Jun 28 2009
The 80’s, MJ, and Me
I grew up in the 1980’s listening to all manner of Michael Jackson. How could you not – the guy was bigger than Jesus (or so it seemed). Not only that, he had a lot of great music behind him despite his tendency to appear like he was pop music deity. Very sad to hear of his passing as of late. If there was one thing that frustrated me (and probably anyone else who liked his music) it was as if his talent evaporated into the black hole that became the parody called his life. He had issues just like we all do, but to me his were far more magnified due to his celebrity status and the fact that he had so much success at such an early age. I had always hoped that he would clean himself up, carve the ephemeral hubris out of his, and finally take his place as one of pop music’s elder but still prolific statesman. How awesome would it have been for him to start making albums again that would really smoke and show people just how much talent this person really had. Instead we are left to look back and wonder where it all went wrong and try enjoying what was left over.
Personally, the work he did with Quincy Jones at the helm was the most amazing. Q is genius enough in his own right, but combined with Michael’s raw talent it was so potent. The collaboration between Michael and Q to me was a match made heaven on earth. I like the music from that time and I can’t help but be in awe – amazing songs, performed with so much energy and emotion, all topped off with stellar production. Since Michael will no longer be around and Q is pretty much retired, the banner must be passed to another dynamic duo to capture people’s imagination with that same potent magic. Problem is that the music industry has changed so much, I wonder if it could ever scale those heights again.
There is a ton of talent out there to be sure. Even on TV shows that scour for talent it becomes apparent there are lots of hidden gems to be had. I really wonder if anyone would ever be willing to cultivate talent like they used to. Not to wax nostalgic, but a great example would be a group like Fleetwood Mac. It took them many albums, plenty of personnel changes, and a lot of faith on the part of their record company before they really came into their own. Even Lindsey Buckingham, their lead guitarist, singer, and producer, admitted as such in a video I saw on his web site (or linked from at least) where he was responding to a fan’s question about the topic (the video had to be removed thanks to objections from his own record company). I don’t remember the exact quote, but it was something along the lines that most record companies today would never have the patience or wherewithal to cultivate talent over many albums. Most groups might get one or two chances at best before being dropped.
In honor of Michael Jackson, I only hope that trend changes. We could use another King of Pop before my lifetime is over.