The Way I Saw Michael Jackson

I posted this in 2009. Looking back I realize I have never written a word about Elvis Presley or John Lennon, even though perhaps I like them more, Elvis first then Lennon, Jackson only came up last. Why? I don't really know. I suppose he is the one I admire for his uniqueness, his daring, his defiance to what's good & normal, his adventurous spirit ... I convinced myself I should post this once again, maybe it would help me to understand ME better ... Whatever Michael Jackson was not, he was definitely a genius. One that marked an era, established a Before and an After with his work (I say Work because it's not just his music Pop), defining the shape of things to come, in the artistic sense. Nothing was the same ever since after the eruption of Jackson, in the 70's and 80's. That's the legacy he left, even though, in recent years, shadowed by his eccentric, tormented and mysterious biography. It's not easy to extract the personal misfortune of the artist to measure the value of his work in all his transcendence. What is left now is the myth, the music, the spectacles, bearing his larger than life personality, had reached such dizzying height that very few have achieved in the whole of music history. Near half a century of Michael Jackson had changed television, spectacles, global communication beyond what's viewed as pop music. He had become one of the most influential icons and symbols because he had innovated Pop music as well as spectacles or stage performance, with his electrifying dance, backed by extraordinary technology in all his shows. The essence of all took form in video-clips, one of his greatest contributions to the culture of the present era. 'Thriller' -1982-, is the best selling disc of all time, and possibly the most viewed in the history, marking the zenith of the phenomenon of Michael Jackson. He also represented another important advancement in the modern culture: the breaking of frontiers, ethnic, sex, age and social class in the way music is consumed. by mixing the best from all, to therefore loved and accepted by all. He connected with the immense majority of the public, incorporating his multiple rhythm and styles, like a brilliant scientist in his creative laboratory, constantly mixing and experimenting. And, like a ingenious mad scientist, he had allowed himself to experiment aspects not so in step with his intelligence and talents. This explains his great professional success and disastrous personal failure, manifested in his unstable life style and, to a certain extent, self-destructive behaviour. Without doubt, Michael Jackson was a genius, a prodigy with enormous natural talent, that the world today had mourned the loss of, amongst other huge personalities that had changed the contemporary music in their time, like Elvis Presley and John Lennon. Tags:Michael,Elvis,John

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