Pop". But, I would've loved to have seen it altogether as a finished product. The scenes that were completed for the dress rehearsal parts of the film were phenomenal and you felt like you were right there. It is too bad that this truly is it.

This Is Crap

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:51:15 +0000

I have to tell you folks: This whole Michael Jackson death thing is getting to be the stuff of parody. As if the release of bloopers as a “major motion picture” wasn’t bad enough, but this album release from Sony is so much more offensive on so many levels. Now I don’t want to berate Sony too much because there WAS a movie titled “This Is It” released in theaters which meant a soundtrack album was to shortly follow. And from the outside it appears that this was a project of great love and care. The album comes in a digibook that can hold the two CD’s comfortably inside.

When you open it up you are treated to a beautiful 40 plus page glossy booklet with pictures and information on the concert that would have likely been the pinnacle of MJ’s career. This is a lovely package when you look at it, and it looks very nice on any album collectors shelf. Pop in the CD though and the ugly truth rears it’s ugly head: These are nothing but repackaged songs. Ignorantly I assumed they’d use the concert recordings found in the picture, but rather then master those for CD they decided to take songs that have been reissued to death and sell them to loyal fans once again.

Well, except for “They Don’t Care About Us.” To my knowledge that’s only on the “HIStory" album. Now the thing is these songs are classic songs. They are still great. They sound great. But...they sound great on all the other albums too. These are not the best these songs have ever sounded and real MJ fans have multiple copies of these songs. I know that MJ’s death inspired a spike in sales for his albums and the record companies would be fools to not take advantage of that. But this year alone we got at LEAST four new compilation albums from Sony! Plus with “HIStory,” “Number Ones,” “The Essential Michael Jackson,” and many more, did we really need this to be a similar repackaging of old material?

Now to be fair there is SOME new material! An unreleased song titled “This Is It” gets two versions on this release: A studio recording and an orchestra recording. Both versions sound great, but this is far from his best unreleased song. Then we have a second disk with three demo tracks and a poem MJ wrote (and reads for this release) called “Planet Earth.” The poem is certainly interesting and nice to have, but most demos aren’t worth the time to listen to them and neither are these. Why would one bother to listen to the clunky demo recordings when they can listen to the cleaned up and professional studio recordings? Besides, is any of this worth having a second disk anyway?

This release would not have been a problem if the concert recordings were what was on this disk. At least it would be slightly different then what we’ve already bought multiple times, but the last thing I feel I needed was another greatest hits compilation from MJ. Is this going to be the norm from now? Release a new compilation collection with one unreleased song every time? I hope to God this isn’t the case. MJ’s music is great but if have all his music this is a tough recommendation. And if you’ve never bought an MJ CD before then buying “The Essential” collection would make for a better investment then this. Because aside from the gloss packaging there’s almost nothing we haven’t already heard before.

Grade: ** stars (and the only reason it gets an additional star is because this music IS still good)

The World's Biggest Selling Album

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:50:41 +0000

Everyone knows of Thriller. It's the biggest selling album of all time. On a worldwide scale, that is. I love Thriller, it's a good album overall. As much as I do like that album... enough to provide it with a five star rating, I do believe that it's a great album. And if your sales can be propelled so high just thanks to a few songs that's better. And that's my only real problem with the Thriller album. The three singles made into music videos along with one or two others songs... are quite incredible. The album as a whole is incredible. But only about four songs are really all that memorable. I'm not knocking Thriller for those fellow Michael Jackson fans, it's just to say that those music videos you saw and some of those songs you heard on the radio (or still hear now) are about as memorable as it gets.

There's something nice about the album, however. There are nine tracks and they each have many different beats to them. Most of them will get you up and wanting to dance. Songs like the title track and the opening number "Wanna' Be Startin' Something" are among the best songs on the album. In fact, as a result I'm sad "Wanna Be Startin' Something" never got a music video. Seeing as how this was Michael Jackson in his prime, it might've been a phenomenal music video.

And the music videos are the real reason Thriller became such a success. The videos for Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller (especially Thriller) are fantastic videos. Without those three videos it is a wonder whether or not the album would've achieved as high of sales. But let's not deny the talent of Michael Jackson. It wasn't just about the songs themselves. It was about performance. Another reason Thriller became a huge success.

That's not to say the songs in and of themselves are no good. As I said, they are. But I am still advocating that perhaps about half the album isn't as memorable as the four big tracks in and of themselves. That is to say, that even some of Jackson's future songs you hear on "Bad" and even "Dangerous". Is Thriller a better album than those two? Well, sure. But only because the four memorable songs are far better than just about anything Michael Jackson has ever done. Let's take a look at each song for itself.

1. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
One thing I just about always love on any Jackson album is that the opening track is almost always a good one. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin is among those four tracks that are so memorable. It's a long, dark track that sort of sets the tone for the album. To give us an idea of where we are headed. This is before Jackson began to overdo it a little. It's a song you can dance to because it has such an upbeat, funky rhythm to it.

2. Baby Be Mine
Baby Be Mine is often one of those tracks people forget. Thriller spawned 7 top ten singles. Baby Be Mine was not one of them. It isn't nearly as upbeat as Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. Compared to the opening track, Baby Be Mine is very subtle. It's short and sweet, but probably not one of the songs off of the album you'll find yourself humming.

3. The Girl Is Mine (Featuring Paul McCartney)
And then there's downright awful. That's right, even Thriller has a terrible track. The Girl is Mine, for one thing, feels very out of place. It's very slow and innocent. Very pure, as well. This is very strange considering the dark themes of other tracks and the more funky upbeat rhythms you're also getting from the album as a whole. There are lots of different sounds coming from Thriller, but most of them fit into the scheme of things at least. The Girl is Mine just feels misplaced. And, when compared to the rest of the album it's just downright boring.

4. Thriller
Everyone knows the music video. This is why Thriller is often a very recognizable song. While it holds firm as one of the greatest music videos out there, it really isn't better than the two songs which follow. It would still be memorable even without the video just because it works on a level that most of the other songs don't. It doesn't quite tell a story or express nearly as much as say... "Wanna' Be Startin' Somethin'" or "Billie Jean," but even when hearing the song you get the idea that Thriller just sounded theatrical. The sound effects and Vincent Price's "rap" at the end are reasons as to why Thriller just wouldn't have sufficed as merely a simple "Music Video" and why it had to be a "Music Movie" in the first place. There's a theatrical zing to it that makes it fun to listen to.

5. Beat It
Everyone has seen this West Side Story inspired music video I'm sure. About two rival gangs that are about to brawl... and Jackson comes to break it up with Dancing. Like The Girl is Mine, it feels out of place on the album. Unlike The Girl is Mine, it's one of the best songs on the album, and one of the best Jackson has ever done. Michael Jackson wasn't just about keeping a core audience. By the time the Thriller album was released, it was clear that Jackson wanted to reach new audiences. One of those ways was to throw in an all out Rock song. Yet it still retains dance beats that work out well. The composition here is genius because it's a song that just about anyone can like. The lyrics in and of themselves give off just as dark a theme as "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" It sort of gives this, "Michael Jackson isn't a kid anymore," kind of tone to it while he still maintains a form of innocence (through those years anyway). It should also be known that this music video was what broke racial barriers on the album itself. It's not the best song on the album, but it's damn close. It is, however, among the most important on the album and a testament to Michael Jackson's own musical genius. Did he work in gaining fans outside of the funky Motown Base? You better believe it did.

6. Billie Jean
And of course, there's Billie Jean. The song which one: Showcased Michael Jackson's extraordinary dance moves (including the moonwalk) and the song which more than anything, tells a story. The inspiration is actually quite real, however. A woman accused Jackson of fathering just one of her twins (I know, doesn't make sense to me either) and so Jackson made a song based off of it. And from the moment he crafted it, he knew he had a hit. Quincy Jones, on the other hand, didn't think so. In fact, this was one of the tracks Quincy Jones didn't want on the album. He felt that the song took too long to get started and didn't seem to fond of the chorus either (and also felt that people would think of Billie Jean King). Jackson, on the other hand, got to keep everything he wanted. The Chorus, the beginning beats and everything. And it actually turned out to be the most successful song Jackson ever made. At least critically. It's often still a celebrated classic. It's more subtle than songs such as "Beat It" but still dark in its own manner and very serious when you dig beneath the surface. The music video in and of itself established Jackson's style.

"

7. Human Nature
True enough, Michael Jackson did make an album with many different kinds of beats. Human Nature is subtle. It's not forgettable but it is rather complicated to place. It's not quite as dreary as The Girl is Mine, but it also doesn't stick out. It's not a bad song by any means. It has a relaxing tone that also runs counter to some of the previous songs. You won't really find yourself dancing, but Michael Jackson doesn't always have to be about song and dance. On the other hand, Human Nature is one of those songs that just isn't as much fun to listen to. It's still a fairly good son in and of itself.

8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
And then we get back to the funky dance beats. There's a nice upbeat thrill to this song in the way that Baby Be Mine is really up there. In fact, it's hard not to dance to this song. Much like some of the other tunes, though, there's not a whole lot about the song that stands out. It also didn't get a music video. Which is unfortunate to say the least.

9. The Lady In My Life
And then there's The Lady in My Life. While it's a pretty slow song in and of itself it is a rather nice and soothing end to an album that was filled with so much. You know how some parties and dances at school have to play a slow song so that the couple can have that final dance or something? This is like that. At least it would be if the album hadn't been re-released with bonus tracks... twice (in 2001 and later in 2008 with that 25th Anniversary Edition). But when it was released it was a nice soothing song to end the album. It's still a nice soothing song, but is also the other forgotten track. Of Thriller's 9 tracks 7 cracked the top ten on the billboard charts (two of them were number ones--Beat It and Billie Jean). Baby Be Mine and The Lady in My Life were left out in the dust. I like to think The Lady in My Life is underrated. It's a tender and sweet song.

In the end it is a good album. But the question really becomes... of all the nine songs which ones are the ones people remember and which ones are the ones that people know each and every lyric to? No doubt some know them all, but the only songs which are really memorable are Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean. The rest of the album isn't weak... just not memorable. They're fun songs when you play the album but those four in particular are really the only ones that you want to listen to over and over and over again. The album is also short and sweet (the standard version) clocking in at just over 43 minutes.

So is it an awesome album? Oh yeah. It is. But the five songs here that aren't as memorable are easily outdone by other songs crafted by Jackson. And while Thriller is a mesmerzing album, I still argue that Off the Wall was the quint essential Michael Jackson album. Thriller is just the one that everyone knows. The album he became an unquestionable superstar off of. A great album in and of itself, but again, how many people are apt to start singing along to most of those songs outside of the four listed above? Not very many, unfortunately. That's not to say they're subpar tracks. They're not. It's just to say that they don't show the elegance of Jackson's music quite like those four memorable tracks. In fact they're so memorable that they almost sound modern. Even by todays standards. They're recognizable at the drop of a hat. The other songs? Not so much. If you were to start hearing "The Lady in My Life" how far into the song would you get before you finally recognized it? It's Michael Jackson and you'll recognize it as Jackson but you might say to yourself, "What song is this?" first.

It's still a great album, though. The above sounds a little harsh, but I didn't feel like deducting because of that... as those songs are good. But it should still be understood that Thriller became a phenomenal sensation because of the music videos and performances more so than the actual strength of the songs on the album themselves.

The Polarizing King of Pop

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:33:07 +0000

I heard through Twitter that he'd died and it was definitely a very sad day. I remember when I was 7 or 8 years old watching the Thriller video in England (where there were only four channels at the time), and literally everyone in the whole country watched it on Top of The Pops, and people were talking about it for weeks. Church groups decried it as Satanic and parents were scornful of its edginess, but even then I remember thinking - this is really, really amazing. So when the news of his death came, it did feel like a piece of my childhood had finally moved on, and it made me reflect on his career rather than his scandals.

Michael Jackson was a comi-tragic figure that wouldn't have been believable in fiction. A man who was forever a child, with a dreadful father, surrounded by sycophantic hangers-on who will fight in court over his wealth long after his death. The owner of a private theme park, a chimpanzee called Bubbles, a personal debt of a magnitude that normally receives a bailout, and friendships with bizarre celebrities who have stepped out of the limelight. And these were all the good things, long before he butchered his appearance through decades of plastic surgery, and before the sordid accusations of child abuse started to appear.

And yet our Greek tragedy is cut short: we've experienced the rising star, his dramatic fall, and the expectations of his Phoenix-like return to prominence, but it was never to be. Yet there were signs that his final tour would never happen: many of the shows were uninsurable, and many ticket holders have expressed their gut instinct that they would never see the man behind the Moonwalk in person. It's almost as if the shock ending was the intended ending all along.

Personally, I will remember Michael Jackson as the man who owned music in the 1980s - period. Every generation has a musician who not only represents an era but defines it, and it's extraordinary how often these icons disappear early as a result of burning the candle so brightly at their peak.

Essential is right

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0000

When you have a star like Michael Jackson who has produced many great songs in the 40+ years he spent performing it seems like it would be hard to narrow his career down to two-discs, but for the most part the "Essential" series has done it again bring up a summary of the career of The King of Pop. We get to greatest hits from his days in the Jackson 5, to The Jacksons, and of course, finally we make our way to his legendary solo-career. It gives you a sense of the evolution his music underwent over the decades.

If you're a new fan of the International Star, or as a long time fan would like a nice playlist of his hits, this CD is very well compiled. My only complaint was the omission of his "Earth Song" and some of his other, more recent work would have been a nice addition to make the listener really comprehend the changes in his music. Aside from that it is almost a perfect summary of Michael Jackson's career.

'The Essential Michael Jackson' on its two CDs certainly showcases the talent of a man who was perhaps the greatest entertainer to ever walk to face of the Earth, with his ability to bring about many emotions in his various songs, from being sweet, to rough, Michael had to ability to change his approach on and off the stage.

Notable songs include:
I Want You Back
ABC
Don't Stop Until You Get Enough
Thriller
Beat It
Billie Jean
Bad
You Are Not Alone
Smooth Criminal
Black or White
And many, many more.

MJ THRILLED the world! RIP, King of Pop!

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I was looking for a special book to mark my 500th review for Amazon and had settled on an excellent VINE book when I paused to watch Michael Jackson's memorial. Actress Brooke Shields moved me to tears with her tribute to her dear friend, as did Martin Luther King III and many others. But when Usher sang, his words rang with magical truth: "Like a comet..." ... "Like a rainbow..."

That's when I decided to review Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller which is his most unforgettable offering to the world, the first presentation that people mention when remembering him.

I remember watching THRILLER on TV with my chlldren twenty-five years ago when we were all a little younger and this fabulous talent was just "coming into his own." Wow--what a mesmerizing performance.

When MJ passed away, as a tribute I ordered this remastered version of THRILLER because it has extra tracks and I wanted to see what was included.

Who could ever forget any of the ground-breaking songs on this album? In addition to my favorites THRILLER and BILLIE JEAN, other hits are featured: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "Baby Be Mine," "The Girl Is Mine," "Beat It," "Human Nature, "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "The Lady In My Life." All are brilliant examples of Michael's rare gifts for song and dance.

A bonus that will make this remastered THRLLER even more special and timely during this "grieving period" is that it contains a personal greeting penned by Michael for his fans...exclusively for this special release.

Yes, The King of Pop was "one of a kind." His awesome, angelic voice, his magical, masterful dances, his inspiring, innovative creations and his deep love for his fans is legend! His music will live forever in our hearts.

Long Live the King!

With delicious pleasure and a certain amount of pain I recommend this "biggest album of all time."

Dedicated to his beloved fans. As Michael said: "We are the world!"

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, July 7, 2009 (The day Michael was laid to rest.)
Author of "Dream Reachers" (with Chase Von)

Love Him or Hate Him his Influence is Undeniable

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 01:57:18 +0000

Like most of the world, when I heard that Michael Jackson passed away, I was in disbelief. Surely it must be a hoax, I thought. Then the radio announced it (after they played Billie Jean) and I still coulnd't believe it. Then his music videos and about a million specials played on television and I was STILL in disbelief.

If there's one thing Michael Jackson has showed us for sure, it's that you never realize how much you miss someone until that someone is gone. Before June 25, 2009 the lot of us probably weren't popping in a Michael Jackson CD. In fact, some of us didn't really care where he was or what he was doing. Turns out, he was actually preparing for his final set of concerts. A tour which he called "This is It." Some of us were probably making jokes about the man. Either because he looked and sounded like a woman, or (as is often a favorite) about him and some little kid. Then suddenly Michael passed away and before you knew it... you were probably finding yourself in shock. A world without Michael Jackson? Until the reality hit it was actually quite hard to imagine. Who among us actually thought the King of Pop would pass so suddenly? And at the tender age of 50? Not very old at all.

Michael Jackson was born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana. At just the young age of five, Michael Jackson was starting a career of his own with his brothers as a part of the Jacksons (later known as The Jackson 5). He became the lead singer, in part because he had such a good voice to sing with. And as a member of the Jackson 5, Michael was adorable. As many have speculated, though, Jackson often spent a lot of time singing and dancing with his brothers. He was usually rehearsing for long streatches of time. As a result he never really got to go and play with others. Michael Jackson, for almost his entire life (or pretty much his entire life) was an entertainer. It is Michael Jackson the entertainer that most of us got to know and love. The entertainer that most of us grew up with or knew of in some way.

1979 was when Jackson released his first solo album. Off the Wall with Quincy Jones. It was quite an album. Even though it isn't his most popular album, nor has it sold the most, it is often labeled as his greatest work by fellow singers and songwriters. Despite that, however, it never won an album of the year. But it's the album that has songs like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Rock With You," "She's Out of My Life," and other classics. As usual, the album has a title song, and most times the title son is awesome. This is no different with "Off the Wall." It's one of the best tracks on the album. The album itself is very good. There isn't a single dud on it.

It was in December of 1982 when Jackson released Thriller that most of us came to know him. It was because of Thriller that Jackson became the mega-huge star most of us know him as. With this album, Michael Jackson would change the industry. Despite Off the Wall being quite an effort and probably his best, Thriller has some of the most memorable songs and spawned some of the greatest music videos ever made. Thriller, unquestionably, was Michael Jackson at his creative best. With this album, Jackson showed us that Music videos were art. "Billie Jean," which is probably the most popular song Michael Jackson ever made (it was still played regularly on the radio even before he passed away) was the first video to showcase some of Michael Jackson's awesome dance moves, as well as show us just how artful music videos can be. While there have been many to make some great music videos, Michael Jackson's are still among the best. It was just a masterful music video. And he only went higher as he released videos for "Beat It" and "Thriller." To this day, "Thriller" is still considered the greatest music video ever made. But it isn't so much that as it is a good video. It's a short film of sorts. Yet perhaps what most of us remember from the video is the dazzling choreography. And yet, despite the fact that you're watching a bunch of zombies dance, it's more entertaining than hilarious. Most of us could probably enjoy the music video for the dancing alone. And while those are perhaps his three best known songs from that album, Thriller went on to spawn seven singles total. These include "Wanna Be Startin' Something," which is just a good song to jam out to, as well as other songs such as "The Girl is Mine" (which is arguably the weakest song on the album) "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Human Nature." Yet, no matter how you slice it, "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller" are the most well remebered (though quite a few remember "Wanna Be Startin' Something"). Thriller solidified Jackson as a man of the eighties. The album went on to become the bestselling album of all time worldwide. It remained like that until Jackson's passing. And will probaly stay there for decades to come.

I'd certainly love to go into his whole history, but we don't have too much time. The album Bad came in 1987 and Dangerous followed in 1991. While both albums never achieved the success of Thriller they are also among the bestselling albums in the world.

Yet, there is another side of Jackson that most of us would come to know. The controlversial side. And it would begin sooner than most like to admit. There was, of course, the color of his skin. His skin got lighter and lighter. In his last few years he was almost ghastly. And there was also the idea of all those plastic surgeries. While Jackson denied having that many, most of us couldn't help but think that no one would naturally morph before our very eyes the way Jackson did. For the first half of his life, Michael Jackson was on top of the world. At one point he was the most popular man in the world, amounted a vast fortune and pretty much had everything he ever wanted.

If anyone's life could be described as a tragedy... it might well be Michael Jackson's. He rose so high... only to fall. The years following Thriller were his peak. The years following Dangerous became a descent into more controversy after another. When most of us heard the name Michael Jackson, it was often associated with controversial moments. In fact, for the last half of his life most us can remember Michael for just about anything but his music. The first, of course, was the allegation of child molestation, a dispute settled out of court. And after that moment he went back to music, but even his talent seem affected by that. His music seemed a bit angrier and grittier. The HIStory album had two discs. One filled with greatest hits and another filled with new material. Despite selling well (though not well for Michael Jackson) it wasn't exactly a well remembered album. Then in 1997 he came out with Blood on the Dance Floor which was merely just a remixed album of HIStory. Again, an album that most fans don't usually bring up when talking about Jackson. Blood on the Dance Floor, however, is far darker than anything Jackson ever did... before or after. And there wasn't much after.

2001 saw Michael Jackson celebrate 30 years in show business as well as the release of his first album that had nothing but new material in ten years: Invincible. It's great that it wasn't just some ego trip of an album, but it was most certainly not his best. While it still sold well, it was considered a disappointment for Jackson.

As time went on it was revealed that he lot of financial troubles as well, not to mention that the plastic surgery was really starting to show. To make things even worse, in 2003 he was accused of child molestation again... and no one had forgotten about the first spat. This time, it went to court. Jackson was acquitted. Regardless of what anyone thinks they know regarding Jackson and child molestation, the fact is that most of us don't know. We can only speculate. He wasn't convicted in either scenario, but many people always like to pass judgment. In truth, however, none of us know. All we can go on is what we see on television. And since we weren't in that court room, I don't think we really know.

In his remaining years there would be even more criticism. From that famous "Living with Michael Jackson," interview to other instances of contraversy. Jackson, once the King of Pop, spent the last half of his life dethroned and unable to pull himself back up.

However, in spite of how far he'd fallen in the public eye, his music still continued to be some of the most popular and entertaining music around the world. And while he became a walking joke in America, he was still far more respected and beloved in other countries. In spite of what happened--the pastic surgeries and allegations of child molestation and financial problems--Jackson continued to draw an enormous crowds, and people still listened to his classic hits immensely. As an entertainer he never really lost our interest. It was that he garnered attention for other reasons in the second half of his life.

Most of us will only be able to remember Michael Jackson as that very entertainer. The man who gave us "Thriller," and who could put on a hell of a show no matter what state he was in. Michael Jackson became so synonomous with entertainment that I can't think of a single person who could separate what we heard about Jackson in his personal life from what we saw as an entertainer. In fact, those moments where we saw Michael Jackson as a person are so few and far between they're almost non-existent. And for most of us those moments were. Jackson was in the public life so much we often forget he had a personal one.

Within that second half of his life we all still remember the first half. We all still remember the huge dent he made in the music industry and how he revolutionized the music video. Despite his controversy, it's safe to say that Jackson left behind a legacy. Almost any R&B artist you can name was influenced by Michael Jackson in some way, shape or form.

I spent a long time browsing Youtube for a video that I wanted to put in as a tribute to Michael Jackson's legacy. I figure most people would probably put in Thriller or Billie Jean or something like that. Instead I wanted to dump in the first moment that Michael Jackson moonwalked. It became his signature dance move, and no one could do it better.

Michael Jackson
August 29, 1958--June 25, 2009

Simply put: The Best

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Thriller is undoubtedly the best album of all time. Michael Jackson proved himself as the best individual performer to ever grace pop culture and his title of "King of Pop" was well deserved. If you have never heard this album or you don't even own it, what are you waiting for? If there is one album you must own from ANY artist it is Michael Jackson's Thriller!

From the haunting Vincent Price narration of Thriller, the Van Halen guitar riff of Beat It, and the smooth, rhythmic beat of Billie Jean, Thriller is an album that can appeal to all music lovers! the entire album has aged like fine wine, only getting better over the years and is a true gift to the world.

I highly recommend the 25th anniversary edition for the remastered versions of the original songs. I ignore the new versions where Michael is with some of today's artists, but some young folk may find that interesting, but as far as I'm concerned if you don't instantly fall in love with those original, classic songs from the King of Pop than there is something seriously wrong with you!

This is a perfect album and a classic

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 +0000

This is a classic album from Mike. I love every track especially "Wanna Be Startin Somethin", "The Lady In My Life" and "Billie Jean". The romantic "Human Nature" stands out for me too. This is a perfect album from beginning to end, and it brings back a lot of memories for me. I love the new remixes on this disc. I love the "Beat It" remix by Fergie. It sounds tough and gritty. I also love "The Girl is Mine" remix too. This is Michael Jackson at his best.

"He could have been the next great song and dance man!"---Gene Kelly

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:20:56 +0000

Michael Jackson died today. He was only 50 years old. There is no question that Michael was one of the most talented entertainers of his generation. As the story goes he and his brothers were discovered at the Indiana State Fair by none other than the great Diana Ross. Diana recommended the boys to her boss Berry Gordy at Motown and the rest as they say is history. The Jackson 5, led by 10 year old lead singer Michael were an immediate sensation. Their debut single "I Want You Back" shot to the top of the charts in late 1969. Over the next five years The Jackson 5 would churn out hit after hit. Still, bigger and better things awaited Michael.

Michael Jackson left his brothers and Motown behind in 1978 to pursue a solo career. He signed a deal with Epic records in 1979. His very first solo album "Off The Wall" was a huge commercial success and remained on Billboard's Hot 100 Album chart for more than 3 years! The album also spawned a number of highly successful singles including "Rock With You", the title track "Off The Wall" and the haunting ballad "She's Out of My Life". But Michael's masterpiece would prove to be the 1982 release "Thriller". Produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Michael himself "Thriller" would prove to be the biggest selling album of all-time. Current estimates are that "Thriller" has sold between 65 and 70 million copies worldwide! Meanwhile, of the 9 tracks on this album 7 would become Top Ten hits!

The hits would continue for a few more years for Michael before his personal life took a precipitous turn for the worse. Most people are quite familiar with Michael's sad downfall from grace so I have no intention of rehashing those events again here. Suffice to say that Michael Jackson would never be thought of in quite the same way again by a large segment of the American public. I think that it is safe to say that there was a lot more great music in Michael Jackson that we will never get to hear. Perhaps the greatest tribute I ever heard paid to Michael was by the legendary Gene Kelly who once quipped: "He could be the next great song and dance man." Gene Kelly should know as he practically invented the art form. So maybe there wasn't really a market for another song and dance man as we drew close to the end of the 20th Century. But had he stayed on the straight and narrow Michael Jackson would have become a household name to generations of Americans. He had the ability to do just about anything he wanted to in show business. Such a shame. May he is rest in peace!

25 years later and it's still being played...

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:13:50 +0000

It's unbelievable that an artist like Michael Jackson can make an album full of singles and top-of-the-chart songs, and find them still on the rotations of playlists 25 years later. The hits Thriller, Billy Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startin Something, and I Want to Love You (P.Y.T.), can all be found on this album. Seriously one of Michael's, if not, the best...Paul McCartney can be found on the track The Girl Is Mine and throws even more stun to the theme of album.

This album is so good that the 25th anniversary edition, which offers some remastered tracks with today's artists, cuts the album short of what it used to be. For the most part, the original Thriller album is good enough how it is and can be left alone - no tributes, renditions, or remixes needed.

Freak is a disturbing book-length tabloid that made me feel dirty for reading it.

Thu, 24 May 2007 12:00:00 +0000

Pros: Cheap, fast read

Cons: Authors recount private things they have no proof of, book is hearsay and speculation

The Bottom Line: This book is just a tabloid stretched into 302 pages of hearsay, second hand info, and total speculation presented as fact. Disturbing on all kinds of levels.

I needed to add $5.00 to an order I was making to get free shipping and found Freak: Inside the Twisted World of Michael Jackson in paperback for just about that amount and tossed it into my cart. When it came, I saw that the authors were David Perel, editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer, and Suzanne Ely, a reporter for the Star tabloid and a supposed journalist. I expected sensationalism and I got that but I also got a healthy dose of "opinion presented as fact" that left me disappointed in the book and disgusted that I actually read the whole thing.

The Book

This book was originally published in 2003 but was reprinted in late 2005 to include the latest info on Jackson's child molestation trial.

The book starts out with the latest info added then reverts back to the original format which is about as organized as my garage. Essentially, the book outlines Jackson's childhood, delves into possible reasons for his freakish behavior, and relies heavily on sister LaToya's tell all book for facts.

The heart of the book is about Jackson's struggles with drug addiction, mental instability, and mostly about his lust for little boys.

There is very little that anyone with even a passing interest in Jackson and his antics doesn't know about since most of the public information in the book was originally found in the National Enquirer or seen on TV through interviews with Jackson himself. The public accounts of Jackson's behavior over the years is not in question.

What I take issue with is that this book talks as though everything the authors say is fact when, in reality, there is no way they could know the things that they report. In one part of the book, they go into great detail about Jackson's "freak out" in India when he heard the police had raided his homes and he was being accused of molesting a child in 1993. They go into detail about how Michael "lost his mind" and recount every nuance of his behavior behind closed doors. However, they give us no sources to back that up. So how could they possibly know that Jackson was in a fetal position on his bed, drugged out of his mind, and writing I love you on shreds of papers which he later scattered all over his suite?

Time and again the book tells us of specific actions and even words attributed to Jackson but doesn't say where the information comes from.

Well, the book WAS written by the editor of the National Enquirer and we all know how reliable that tabloid has been in the past.

While the book is a disturbing look at a very disturbed man, the information is all second and even third hand or speculation. It is heavily slanted against Jackson and assumes he is guilty of everything he was accused of and then some. That's fine but this is supposed to be an unbiased look at Jackson's life, one in which we, the reader, can then form our own conclusions from.

The book jumps back and forth in a confusing manner going from the present to the past and back in a dizzying fashion. It's a tough read in that it doesn’t go from point A to point B. It skips all over the place forcing the reader to flip back to see what exactly the authors are referring to.

Clearly, much of the book is true. We saw the famous Martin Bashir documentary with Jackson that started a whirlwind of trouble for the already troubled star and we saw his efforts to fix the damage with Diane Sawyer on 20/20 some weeks later. Nearly everyone saw Jackson dangle his infant son over a 65 foot high balcony as throngs of fans looked on.

What we didn't see - nor did the authors although they seem to have magic powers - was the real Michael Jackson behind the scenes when he was alone or with just a few of his entourage. We didn't see the private Jackson who wasn't acting for the cameras. That was what I wanted to know more about and got an eyeful. But throughout, I kept wondering HOW the authors knew such intimate things that no one else had brought forth and which they didn't attribute to any source. As an ex-journalist, I dismissed anything not attributed to someone who was there as hearsay or speculation.

The book ends with a list of reasons why Michael Jackson is a freak, among them the fact that he has had several pet chimpanzees, he has a shrine to Elizabeth Taylor, he has undergone several surgeries (What a stunning piece of journalistic investigation!), and he has a human brain in a jar in one of his bedrooms.

I think the list at the end did more to hurt the credibility of the book than anything else. It became crystal clear that these two authors looked at Jackson as a freak in every way and they were out to make sure everyone else thought so too.

I am not a big fan of Jackson's and I do think he is disturbed and strange. But this book did nothing to educate me about the man behind all the glitz and scandal. It was a book length tabloid and nothing more.

Book Info

This book is available in paperback form with an update in 2005. Its original publishing date is 2003.

ISBN-10: 006077598X
ISBN-13: 978-0060775988
Publisher: HarperEntertainment; Reprint edition (January 25, 2005)
320 pages

Conclusion

This book made me feel dirty for reading it. Michael Jackson is one of the most well known entertainers in the world and his freakish behavior is widely known. However, he is still a person. This book is so inflammatory that I can't imagine how it was published without the authors being slapped with some sort of lawsuit. The allegations that have never been substantiated in a court of law are spoken about as if they were proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Throughout, the authors make no bones about the fact that Jackson has been sexually active with young boys from his teen years on. They paint him as very conniving and vicious, indulging in his insatiable lust for young boys by any means necessary. This could be true. But, until the authors tell me how they know all this to be fact - not speculation - this book is just a piece of fiction with second hand sources sited (like LaToya's tell all book which she later claimed was not factual) in places and no sources sited in others.

I can't recommend this book and I wish I never read it. It's disturbing that people can write such a jarring book about anyone without having to site sources or account for their words in any way.

1 star. This isn't about whether I feel Michael Jackson is guilty of cavorting with children. It's about reading a book packed with ridiculous dramatic accounts that no one can verify.

Recommended:
No