In case you hadn't noticed, Michael Jackson is no longer on the planet. This bothers me not at all. I'm sure his immediate family is much saddened by the event but that is their business and certainly none of mine. I thought his music was dreadful (especially those damned squeaks) and his dancing entertained me not at all. I thought he was a talented dancer (certainly a lot, no an awful lot, better than I could ever be) but it did nothing for me. As an aside I also find a vast majority of the MJ jokes doing the rounds on the blogs very amusing. In exceedingly poor taste for the most but, despite (because of) that, very amusing.
I expressed these views on the fishing website I waste far too much time on and from even there I got set upon by those who obviously thought that he was the best thing since lace up shoes. Their opinion and not one I agree with. Doesn't matter to me what they think of anything (including me) and it would be nice if they reciprocated. But no, they would have me fall in line with their view of the world come hell or high water. I find this very strange. Be evangelical, if you must, about about something that matters - Aston Martin, Earl Grey tea - but Michael Jackson? To my mind a talented nut ball who appealed to enough people world wide to sell 750,000,000 albums. That is quite a lot. This is a number that will almost certainly never be surpassed as the music buying habits of the world have changed forever with the advent of the iTunes Store (which I frequent on a weekly basis), other downloading emporiums and, probably more so, the online theft sites. So an awful lot of people thought he was great. Some thought he was a genius. But not me. So what?
He changed the face of popular music? Probably. By himself? Of course not. Most of the change was wrought by the expansion of his ideas by people in the industry who could see an awful lot of money in it. Moonwalking would have stayed behind closed doors if it hadn't been relentlessly pushed by record companies. And that's fine. That is how the world goes around. Has MJ changed the popular music industry for the better? An impossible question to answer as it is all a matter of taste. I think not. You may think otherwise. Justin Marshall changed the way of playing halfback for the All Blacks. For the better? Same, and I think not.
Amongst other things I have been accused of by my piscatorial virtual mates is a complete lack of taste. I was even accused of liking nothing except country music. There are some extraordinary concepts in those statements. I do not think taste is a thing you can lack. You may have what I think is bad taste or good taste but you can't have none. My taste is just that; mine. The arguments as to why it should or, more correctly, should not coincide with anyone else's are too banal to even bother with. So I won't. The concept of country music being only a gnat's whisker above nothing is amazing. It is insulting to anyone who actually does only like country music; but since when did a well placed insult go amiss? Just to demonstrate that I do have eclectic musical tastes it amused me to look at the items I have given a '5 Star' rating to in my iTunes library.
There are songs by the following artists who are arranged in alphabetical order:
Aimee Mann, Al Stewart, Alanis Morissette, Allman Brothers Band, The Animals, Arcade Fire, The Astronauts, The Belairs, Bic Runga, Billy Idol, Blondie, Blur, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Tyler, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Boz Scaggs, Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music, Carol King, The Cars, The Chantays, Cheap Trick, Chet Atkins, Chris de Burgh, Chris Rea, Coldplay, The Corrs, The Cranberries, Cream. Cyndie Lauper, David Bowie, David Grey, Derek and the Dominoes, Dick Dale, Dire Straits, Dixie Chicks, Don Henly, Don McLean, Doobie Brothers, The Doors, The Duo Tones, Dusty Springfield, The Eagles, Edwyn Collins, Electric Light Orchestra, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Enya, Eric Clapton, Fairport Convention, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Georgie Flame & The Blue Flames, Hayseed Dixie, Heart, The Honeycombs, Hot Club of Cowtown, Huey Lewis & The News, INXS, JJ Cale, Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Jason Mraz, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Buffett, Joan Armatrading, Joe Cocker, Johnny & The Hurricanes, Karine Polwart, Katy Melua, Keane, Kim Carnes, The Kinks, Kirsty MacColl, KT Tunstall, Led Zeppelin, Leon Russell, Linda Ronstadt, Liza MInelli, Lou Reed, Lynyrd Skynyrd, M People, Madness, The Mavericks, Meat Loaf, Men at Work, Metallica, The Moody Blues, Norah Jones,Paul Simon, Pet Shop Boys, Phil Collins, Pink Floyd, The Pogues, The Pointer Sisters, The Police, Polly Paulusma, The Pretenders, Queen, R.E.M, Rachel Fuller, Robbie Williams, Roberta Flack, The Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, Sandi Thom, Scissor Sisters, Shania Twain, Sinead O'Connor, Sparks, Split Enz, Steppenwolf, Sting, Supertramp, Then Jericho, U2, Ultravox, Van Halen, Warren Zevon, The Who, Will Sargisson and ZZ Top.
You will see from this that I do like some Country Music but certainly not all and certainly not exclusively. Likewise most other genres. I double checked to to make sure there was no MJ there (wouldn't that be embarrassing?) and there isn't - even when I scan the complete iTunes 'Library'
Surely this is what personal taste is all about. I am very glad that my '5 star' list is so varied. My life would be so dull if I thought along the lines that it should be entirely populated by Kirsty MacColl. I am also glad it is my list and no one can take it from me and make me have theirs.
And I won't do that to you. Promise.
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