Take 5 Friday: Be King For A Day

A special Take 5 Friday...5 favored Michael Jackson live performances.

1. Man In The Mirror (1988 Grammys): POWER. Just unabashed power. Michael takes it to a higher level with this performance, and to me, the music just embodies him and it's truly electrifying. Plus, who else could get away with jumping like a damn grasshopper on stage? Only Michael.


2. Billie Jean (Motown 25): Iconic in the sense that this was Michael's debut of the famous Moonwalk dance and the beginning of him becoming a music legend. Sparkly socks and the infamous glove make appearances as well.


3. Human Nature (Bad Tour): *sigh* If this song couldn't get even more beautiful, Michael had to go and be all emotional, sweaty, and ad-libbing the mess out of this. Perfection personified.


4. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (w/Siedah Garrett)(Dangerous Tour): Singer/songwriter, Siedah Garrett was gypped of a bigger solo career back in the late 80's and early 90's. She has an impressive range and it fits right alongside Michael's for this romantic exchange of lyrics. Yes, this song brings on the Cheese-Wiz with string cheese on the side, but you know what, this is the kind of duet that is non-existent nowadays so soak up this moment of awesomeness.


5. Smooth Criminal (Dangerous Tour): Remember when Michael turned into that black panther at the end of the original "Black and White" video? Well, that wasn't a special effect, folks, Michael Jackson has been duping us for years that he in fact has powers to do some shape shifting, cause he's that bad ass. The panther comes out in this performance and it's fierce. This performance is so crisp, it's a Pringle chip.

Crisp N' Fresh: Smash Into Glitter

Marina and the Diamonds have been treading water in my radar pool, but since the video for single, "I Am Not A Robot" has surfaced, my intrigue has mounted. Marina caught my attention in the wee early days of 2009 with the buzz single, "Obsessions". The sound was a bit electro-fevor mixed with Kate Bush-isms...me likely lots. With "I Am Not A Robot" Marina is back to being a confessional soul but also showing us her quirky artsy side as she gets a little carried away with the arts and crafts table. What you'll see before you is a minimalist approach, but with lots of style. Marina dips herself in black glitter, slaps on face paint and has her lips adorned in rhinestones in this, and if that doesn't grab your attention, your a dead duck.

In The Hot Seat: Wanna Be Startin' Something

What Adventures are we going on? My notes on looking behind and ahead on the blog.

1. Michael Jackson: For obvious reasons....The King of Pop is going to be on everyone's mind for the next couple of months, especially with all the funeral, child custody and medical rumors swirling around. On the blogfront, I'm trying to do mini-tributes to Michael and his music for the next couple of days, but I promise no overloads and no on-going gossip, unless it pertains to the music the man made. I could care less if Michael fathered a three headed baby by a woman named Billie Jean...if the baby isn't singing "Dirty Diana" on YouTube, it's not getting posted.

2. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons: Again, for obvious reasons! Where there is Michael, there is are the Jackson brothers. From Motown to Victory, the Jacksons are a group. I kind of have dug back in the group's musical catalog to refresh my brain of greatness. The stuff I've reintroduced myself too is just phenomenal...and even when its kind of crappy (see "State Of Shock" with Mick Jagger and "Torture") it still is better than half the mess we hear today. Bowing down again.

3. Gossip: Beth Ditto and Co. have crafted the perfect pop-rock summer album...no joke. "Heavy Cross" still eats to the beat.

4. Ledisi: August 18th seems so farrrrr away...and it's been torturous following Ms. Ledisi's Twitter as she keeps mentioning that date in ties with her new album. Stop teasing me Ledisi, just drop the darn album NOW!

5. Zap Mama: Sometimes I get a little burned out on the 60's revival twist that soul music has morphed into. So there are times where I want to go off the beaten path. Zap Mama led me down that crooked and intriguing camino, and it's been good so far. ReCreation for most unique album of 2009? I think so.

Next Week Look Foward Too:

• Spin Me 'Right Round Week will be happening. Yes, I'm dedicating a FULL week, to nothing but reviews of all the new albums that are just clogging up my Edit Posts page on Blogger. So be prepared for reviews on all the new albums from La Roux, Daniel Merriweather, The Noisettes, Zap Mama, Teena Marie, Gossip and yes,...a severely overdue Chester French review. Yes, I have been failing in the reviewing department, and now I'm trying to do something epic to cover my ass. So if you need to know what to slap money down on in your music collection...I'll show you the way to go all next week.
  
  
• Maxwell: I assure you that my blog partners in crime over at Soul Bounce will have the Maxwell album release celebration on lock (and will be one of the few sites to do so), but if you want to listen to little ol' me, I will be "documenting" my purchase of Maxwell's album with a review and some small postings on Soul music's favorite son. Yes, "documenting" as this will be a physical album purchase for me, something I haven't done since John Legend's Evovler back in November 2008.
  

Quote Me Baby!: La Roux Get Confused Over Influence

It's very kind of empty, like hollow and not rooted in anything good or healthy. Lyrically it's just like really really bad - I think a lot of it just doesn't mean anything. I think a lot of it is, 'Baby I love you, I want to kiss you.' It's just like, 'What are you on about? Shut up.' It certainly doesn't make me feel anything special, or doesn't make me think, or go somewhere else in my mind. I just don't get it."

- La Roux's Elly Jackson on R&B music

Uh...and "Quicksand" and most of your debut album don't adopt from the sound of R&B?? Elly, I like you better when you just sing not comment on anything...

First Impressions: Whitney Has The 'Strength' For A Solid Comeback

And she's safe...Whitney Houston slides to the home plate with her new single, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength", and the comeback to the music world has commenced. The track, which is penned by the schmaltz brigade of David Foster and Diane Warren, is pretty much the ballad we've all been kind of hoping Whitney would drape her mezzo-soprano vocal chops on. In fact, its a ballad that we've been salivating to hear from just about anyone with a massive vocal range, especially in this day in age of the extinction of power ballads. The track in itself is good, but don't expect "I Will Always Love You" ideals, as this is tame. The lush ballad doesn't have much of a vocal build and possesses a very vanilla arrangement but this song is the perfect set-up for Whitney to make a proper return. As tame as it is, the song is quite lovely and touching, considering the theme and what we've been knowing about Whitney for the past couple of years. This is her rising from the ashes like a phoenix, so we should at least give her that chance to lay it all out, as she does here so wonderfully. It truly feels like she never left us. I Look To You, the highly-anticipated album, will be dropping at a store near you on August 18th.

I Didn't Know My Own Strength

Crisp N' Fresh: Stargazin'

Mr. Hudson's lift off into solo stardom has begun with the video for single, "Supernova". This monochromatic styled visual is a nice introduction to the British vocalist as he teams up with collaborator, Kanye West. It's a safe and somewhat unexciting vid, no doubt, as it just shows Mr. Hudson and Kanye walking around a futuristic hotel and turning into humanized constellation charts. But the sleek delivery and special effects make for a pretty great spectacle which soar the song itself into new heights.

First Impressions: Diana King's Tribute To The King

For those who admire a phenomenal voice and who haven't been aware of Diana King's existence, be forewarned...you're about to get schooled. Miss King is best known for her 1995 track, "Shy Guy" which grew to fame after being on the Bad Boys movie soundtrack. King's blend of Reggae beats with her smooth R&B vocal tone captivated listeners and it has made me a fan for awhile now. Diana has been flying under the radar for some time, but it's quite nice to know that she's still keep on keepin' with her talent. On her Twitter, the Reggae/Soul artist announced that she has recorded a new track and that it's dedicated to none other than the late, Michael Jackson. "MI-CHA-EL (Ode To MJ)" has been, so far, the best tribute piece that has graced my ears. It's sincere and it's catchy, and since it is laced with King's glorious vocal range, it's top-notch. The lyrics are quite touching, as Diana coos about missing Michael and his music, over a lush mid-tempo production. Just perfect. You can visit Diana's official page and download the track for free after you listen to the audio below, and while you're there, check out some other great Diana tracks if you haven't had her locked on your radar by now. A real treat for all.

MI-CHA-EL (Ode To MJ)

Wipe Off The Dust: Tributing Michael Jackson...Correctly

Since Michael Jackson has passed, a lot of long-lost cover songs have come bubbling to the surface not to mention everyone and their mama producing tributes left and right. There have been a few that were done immediately after the announcement (side-eye to Diddy and the Foolish Brigade) and they were less than stellar. Yes, it is tricky to give a tribute to one of the greatest singers of our time, but looking at this from the remakes prespective, the King of Pop has gotten re-done quite nicely by others. We are all pretty familiar with Mariah Carey's execution of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" with once back-up singer, Trey Lorenz. Fall Out Boy did a decent cover of "Beat It" awhile back, as Alien Ant Farm are known for their cover of "Smooth Criminal", and frankly, not much else. Then there was SWV, who were guided by a young Pharell Williams whom decided to mix in "Human Nature" with their hit, "Right Here" for a 90's staple. Also, I mentioned last week, about Chaka Khan just taking it to the limit with her rendition of "Got To Be There", which was criminally not done last night at the BET Fail Awards. As you can see, we've had our fair share of MJ covers, but now that he's gone, the covers seem much more bittersweet as we are reminded of the music he touched us with, and also that even, try as they might, its impossible for the artists to capture the magic of MJ. Still it doesn't hurt to delve into rendition bliss, as there are a few MJ covers that have caught my attention and need to be mentioned. As there will no doubt be a surge of cover material concerning MJ over the next couple of months, I'm going to take the time to highlight three MJ covers that I particularly like, and actually would love to hear done live at the upcoming tribute concert that is in planned production at the moment. Here's how to do an MJ cover correctly....

Erykah Badu & The Roots Take Us To "Where You Are": Recently, this has become a favored cover, as Erykah Badu and The Roots performed one of Michael's early solo hits, "I Wanna Be Where You Are" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last week. Head nod to blog partner in crime, Pinboard for introducing me to this piece of perfection that should be on a summer soundtrack in the near future.

Alicia Keys and "Human Nature": Possibly one of my favorite Michael Jackson tracks (you'll hear my gush later...) gets a orchestral homage by the piano princess. I cannot place when and where she did this rendition but that doesn't really matter, what matters is that Alicia does a wonderful job and shows us how beautiful "Human Nature" is classical wise.


James Morrison Looks Into "Man In The Mirror": You know I love James, and that he can do no wrong to my ears. Here's an oldie in-studio recording of him doing the powerful "Man In The Mirror". A monster song in Michael's catalog (penned by the fabulous Siedah Garrett), that James does justice too which makes me co-sign that he and his guitar should be at the upcoming tribute concert.

Audio Vision: Ne-Yo, The Beacon Of Hope...Gulp

The 2009 BET Awards were nothing short of a disappointment as the ceremony, which was hyped up to be a glowing tribute to the late Michael Jackson, failed to rise to the occasion. What occurred were a lot of questionable performances that looked hastily put together, long winded speeches, serious ego tripping and little wiggle room to give tribute to The Gloved One. In short, we, the viewers, were duped by BET's brilliant PR and programming staff, whom made sure that everyone tuned it, and stayed glued to the set, by hyping up the tribute, and putting off on the main course (Maxwell) till the wee end and then squeezing in a tearful Janet Jackson right after a cringing Lil' Wayne and Drake showcase. Yes, what we got was tacky and disorganization. Too many bosses and not enough co-workers. True, the King of Pop's passing wasn't expected, as there were rumors about alot of the night's performers changing their sets to match with the sudden mourning, but it seemed that since these artists are claiming to be such professionals, they would at least have some sort of professionalism to put together something that would be memorable. Thus, we saw something that seemed haphazard as there were too many focuses that night. In addition to the Michael "tribute", there was also the originally scheduled O'Jays homage and then out of nowhere, a New Jack Swing tribute took place when Keith Sweat hobbled and warbled on stage followed by Guy and Bel Biv Devoe. There was so much hasty pudding being thrown about, Lord only knows what the original show was supposed to be. Out of the burning ashes of the show there was a glimmer of hope...and it came from Ne-Yo. Shocked? So am I. Most who know me, know how I harp on Ne-Yo for being the best damn Michael Jackson impersonator to grace the music industry, but last night, he made me completely forget how much dislike I have for him, and actually made me stand up and applause. Dressed like he stepped off the Starship Enterprise, and hat removed (!!), Ne-Yo delved into a touching, and on-point rendition of Michael's classic, "The Lady In My Life", and it was truly the only genuine tribute that night. Now if this had been the attitude of everyone else that night...it would've been a wondrous spectacle, but alas only one soul remembered Michael the non-selfish way.

The Scramble: Michael Monday

*Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough: There might be an opening of Michael's music vault, as there is talk of releasing to the public a 100+ song collection of unreleased Michael Jackson material. 2Pac game proper on the horizon...

*Another Part Of Me: Plans for a tribute concert to honor Michael Jackson are brewing and is rumored to serve as a substitute for the This Is It tour that the singer was to to have done. Big names, such as Madonna, are being tossed around as those slated to perform in place of Michael.

*Childhood: The eternal question--Who will have custody of Michael Jackson's children? The battle wages on.

*Say, Say, Say: Sir Paul McCartney pays tribute to Michael calling him a "gentle soul"

*Jam: In case you missed The Simpsons broadcast last night, they re-aired the popular "Do The Bartman" video in honor of Michael, who was a ghost writer on the track.

*Black Or White: Need to know...Michael Jackson's legacy broke down racial barriers

*Thriller: Head to your local newsstand today, as Time magazine is releasing a commemorative issue all about Michael, with interviews from Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and others.

*Man In The Mirror: President Barack Obama has sent out his condolences to the Jackson family

*Leave Me Alone: Comedians have a hard time avoiding making Michael Jackson the punchline of their jokes now

*Off The Wall: See stick figures, Legos and Carlton Banks give tribute to the King of Pop

*Butterflies: Janet Jackson gives an extremely tearful tribute to her brother at the BET Awards last night...you'll be hearing more about that travesty of a show later on today

We Will Forever Rock With Michael Jackson: In Memoriam

Today, most of the world is mourning the lost of one of entertainment's biggest and brightest icons, the untouchable Michael Jackson. The sudden outpouring of sympathy and support to the Jackson family has been immense as people were no doubt shocked by the passing of the King of Pop on Thursday afternoon. As the shock and sadness begin to subside for awhile, it's time to celebrate the life and most importantly, the music of Michael Jackson. Jackson's life story is now legendary, as journey to super stardom is well-known; how he went from starting his career at age six alongside his older brothers in the legendary Motown group, The Jackson 5 and then crafting himself into a pioneering pop star. While in later years, Jackson's personal dramas about his childhood, his pedophilia accusations, his physical morphisms and financial troubles seem to tarnish his image, at the end of the day, one thing was always a constant: his undeniable talent. Jackson's talent shone out like a lighthouse beacon, and proceeded to cast onto music's mainland, challenging other artists and setting trends that no other artist were attempting to do. As he was a child star in the early cracklings of his career, Jackson was one of the first musicians that grew up and grew into a wondrously flourishing adult solo career, something that at the time, was rarely seen or rarely accomplished.


The story of Michael Jackson's genius hook-up with composer, Quincy Jones in the 80's and how the two of them crafted three of of the most important albums in music history is truly a fascinating slice of music history. The earnestness of 1979's Off The Wall, the pure artistry that went into 1982's Thriller and the stylish nature of 1987's Bad, all three of these albums, in some way, changed the way the public listened and consumed music. In retrospect, the music industry was affected by Jackson's outpouring as he modernized soul/funk music, segued it with pop and rock elements and altered how the mainstream viewed Black artists and their music. We all can pretty much attest, that without Michael Jackson, Black soul/R&B/funk artists wouldn't of made it onto MTV's once Wonder Bread format. Contribute he did as his music videos were movable works of art, that made the music video format of the latter 20th century a staple in music history. As Jackson influenced the music industry and its occupants, he also managed to influence his listeners.


Most can recall memories of how Michael Jackson's music touched their lives, whether it was intentional or not. To me, this is what made Michael Jackson such a universal artist, whether or not you wanted to listen or watch him glide effortlessly on stage, you ended up being engaged by his voice, his style and of course the videos. This collective package was something that couldn't be ignored. While I wasn't around during the massive Thriller era, and a mere baby when Bad was on shelves, I still was introduced to Michael Jackson at a young age by my parents, who owned his albums and would play them constantly in our house. At about age of four, I was obsessed with the Bad album, and would beg my Dad to play it, all along absorbing it's musical makeup. At the time, I never understood the context of the songs, but the time I spent with my parents singing and dancing along to the music, I will always cherish. By this time, Michael Jackson had become the first artist I truly loved and tried to emulate by unsuccessfully imitating the Moonwalk and the "Remember The Time" dances in our family den. Michael Jackson, for me, introduced me to what music and true artistry was all about, how it was to be executed and delivered, and that molded me into the music lover that I am today. He was apart of my childhood, and today, like others, I feel that my childhood has somewhat vanished. Yet still the memories are there, whenever I hear the lushness of "Human Nature" or see Michael dance fiercely alongside sister, Janet in "Scream", memories my Dad playing domestic DJ and my Mom dancing in the kitchen come flooding back.

While there have been individuals who will use this moment to further grind salt into open wounds today by discussing (and joking about) his odd behaviors and legal issues, I feel those individuals are missing the point, or weren't fully aware of the impact Michael Jackson had on many individuals and their lives. We need to understand that Michael Jackson created a look, a musical niche, a dance style, and a persona all in one go, and that was something that isn't a regular occurrence and sad to say, an artist of his caliber may never cross our way again. To conclude, today is a day that we should take the time to celebrate the music and the legacy of Michael Jackson and tell him thank you for blessing us with his talent and creativity.

We must remember the time...the time of Michael Jackson. May he rest in peace.

First Impressions: Ledisi Goes Thru Them Changes

Sophistication. Ledisi has it and she displays that quality trait in her music. What is to be admired about the New Orleans native is her ability to entrance vocally through song. She casts a spell once again with her new single and once again, she delivers. With a clinking piano and a Gospel backdrop, "Going Thru Changes" is the first track to be leaked in full from Ledisi's highly anticipated album, Turn Me Loose. Miss Ledisi's vocals cascade nicely over this relaxing mid-tempo that has Ledisi choosing between two men, and its perfect summertime tunage. If you dig a true vocalist, then Ledisi is your classy lady of choice. Turn Me Loose will be in stores August 18th.

Going Thru Changes

Remember The Time: Stop The Silly Games And The Attitude

Taking a gander at Vesta Williams' 1986 video for single, "Don't Blow A Good Thing"

• Song is off of Vesta's self-titled 1986 debut, and it's probably my favorite song from her
  
• HAT!
• Vesta, though her voice is reminiscent of Chaka Khan, has some serious pipes...wish I could sing like that
• People are dancing their buns off, its funny, whenever I go to a party/club, nobody dances like this, everyone's always staring at each other with a drink in hand
  
• Vesta is rocking a fierce dress...wonder where I can get the McCall's pattern for it?
• It's all in the shoulders...so much shimmy
• Keep your eyes on the guy in the gray suit, he's the one Vesta's pursuing and he's bringing the most hilarity
• What's with all the pointing?!? Lady in gold dress @ 1:17, what are you pointing at?
• Guy in the gray suit @ 1:22...people are laughing at you
• Those red gloves! Wants!
• Hate stare @ 1:52, Vesta wants that chick in the black dress to back off of her man

Heavenly Choir: Michael Jackson 1958-2009

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson has passed away today at the age of 50. His music and legacy will forever be remembered and cherished.

Tribute post coming up tomorrow...

Cover Smother: Three Faces Of Mariah

Hmm...Mariah Carey showing her three ~emotions~ on the cover for her highly anticipated album, Memoirs of a Imperfect Angel. Lots of Adobe work going on here...and lots of familiar looking poses. Yes, I'm quite critical today...