Dr. Gonzo's MJ tribute 6/26

So I've been bad about posting playlists lately. But I thought I'd share the set from hour 2 of this week's show, as it was devoted to MJ. I tried to steer away from too many obvious picks, which made it more fun. DAH.

J5-ABC
J5-Feelin' Alright (live)
J5-Stand!
J5-Maybe Tomorrow
J5-Dancing Machine
Jacksons-Blame it on the Boogie
MJ-Off the Wall
Jacksons-Lovely One
MJ-Baby Be Mine
MJ-PYT
MJ-Another Part of Me
MJ-Who is It
MJ-They Don't Care About Us
MJ-Whatever Happens
MJ-This is It

Gonzo Reviews Michael Jackson's "Vision"

For years, I've bemoaned something that Prince, MJ and Madonna all have in common: Each has at least one video collection on the market, but none of the 1980s triple crown of pop has a definitive collection. That tide appears to be shifting. While it's still not "complete," Madonna's 2009 collection Celebration is a fairly comprehensive 2 dvd set covering 1983-2009 (still no "Gambler?" For shame). Prince's incredibly slim The Hits Video Collection remains his only career-spanning collection, and lacks many of the Purple One's promo films (too many to bother listing).

And then there's Michael Jackson. The artist who rather early on redefined music video as an art form and MTV as a cultural force. 1992's HIStory collection gathered the hits, some in truncated form (on the VHS release anyway). The companion volume repeated some of the hits from volume 1, along with videos from the HIStory album. 2001's Number Ones DVD rehashes the big hits, most in their edited forms.

So despite it being an obvious effort to cash in on posthumous Michael Mania, I was excited to get wind of Vision, a 3-DVD career spanning set of MJ's videos in original, unedited form.

The set chronicles Michael's career as a visual artist from Off the Wall through Invincible. And to have the full-length, unedited versions is a treat, as I hadn't seen many of these since their original MTV premieres. The 18+ minute version of "Bad," for example. Or the 9+ minute cut of "The Way You Make Me Feel." Or the 9+ minute version of "Smooth Criminal."

There is one censored cut, however. While the full 11 minutes of "Black or White" is here (zipper pulling, crotch grabbing, Simpsons' outro and all!), it is not the originally aired version, which included some graffiti-ed racial slurs in the dance segment. I believe that version is still available on Dangerous: The Short Films, however, so chalk one up for cashing in on those with completest tendencies (moi?).

It's also great to see the lesser known cuts, like "Another Part of Me," "Liberian Girl," "Give in to Me" and "They Don't Care About Us." It seems they were really going for a definitive collection here.

So much so that the bonus disc includes 7 videos that don't strictly fall under the banner of Michael Jackson - "Enjoy Yourself," "Blame it on the Boogie" and "Can You Feel It" (all by the post-Motown Jacksons), "Say Say Say" (the so-cheesy-it's-good duet with Sir Paul), Spike Lee's alternate "prison" cut of "They Don't Care About Us," "Why" (with nephews 3T, though none of them are Jermajesty) and the previously unreleased "One More Chance."

It wasn't until this bonus disc that I recalled a few cuts that are in fact absent. If we're talking Jacksons videos, absent here is "Torture" (which is in fact, a pretty torturous cut) and "2300 Jackson Street." If I recall my Pop-Up Video correctly, MJ didn't actually appear in the "Torture" clip, but they borrowed a wax figure from Madame Tusseaud's (!). Wikipedia also claims video clips for "Dreamer," "Goin' Places," "Even Though You're Gone," "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and "Body," though this is all news to me. My guess is most of these were clips from Bandstand and the like that aired on outlets like The Box.

Oh wow...there is definitely a video for "Body!" (Though again, no MJ.)



Thank god for YouTube. And of course, I had to check all of the others. There is a video for "Dreamer" [embedding disabled by request. BOOOOOO]

"Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" -



"Even Though You're Gone" -



"Goin' Places" -



Of course, some of these may actually be pulled from the Jacksons Variety Show.

Despite the absence of some of the Jacksons cuts, the collection is quite comprehensive (though I believe the video for "Gone Too Soon" is different than what I remembered).

It's a good thing that I bought this set over a semester break, because I ended up watching the bulk of it in one sitting. It does suck you in, particularly on the first disc. Sure, there's a dropoff point on disc 2, but if even the lesser videos weren't included, people like me would be quick to point out the omissions.

All told, this is the Michael Jackson video collection we've been waiting for. Given that it only touts 7 cuts, the bonus disc could have been padded with a number of other clips (the aforementioned Jacksons material, "We Are the World," etc.") But I'm splitting hairs here. Vision may be a bit of a rush job, but as the estate floods the market, this is one of the items that most fans actually want.

The sad thing is, I don't think we'll see anything like this from Prince until he dies, but that's another story altogether.

Ow!

Gonzo goes to Amoeba Music

I've just returned from a trip to San Francisco. While my primary purpose in visiting was a conference and catching up with old friends, I was also stoked to visit the legendary Amoeba Music.


This is actually one of three stores Amoeba has in California, the others being in Berkeley (the original) and Hollywood. Amoeba consistently ranks in those "Best Records Stores" lists, and I've heard years of personal testimony. I never doubted, but now I can confirm that Amoeba Music is a) worthy of such praise b) really fucking big and c) totally overwhelming.

(Note: this image does not include the video department, the 45s, or the new releases).

Prior to entering, a long-time friend, music geek and current SF resident said "it's better if you have a list. Otherwise you'll get overwhelmed pretty easily." I did not have a list, and yes, I was overwhelmed. I would browse for a bit in one section, then think of something to look for somewhere else, rinse, wash repeat.

The prices seemed fair, but not incredible deals nor overpriced (I admit, my price-gauge on vinyl has been immensely spoiled by Jerry's Records in Pittsburgh). I did find some gems, however. It's rare anymore that I come across Prince 12 inches that I either don't have or are out of my price range (limited promos and such). But I filled two gaps there ("Diamonds and Pearls" and "Black Sweat"), as well as a remix 12" for MJ's "You Rock My World" - featuring Jay-Z! Didn't even know that existed. I also found a bunch of nuggets in the clearance bins, which are easy to miss. Mostly funk and r&b stuff (filling many Earth Wind and Fire gaps). The coolest thing that I found was a recent release of an old New York Dolls show:


The label touted it as the best-available recording from the era, plus you got a cd copy with the 180-gram vinyl. Count me in! I listened to the cd on the way home from the airport, and it is pretty great (though Johannsen's vocals are mixed a little low). It's not exactly a bootleg release, but from what I can gather it's a Russian company putting out some excellent reissues and previously unreleased gems from all over the musical map - the Dolls, the Cure, the Who, Stevie, Can, Bob Marley and many more. Something to keep an eye on.

Fortunately, my friend found me amidst the bulging aisles and gestured that we should leave. "I've found it unwise and financially unsound to spend more than an hour in here." Which is probably good reasoning (I did leave my place in line to check for one more thing).

Anyhow, if you're ever in Cali, Amoeba is a must. I can't imagine that being my local record store, though. Living in California is expensive enough as it is!

Wing: "Beat It"

Via the fine folks at

MJ Experience Trailer

I hate video game trailers that barely show the game. I also doubt that this game will "electrify the world," but I'm still curious. I hope the actual on-screen graphic can be MJ though (what's up with that?).

A Tale of Two Covers

Talk box wins. I like the harmonica take, but it would be better without the background vocalist's take on the second verse.

And for good measure:



In other news, Stevie Wonder is amazing.

I missed this initially (I have pretty much zero interest in Hall of Fame productions at this point) - but damn.

Enjoy yourself this weekend, folks.

Wow - I totally forgot about this, but I definitely remember it:



Edit:

Then there's this.

Friday Funk

Something different...

Spike Lee's video for "This is It"

Michael Jackson - This Is It - Directed by Spike Lee from 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks on Vimeo.

Some notes on MJ's This Is It.

Last night I took in Michael Jackson's This is It - in IMAX, no less!

Though I'm certainly an MJ fan, I had my doubts about the London O2 concerts. The live performances that I'd seen from the HIStory tour and the 30th Anniversary show at Madison Square Garden didn't give me much hope that MJ could ever reclaim his throne of pop showmanship.

This is It now has me thinking that those concerts really could have rejuvenated his reputation in global pop culture.

I was encouraged by the promotional clips that had been circulating, which indicated live vocals - and good live vocals at that. The majority of the songs in the film are in fact sung live, and I'm amazed that he was able to get his voice back in shape. This was probably the greatest and most convincing aspect of the film for me.

The dancing wasn't exactly the high-octane performance of MJ's legend. That may be partially due to the fact that these were rehearsals, and may also be the product of middle age. That's not to say the film is devoid of MJ's dancing, just that it's a bit more subdued than one might expect. I will say that in this video footage, his face looked better than it had in the previous 10-15 years.

Most of the man's biggest hits are here"
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
They Don't Care About Us
Human Nature
The Way You Make Me Feel
Beat It
Thriller
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
I Want You Back/The Love You Save/I'll Be There
Earth Song
Black or White
Man in the Mirror

Noticeably absent are any tracks from the much-revered Off the Wall album. Whether or not those were planned for the shows is unclear. It's possible that their absence is simply a product of what footage existed. (the bulk of the performances hail from four or five days' worth of rehearsals).

As much of the press has noted, what's really interesting to see is MJ in the midst of his creative process. Granted, it's not quite the same as getting access to a slew of demo recordings and hearing those classic tracks take shape. But there is definitely a sense of vision and MJ working to realize that vision of what could have been his reclamation of relevance in popular culture. Of course, the unsettling irony is that he achieved that reclamation in death.

Granted, the film was meticulously edited from something like 80 hours of footage. No doubt the producers of the film worked to present MJ in the best possible light. Even so, you do not get the sense of watching someone on the verge of collapse. This doesn't appear to be a chemically dependent man, out of touch with reality. Quite the contrary - he seems focused, energized and set on blowing the O2 arena to bits.

In short, it was a worthwhile look into the construction of Jackson's O2 stint, and I think a fitting final testament. A concert film classic? Probably not. But something that any fan should make a point to see over the next two weeks (though I'm betting on an extended run. One can't help but think the "two week limited engagement" was a means to drum up advanced sales).

This is it.

This might be a train wreck (though a meticulously edited one), but I'll probably still try to see it.

JB & MJ

I'm sorry. I just can't get off of the MJ kick. I will acquiesce that the coverage has been too much, and there's no end in sight. It's died down a bit, but LaToya's kicking up dirt with murder accusations, the autopsy report is done and should be released soon, and toxicology reports are still on the docket. But let's continue to table past and present controversies and reflect on the career. Tonight I've been thinking about James Brown and Michael Jackson.

James Brown was of course hugely influential on MJ. What did J5 play to audition for Berry Gordy all those years ago?



And what about that totally surreal moment when they (and Prince) shared the stage in 1983?



And I've always loved this moment from two decades later:




Money quote: "I can't dance in heels like you."

And on a more somber note:

Friday Funk

Yeah, I'm still on an MJ loop, whatchagonnadoo? Despite the circumstances, I've enjoyed going back through all of my MJ and related material this week. In preparation for the Purple Rain party, I'd been listening to Prince almost exclusively for over a month, so it's been refreshing in that regard.



The original version of this ditty hails from The Jacksons' Triumph LP, a forgotten gem in the MJ catalog. Seriously, this track, "Can You Feel It," "Walk Right Now" and "This Place Hotel" (aka "Heartbreak Hotel")? Lord. Definitely worth picking up. They recently reissued the Jacksons catalog - this and Destiny are the ones to get.

Tonight I will be attending an MJ party in Philadelphia, which I'm looking forward to quite a bit.

Now where are those loafers?

Nice video promoting what I'm sure will be one of many MJ tributes this summer:

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

This post will likely be all over the place.

Shortly after arriving in Pittsburgh this afternoon, I received a text message from a friend: "Is MJ dead?" I admit I shrugged it off, especially when I found out that TMZ was the source. Then I started getting more calls and texts, with no real certaintly. Then I switched on KDKA where Mike Pintek confirmed that MJ was taken to the hospital following a heart attack (and proceeded to make an off color joke).

Shortly thereafter, friends and I were glued to CNN. After 15 or 20 minutes, the LA Times confirmed his death, followed by CBS News and then NBC.

I was shocked, and remain so. As with many of us, I've been critical of MJ's post-1980s work, particularly his two most recent albums. And of course, his personal life (or at least how he projected it) became even more surreal over the last two decades than it had been even in the 1980s.

But none of that changes those classic records, my personal associations with them, and the global pop cultural impact that Michael Jackson had for over a decade. Music, video, fashion, dance - MJs impact was arguably matched only by the Beatles in its variance and reach.

----

There are ways in which Michael Jackson is incredibly important to me as an artist, performer and cultural icon. You all know that I'm a self-professed music geek. Michael Jackson and Thriller marked the first moment at which I was conscious of an artist. Until that point, I had only digested songs. With Thriller, I understood the concept of an album; I understood the notion of an artist's ouvre (though certainly not the term "ouvre!"); I understood (as much as a toddler can) an artist as a multimedia enterprise. With Thriller, it wasn't just about songs. It was about the ubiquity of those songs. It was about videos and image. It was about fashion (many a mother laboring over crafting sequined gloves for their kids in the pre-Bedazzler era). It was about performance. It was about dance. It was in short, about an all encompassing pop cultural phenomenon, the likes of which I truly don't think that we've seen since, and given the state of media and the music industry, may never see again.

One of things that most strikes me is that like many, he was such a part of my childhood, my enculturation, my awareness of popular music and culture. Then I pause and think of my parents, who are mere years older than MJ - the generation who *truly* grew up with Michael Jackson, practically alongside him. It blows my mind a bit.

Without a doubt, Michael Jackson stands as my earliest memory of popular music. My mother had a copy of Thriller that seemed in constant rotation on the family turntable. I remember listening to that record while she did housework and exploring the packaging. The sketches on the inner sleeve. The cover photograph. The gatefold with that baby tiger. Of course my sister and I both taped the LP so that we could listen to it even more frequently and have the increasingly important portability. While the Thriller LP is worth nothing financially because everybody and their mother (literally) has a copy, I'd venture to say that my mom's copy of the album is perhaps the most prized item in my personal collection. My lifelong obsession with popular music can honestly be traced back to that single LP.

And this is what I think is throwing me for a bit of a loop in all of this - that there are so many personal memories attached to those songs. For example:

-dancing to "Thriller" with my sister in our basement and cracking my head open on the brick hearth.

-"We Are the World" (on 45) being the first piece of recorded popular music that was MINE. [Purchased at Century III mall, for you Pittsburghers.]

-Standing on my desk chair trying to mimic the "Smooth Criminal" video (it was the privacy of my bedroom, and the only slick surface available).

-Getting the Bad LP out of the library, taping it, and then playing the title track for show and tell the next day.

-Having nightmares about the Vincent Price rap in "Thriller"

-Captain EO being the highlight of my first trip to Disney World.

-Bad being the first tape that I ever owned

-Constantly watching Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues, a documentary which my grandparents taped off of Showtime.

-Buying Dangerous on Thanksgiving day. Watching the premiere of "Black and White" after the Simpsons; that 'controversial' end sequence

I could go on. And I'm sure you could add many of your personal memories to the list.

----

Admittedly, his work fell off beginning in the 1990s. And again, his personal life, or what can be labeled the celebrity freak show, took over. This is when it began to become clear that Michael Jackson was perhaps the most tragic soul in popular music.

Despite his personal and artistic fall from grace, Michael Jackson never really lost relevance. Though I'm not much a fan, his influence is apparent in the pop stars produced in the last decade (most explicitly in Usher, Timberlake). But perhaps his continuing relevance is most clear in the music. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Throw on "P.Y.T." at any dance night or house party. Or "Billie Jean." Or "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." Or "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." And on down the line. See if the dance floor doesn't fill up immediately and vibrantly come to life in a celebration of bodies and/in rhythm.

----

Tonight some friends and I went to an '80s night. The DJ wisely played a great deal of MJ, the first of which was "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." The floor shook. In unison we all danced, clapped, and chanted the "mama se, mama sa, mama cu sa" breakdown. I couldn't help but think that we the crowd (many no doubt children of the '80s) were paying tribute in the best way that we knew how.

While his post-Dangerous music has failed to move me he never left my (our culturally, our) consciousness. I think we always assumed Michael Jackson would be around, even if only as a pop cultural curiosity. His life story (the good and the bad, the bland and the bizarre) were all so surreal that his death seems very unreal, very strange, and very unexpected.

I'm not at all a fan of John Mayer, but his twitter posts sum it up rather well"

I think we'll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to Thriller on the record player.
-
Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ.

It's 4:25am. Tomorrow will be a big day. I'll end it here, and with what else but a video. RIP, MJ.

Lip-synched, but what the hell:

Weekend Recap

I don't usually delve much into my personal goings-on here, but Saturday was filled with music, and I'm still kind of reeling from it. So I shall share.

One of my best friends from college came to visit and we set off on a record shopping excursion. My plan was to use this as an excuse to check out a bunch of Baltimore records stores that I haven't gotten around to yet. In this sense, the mission was a failure, as after only two stops, we both had to stop for fear of our bank accounts going belly up.

But it was absolutely a successful trip.



Consider this a plug for a tiny record store tucked away on Aliceanna St. in Fell's Point. I'd passed !El Suprimo! many times on my long runs, each time thinking "I really need to check this place out some day." I wished I had gone sooner. !El Suprimo! is a small shop, possibly the size of an average bedroom. Despite this spatial limitation, the racks are PACKED with great finds, AT GREAT PRICES. I know that this sounds like a commercial, but it's true. Being a Pittsburgh native, I'm fairly spoiled by Jerry's Fine Used Records, where discs average between $3-$6. Because of this, I often find things that I want when I'm shopping other places, but am resistant to paying say, $10, $15, $20 for a single disc (unless of course it's something that warrants such cost).

ANYHOW, upon exiting !El Suprimo!, I said to my friend, "It's like a little Jerry's." By this I meant that I found a bunch of gems (roughly 12 discs) and paid about $30 for the whole lot. SCORE! Their funk/r&b section is particularly tasty. So check them out if you're ever in the area.

And, they're conveniently located near what I would say is Baltimore's landmark record store, The Sound Garden.



The Sound Garden is much more expansive in terms of space. The bulk of the store is devoted to CDs and DVDs, but within the last year, they've opened a vinyl room that is pretty dope. The bulk of the vinyl is new (and newISH) releases and reissues. So you might not have luck finding that original pressing of Zen Arcade, but you will find modestly priced hip hop, indie rock and electronica discs. I picked up two discs that have been on my list (2008's releases from Portishead and Love is All), which set me back about $35. Not bad.

But what has gotten me and my friends in trouble at Sound Garden in the past is their used CDs. Prices aren't exceptional here, but are about the standard you'll find in any used CD joint. However, they somehow manage to bring in pretty high quality discs, especially newer releases. It's well worth taking the time to sift through the used bins, for sure.

So that was my Record Store Day. Given the occasion, I justified my purchases as fighting the good fight for indie record stores. A good deed, if you will.

-----

We topped off the day with what I hear is an annual event, the Prince vs. Madonna vs. Michael Jackson dance night at the Ottobar, conveniently within stumbling distance of my apartment. Well worth the $6 cover, which I paid as "Joy in Repetition" played.

Overall, a killer night. The place got pretty packed, and pretty much everyone was dancing. How could you resist with the triumvirate of 1980s pop royalty? They played far too much 21st century Madonna, for some reason, but that's my only real complaint. There wasn't much in the way of deep cuts, but I think that's to be expected when your covering three huge artists. There were a few unexpected tracks though, such as Madonna's "Gambler" (from the Vision Quest soundtrack), Prince and Sheila E.'s "A Love Bizarre," and one of the hottest jams in my book, "Hot Thing." Beyond that, other highlights for me included "Pussy Control," "Erotic City" (duh) and "Remember the Time." The latter was amazing purely because I was on stage dancing next/with a dude that knew the song as well as I did, and I think we were both floored that each of us knew all of the ad-libbed lyrics in the break. It was "a moment."

But the kicker was the end of the night. The DJ announced this was the last track, when I heard Casey Kasem's voice. Of course, hearing Kasem always makes me think of
Negativland's take on "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". But no, Casey was here to tell me that the number one song of the week was Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson with "Say Say Say." I have to admit that I did NOT see (hear?) that coming, and it blew my mind into a million pieces. Needless to say, the place danced everything they had left into that song, and it's been in my head for the last 48 hours. I even dusted off the 12" a friend picked up for me a few years ago, which I have share for the ridiculous cover art:



So Saturday was kind of epic in my little music geek world. And for now, I'll leave you with the video. It always creeped me out a bit that Latoya was MJ's love interest here. But that's beside the point, I guess (???).

Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson - Say, say, say

Latest from Neverland

In all seriousness - and I say this as a fan - doesn't this look like a wax figure of Michael Jackson?

Anyway -

So Michael Jackson is going to play 10 shows at London's O2 Arena this summer, and there are rumors that he will be adding 10 more.

Wonder where he got that idea?



But hey, a man's got to repay his debts somehow. At least financially, I'm willing to bet MJ's shows are successful. I can't say I have much hope for the quality of performance though. Even if he does drop in a few songs in which he actually sings live, his voice has been shot for over a decade. And I doubt that there will be much new to add to the production than there was in say, the last two tours that he did. Sadly, I personally have little interest in seeing Michael Jackson in concert at this point. Which is sad for someone who two decades ago truly felt (along with much of the world) that MJ was the world's greatest entertainer. How far the mighty have fallen.