Ongoing response to Michael Jackson’s music

[jake thunder]

Actually, I was at someone's birthday do last year and this one was played. It filled the dancefloor in this case though. Even I ended up there, although not entirely through choice. I didn't mind so much because it is my favourite MJ tune. I own absolutely nothing by him though (apart from maybe a few Jackson Five tracks on compilations), so my conscience is clear. Not that I disliked his stuff but a lot of it came out during my indie puritan days and you could hear it everywhere without purchasing it.

I did see him live in Leeds in the late 80s though. i saw Jimmy Savile running around outside beforehand. As well as one of the very few people I've committed a deliberate act of violence against in my life. But that's another story.

Tell the saville story

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I did see him live in Leeds in the late 80s though. i saw Jimmy Savile running around outside beforehand. As well as one of the very few people I've committed a deliberate act of violence against in my life. But that's another story.

Were Savile and the recipient of your violence the same or different people?

[Jockice]

Were Savile and the recipient of your violence the same or different people?

There isn't really a Savile story. He just ran past me. That's all.

I met the other one at the Reading Festival the year before. I was with a group of people watching Iggy Pop and the Ramones. He vaguely knew one of them (the people I was with, not the American punk rock stars) and had sort of latched onto us. He was completely off his face and kept banging into me.

Now my balance has never been particularly good and he nearly sent me flying on a few occasions. Where we were standing there was plenty of space so there was no reason for it. At one point the person who knew him actually grabbed him and moved him out of my way. A minute later he was back banging into my back again. It was like he was magnetically attracted to me. So I elbowed him hard in the face.

He was so off it the impact probably didn't even hurt him at the time (although I bet he had a lovely bruise afterwards) but it certainly stopped him using me as some sort of springboard. I saw him outside the Jackson concert selling bootleg t-shirts. I didn't stop to say hello.

[Ferris]

Then Two Little Boys and Lost Prophets' Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja.

I think this would go down pretty well I reckon.  Expect a dancefloor tsunami.
Three thumbs up.

Great Balls of Fire as your encore

[NoSleep]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

[Shaky]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

I dislike nonces as much as any music fan but that's just a crazy statement. The man had a shitload of memorable tracks and I'd argue at least a handful of them are on a par with Wonder & Gaye's top tier tunes.

[Ferris]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

Whatever else it is, it is incredibly catchy and memorable. It's weaponized pop music.

Spend 15 minutes in a taxi or barbers, and you'll hear at least 3 Mike Wackson numbers, and they'll all be very catchy. If his music was shite or dull then he wouldn't have such a hold on music in these places, and we'd all have disregarded him years ago.

[NoSleep]

It might be to both of you, but I don't hear it. I'm specifically talking about recollecting music in your mind, not when you're listening. Other artists (including the Jackson 5) have stuff that's easy to recall and replay in your head.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Spend 15 minutes in a taxi or barbers, and you'll hear at least 3 Mike Wackson numbers

Not any more you won't.

[DrGreggles]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

I'd say the singles from Off The Wall and Thriller are up there with the catchiest and most memorable in pop music.
Later stuff less so.

[NoSleep]

All I can recall are instrumental intros, before his voice comes in; couldn't tell you how any of his melodies go. Quite unlike my recollection of Stevie Wonder tunes, where the melodies and the riffs are both memorable.

[DrGreggles]

Wow!

Now I know how that poster felt who was telling us all how he didn't believe any of us hadn't heard of George Ezra.

[madhair60]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

Total fucking bullshit.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I'd say the singles from Off The Wall and Thriller are up there with the catchiest and most memorable in pop music.
Later stuff less so.

This.

[ToneLa]

All I can recall are instrumental intros, before his voice comes in; couldn't tell you how any of his melodies go. Quite unlike my recollection of Stevie Wonder tunes, where the melodies and the riffs are both memorable.

Eee-hee!

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

The one that kicks in at the five-second mark, below, is one of my favourite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsAk8XR5-RQ

[SteveDave]

Michael Jackson's music is surprisingly uncatchy or memorable, apart from the Jackson 5 stuff. I can't easily recall the melodies or hooks in his solo stuff as I can with, say, Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye. A couple of basslines come to mind, but not anything he sings.

Bit rich coming from a jazz fan.

[momatt]

All I can recall are instrumental intros, before his voice comes in; couldn't tell you how any of his melodies go. Quite unlike my recollection of Stevie Wonder tunes, where the melodies and the riffs are both memorable.

Though I don't entirely agree, I do see your point.  The riffs and basslines are often the most memorable parts of MJ tunes.
I've heard plenty of other people say the same too.

Human Nature and I Can't Help It have great melodies that stick in my head.
But everyone's brain is different.

[popcorn]

YOU CAN'T ITALICISE SONG TITLES YOU JUST CAN'T

Claiming MJ never had a memorable melody is stone-cold bananas, though his 90s output did de-emphasise melodies and even, amazingly, his vocals. They're lower in the mix and often more percussive than melodic.

[ToneLa]

Billie Jean is memorable vocally

Earth Song not so much

[DrGreggles]

Billie Jean is memorable vocally

Billie Jean is memorable FULL STOP

[SavageHedgehog]

Not any more you won't.

Suspect they may linger in department stores and supermarkets for a few more years, or are they more proactive in changing their playlists in the streaming era?

[Ferris]

Not any more you won't.

The real tragedy.

All I can recall are instrumental intros, before his voice comes in; couldn't tell you how any of his melodies go. Quite unlike my recollection of Stevie Wonder tunes, where the melodies and the riffs are both memorable.

I think this is your unfamiliarity (or your memory? Everyone's works differently) rather than how catchy the songs are. As I say, go and sit in a cab or barbers for 15 minutes to get yourself reacquainted. They are mad-catchy; that's their whole deal.

[NoSleep]

Total fucking bullshit.

Are you saying that I'm lying about my perception?

[NoSleep]

Bit rich coming from a jazz fan.

Not at all. Whilst jazz can stretch into the same abstract territory, it doesn't limit itself to the shallow palette of pop in terms of harmony, melody & rhythm. There's more opportunity for depth. If you're going to stick to simple harmony and rhythm why not make it less abstract? Stevie Wonder manages to incorporate jazz into his music and the whole thing is lots more memorable than Jackson's music.

[NoSleep]

I think this is your unfamiliarity (or your memory? Everyone's works differently) rather than how catchy the songs are. As I say, go and sit in a cab or barbers for 15 minutes to get yourself reacquainted. They are mad-catchy; that's their whole deal.

I can remember lots of music. I can write a new tune in my head if I want. I recall lots of music in my head, but not Jacksons. I was never a big fan because the music left me cold, but there's other artists I have the same feeling about whose music I can easily recall. Catchy for me is something that lasts beyond hearing a piece of music.

[Ferris]

I can remember lots of music. I can write a new tune in my head if I want. I recall lots of music in my head, but not Jacksons. I was never a big fan because the music left me cold, but there's other artists I have the same feeling about whose music I can easily recall. Catchy for me is something that lasts beyond hearing a piece of music.

Fair enough, I was being polite and trying to give you an out from a pretty daft opinion.

[Satchmo Distel]

'You Are Not Alone' is incredibly catchy but has the double stigma of being an R Kelly composition with a Jacko vocal.

[Ferris]

'You Are Not Alone' is incredibly catchy but has the double stigma of being an R Kelly composition with a Jacko vocal.

From the Onion

https://news.clickhole.com/is-harvey-weinstein-s-matt-lauer-biopic-starring-louis-1825121326

[The Boston Crab]

Maybe you got dementia