A Digression and A Confession

Allow me to digress from the topic of video for a moment. I have a confession to make. I’m just going to come right out and say it… I like Michael Jackson music. I didn't realize it until I heard an NPR story about the Thriller album, which was released 25 years ago. That was about the time I was learning AC/DC riffs on my new electric guitar. I did not like pop music… period. The "King of Pop" was not cool in my book.

But then came Beat It. I still remember the first time I heard that song. I was riding the bus to school, and a song came on the radio. Synthesized drums – hate it… wait, cool guitar riff… Oh, it’s Michael Jackson – hate it… wait, a guitar solo in a pop song?... whoah! that’s Eddie Van Halen!

Eddie Van Halen was my guitar idol, and I knew his distinctive sound right away. But how could this be? How could Eddie be playing with Michael Jackson? It was like Trump joining up with Rosie O’Donnell... It was like chocolate on your spaghetti… it just didn’t go together.

OK, I told myself, I like the guitar solo, but that’s it. I continued to profess my dislike of MJ his whole choreographed, staged, crotch-grabbing, "ooh"-ing, MTV persona. And how could anyone like that comically campy Thriller video? But, though I wouldn’t even admit it to myself, I secretly kinda liked his music.

We all know about Jackson’s spiral into weirdness and inappropriate behavior. His life turned into a freak show, and I forgot that he was once making fresh and exciting music. The NPR report reminded me about those days in the late 80s when, against my will, Billy Jean would get stuck in my head… Uh oh, now I’ve done it… Billy Jean is not my lover. She’s just a girl who says that I am the one… ooh!