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http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/Ent/801060478/1038/Ent
Jackson influence still a 'thriller' 25 years on
HOWARD DUKES
Tribune Staff Writer
Michael Jackson received one Grammy Award for his 1979 album "Off the Wall." "Off the Wall" definitely spoke the language of the urban street in the late 1970s. With funk, disco, R&B and soul ballads, "Off the Wall" captured every musical movement that could be heard on black radio at the time.
The record sold 7 million copies, but Jackson reportedly believed that "Off the Wall" should have garnered more crossover appeal.
The singer was determined that his next album would have the mass appeal he felt "Off the Wall" deserved but did not receive.
Jackson's next record was released on Dec. 1, 1982, and it succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. "Thriller" broke all sales records. More than 100 million copies of the record have been sold worldwide, and no record is likely to sell as many in this era of digital downloading of music.
The historic sales figures for "Thriller" cemented the belief that it was a better album than "Off the Wall."
But is that really the case?
"Thriller" definitely had more crossover appeal, but that album also revealed the compromises that an artist as talented as Jackson had to make to appeal to a broader audience.
The first single from "Thriller" was "The Girl Is Mine." That choice as the album's first single was safe and uninspired. The song is a duet with Paul McCartney in which the two pop idols engage in a musical duel for a woman's affections. McCartney also wrote the song "Girlfriend," which appeared on "Off the Wall."
A duet between the two was a can't-miss project because it paired the most famous surviving member of the most popular rock group of the 1960s with the lead singer of one of the most popular R&B groups of the 1970s.
But "The Girl Is Mine" is a bad song that was critically panned even as it soared to the top of the charts.
There is no song on "Off the Wall" that's as weak as "The Girl Is Mine."
However, Jackson and Quincy Jones -- who produced both albums -- also played it safe on "Off The Wall."
That album stuck to the tried-and-true late-'70s R&B formula of giving listeners up-tempo dance tunes steeped in funk and disco, midtempo party records, and ballads. However, "Off The Wall" showed that Jackson and Jones had mastered that formula better than anybody.
Jones began his career as a be-bop jazz trumpeter, but he had mastered many musical styles by the time he hooked up with Jackson in the late 1970s, working with artists as diverse as Lesley Gore and The Brothers Johnson, as well as writing music for films and television (including the themes of the TV series "Sanford and Son" and the miniseries "Roots").
Jones had a series of hits on the R&B charts in the 1970s and early '80s, and "Off The Wall" showcased the ease with which he and Jackson spoke the language of R&B.
Nothing on "Thriller" approached the grit and funkiness of "Workin' Day and Night" or "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."
And even songs with clear pop leanings, such as "Off The Wall," featured a bass line that fell real easy on the ears of R&B fans.
Although Jackson was content not to stray too far from the dance floor on "Off The Wall," he seemingly went everywhere on "Thriller" -- even beyond the grave.
A massive ego is just one of the criticisms that Jackson has faced in recent years. His disappointment that "Off The Wall" wasn't a bigger success shows that he had a healthy opinion of himself a generation ago.
But Jackson's ego wasn't so big that it prevented him from sharing the spotlight in an attempt to make good music.
Although the collaboration with McCartney was a critical flop, the album's other two joint efforts were nothing short of brilliant.
"Beat It" featured the guitar work of rocker Eddie VanHalen, while "Thriller" featured an extended spoken-word piece by Vincent Price. Both records showed how Jackson's willingness to reach across genre and racial boundaries could pay off artistically and commercially.
That kind of collaboration rarely took place in R&B music before "Beat It" and "Thriller" were released, but it is common now.
The two tracks also highlight another difference between "Off The Wall" and "Thriller."
"Thriller" addressed more topics than its predecessor -- gang violence on "Beat It," rumors of celebrity scandal on "Billie Jean" and the consequences of irresponsible sex on "Wanna Be Startin' Something."
Ironically, the album's most lasting impact might not be the music, but the way "Thriller" transformed how music is presented to the public.
The cable television network Music Television (MTV) premiered a little more than a year before Jackson released "Thriller."
Most of the videos on MTV during that first year were primitive and mainly featured concert footage. The production values were often poor.
After MTV showed Jackson's videos for the songs "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and, especially, "Thriller," no recording artist could hope to reach mainstream success without producing a video.
The quality of Jackson's videos, which combined plots, choreography that showcased Jackson's dancing ability and film-quality cinematography, forced every artist striving for pop success to try to produce works of similar quality.
Video meant that artists had to be as concerned with the way they looked on TV as they were with the quality of their music.
Michael Jackson Mentionings:
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/613055.html
Kings Notes: Former Bulls star Theus returns to his NBA roots
"How many times in a person's lives are in they in a stadium where they're chanting their name? All 6,000 that were there? As a rookie I was here to see a Michael Jackson concert. I got a standing ovation at a Michael Jackson concert. Those are pretty incredible things for a young guy. I think some of the greatest fans in all of sports are here in Chicago."
Michael Jackson HIStory:
1992 - Michael Jackson's single "Black Or White" was certified Gold and Platinum.
2004 - Michael Jackson surrendered his passport to prosecutors. He had been given the passport temporarily to fulfill obligations in England.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080106/Ent/801060478/1038/Ent
Jackson influence still a 'thriller' 25 years on
HOWARD DUKES
Tribune Staff Writer
Michael Jackson received one Grammy Award for his 1979 album "Off the Wall." "Off the Wall" definitely spoke the language of the urban street in the late 1970s. With funk, disco, R&B and soul ballads, "Off the Wall" captured every musical movement that could be heard on black radio at the time.
The record sold 7 million copies, but Jackson reportedly believed that "Off the Wall" should have garnered more crossover appeal.
The singer was determined that his next album would have the mass appeal he felt "Off the Wall" deserved but did not receive.
Jackson's next record was released on Dec. 1, 1982, and it succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. "Thriller" broke all sales records. More than 100 million copies of the record have been sold worldwide, and no record is likely to sell as many in this era of digital downloading of music.
The historic sales figures for "Thriller" cemented the belief that it was a better album than "Off the Wall."
But is that really the case?
"Thriller" definitely had more crossover appeal, but that album also revealed the compromises that an artist as talented as Jackson had to make to appeal to a broader audience.
The first single from "Thriller" was "The Girl Is Mine." That choice as the album's first single was safe and uninspired. The song is a duet with Paul McCartney in which the two pop idols engage in a musical duel for a woman's affections. McCartney also wrote the song "Girlfriend," which appeared on "Off the Wall."
A duet between the two was a can't-miss project because it paired the most famous surviving member of the most popular rock group of the 1960s with the lead singer of one of the most popular R&B groups of the 1970s.
But "The Girl Is Mine" is a bad song that was critically panned even as it soared to the top of the charts.
There is no song on "Off the Wall" that's as weak as "The Girl Is Mine."
However, Jackson and Quincy Jones -- who produced both albums -- also played it safe on "Off The Wall."
That album stuck to the tried-and-true late-'70s R&B formula of giving listeners up-tempo dance tunes steeped in funk and disco, midtempo party records, and ballads. However, "Off The Wall" showed that Jackson and Jones had mastered that formula better than anybody.
Jones began his career as a be-bop jazz trumpeter, but he had mastered many musical styles by the time he hooked up with Jackson in the late 1970s, working with artists as diverse as Lesley Gore and The Brothers Johnson, as well as writing music for films and television (including the themes of the TV series "Sanford and Son" and the miniseries "Roots").
Jones had a series of hits on the R&B charts in the 1970s and early '80s, and "Off The Wall" showcased the ease with which he and Jackson spoke the language of R&B.
Nothing on "Thriller" approached the grit and funkiness of "Workin' Day and Night" or "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."
And even songs with clear pop leanings, such as "Off The Wall," featured a bass line that fell real easy on the ears of R&B fans.
Although Jackson was content not to stray too far from the dance floor on "Off The Wall," he seemingly went everywhere on "Thriller" -- even beyond the grave.
A massive ego is just one of the criticisms that Jackson has faced in recent years. His disappointment that "Off The Wall" wasn't a bigger success shows that he had a healthy opinion of himself a generation ago.
But Jackson's ego wasn't so big that it prevented him from sharing the spotlight in an attempt to make good music.
Although the collaboration with McCartney was a critical flop, the album's other two joint efforts were nothing short of brilliant.
"Beat It" featured the guitar work of rocker Eddie VanHalen, while "Thriller" featured an extended spoken-word piece by Vincent Price. Both records showed how Jackson's willingness to reach across genre and racial boundaries could pay off artistically and commercially.
That kind of collaboration rarely took place in R&B music before "Beat It" and "Thriller" were released, but it is common now.
The two tracks also highlight another difference between "Off The Wall" and "Thriller."
"Thriller" addressed more topics than its predecessor -- gang violence on "Beat It," rumors of celebrity scandal on "Billie Jean" and the consequences of irresponsible sex on "Wanna Be Startin' Something."
Ironically, the album's most lasting impact might not be the music, but the way "Thriller" transformed how music is presented to the public.
The cable television network Music Television (MTV) premiered a little more than a year before Jackson released "Thriller."
Most of the videos on MTV during that first year were primitive and mainly featured concert footage. The production values were often poor.
After MTV showed Jackson's videos for the songs "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and, especially, "Thriller," no recording artist could hope to reach mainstream success without producing a video.
The quality of Jackson's videos, which combined plots, choreography that showcased Jackson's dancing ability and film-quality cinematography, forced every artist striving for pop success to try to produce works of similar quality.
Video meant that artists had to be as concerned with the way they looked on TV as they were with the quality of their music.
Michael Jackson Mentionings:
http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/613055.html
Kings Notes: Former Bulls star Theus returns to his NBA roots
"How many times in a person's lives are in they in a stadium where they're chanting their name? All 6,000 that were there? As a rookie I was here to see a Michael Jackson concert. I got a standing ovation at a Michael Jackson concert. Those are pretty incredible things for a young guy. I think some of the greatest fans in all of sports are here in Chicago."
Michael Jackson HIStory:
1992 - Michael Jackson's single "Black Or White" was certified Gold and Platinum.
2004 - Michael Jackson surrendered his passport to prosecutors. He had been given the passport temporarily to fulfill obligations in England.
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