Popular Music & Society

Volume 25/2 of Popular Music & Society is a special issue dedicated to celebrating Michael’s work, in a series of essays.

Articles include:

You Rocked Our World Michael: Your Looks, Your Moves, Everthing! by Stan Hawkins
The Sound of Crossover by Anne Danielsen
Black or White: Michael Jackson and the Idea of Crossover by David Brackett
Michael Jackson’s Ressentiment: Billie Jean and Smooth Criminal in Conversation with Fred Astaire by Amir Khan
They Don’t Care About Us: Michael Jackson’s Black Nationalism by Brian Rossiter
When You Have to Say I Do: Orientalism in Michael Jackson’s Liberian Girl by Jeremy Faust
You Can’t Win, Child, But You Can’t Get out of the Game: Michael Jackson’s Transition from Child Star to Super Star by Jacqueline Warwick
Michael Jackson and the Power of Voice-Produced Sound by Mats Johansson
Michael Jackson’s Queer Musical Belongings by Susan Fast.

Read More Here:

http://www.mjworld.net/news/2012/09/17/popular-music-society/

More On "Bad 25"

DeLuxe ‘Bad 25′ Package

We have a list for you of the entire contents of the DeLuxe ‘Bad 25’ Package, which is extremely exciting with a couple of exclusives.

The deluxe edition includes:

Bad25 Album (2 discs)
The July 16th, 1988, Bad Concert Live from Wembley Stadium
An exclusive T-shirt
A replica VIP pass to the Bad Tour
A replica ticket to the Bad Tour
Exclusive Michael Jackson Earbuds
A Replica of the original 7” Vinyl edition of “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” with a Bside of “Baby Be Mine”
A Replica Bad Tour Book

UK FanFest In Sleaford

On Saturday September 29th there will be a UK Fan Fest in Sleaford Lincolnshire, so fans can celebrate the 25th anniversary of Michael’s ‘Bad’ album. The party will start at 7pm and last until 11pm.

Please Read More In The Link Below:

http://www.mjworld.net/news/2012/09/16/uk-fanfest-in-sleaford/

2 New Magazines Available

 

MJJ Magazine now has two issues available for pre-order.

Issue Number 10 will have plenty of never-before seen images of Michael and issue 11 which is a ‘Bad 25’ special Postermag edition.

You Can Order The Magazines In The Link Below, Here It Also Tells You What The Magazines Include

http://mjjshop.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1416

2013 Calendars

MJ Online has issued a short statement to the fans to clarify which 2013 Michael Jackson calendar is officially recognised. The statement is intended to assert that only the 2013 calendar released by Danilo is licensed by the Estate and ML Publishing is not authorised to put out calendars or any other products.

I Really Want An MJ Calendar Next Year, Hope I Can Get One

Stevie Sings Michael

Closing Bestival 2012, Stevie Wonder pleased the crowd with a medley of his own songs, such as ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,’ ‘I Can Feel It All Over,’ ‘Uptight’ and ‘Superstition.’ Stevie also performed covers of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and Michael’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel.’

Music Review: Michael Jackson - Bad 25 - Deluxe Anniversary Edition [3-CD/1-DVD] Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Michael-Jackson-Bad-25-Deluxe-3872556.php#ixzz26rMeCtCn

Marking the quarter century mark since the release of Michael Jackson's work of pop genius, Bad 25 is a positively electrifying celebration of this often underrated album. Released five years after Thriller, Bad ended up being regarded by many as a disappointing follow up to what became the best-selling album of all time. While Thriller was certainly a hard act to follow, Jackson did so by stepping up his songwriting output. With only two exceptions ("Man in the Mirror" and "Just Good Friends"), he wrote the entire record.

Of course, songwriting credits alone don't spell greatness. What does is the sheer craftsmanship and artistry that went into songs like "Smooth Criminal," "Dirty Diana," "Leave Me Alone," and "The Way You Make Me Feel." These hits helped define pop music in the late-'80s and continue to serve as standard bearers. Even the lesser known album tracks, such as the propulsive "Speed Demon" and silky "Liberian Girl," stand out as prime examples of Jackson's abilities. It helped having Quincy Jones on board as producer, as he had been for Off the Wall and Thriller.

In other words, Bad is a treasure chest of indelible pop hooks, tasteful arrangements, devastating dance grooves, and some impeccable vocal performances. Epic/Legacy Recordings, in collaboration of the Estate of Michael Jackson, meant business when they put together this special anniversary edition. The remastered album sounds great, but the draw for fans is the additional material.

 I'm going to jump right to the DVD, which contains a full, unedited two-hour concert from London's Wembley Stadium, July 16, 1988. Want to see a 26-year-old Sheryl Crow duetting with Jackson on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You?" Crow was a backing vocalist on the Bad tour, but was given a featured spot on that chart-topping ballad. Looking for a few surprises in the set list? There's a slamming take on the Jacksons' 1980 hit "This Place Hotel." This concert is simply incredible from start to finish. Jackson literally finishes "She's Out of My Life" in tears, bringing a stunning level of intimacy to the 72,000 fans on hand.

 

 

 

 

click to read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Michael-Jackson-Bad-25-Deluxe-3872556.php#ixzz26rMwl5Uo

Michael Jackson's 'Bad 25' box: Is it worth your time and money?

 
A quarter of a century ago, Michael Jackson released “Bad,” his follow-up to the blockbuster album "Thriller." It sold over 30 million copies, contained many hits that you can probably sing by heart -- “Dirty Diana,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and others -- and has become one of the touchstone pop recordings of the era.
Since his death, Jackson’s record label Sony Music has understandably started capitalizing on his legacy, doling out a handful of tracks for last year’s “Michael” album and adding remixes to his Cirque du Soleil performance. Now, on "Bad 25," the label has dug into the archives for a disc’s worth of unreleased rehearsal recordings and a complete 1988 live performance at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The result is the three-CD, one-DVD box set released Tuesday. The set’s list price is 34.99. Is it worth it?
PHOTOS: Michael Jackson | Life in pictures
The sturdy box, which is kept shut with a nifty magnet, includes two double-disc collections with glossy cardboard gatefold sleeves. The first features a remastered version of 10-song album (with the bonus track "Leave Me Alone") and a selection of demos on the second disc that illustrate the musician at work.
The best of these is also the most revealing: a track tentatively titled "Song Groove" but also known as "Abortion Papers." Somewhat understandably, Jackson struggled with the lyrics to this story about a teen pregnancy, and ultimately decided not to tackle the hot-button issue on "Bad."
Also featured on that disc are new remixes by current EDM hitmakers Afrojack and Nero intended, one would assume, to appeal to a young generation that wasn’t yet born when Jackson was a commercial force. These are terrible commercial house tracks -- especially Afrojack's "Bad" remix featuring Pitbull -- and are an insult to MJ's memory not because they rework his music, but because they do it so ungracefully.


 click on the link below to read more 
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-michael-jacksons-bad-25-is-it-worth-your-money-20120918,0,2000283.story