OK, I guess I'm riding solo on this one.
I will admit that I was an MJ fan (no the other MJ) going back to the
cartoons, and then Off the Wall, and finally Thriller--so much so that there
are still ruts in the floor at my childhood home from where I would try to
"dance like Mike." (No, really, that's what happened). Anyway, recently a
friend of mine had both OTW and Thriller in his collection ("Don't ask," he
admonished), and for old-times sake, I listened to them. I'm sorry, but they
haven't held up very well. If you like them, fine. If you wanna rock the
night away, be my guest. Go ahead and jump on the coffee tables in your
sequined flats and tell me to beat it. But, aside from acknowledging the
"man's" influence--which I feel is pernicious to no end, but nevertheless,
undeniably powerful--his brand of R&B is nothing more to me than James Brown
twice-removed (note: I'm not including the J5ive in this assertion). I don't
find it interesting enough to even shut up and dance to. Was the guy a great
musician? I guess, but, like Elvis post-Army, I feel he should be considered
more of an "entertainer," than a proper musician.
Nope, nope, don't like it. Not one bit. And that's my final yap on the
subject.
Lance . . .
