This Is It! Let it simmer

So, it's almost fitting that just days before this movie came out i received my tickets from the This Is It concert i was supposed to see September 27th in London. And here comes the movie, that i've been waiting for ever since it was announced a few months ago.

This is the first time that i haven't felt like a loser for going to the movies alone. I had my seat dead center, front row, ready to go. And the atmosphere was perfect. All MJ fans, ready to go. And as soon as the opening credits came on, dead silence took over. Then first sight of Michael, and applause and screams just run through the audience. Not the same as being at a concert, but the usual screams and "MIIIIIICHAEL!!!" screams were coming from everywhere. Tears were coming down people's faces and people reaching for him.

At times watching it, i caught myself realizing that he wasn't with us anymore and it became somewhat eery and sad. But watching him throughout, you just realize what we lost and what we'll probably never have again. Even in a rehearsal, not going all out, you still see him at a higher level than most. And it's funny, u know he wanted to go all out but he was just saving himself for the show. I can only imagine what the actual show would've been like with him up there, feeling the crowds and just giving his all. I think the best parts for me were Human Nature and I Just Can't Stop Loving You. Songs where you just hear him sing. And you hear that voice, clear and strong, and i just can't believe how much he still had. Just standing there, singing to his crew and you hear the emotion and the love he put into everything. The single song that probably would've been the most fun i think is Smooth Criminal. That's always been my favorite song of his in concert, and what they did with it this time around is totally different from every other performance of it he's ever done. Even just watching these clips, my mind was being blown. But just hearing how strong his voice was, how much energy he had. Watching this, it just takes you to a place that you didn't know existed. And watching him move around, even in just a rehearsal, you can clearly see that there will only be ONE Michael Jackson. It's funny, everything was just so effortless, yet it was still perfect and beautiful. If you've ever been lucky enough to see him on stage, then you too know what genius is.

I think i'm strong enough to admit, that I did choke up during it once. During the J5 medley, singing I'll Be There, seeing the clips of the Jackson 5 and him as a little kid, and it hits home that he's gone. I'll Be There was actually the first song i listened to straight through after he died, and it was the one that hit me hardest. But he still sang it beautifully, and had everyone in the theater putting up their lighters and waving their arms from side to side.

All people were thinking about was that he was too thin and not able to do it anymore, but it never even occurred to me that he was too thin and frail because he was rocking out with so much energy and passion. You can tell that this is what he wanted, and he put all he could into it. This Is It is, at its core, an insight into a creative genius, and people should take notes on what it means to create perfection. It's a show that would've had people talking for years. And would've shown people a Michael that they weren't ready for. This is perfection. This is showing a side of Michael we haven't seen. It's just funny to hear him tell people what to do, and he's not a jerk about it, cause it's like they can't really argue with him. He knows his music, and he knows what it should sound like. You just listen to him, and doing it the best you can. This is Michael. This is the man.

It sucks that not even one full show was able to be done, but at least we got something. We get to see Michael doing what he did best. What made him the greatest of all time. No talk of his personal life, his family, his face. Just him on stage. And for 2 hours, we were able to have him back.

They claim that the dvd will have new never before seen footage. I'm still hopeful that one day they'll release full shows from the Bad Tour and Victory tours to show us more awesomeness. But when the DVD comes out you owe it to yourself to own it. You can keep a piece of Michael with you forever. And if you don't go and see This Is It you might hate yourself for missing out. Quite simply, the greatest concert there never was.

We miss you. We love you. Thank you Michael.

New Mariah....A Perfect Angel

SO i got a first listen to Mariah's newest album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel." I gotta say, and don't let my publicly known love for Mariah be any bias, it's actually some of the best work she's done in years. I can admit when i don't really like a Mariah song, but it's got a totally different feel than her last 2 albums. It's pretty much a straight RnB album, and it's going against that hip-hop feel she was trying to do the last 2 albums. I was listening to it on an airplane for 3 hours, so i could get into it and i was actually able to go through it a couple times completely, without skipping a song, which is something i do on pretty much all of her albums at least once. It's a brilliant mixture of her tamed sound, with that belting voice we're all used to. If you want a reference to what it's similar to, think back to the Butterfly album. She's not blowing us away song after song to try and show us she can sing. We know she can. It's that whisper sound a lot of people usually hate, but i don't know what it is on this album that makes it so different and not just tolerable, but enjoyable.

I'll say this, it probably won't be a commercial success with several #1 singles and tons of top 40 play, but for someone who just likes soothing smooth RnB music, it'll do just fine. Honestly, what i think might be the key on this is that Jermaine Durpi is nowhere near it. Produced entirely by Mariah, Tricky, and The Dream, and they've definitely done something serious on this. Taking snippets from classic songs, even taking a throwback to some Jodeci "Forever My Lady," Biggies "One More Chance," and "Back In The Day." My favorites so far are H.A.T.E.U, Standing O, Inseparable, and Angels Cry. The only weird part of the album i think comes from "Ribbon" which has this weird robot sounding opening thing, which could totally turn you off to the song, but once that's over it's actually a decent song.

The album probably isn't for everyone, but if you take into account that she's not trying to be a hip-hop artist on this, and just listen to the album for what it is, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised. We don't need Mariah to make us dance, we just want to be moved by her voice, and i think she's done that for us here. It's actually an album full of slow to mid-tempo songs that lets her do what she wants. I think most of the credit should go to the production, and in my opinion it was the overuse of JD on E=MC2 that took that album down. And now that he's not on this at all, she's got fresh ideas and voices behind her letting her experiment, and using her voice the way she should.

As far as lyrics, Mariah has always been a good song writer when she wants to be, but i think what they took away in the uptempo songs, she put into the lyrics of the slower songs. She's just having fun with some songs, so hopefully no one holds that against her that some lyrics you're like wtf, but you're not supposed to take it seriously. I dunno if it's just me, but listening to songs like "Betcha Gon Know" and "H.A.T.E.U." the lyrics hit home and really make u feel something. So you can see the versatility.

I won't try and compare this to Whitney's album. Although in the comparison of comeback albums, i think Emancipation of Mimi was a better comeback that Whitney's. Both tried to do the same thing, but Mariah did it better cause she can still sing. But no need to get into that. Still got love for Whitney, it just wasn't for me.

Looking at these Vegas she's doing, these songs play perfectly into that intimate setting she wants to have, and possibly a string of intimate shows she'll probably do as a tour. Hopefully people give the album a listen, and feel it. I'm into it.

Fame....why a remake!??!!

OK, so i've been seeing more and more clips of this new Fame movie. I'm convinced it's gonna be awful, but i'm hoping i'll be proven wrong. The original was so awesome at its time, and is in no need of a remake. It was a cult classic in its own right, especially to those kids who know about LaGuardia and that whole lifestyle. From the get go i already hate the new take on the theme song. It's slowed down, doesn't make me wanna bounce around to get the movie started. And then at the end, there's no Body Electric!!! WTF! That's what makes the ending so great. Hopefully there's another song they've come up with. The best we can hope for is that they've got actors who can really sing, play instruments, dance, and ACT! Ugh, this movie is gonna suck but i'll probably see it anyway. And i'll be back to hate.

Possible WNBA fix?

Quick thought. I"m sitting here watching A League Of Their Own, and you see how they made womens baseball interesting to fans, both men and women. Even though it takes place in the 40's, there are a few things the folks over at the WNBA could take notes on. First and foremost, i think, notice that they took women that were probably 95% attractive. If they wanna bring in the men, they gotta have chicks who are worth looking at. Men who loved sports back then aren't really all that different than guys who like sports today. Not sure what the basketball equivalent would be, but a little "dirt in the skirt" could get a lot more viewers. Even the possibility of "oops, my bosom pops out" would make me maybe even consider watching. Maybe a change to the uniform is needed. Another big part, the members of the All American League, had to attend charm school! Call me old fashioned, but if you've ever seen a WNBA player you would agree that they could all use a little primping and beautifying.

They always want to be considered equal to the men, but lets face it, they're not. They've got skills, but they also possess assets that men don't, and they should use them to their advantage. Even look at tennis, while the women play just as hard as the men, and a lot of people are into the women, you can't beat seeing a hot tall Russian running around in a short skirt, or crouching those long legs down while waiting to return serve. I mean, i've got my favorites for who's game i like to watch, but there are others who are just nice to look at and tons will watch for the latter reason alone.

Seems like every other sport has these average-good looking women, and find ways to make them hotter and more appealing to viewers. But what do they do with the WNBA? Just a bunch of tall, manly looking women who make layup after layup for a few months. That's not gonna get people to pay money to watch.

NO one knows what could possibly make the wnba more appealing, but just some suggestions. Keepin it REAL

New Whitney :(

Ok, i know everyone's been waiting for the new Whitney album, to see if she's still got it. Sad to say, i don't think she does. We never look to her for any good lyrics or anything, just wanna hear that booming voice that was so amazing once upon a time. It's a great story and all, for her to come back after being with the King of R&B for all those years, and a clear drug problem, but it's obvious that all that took a toll on her voice. It's still kinda there, but you can hear her struggling through some songs. She just has this rough airy sound to her which is not what we're accustomed to hearing out of her. I shudder to think of what it'll sound like hearing her sing some songs live. It's not like with Mariah where you know she can still sing, although obviously not as good as she was in her prime, but when she wants to she can still make the hairs on your neck stand up.

I'll always love Whitney, and all the hits. But i think we've just been spoiled over the years by that voice, and it's sad to hear that it's gone. Musically, it's not a bad album. And it's not bad to listen to, but it just got a once over. I can groove to some of it, but it's the power ballads we want to hear out of the likes of Whitney and Mariah. I don't really want to dance, but i want to be moved by that voice. I'll wait for a couple live performances that she doesn't blame on Oprah, and see what she's got. If she can sing all these songs tolerably, then she'll deserve the title of "best comeback of all time."

Blueprint 3

Just gave that new Jay-Z a quick once over. Gotta say it's impressive, and i don't think anyone would've expected anything less. I've just given it a quick listen all the way through, so i haven't gone into detail on all the tracks, but i go off that first listen to see how i'm feeling about it. Straight off, i can't say it's better than American Gangster, but then again that was a concept album which was easily a classic. Just proving jigga can do an album any way he wants. I gotta go through this and catch the lyrics, and see if he's throwing anything out there that blows our minds, making us think. Hopefully i'll have an update in the next few days

Obsessed

I'm gonna keep this one sweet and simple. Everything i wanted it to be. Black man doing his thing in the business world. White woman throwing herself at him. Black man keeping it together, and white chick goes nuts. Plus a cat fight with beyonce. how can this movie not be awesome?? Nuff people hated on it, but it's easily the most entertaining movie of the year. GO SEE IT!

Star Trek

so i caught star trek the other day. it's one of those movies i feel like i need to see again. before seeing this i wanted to go in fresh, knowing nothing about it. i guess that played against me, cause it didn't occur to me till much later that it was a prequel kinda movie. i know, i'm an idiot, but i just wasn't thinking about it. i thought they just recreated the characters and told a different story about their children or something. Now that i know it was a prequel, it makes a lot more sense, and i kinda wanna see it again. I mean, it was a good movie. I wouldn't say it was "this years Iron Man" but it was a pretty decent flick. A solid 3 star movie. The start of the summer blockbuster season i would say began with this, but only because i heard Wolverine was awful. Only thing i would say was a damper for me were all the Trekkie jokes that i happened to know, but didn't go wild about it. Just felt like they had to throw them in there as crowd pleasers. A lot of this movie was all about crowd pleasing, imo. Too bad i didn't know who all the characters were, so i didn't really care about what was going on with them, or creamed my pants at the sight of certain people. I thought about trying to get into the original series, but meh, maybe not. We'll see.

I wouldn't say it's amazing, but it's not terrible. I'm still waiting for Transformers to blow the summer season WIDE OPEN. But i'm gonna maybe give Star Trek another look in a couple weeks and see if it's really as good as everyone says. My recommendation, sure, go see it. Good action movie, and will probably make a sweet blu-ray.

Eminem: Relapse...thoughts

OK, so i dunno what happened to Slim Shady, or even Marshall Mathers? Em hasn't had a decent piece of work since The Eminem Show, and with the nonsense that he put out with Encore, it seemed right that he come out of retirement to try and salvage his name. 5 years later he comes out with Relapse, and i've gotta say i'm less than impressed. For some reason he's gone back to that sound that he used back on the Slim Shady LP, except now his lyrics aren't as funny or interesting. Naming an album Relapse you'd think he'd gone through some serious turmoil and would have mad stories to tell, but he's essentially talking about nothing for 20 tracks.

The rapper we all came to love was clearly present in the Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show. Just the way his voice sounded on those albums was so much more rugged and engaging. i mean, The Way I Am? Classic, and he just brought you in with everything he said. I gave this album a quick listen straight through, and there was nothing about any of the songs really that made me want to play it back or listen closely to what he was saying. I think it all goes back to how his voice sounds on these. High pitched, and whiney for 5 minutes talking about nothing of significance. I'll give it a couple more listens and hope to hear something better, but i'm doubtful. If you're gonna come out of retirement, you know you have to come with something strong, cause you have to prove that the game missed you while you were gone, ie, American Gangster. yes there was Kingdom Come as the initial comeback, but Hov gave us a classic the next time around. So i can only hope Em comes with something different after seeing the failure in this album. His peak must've actually come back on The Black Album where he outdid Jay-Z on his own song. That was the marking of him being the best rapper in the game.

Now......?

Do you know what the most popular youtube channel is?

SO i was just put on to this a couple weeks ago, and apparently this is the most popular youtube channel. Each video with millions of views. And when you see it you'll understand why. A blonde russian woman who gives you the background on words. She does new videos about 4-5 times a week. OH, and the massive amounts of cleavage don't hurt either