Re: What are the best books about Michael Jackson
Magic and the Madness (first edition) is one of the best ones I've read. It has some pop psych analysis that's unwarranted, but every other non-sensational biography seems like it strains to paint an overly positive image. in fact, reading that book was a big part of becoming a fan I guess for me.
A lot of people recommend Moonwalk. I think it was partly written by at least one other person or ghost writer (not quite an autobiography then) . . . plus it felt a little artificial, ex. you know he didn't call his parents "mom" and "dad" and yet he calls them that in the "autobiography" - not that it doesn't have some interesting background info from early career stuff. Anyway, to me it was almost like reading a press release.
I actually highly recommend "The Magic and the Madness" and here's why. First of all-
only the first edition, if you can get your hands on it. I watched Taraborelli as an "expert" at the CNN coverage of Michael's funeral at Forest Lawn and they asked him to pick out people in the guest rows-and he didn't seem to know a soul. I would have been a better expert than him. Then I heard he was coming out with a new edition of his book within weeks, so I thought skip that-he knows nothing. I also learned through this forum that he came out with another updated one after Lisa Marie, so I assume that also covered Chandler and he went back and re-wrote some of his first version. So-don't bother with any of those-sure they've become trashy.
Also, remember, he's definitely not a friend of Michael's, as he likes to claim.
This one was written back in the day when biographers really did research-and Randy was a music journalist for teen music magazines-and he did extensive legal research and talked to a lot of people back then when he wrote his books on Diana and Berry's Motown. So he already had a ton of research under his belt. Also, besides talking to people, he culls his information in the book from written and televised interviews, as well as all the books the Jacksons actually wrote themselves.
Magazines back then were not the tabloid trash they became in the 90's-the mainstream stuff was actually very intelligent, and insightful. Even teen age music mags. And I've read full chapters in Randy's book that I realized were just taken straight from Michael's or LaToya's books-he just has a real knack for re-writing it, making it sound like it came from somebody who was there. I've also read stuff that I realize came straight from Jet and Ebony-just about anybody who interviewed or wrote about the Jacksons.
There's stuff in it that's not so good-some psychiatrist he talks to, and a LOT of speculation about Michael's (and LaToya's) appearance-but this was written years before he revealed he had vitiligo. And I laughed out loud when he described the video for "BAD" because he made it sound like Michael looked like a fool dancing in front of all these tough guys-and I just about died-because he apparently didn't see the SAME video I did. LOL.
But on the whole, it's good-got lots of facts and I read it a lot-and use it as a reference for dates, times, etc. You can easily tell the stuff that's speculation-when he gets into the skin stuff or the cosmetic surgery.
I really love Moonwalk-although I know what you mean about it being a press release. You have to really know Michael's story, and how he was trying to present his life in the best possible light. I also think that he himself tried to think of his family, etc. in the best possible light-so a lot of things he says about his parents, for example, are probably the way he wished they were. Or how they were in his fantasies.
As Berry says in the new forward, you have to read between the lines. But if you do, he is actually way more revealing about things than I would think he would be. He actually tries to hit on every hot button issue that the media was attacking him with since Thriller-the comparison to Elvis, his looks, his privacy, his love for kids, his love for animals. Some of them he talks about more than once-his looks and skin problems are discussed a lot-and you can tell how much that affected him.
I wish he would elaborate more on his creative process and his music-but, I think he didn't think we were all that interested in that. It does amaze me though, that since he was 11, 21, 31, 41 or 50 he didn't really change a lot-his views of the world and the things he loved and how many children he wanted one day-pretty much stayed the same-he just widened his world and his views as he matured and grew up.
Other books: Joe Vogel's book is
EXCELLENT!
Aphrodite Jones book-I don't care for it much-I thought it would be good to have all the facts of the Arvizo trial in one place, And I was dying to buy it. but it comes off as a pandering to fans type of book. I would have preferred it to be a lot more objective than it is. As it is, it's hard to take seriously in parts. She tells you what the jury is "thinking" during the trial-how does she know that? No where does she say, she questioned them. And why does she go and hang out with fans during the trial-just a little strange.
