June 15, 2010
George (Hip Hop America) published the best-selling Michael Jackson Story in 1983 and has written about him many times since. This book was originally commissioned as an analysis of the LP Thriller, but, in the wake of Jackson's death, George widened the scope to a blend of "musical criticism, memoir, and cultural history." Although George's self-referencing gets tedious at times, this well-written book exhibits thoughtful analysis, such as the author's comparison of the King of Pop to Citizen Kane. Readers looking for salacious detail will have to look elsewhere, and that's a good thing--George is more concerned with cultural context and personal reactions to the music. He concludes that musical success such as Jackson's could not be achieved in the current social and record industry climate. VERDICT This is, on the whole, a worthwhile contribution to a crowded field. For readers who won't stop 'til they get enough, George's book adds another dimension to the Michael Jackson story. Recommended.--Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2010
A sympathetic revisiting of the King of Pop's rich musical legacy.
In 1983, writes noted music critic and memoirist George (City Kid: A Writer's Memoir of Ghetto Life and Post-Soul Success, 2009, etc.),"Dell published my first book, The Michael Jackson Story, a pocket-sized quickie biography of the singer" that capitalized on his unprecedented success. Fittingly, the author now offers this reverent—but not wholly uncritical—blend of memoir, music journalism and pop sociology to commemorate the untimely death of the controversial but immensely gifted pop icon. George traces his own memories of the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson's solo career, both as a live act and through the recordings, while growing up in'70s Brooklyn. He depicts the rise of the Jackson family from working-class Gary, Ind., as partly stemming from patriarch Joe Jackson's own frustrated ambitions as a musician. George expertly examines important turning points in Jackson's career, including the profound influence of disco (Saturday Night Fever, especially) on his work, leading to the smash album Off the Wall in 1979, which set the stage for the paradigm-shifting 1982 breakthrough, Thriller. That album's barrier-breaking influence opened doors for not only black performers but African-Americans as a whole. (George posits the success of Thriller as a catalyst for the rise to power of Oprah, and even Barack Obama.) The author helpfully acknowledges the behind-the-scenes session players and producers who kept the Jackson juggernaut rolling for so long—most importantly, Thriller mastermind Quincy Jones. But George also considers the downside of Thriller's runaway success. Jackson's newly inflated commercial ambitions, among other things, led to the infamous Pepsi ad rehearsal during which the performer's hair caught fire, an incident that may have begun his longtime addiction to painkillers. Sadly, the post-Thriller era ushered in the weirdly"eccentric" side of Jackson, which ultimately led to bad business deals, failed marriages and ignominious sex scandals.
A worthy postmortem tribute that admirably avoids both easy sensationalism and knee-jerk sentimentalism.
(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
June 1, 2010
Originally this book was to be about the enduring influence of Thriller, but after Jacksons death, George decided to be more comprehensive. The result is a brief if heartfelt assessment of Jacksons career and life. Positing that it is unlikely that Jacksons meteoric rise to pop-music dominance could be repeated today, George reappraises his own earlier writings about Jackson and reinvestigates the incredible work ethic that defined Jackson and producer Quincy Jones in the days when they produced Thriller, Jacksons magnum opus and one of the most successful and influential recordings in pop-music history. As one would expect from George, the narrative goes beyond surface concerns about mass sales to consider how Jacksons superstardom affected black artists entry into the then-significant realm of MTV playlists, mainstream music culture, and popular culture at large. Although Georges analysis and insight are laudable, he mentions the charges of pedophilia that dogged Jackson in his final years only in passing. That omission is keenly felt, but this is still a more than useful retrospective on the man and his music.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)