Comments on: The Loss of an Icon http://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/ your daily dose of pop culture Sun, 27 May 2012 16:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: History in the Making « The Hits Just Keep On Comin’http://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-31638 History in the Making « The Hits Just Keep On Comin’ Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:17:15 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-31638 [...] Mark Morford of SFGate said something similar in fewer words: “[B]illions of humans disagree about the nature of God. But everyone knows what the moonwalk is.” At Popdose, Dave Steed said that because he’s not old enough to remember John Lennon’s death, Michael Jackson is his John Lennon. [...] [...] Mark Morford of SFGate said something similar in fewer words: “[B]illions of humans disagree about the nature of God. But everyone knows what the moonwalk is.” At Popdose, Dave Steed said that because he’s not old enough to remember John Lennon’s death, Michael Jackson is his John Lennon. [...]

]]> By: kingofgriefhttp://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-52719 kingofgrief Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:16:54 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-52719 The first listening party I ever got to attend as a record store employee was a sneak preview for Dangerous, a week or two before it was released. I called "Remember the Time" as the second single.<br><br>I'm old enough to remember Lennon's death (I was 10 and already a budding Beatlemaniac) as well as the afternoon of August 16, 1977. But you're right in a sense; this is the first passing of a major music icon whose rise (and fall) we children of the 70s were alive to witness. Let It Be was released the month I was born (in fact, "ABC" had just peaked on the Hot 100 when I came into being). Elvis was already well on the way to Vegas-flavored parody by the time I could comprehend his magnitude. With Michael, we caught all or most of his career, from family standout to pop groundbreaker to easy punchline. The days had long passed since I could count myself a current fan, but the sense of loss I've felt since a co-worker broke the news that evening is no less potent.<br><br>I vow to give Invincible a fair shake at my next opportunity. Thanks, Steed. The first listening party I ever got to attend as a record store employee was a sneak preview for Dangerous, a week or two before it was released. I called “Remember the Time” as the second single.

I'm old enough to remember Lennon's death (I was 10 and already a budding Beatlemaniac) as well as the afternoon of August 16, 1977. But you're right in a sense; this is the first passing of a major music icon whose rise (and fall) we children of the 70s were alive to witness. Let It Be was released the month I was born (in fact, “ABC” had just peaked on the Hot 100 when I came into being). Elvis was already well on the way to Vegas-flavored parody by the time I could comprehend his magnitude. With Michael, we caught all or most of his career, from family standout to pop groundbreaker to easy punchline. The days had long passed since I could count myself a current fan, but the sense of loss I've felt since a co-worker broke the news that evening is no less potent.

I vow to give Invincible a fair shake at my next opportunity. Thanks, Steed.

]]> By: kingofgriefhttp://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-42474 kingofgrief Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:16:54 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-42474 The first listening party I ever got to attend as a record store employee was a sneak preview for Dangerous, a week or two before it was released. I called "Remember the Time" as the second single.<br><br>I'm old enough to remember Lennon's death (I was 10 and already a budding Beatlemaniac) as well as the afternoon of August 16, 1977. But you're right in a sense; this is the first passing of a major music icon whose rise (and fall) we children of the 70s were alive to witness. Let It Be was released the month I was born (in fact, "ABC" had just peaked on the Hot 100 when I came into being). Elvis was already well on the way to Vegas-flavored parody by the time I could comprehend his magnitude. With Michael, we caught all or most of his career, from family standout to pop groundbreaker to easy punchline. The days had long passed since I could count myself a current fan, but the sense of loss I've felt since a co-worker broke the news that evening is no less potent.<br><br>I vow to give Invincible a fair shake at my next opportunity. Thanks, Steed. The first listening party I ever got to attend as a record store employee was a sneak preview for Dangerous, a week or two before it was released. I called “Remember the Time” as the second single.

I'm old enough to remember Lennon's death (I was 10 and already a budding Beatlemaniac) as well as the afternoon of August 16, 1977. But you're right in a sense; this is the first passing of a major music icon whose rise (and fall) we children of the 70s were alive to witness. Let It Be was released the month I was born (in fact, “ABC” had just peaked on the Hot 100 when I came into being). Elvis was already well on the way to Vegas-flavored parody by the time I could comprehend his magnitude. With Michael, we caught all or most of his career, from family standout to pop groundbreaker to easy punchline. The days had long passed since I could count myself a current fan, but the sense of loss I've felt since a co-worker broke the news that evening is no less potent.

I vow to give Invincible a fair shake at my next opportunity. Thanks, Steed.

]]> By: kingofgriefhttp://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-31617 kingofgrief Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:16:54 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-31617 The first listening party I ever got to attend as a record store employee was a sneak preview for Dangerous, a week or two before it was released. I called "Remember the Time" as the second single.<br><br>I'm old enough to remember Lennon's death (I was 10 and already a budding Beatlemaniac) as well as the afternoon of August 16, 1977. But you're right in a sense; this is the first passing of a major music icon whose rise (and fall) we children of the 70s were alive to witness. Let It Be was released the month I was born (in fact, "ABC" had just peaked on the Hot 100 when I came into being). Elvis was already well on the way to Vegas-flavored parody by the time I could comprehend his magnitude. With Michael, we caught all or most of his career, from family standout to pop groundbreaker to easy punchline. The days had long passed since I could count myself a current fan, but the sense of loss I've felt since a co-worker broke the news that evening is no less potent.<br><br>I vow to give Invincible a fair shake at my next opportunity. Thanks, Steed. The first listening party I ever got to attend as a record store employee was a sneak preview for Dangerous, a week or two before it was released. I called “Remember the Time” as the second single.

I'm old enough to remember Lennon's death (I was 10 and already a budding Beatlemaniac) as well as the afternoon of August 16, 1977. But you're right in a sense; this is the first passing of a major music icon whose rise (and fall) we children of the 70s were alive to witness. Let It Be was released the month I was born (in fact, “ABC” had just peaked on the Hot 100 when I came into being). Elvis was already well on the way to Vegas-flavored parody by the time I could comprehend his magnitude. With Michael, we caught all or most of his career, from family standout to pop groundbreaker to easy punchline. The days had long passed since I could count myself a current fan, but the sense of loss I've felt since a co-worker broke the news that evening is no less potent.

I vow to give Invincible a fair shake at my next opportunity. Thanks, Steed.

]]> By: BobCashillhttp://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-31594 BobCashill Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:10:58 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-31594 And John Lennon was murdered, gunned down in cold blood. Completely different circumstances. <br><br>I feel bad for Jackson, whose music and persona I liked, for a time anyway. But by surrounding himself with Dr. Feelgoods and yes-men and indulging in the worst kinds of celebrity excesses he basically killed himself. I'm surprised he didn't die 10 years ago. Cause of death: Suicide by narcissism. And John Lennon was murdered, gunned down in cold blood. Completely different circumstances.

I feel bad for Jackson, whose music and persona I liked, for a time anyway. But by surrounding himself with Dr. Feelgoods and yes-men and indulging in the worst kinds of celebrity excesses he basically killed himself. I'm surprised he didn't die 10 years ago. Cause of death: Suicide by narcissism.

]]> By: Allenhttp://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-31578 Allen Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:20:34 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-31578 He is not John Lennon. <br>I'm not even a Beatles fan and I find that sentence strange and discomfiting.<br>He was also, yes, The King of Pop. But only because he and his people anointed him that. They created the label and demanded that he be referred to in that manner. <br>John Lennon was an artist, an instigator, a peacenik, and a ground breaking songwriter.<br>Michael Jackson was a performer, a collaborator, a peddler of product. <br>John Lennon wanted to heal the world through love. <br>Michael Jackson wanted to heal himself through a twisted and sad 12 year old in a man's body search for love and acceptance.<br>The only thing they had in common was they were both Saturday Morning Cartoon stars at some point. He is not John Lennon.
I'm not even a Beatles fan and I find that sentence strange and discomfiting.
He was also, yes, The King of Pop. But only because he and his people anointed him that. They created the label and demanded that he be referred to in that manner.
John Lennon was an artist, an instigator, a peacenik, and a ground breaking songwriter.
Michael Jackson was a performer, a collaborator, a peddler of product.
John Lennon wanted to heal the world through love.
Michael Jackson wanted to heal himself through a twisted and sad 12 year old in a man's body search for love and acceptance.
The only thing they had in common was they were both Saturday Morning Cartoon stars at some point.

]]> By: Eric L.http://popdose.com/the-loss-of-an-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-31573 Eric L. Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:49:29 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=21746#comment-31573 HIStory Continued was a strange and scary record but I think it contains some of his best moments. It's rare that any superstar is willing to lay themselves bare like he did on that album. Others say they will but often end up with a filtered sort of truth that hides behind the music or overblown emotions. HIStory was exactly what he wanted us to see - his story through his eyes.<br><br>I'm not going to go through the whole thing, but I want to point out the combination of the first three songs on it. Scream, They Don't Care About Us, and Stranger in Moscow. Together they show exactly where he was in 1995 and are horror show about what happens when one's fame turns on you. What artist would dare include the disctinctive chords of one of his biggest hits as the bridge between a song lashing out about how the world has turned on him -that features a childrenls chorus no less!- to a heartbreaking ballad about the isolation that fame brings (Stranger in Moscow)? Stranger is a song any artist would kill to have, is one of the most heartbreakingly honest songs about the life of a superstar I've ever heard.<br><br>"How does it feel<br>When you're alone<br>And you're cold inside<br>Here abandoned in my fame..."<br><br>A few years earlier he released Smooth Criminal, an ice cold dance song about a brutal murder that really disturbed me at the time but quickly became my favorite song of his. Then he danced his way on stage as he mowed down the backup dancers and had a child run out of on stage and point a gun at the audience. At the time I was both shocked but also in a way totally expected it. Imagine any current star daring to do that. Michael was able to get away with a lot of things nobody else could. HIStory Continued was a strange and scary record but I think it contains some of his best moments. It's rare that any superstar is willing to lay themselves bare like he did on that album. Others say they will but often end up with a filtered sort of truth that hides behind the music or overblown emotions. HIStory was exactly what he wanted us to see – his story through his eyes.

I'm not going to go through the whole thing, but I want to point out the combination of the first three songs on it. Scream, They Don't Care About Us, and Stranger in Moscow. Together they show exactly where he was in 1995 and are horror show about what happens when one's fame turns on you. What artist would dare include the disctinctive chords of one of his biggest hits as the bridge between a song lashing out about how the world has turned on him -that features a childrenls chorus no less!- to a heartbreaking ballad about the isolation that fame brings (Stranger in Moscow)? Stranger is a song any artist would kill to have, is one of the most heartbreakingly honest songs about the life of a superstar I've ever heard.

“How does it feel
When you're alone
And you're cold inside
Here abandoned in my fame…”

A few years earlier he released Smooth Criminal, an ice cold dance song about a brutal murder that really disturbed me at the time but quickly became my favorite song of his. Then he danced his way on stage as he mowed down the backup dancers and had a child run out of on stage and point a gun at the audience. At the time I was both shocked but also in a way totally expected it. Imagine any current star daring to do that. Michael was able to get away with a lot of things nobody else could.

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