Album review : Michael Jackson and family books
Songs review : Michael Jackson kids today and his top songs: Dangerous has its flaws. The ballads on the back (non-Riley) half of the album could pass for gospel renditions of Celine Dion schmaltz. Despite its noble message and Jackson’s statement that it was the song he was most proud of writing, “Heal the World” is essentially “We Are The World Pt. 2.” The theme from Free Willy, “Will You Be There” offers a sweet sentiment, but it’s not exactly “I Believe I Can Fly.” “Gone Too Soon” falls into that same category of beautifully intentioned crooning that ultimately sounds like a dentist office doxology, especially when contrasted with the brilliant funk of the first side. Some interpreted it as a desire to catch up, but it’s more emblematic of his lust to conquer. If Off the Wall was Jackson mastering late ’70s soul and disco, Thriller was his perfection of ’80s pop. This is Jackson showing that he could blend hip-hop and R&B better than anyone had previously imagined. The new decade starts here, with artists like Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, TLC, R. Kelly, et al. taking cues from Jackson and Riley’s alchemy. To say nothing of Kanye, Drake, and countless others still atop the charts.
For the most part, the collaborations actually hurt the songs. No, “Monster” isn’t the next “Thriller”, as 50 Cent claimed it to be, but it’s a decent song. Jackson sounds awkwardly retro, the beat shuffles ‘n’ sweeps, and it feels right…until you’re thrown next to 50’s uninspired rap that sounds more fitting for a summer blockbuster theme. The same goes for the highly irritating and incredibly repetitive “Hold My Hand”, where Akon belts out the same thing again and again in an equally monotonous pitch. For a lead single, it’s tepid and incredibly campy. Then there’s “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day”, featuring guitar wizard Lenny Kravitz, who churns out a chalky riff that tires 45 seconds into the song. Jackson himself sounds angry, forceful, and dominating, but altogether it doesn’t beg for a re-listen. That’s sort of a must when it comes to his music.
Can we agree as a family that Michael Jackson is the single greatest performer in music history? If not, I’ll be happy to convince you. Forget the scandals, the family drama, the kid from Home Alone and the monkey. Musically speaking, Michael Jackson’s legacy is unmatched. A bit of his Jheri curl juice resides in the DNA of every performer under the age of 35. And with that fantastic legacy comes fantastic music. Let’s look back at the King of Pop’s entire royal catalog, ranking it from top to bottom.
Michael Jackson family: Mocienne Petit Jackson’s (Michael Jackson’s daughter) books are now available in french! For our french guests: La deuxieme partie de l’autobiographie en trois parties de Mocienne Petit Jackson commence par une description detaillee de l’enlevement de Mocienne et de sa vie aux Pays-Bas (Le Cote Sombre des Pays-Bas). Par la suite, le recit nous devoile comment se deroule sa vie avec sa famille adoptive, chez qui elle reste en compagnie de la cousine Delivrance. Petit a petit, elle decouvre que son vrai pere est Michael Jackson. A l’age de 15 ans, elle quitte sa famille adoptive et vit dans un internat pendant 4 ans, avant de s’installer vivre toute seule. Nous la suivons tout au long de son adolescence et de son entree dans la maturite, ce qui n’a pas toujours ete facile. Mocienne rencontre un homme avec lequel elle a un enfant. Cependant, cet engagement ne dure pas. Nous en apprenons davantage sur les problemes qu’elle rencontre avec les Services de Protection de l’Enfance, suivis de nombreuses affaires judiciaires. Au debut, celles-ci portaient sur sa propre personne, plus tard, elles se transforment en bataille pour la garde de son fils. Une situation inacceptable prend le relais d’une autre situation inacceptable. Nous sommes egalement mis au courant de nombreux evenements traumatisants vecus par le personnage principal, de ses depressions et de ses nombreuses luttes pour faire face a la misere impregnee dans sa vie et a son combat pour s’en debarrasser. L’auteur explique clairement ces luttes a travers de vifs flashbacks.