Elvis Costello once said we all deny our childhood record collections at one point or another. It is fair to assume our tastes in music change as we mature – otherwise we would still be listening to nursery rhymes well into our ‘60s. There is no denying, however, that some of the music we listen to in our formative years leaves an indelible mark on us. While we may sense some shame in admitting to liking certain artists, they are still part of who we are today.
In 1993 it simply wasn’t cool to be a Michael Jackson fan. Even ignoring the mega-star’s awkward behavior and abuse allegations in the early ‘90s, grunge and alternative rock ruled the airwaves then. The movement was, more than anything, a repudiation of all things ‘80s – the commercialism, the showmanship, the excess, etc. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and R.E.M. were all about “keeping it real.”
As the grunge scene rose to prominence and a new ethos took hold, a new commercial culture ironically developed around it – a uniform commercial culture. Now everyone was buying flannel plaid shirts and torn jeans. Though artists were expected to reveal their soul to us in their music, in appearance they were all the same. What seemed to disappear was individualism.
Say what you will about Michael Jackson, there’s no denying he was an individual - a very strange individual to say the least, but an individual nonetheless. As an individual his impact was enormous. He not only broke racial barriers on MTV, he also bridged gaps between generations and even nations. It is impossible to ignore the abuse allegations alluded to earlier – and they shouldn’t be – but most of us still believe all men are innocent until proven guilty. Keep in mind Jackson was never criminally convicted in a court of law despite years and years of public scrutiny.
With all of this in mind, jump back to 1983. The nation was coming out of a long recession, the Cold War was still on everybody’s mind, and a ‘60s icon had been shot dead three years earlier. What the nation needed, it seemed, was a distraction from the gravity of it all. Enter Michael Jackson.
Michael, of course, won the hearts of baby boomers as a child star in the Jackson 5 at the start of the ‘70s, but now he was all grown up – at least from a biological standpoint. He was determined to expand his reach.
Already making a huge solo splash in 1979 with the platinum-selling Off The Wall, MJ was now ready to join the ranks of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles as a generation-defining artist. MJ even called on a former Beatle to help him in his pursuit. The Paul McCartney duet, “The Girl Is Mine,” may have been a calculated attempt to drag baby-boomers along for the ride with his youth-oriented dance music, but it also introduced younger fans to the Beatles – including this reviewer.
Not content to stop there, Jackson reached out to rockers by featuring the pyrotechnic guitar solo of Eddie Van Halen on “Beat It.” In between were soulful, funky numbers like “Billie Jean” and “PYT.”
Tying all of this together was a producer who knew a thing or two about American music, Quincy Jones. Having collaborated with the likes of Ray Charles and Miles Davis decades earlier, Jones gave Jackson’s music a grounding it desperately needed.
Yet as powerful as the music was it paled in comparison to the visual impact Jackson’s videos and dance moves had on the viewer. Let’s be honest – Thriller wouldn’t have been the biggest selling album of all time were it not for the videos for “Thriller,” “Beat It,” or “Billie Jean.” The costuming, choreography, and charisma of Michael Jackson were unlike anything the public had seen before – and not really since. This doesn’t diminish the quality of the music. Again, with Quincy Jones at the helm, you know you are getting quality product. But the multi-media assault was groundbreaking.
Such over-exposure does lead one to ask when is it all too much? The pictures of fans fainting at the presence of MJ in concert were nauseating to say the least. But there did seem to be a genuine love and warmth for his audience and his craft. This stands in stark contrast to the icy demeanor and businesswoman posturing of Madonna, Jackson’s number one ‘80s rival.
All of his excesses, however, did finally catch up with him by the mid-90s – the plastic surgery, the sleepovers at Neverland Ranch, etc. At the time he seemed to be, in Bono’s words, history.
When Jackson announced he would be mounting a series of comeback concerts in London at the O2 arena in 2009, skeptics were justified in their cynicism. His public appearances the past several years had been nothing short of bizarre and his health was a serious concern. Could he live up to the impact he had in the ‘80s? It seemed highly doubtful. Still thousands bought tickets for a chance to see the one-time King of Pop and re-live part of their youth.
As fate determined, the concerts would never take place. Michael left us on June 25, 2009. What would seem to follow logically would be several days of mourning, a tribute concert, and a boost in sales of his back-catalogue. As with most things Jackson-related, however, the most logical series of events didn’t take place. Just days after Jackson’s death rumbles of a film based on rehearsals for his This Is It series of concerts began to appear. This definitely seemed to be in poor taste to say the least. Celebrities’ families have always cashed in on untimely deaths but never quite so blatantly – or so soon.
Those of us who boycotted the film on principle couldn’t be blamed. How could such a film be put together so quickly? Poor taste aside, how could such a film even have merit?
After viewing This is It a year later it turns out the skeptics were completely wrong – on all counts. Not only is the film a beautiful portrait of an artist honing his stage craft, it also reveals the series of concerts would have been the most spectacular events staged in our lifetime.
Forget the pyrotechnics and 3-D imagery for a second - most striking is how confident MJ appears on stage. Like many other artists Jackson seems completely awkward in banal settings, but on stage he’s clearly in command. As weak and frail as MJ seemed in public in recent years, when he’s on stage singing and dancing to “Wanna Be Starting Something” there’s nothing debilitating about his appearance at all.
Watching MJ interact with musicians and singers during rehearsals is eye-opening as well. Whether he’s calling for a funkier bass line on “Wanna Be Starting Something” or asking for a more subtle vocal intro to “The Way You Make Me Feel” it’s clear to tell who’s in charge.
Now for the imagery – the show was to open with a series of explosions and sparks – and then a “Light Man” floating above stage. The “Light Man” was to be a robot covered in LED screens which would descend onto the stage and finally open up to reveal MJ himself. MJ has never been one for subtlety but this was to be an astonishing entrance even for the gloved one himself.
Having worked with directors and actors from Martin Scorsese to Marlon Brando on his music videos it’s not surprising MJ would include cinematic elements in This Is It. Indeed, the film noir intro to “Smooth Criminal” featuring Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart perfectly sets the stage for the crime-drama choreography that follows.
Not surprisingly, the most impressive visual effects were saved for “Thriller.” While the original “Thriller” video was groundbreaking in many ways, it’s hard not to laugh at the dated costumes and imagery. For This Is It MJ updated the zombie apocalypse scene with new 3-D footage. Now the zombies reach out and almost grab you. Then a giant black widow spider crawls on stage and MJ climbs out from underneath it – all while ghosts are flying around the arena. The choreography of dancing zombies – essentially the same as in the video – is still wildly entertaining to watch.
Countless other insights can be gained from watching the film – I’ll leave those to the viewer. But what is most revealing is how spectacular these shows would have been had MJ and cast lived to perform them. Near the end of This is It Jackson is filmed telling the cast their mission is to give the audience “escapism” and to “bring love back into the world.” Unfortunately they were never given that chance. What we have been given, however, is this film – and we are fortunate to have it.
