WTF - A post about Michael Jackson?

I will go out on a very far limb here and say that I think Michael Jackson peaked, musically (and in terms of hairstyle), while he was still in The Jackson 5. I say that this is a limb because, well, I think I might be the only person who thinks that. Whenever I hear people talk about Jackson, the talk centers on several areas - Thriller, his ensuring weirdness and pedophilia, his status as the King of Pop, or his bizarre death.

This is understandable, but it shouldn't be forgot that he and his brothers created some ridiculously great songs that still hold up today. It is pure, unaltered pop music, which just their soaring vocals backed up by a band.

Apparently, according to Wiki, The Jackson 5's first single was "I Want You Back," so if I wanted to get even more extreme, I could say that Michael Jackson peaked with the release of his first single. He provided the lead vocals for the song, and it's amazing to think that it was released in 19-freakin'-69. It still holds up remarkably well.

In contrast, I find Jackson's solo work to be overproduced. I'm not saying his voice is modified, a la conventional pop singers like Britney Spears. I mean that the background parts of "I Want You Back" are complex and rich without overpowering his ridiculous pipes. In contrast, "Thriller" has a ton of crap going on in the background, and unnecessary filler, like Vincent Price rambling. Unless you want something a bit more R&B, like "Billie Jean", then I think Jackson's first song is still his best.

That being said, my high school buddy and college roommate Shaun did note that I'm a sucker for harmonies, and I must shamefully cop to this. I like a lot of music that is just positively shameful for a 25-year-old man to be into, such as several tracks from Ace of Base, Blondie, Christina Aguliera, older Mandy Moore and Dream. And, I kind of like "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, even if she doesn't have the greatest pipes in the world, and even if she desperately needs to eat a few more sandwiches.

... Uh, oh yeah. Merry Christmas! Football picks will be posted tomorrow night.

The Jackson 5 photo is from this blog. And the Taylor Swift photo is from this entertainment news article.

Lusting after DJ Hero

Above is a gameplay video for DJ Hero, the latest installment of the Guitar Hero series - Skip ahead to about 30 seconds for the actual beginning, since he has a couple of false starts. I would already own it, except that you have to buy another accessory - a DJ turntable device - that means a $100+ price tag. Also, if I can barely handle Guitar Hero on Normal, then the button juggling needed for DJ Hero seems like it would destroy my fingers.

However, from the above mash-up of "Sabotage" by The Beastie Boys and "Monkey Wrench" by The Foo Fighters, you can tell that the musical quality of the game is incredibly high. As far as I can tell, all of the mash-ups are originals, and I imagine when and if the game releases an official soundtrack, it'll sell even better than the actual game, because of its lower price tag.

Other standout track worth listening to: "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani with "Feel Good Inc." by The Gorillaz. The song featured in the commercial for the game, "My Name Is" by Eminem mixed with "H to the Izzo" by Jay-Z, or if you prefer, Jay-Z and The Jackson Five. And one of the more inspired and weird mixes, "Rapture" by Blondie with "Intergalactic" by The Beastie Boys.