Michael Jackson encyclopedia : albums, career and kids: A quarter century later, it seems absurd that Michael Jackson smashing a few windows before turning into a Jungle Book character could be cause for mass protest, but you have to remember how adored and family-friendly Michael Jackson was. My parents only owned two records: Thriller and *Bad. *So until I was 9 years old, I listened to those two almost every single day of my life, and honestly I didn’t really need anything else. Michael Jackson was my entire conception of music. Millions more could say the same thing. So when he dropped “Black or White,” it was shocking. If he was previously pop’s Peter Pan figure, Jackson had suddenly adopted a more carnal streak, but even here it was cartoonish. If the adult world looked dull and stifling, Jackson’s imagination offered a hope that it was possible not to wind up like George Wendt, bloated on a couch with a bored housewife. You could hang out with Macaulay Culkin, dance on top of the Statue of Liberty, and if all else failed, you could transform into a panther and bounce.
Every song here has its flaws, though; after all, there’s a reason Jackson himself didn’t release ’em. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some things to take away. “(I Like) The Way You Love Me” works off this dreamy piano melody and some incredibly rich instrumentation that lets Jackson soar high. It’s probably the greatest highlight on the album and the one that feels the most natural, too. “Keep Your Head Up” should succeed in making you smile, sounding like one of Jackson’s ’90s classics. With a clean, sophisticated finish, Jackson finds himself swimming here, thanks to some pretty spot-on production work by Christopher Stewart. It’s easy listening, but done well. “Hollywood Tonight” could have used some tweaking to keep it from sounding like a Madonna tune (What were you thinking with that spoken word, Teddy Riley?), but regardless, it’s still a fast-paced spitter that’s decadently enviable.
Forever, Michael (1975): In the wake of Music & Me, a maturing Michael began to find his voice here. And while this set is filled with stunning vocals, making it a technically sound record, overall it’s pretty forgettable. It’s a solid if unspectacular effort that served as an appetizer for the musical feast that was soon to come. Forgotten Favorites: “We’re Almost There,” “One Day In Your Life,” “Dear Michael”.
Michael Jackson family: Mocienne Petit Jackson’s (Michael Jackson’s daughter) books are now available in french! For our french visitors: La deuxieme partie de l’autobiographie en trois parties de Mocienne Petit Jackson commence par une description detaillee de l’enlevement de Mocienne et de sa vie aux Pays-Bas (Michael Jackson Livre en francais). Par la suite, le recit nous devoile comment se deroule sa vie avec sa famille adoptive, chez qui elle reste en compagnie de la cousine Delivrance. Petit a petit, elle decouvre que son vrai pere est Michael Jackson. A l’age de 15 ans, elle quitte sa famille adoptive et vit dans un internat pendant 4 ans, avant de s’installer vivre toute seule. Nous la suivons tout au long de son adolescence et de son entree dans la maturite, ce qui n’a pas toujours ete facile. Mocienne rencontre un homme avec lequel elle a un enfant. Cependant, cet engagement ne dure pas. Nous en apprenons davantage sur les problemes qu’elle rencontre avec les Services de Protection de l’Enfance, suivis de nombreuses affaires judiciaires. Au debut, celles-ci portaient sur sa propre personne, plus tard, elles se transforment en bataille pour la garde de son fils. Une situation inacceptable prend le relais d’une autre situation inacceptable. Nous sommes egalement mis au courant de nombreux evenements traumatisants vecus par le personnage principal, de ses depressions et de ses nombreuses luttes pour faire face a la misere impregnee dans sa vie et a son combat pour s’en debarrasser. L’auteur explique clairement ces luttes a travers de vifs flashbacks.