Just Picked Up: Michael Jackson — Thriller 25

 
Actually, I picked it up yesterday at one of my favorite stores, Target.  Had to!  As I said in a previous post, I’ve always been more of a Janet fan, so I have most of her stuff.  

In all reality, Thriller was my first tape ever.  I remember having it; I just don’t remember asking for it(sidenote:  Madonna’s Like a Virgin is the first tape I remember actually asking for).  My first piece of music.  My dad lent it to a friend of his and that friend never returned it.   This friend wasn’t one that stuck around for years; he was around and then he was just gone.  Still remember his name.  And, I never replaced it until yesterday. 

This was all they had in stock, but the young lady who asked me if I needed help said they’d be getting more MJ stuff next week.  I’m good with this.  I don’t need to get every album, though I think I might pick up Off the Wall.  I’m not going to link anything else other than the Target link above ’cause if you all want your Michael Jackson you’re gonna’ go and get it.

 

MY TOP 10: Madonna Videos — 7. “Dress You Up”

I originally posted this on my MySpace Blog on October 19, 2006.  I didn’t have much to say, so I will say more here.  This is what I said then: 

“this is just a cool, old-school madonna performance video.  love the bruce lee-like gyration effect at the end.”

NOTE:  Seems like the Bruce Lee effect is just on the shorter version of the video.  Check the second video for the Bruce Lee gyration I speak of.

7. “Dress You Up” from Like a Virgin Released:  July 24, 1985

This is what I’m saying now:

This video shows Madonna at the beginning of her power, tempering her live performance chops and birthing her super-stardom.  Everyone remembers the Madonna-bes, the outrageous clothes, and the spectacle.  People forget the infectious R&B-tinged pop song and the great live performance.

This is just a great live performance video (from her debut Virgin Tour).  Let all the critics note that she is singing live in this clip.  Looks pretty live to me.  If you’ve read  MY [previous] TOP 10s you know that this is the video that introduced me to Madonna, that I fell in love instantly, and that I haven’t looked back since.  I was like 9 or 10.  The paisley jacket, dramatic make-up, and bright colors made an impression on me then and still do to this day.

This really contains all the elements, though in their early stages, that have made Madonna the memorable pop performer that she is.  She gives a little song and dance, a little fashion and style, and a lot of heart.

 

 

MY TOP 10: Janet Jackson Videos — 5. “Nasty”

This one had no write-up on my MySpace Page.  So, all new, all fresh content follows.

5. “Nasty” from Control  Released:  April 1986

If Madonna is eternally the “Material Girl,” Janet will forever be “Nasty.”    This is the quintessential Janet jam with the greatest Janet line of all, “No, my name ain’t baby.  It’s Janet, Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty.”  While naysaying all the nasty things she didn’t want and especially the boys, Janet funked the nastiest of all.

Janet came with it with the Control album and came the hardest with “Nasty.”  Well, maybe that and “Control.”  She established herself as a dance force and started forging her own identity apart from the Jackson Clan and especially Michael even at this early stage.  A cameo by Paula Abdul, her then choreographer, and a fun movie concept help make this a classic 80s confecture.

***BONUSES***

Since we had some black-and-white action with yesterday’s pick, I’ll give you, not 1, but 2 black-and-white BONUSES today.  First, we’re gonna’ do it nice and rough and, then, nice and easy.