September 03, 2008

• He used to be totally hawt. Now, just plain scary. Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington, etc.
• It's strange -- I was listening to Off the Wall the other day (as fine an album as there is, only I tend to skip the slow stuff), and there's all this talent, all this promise to the record, somehow tainted by the knowledge of what he became. Why that should strike me in the case of Michael Jackson, and not other artists who leave a similar path of devastation behind them -- Picasso, Peter Sellers, Pollock -- I've no idea.
• i have often said that no truly great artist can also be a whole person.
• While there are various degrees of change throughout, all hell appears to have broken loose between 1988 and 1991. Also, in photo 20 the skin color of his hands appears significantly darker than his face. Not sure if that is lighting or make-up or whether he has had something done to the skin on his face.
• What mothy said.
• Michael Jackson is a walking indictment of the plastic surgery industry. Anyone who is considering "getting a little work done" should look very carefully at these pictures and think long and hard. (Speaking of which: anyone notice how cat-like both Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed are starting to look on Gene Simmons' Family Jewels?)
• He needs a banana mask.
• Listening to the "Thriller" anniversary album now. I remember one of my teachers back in '84 saying, "There's no way someone can become that famous and then have a normal life. You bounce that high, you either come crashing down or you don't some back." I, of course, assumed that grownups just didn't get it.
• But some people do manage to become that famous and then not fly all out of control and still live a (relatively) reasonable life. The first few that come to mind -- Managed to: Ringo, the rest of the Beatles too, Elton John, Bowie, that guy from U2. Didn't manage to: Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Cobain, Michael Jackson. After that quick list, I wonder if there's some cultural thing going on that makes it healthier to be a Brit star?
• um, whats's her name with the thing on her head? abby whiner-house or something? she's English, so were keith moon and bonzo...
• Ringo: an alcoholic, now in AA & recovery. Made an album with Harry Nilsson in blackout and didn't remember a thing about it: this is the epitome of out of control. Elton John: became a drug, sex and food addict by his own admission, now in recovery. Still a rage-aholic, by all accounts. Bowie: Cocaine and other drugs addict, in recovery. I think he also says he is an alcoholic, not sure. That guy from U2- you mean Bono? Appears to be an egomaniac, but I shouldn't judge by appearances, I suppose. IMHO pop singers should stay out of politics, as musicians know fuck all about the real world for the most part, but at least he's trying to do something positive with his fame, I suppose. Spending hours in your room/practice studio doing scales does not equal high level of social and political insight, one would think it would rather get in the way of it.
• Oh, they all say they're alcoholics. It's the new black.
• Can't remember which Beatle it was - probably John, 'cause it's him I've read the most about - but he said he felt sorry for Elvis because at least in all the ridiculousness of superstardom the Beatles had each other. Even when they didn't get on, there was the feeling that they were all in it together. I imagine that made a lot of difference.
• Whiner-house isn't out of control because she's famous, she's famous because she's out of control. And hasn't quite made it to the worldwide stadium tour millions of screaming fans stage yet anyway. I'll bet the reason Ringo might not remember making Pussycats is because Nilsson made the album with John Lennon. And there are good reasons why both of them might want to forget that one. But still, I'm not thinking that there aren't messed up periods in there. Just that when British superstars get to 50 they tend to neither be dead nor to be some sort of freakish clown show.