Michael Jackson

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:37 pm

Michael Jackson entered cardiac arrest late Thursday night, died shortly after in a LA hospital.
The internet sagged under the weight of news and users wanting information.

I personally don't like his music much (too young to really appreciate what he did) but from all accounts I've heard he was a big influence.

Confused

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:43 pm

Where is the MadTiger when we need him?!?

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:44 pm

I was actually going to post this as "On This Day: Michael Jackson" but thought different.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:04 pm

Well, despite all his troubles and strange lifestyle, he was brilliant. Its a sad day. The world will remember him and his work forever.

Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones were magic.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:15 pm

Loved him as a person/musician before he got into all that changing who he was thing. Lost all respect at that point.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:45 pm

Somehow the news today was not shocking to me, its funny how so many people I talked to were surprised about his death. To me he was dead already, the man destroyed his own identity.

Yes, Michael Jackson was a great influence back in the early eighties. I was about twelve years old when his Thriller album was released.

Back in that day music did not really have all that many genres, unlike today. Most pop music back then was just simply referred to as Rock n roll. And the top 40 was something most young kids that I met at that time could really enjoy.

I think to us kids at the time Michael was part of a very bold new sound standing with the talent of Quincy Jones and many other very big names. They were doing music that was very well produced and cutting edge.

Ya know, its funny what all that fame and fortune can do to a man such as him. He really did have oodles and oodles of raw talent, but like so many others have shown, the money and power made him rich and he made some pretty bad choices and now he's dead.

So if you had the choice to become rich and famous or not which would you choose?

Is material wealth all its cracked up to be? "I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love." The Beatles.

Was buying the the rights to the Beatles music a wise thing to do? To me it was a very selfish thing to do. I did not think well of it at any time. To quote a favorite band of mine: King Crimson: "Just because you can doesn't mean you should"

Look at what had become of Michael, I think he was not very happy in these last few days. Do you? Just last night I seen a comedian making fun of him. These things do happen, we do have a tendency to take it personally and punish ourselves. This is human nature.

Its sad, but so is this cruel world. To me its obvious that he was way too self seeking and lost the support of his fans from his early years. He did at one time have a gigantic fan base, too bad he had lost touch with making good music way back in the 80's.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:53 pm

I kind of agree with jammster, his personal conduct was lacking the past few years/most of the nineties.

The man was a hell of a singer though.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:05 pm

jam was 12 years old when thriller came out...enough said:)

He doesn't get the right to make judgment calls.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:10 pm

Well, I think jam is right regarding what all that fame and money did to him. I don't think he was that screwed up to begin with.

Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:31 pm

You do it and then tell me how you come out on the other side.

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:16 am

i think he was a great talent who was lost and isolated/insulated from any semblance of 'reality', whose money and fame allowed him to indulge in any whim, however ridiculous (a Kirk Douglas chin?????). Sad, really. but of course everything is only speculation filtered through mass media sensationalism. i would not presume to judge a person through this tainted lens...

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:44 am

Space wrote:

You do it and then tell me how you come out on the other side.

I'm not debating that at all, I would be one sick puppy if I could do pretty much anything I want.

And work with Bruce Sweiden, Quiny Jones, all those cool cats.
Wink

We lost a talented guy.

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:38 am

A child prodigy, exploited and isolated from reality since he was basically a toddler.
Highly questionable behavior as an adult, but an undeniably talented individual.

Maybe fodder for another thread:
Does our celebrity-worship culture push talented people to the edge of insanity?

Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:27 am

Any time sick and twisted actions on the part of so-called celebrities takes a front page place over the heartbreak and sorrow lived by the poor and everyday people theres something inherantly wrong with the society.

"I make my living off the evening news
Just give me somethin, something I can use
People love it when you lose
They need dirty laundry"

As for Michaels talent. Not a doubt. Some of the interviews and the behind the scenes reports about his total focus, dedication, and his immense scope of style he drew on is very telling.

One would have to stand in his shoes for a moment to really understand the torture he obviously felt in order to alter his face to such a clown-mask likeness.

Its the Frankenstein story to some effect. Well loved until you show up looking like some zombie and suddenly the villagers are out with the pitchforks wondering whether its safe to be around you.

But it was his cross to bear. I only pray that he knew God and was at peace inside.

How many of you eagerly anticipated the first growl of Eddies guitar in the solo of "Beat It' every time you heard the song start? Brilliant.

Moderator Joined: Nov 16, 2004 Posts: 864

TheJackAttack wrote:

Where is the MadTiger when we need him?!?

I would have had a hack attack if no one knew when to shout out this icon.

EDIT:

Michael is the prime example of separating the artist's body of work from his life choices. Michael Jackson had megahit albums such as Thriller and Bad. Wacko Jacko was the evil alter ego who was acting all crazy.

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