I think the end of MJ's era ended long time ago... how many acts today can have at least 10 million albums (let's not mention 29 million) sold with all the cheapskates downloading and how many feel for their music as if its as serious as their lives today? Those who grew up before the noughties could but not those who came after..
Agreed. In her article on MJ in ST Life, 27/6/09, ong soh chin wrote:
he was the first true star of the MTV generation and the one who knew besy how to maximise this new medium. with MTV, he made his music multi-dimensional, making it transcend the aural to the visual. because of jackson, the world became attuned to "seeing" music as well as listening to it. commercially, through sales of music videos, the music industry also gained a new cash revenue stream.
she went on to quote Nelson George (2004): it's difficult to hear the songs from thriller and disengage them from the videos. for most of us, the images define the songs. in fact, it could be argued that michael is the first artist of the MTV age to have an entire album so intimately connected in the public imagination with its imagery.
All too true because promotional music videos have been around for a long time but not all of them worked. Was at the National Museum yesterday to watch Peter Whitehead's Tonite Let's All Make Love in London (1967), which had The Rolling Stones music promos shot by Whitehead tagged at the end. Rare vintage of the Stones as the rock gods they were in the 60s. But as music videos, doesn't work.
Other good MJ is dead articles to read is Robert Sandall's May 31 piece in Britain's The Sunday Times (prophetic) which was reprinted in ST yesterday.
Listening to the 25th Ann re-issue of Thriller (came out last year) now is strange because the first time I listen to it was some pirated cassette tape from Chinatown (also my first exposure to The Smiths, REM and Dylan) and as the practice then, the song order was totally whacked. Thanks to the chong tape, Thriller will always start with The Girl Is Mine rather than Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'...
But MTV has moved on as well with programming on NON-MUSIC stuff like reality dramas, american idol kind-of drivel and assorted lite-than-lite entertainment to numb the minds of the neoliberal population-in-chain, MJ's musical passing in the 1990s is a sign to come.
the strangest tribute came from meza virs last night at their gig at mandai. the singer wore a white glove on his left hand.
ReplyDeletegreat gig though.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think the end of MJ's era ended long time ago... how many acts today can have at least 10 million albums (let's not mention 29 million) sold with all the cheapskates downloading and how many feel for their music as if its as serious as their lives today? Those who grew up before the noughties could but not those who came after..
ReplyDeleteAgreed. In her article on MJ in ST Life, 27/6/09, ong soh chin wrote:
ReplyDeletehe was the first true star of the MTV generation and the one who knew besy how to maximise this new medium. with MTV, he made his music multi-dimensional, making it transcend the aural to the visual. because of jackson, the world became attuned to "seeing" music as well as listening to it. commercially, through sales of music videos, the music industry also gained a new cash revenue stream.
she went on to quote Nelson George (2004): it's difficult to hear the songs from thriller and disengage them from the videos. for most of us, the images define the songs. in fact, it could be argued that michael is the first artist of the MTV age to have an entire album so intimately connected in the public imagination with its imagery.
All too true because promotional music videos have been around for a long time but not all of them worked. Was at the National Museum yesterday to watch Peter Whitehead's Tonite Let's All Make Love in London (1967), which had The Rolling Stones music promos shot by Whitehead tagged at the end. Rare vintage of the Stones as the rock gods they were in the 60s. But as music videos, doesn't work.
Other good MJ is dead articles to read is Robert Sandall's May 31 piece in Britain's The Sunday Times (prophetic) which was reprinted in ST yesterday.
Listening to the 25th Ann re-issue of Thriller (came out last year) now is strange because the first time I listen to it was some pirated cassette tape from Chinatown (also my first exposure to The Smiths, REM and Dylan) and as the practice then, the song order was totally whacked. Thanks to the chong tape, Thriller will always start with The Girl Is Mine rather than Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'...
But MTV has moved on as well with programming on NON-MUSIC stuff like reality dramas, american idol kind-of drivel and assorted lite-than-lite entertainment to numb the minds of the neoliberal population-in-chain, MJ's musical passing in the 1990s is a sign to come.
ReplyDeleteFor more mind provoking MJ tribute/non-tribute go to:
ReplyDeletehttp://k-punk.abstractdynamics.org/archives/011200.html
http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2009/06/after-pop/#more-14607
http://k-punk.abstractdynamics.org/archives/011204.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/28/michael-jackson-death