The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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A nuanced view on MJ

by 91 Comments

My professional eye on sordid unpleasantness always saw MJ as an “emotionally congruent” paedophile. This also informed his talent, such that it was – he understood what young people liked. And this is my point, really. He was a cracking dancer, could sing (sometimes, though the breathy thing was laboured [ha!]), and had the “mad as a badger” persona hand-made for newspaper copy.

The thing I don’t get is folks saying he was a great musician. He wasn’t. There are two proper albums, one better than the other. “Off the Wall” is brilliant, bar “she’s out of my life” which would be better swopped with “Billie Jean” to make something “The Nightfly” in it’s genius. I suppose “Thriller” has its moments (BJ, PYT, Human Nature), though i’m not a fan. The rest is trying-too-hard pish with a sappy dimension that gives me heartburn.

The genius of Michael Jackson’s music was ROD TEMPLETON and QUINCY JONES.

If people must decide they won’t listen to him because of his offences, maybe an album with serious performers cover the best songs would keep it out there? Chaka Khan could do justice to a lot of the material, IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFcXTdRE_wI

Beyoncé’s “Rascist” And “Cop-Hating” Super Bowl Performance

by 35 Comments

The biggest cultural event of the year took place last Sunday and The Afterword seems to have missed it. Sure, it was on in the wee small hours in the UK (Lord knows for Australia) but is that an excuse?

The Super Bowl half time show was watched by over 110 million people. It lasted just over thirteen minutes. Coldplay starred but they were effectively the warm up for Bruno Mars and Beyoncé. Her bit lasted less than three minutes but, as befitting the most wonderful woman alive, she stole the show. She looked supercool in black leather hotpants backed by an army of beautiful bereted women. It was a typical Beyoncé look. I’m always amazed how she can dance so frenetically, yet still manage to control her breathing to hit the notes, maintain the melody and keep to the rhythm. I think she has a super power. Either that, or she’s been to a lot of hula hoop classes. I couldn’t make out all the words but she seemed to be encouraging women to believe in themselves. A good thing, I’m sure we’d all agree.

It all looks good, clean fun. Here’s a clip of the show minus the » Continue Reading.

You’ve not heard the album version? You are in for a treat.

by 60 Comments

Very simple. Post the different – maybe even superior – album version of a track we know well from the single/radio version. Obviously not if they are exactly the same. But from ooooh lets say the mid-sixties when albums really got going to the end of the eighties a surprising amount of tracks were chopped down/re-edited to fit radio formats. Here’s one that I am guessing you know from its endless airplay, but check out the last minute when Quincy’s band appear to say ‘enough with the yelps Michael, time for us to groove’.

The most undignified and embarrassing cover of a Michael Jackson song

by 18 Comments

Hot in The Afterword Recently Updated, we have a thread on Michael Jackson and another on cover versions. The world is very fortunate because NATO foreign ministers have been meeting in Turkey. They obviously are very keen Afterworders. At the end of a very refreshing dinner, they obviously decided that we needed something to bring us all together and set aside our recent minor disagreements. What better than a unifying performance of a Michael Jackson song*?

Watch the YouTube clip and be uplifted. I’m sure you agree we should be thankful that such wonderful people are looking out for us!

* Yes, I do know Lionel Richie is partly to blame.

http://youtu.be/TPaVQk5iRt8