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Topic ClosedDid Michael Jackson influence prog?

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ghost_of_morphy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 18:10
Originally posted by Green Shield Stamp Green Shield Stamp wrote:

Was Michael Jackson's music all that influential anyway?
Yes and no.  Thriller was amazingly influential, but a lot of credit should go to the very talented musicians he hired to back him up on that album.  And of course Thriller's impact on prog was minimal for a variety of reasons.
Want to know the one case of MJ's influence on prog that I would believe?  His 1991 release "Black or White" sounds suspiciously like Yes's 1994 release "The Calling."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 18:02
Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Oh please come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The next thing will be suggesting him for Prog Related. Angry
 
Iván
Why are you complaining?  We all know that you would vote for Michael Jackson before you voted for a legitimate prog related band like Boston.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 15:18
Hi,
 
I can easily tell you that Michael Jackson was aware of what we call progressive music, and thing ... and I know that he had listened to Space Pirate Radio many times ... and even had commented on it.
 
To my ear, the mixes of music he went on to make in the 80's that really made him big, is to me a sign of a man who had heard other things and had developed a really good ear for music and became a lot less afraid to mix it up ... which was one of the big things in a lot of music in those days ... than most of his peers and counterparts and specially Motown ... who is one of the worst labels when it comes to variation and different types of music ... but then, Barry made the label for himself, not others! We never discuss that!
 
In the end, his mixes with various other talents in music did the one thing that was not very common, and that was to mix music to such an extent ... that helped bring down the color barriers, which had been a massive issue in the 60's and even into the 70's ... up until that time, there were not many colored artists that sold in the rock areas or vice versa. Case closed ... it crosses and by its very existance forced one of the most visible changes in TV ... MTV had to wake up and realize that it was screwed up! ... and they should be big enough and honest enough to apologize and say thanks to Michael ... but they won't, they made their money off his music and videos. It just shows you how much respect there existed for other musics and musicians, specially colored folks at that time.
 
As such, someone that caused change where so many had given their lives, including Dr. Martin Luther King ... he is important, not only to "prog" but to a lot of music ... I'm not sure that he will ever be given credit for a lot ... for a while ... until the elvis'h rip offs get done ... I'm betting that there will be 4 albums of music and one of them is going to be massive (the 2nd one, not the 1st) ... so that more people can drain his heart and soul ... like they did.


Edited by moshkito - June 27 2009 at 15:33
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 14:48
Originally posted by Progosopher Progosopher wrote:

There are a lot of positive remarks on this thread I agree with.  For one, yes, I think respect is due.  His life became a circus, and he had enough fame and money to become as eccentric as he wanted.  He also got eaten up by the hype machine - not that he resisted it.  His solo music and with his brothers was sometimes quite sophisticated - Quincy Jones provided excellent production, and a friend of mine who plays bass said that ABC was one of the most difficult songs he'd ever learned (and this is from a guy who transcribed Telemann onto the electric bass).  No, he wasn't Prog of course, nor did he have a direct influence on it, but a good number of our bands on this site have dipped into the waters of Pop, so something may have come through.  Since Prog was more mainstream in the 70s than it is now, it did have a wide influence.  I can't point out any specifics, but influences don't always come directly.  I don't have any of his albums, and probably never will, not my style.  I do think the guy has had an influence on music in general over the past 30 years - with his immense popularity, how could it not?
 
I think Magna Carta should get some of its artists together and do a tribute album.  Or maybe Jon Anderson - his voice is in the same register (can't dance worth beans, though).  Wink
 
Yo, anyone, did Jamerson play bass on I Want You Back and ABC?  That would account for the level of difficulty.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 14:48
Was Michael Jackson's music all that influential anyway?  To me it sounds very much of its time - in the way that most pop music is.  I notice that a lot of modern dancers grab their crotches - so I suppose he had an impact there.  He used to say 'Ow' a lot - perhaps in conjunction with a crotch grab.  Sure he was a great pop star, but as far as I can see he stands at the opposite end of musical scale to prog.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 12:04
No word from OP.  I no longer care.  Unsubscribing, good bye.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 08:51
Originally posted by Evolver Evolver wrote:

While Frank Zappa did have his band play Billie Jean on stage, I wouldn't go as far as saying it influenced him.
 
OTOH, I would say that Michael Jackson had a profound influence on comedy.
 
Prog metal band Lemur Voice did Beat it (genuine cover) on one of their albums. I couldn't believe it but it's true. Other than that, no role for MJ in our business I feel.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 08:35

Just because Michael Jackson sold mass of records does not mean he should influence every style of music that there is. Well, it depends on what you understand under the term 'music', if it is considered as music to which you can dance then, yes, Jackson influenced the whole music. Apart from that, culture is not ruled by the force of gravity of great masses.

And Micky, you are right that music is made for enjoyment and not dissecting who influenced whom and who is secondary. I can apply this statement to prog. Who cares whether IQ are copies of Genesis or RPWL emulate Pink Floyd style. I just have another couple of songs in style I enjoy.
yet you still have time!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 08:35
Time to remove myself from thread notifications on this particulat one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 08:10
Jackson was not nearly influential on music like some other famous artists. Not because he was lousy artist and entertainer - he wasn't - because he was too good in songwriting and production to be bothered with. I mean, is any of contemporary little pop "artists" remotely resembling all of Jacko's grandeur? I don't think so.

The only one which was somewhat close in terms of quality while doing that type of funk/soul/jazz/rock/pop is Prince.

On the other hand, I'm glad I don't hear much of his influence around. Take a look at all great, influential artists: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen...they yielded to a countless herds of empty-headed, washed-out imitators (respect to the notable exceptions) who were borrowing the style but contributed next to nothing to the art of music.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 07:57
No he didn't!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 07:25
Come on, he was more a fan of Disney's musicals , not sympho-prog!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 07:13
I don't know if he ever was a symphonic prog fan, but with aspects of his life like Neverland and his enchantment style of living, I honestly wouldn't be surprised at all.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 06:24
Good thing you edited, because I near broke a blood vessel.

Why must my spell-checker continually underline the word "prog"?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 06:08
Great artist, innovative in music, video art and performance, but in my view the amount of prog in his music is close to zero, and the same goes for his influence on prog music.
 
Oh wait, I remember, that when Pendragon made Kow Tow, Nick Barrett said that he wanted to come across like a mix between Genesis and Michael Jackson. I don't think that we should take that too seriously, but even when it's true, it would only have made Pendragon less progressive in the sense that we know it.


Edited by Moogtron III - June 27 2009 at 06:11
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 05:34

The only connection I see with prog is Kevin Gilbert :

 
 
 
"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 04:42
Originally posted by American Khatru American Khatru wrote:

Originally posted by mattmcl mattmcl wrote:

So the debate raging in my office this morning is whether he was the biggest influence on music since The Beatles. I said, no, he didn't influence mine. I honestly can't think of ANY way he put his mark on prog. Thoughts?


You can't think of ANY way because there IS no way.  No.

I'm curious.  You say the debate was raging and you "said" MJ had no influence on your kind of music.  When you said that, what did they say?  Did anyone say, "yeah, he probably didn't have much influence in Prague."  LOL  Seriously, what was their reaction?

OP, where are you??  If I could just get an answer to this question.  Then I can unsubscribe from this crazy thread, so inexplicably misconstrued by some.  Jeez!

Why must my spell-checker continually underline the word "prog"?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 27 2009 at 00:29
Hell, maybe in a fringe kind of way...




Edited by Slartibartfast - June 27 2009 at 00:32
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 26 2009 at 23:21
....no
<font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR]

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 26 2009 at 22:55
There are a lot of positive remarks on this thread I agree with.  For one, yes, I think respect is due.  His life became a circus, and he had enough fame and money to become as eccentric as he wanted.  He also got eaten up by the hype machine - not that he resisted it.  His solo music and with his brothers was sometimes quite sophisticated - Quincy Jones provided excellent production, and a friend of mine who plays bass said that ABC was one of the most difficult songs he'd ever learned (and this is from a guy who transcribed Telemann onto the electric bass).  No, he wasn't Prog of course, nor did he have a direct influence on it, but a good number of our bands on this site have dipped into the waters of Pop, so something may have come through.  Since Prog was more mainstream in the 70s than it is now, it did have a wide influence.  I can't point out any specifics, but influences don't always come directly.  I don't have any of his albums, and probably never will, not my style.  I do think the guy has had an influence on music in general over the past 30 years - with his immense popularity, how could it not?
 
I think Magna Carta should get some of its artists together and do a tribute album.  Or maybe Jon Anderson - his voice is in the same register (can't dance worth beans, though).  Wink
The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"
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