Michael Jackson (The King Of Pop...forever)

Michael Jackson passed away today at the age of 50.

My earliest memory of music was listening to Michael Jackson's songs as a child. Songs such as Beat It, Billie Jean, Thriller, Ben, Bad, Man In The Mirror, Liberian Girl, Leave Me Alone, Dirty Diana, Black Or White, She's Out Of My Life and Smooth Criminal have accompanied me to my adulthood till this day and forever.

He also co-wrote probably the most well known charity single 'We Are The World' in 1985 performed by USA for Africa, a collection of music artistes from USA.

His collaborations with fellow musicians produced massive singles such as 'Somebody's Watching Me' (with Rockwell) and 'Say Say Say' (with Paul McCartney).

I could never ever forget 'Smooth Criminal' and it's outstanding video that showcased the King Of Pop himself at his best, along with his dazzling moonwalk.

In 'Black Or White', Michael Jackson sought to break down racial prejudice within the space of a song with its refrain 'it don't matter if you're black or white'.

For all his success and memorable music, Michael Jackson has been on the wrong side of the news ever since the mid 1990s, often criticized for his incessant spending, eccentricity and finally over the mill - accusations of child molestation in which he was finally acquitted in 2005. But he has never been the same since and seems worn out in recent years. He is just human like everyone else, for even the mistakes if he has made any. For me personally, i will rather (and had always) remember the man who gave the world the best music in modern times and for his generous heart in helping the world in his humanitarian works.

As soon as i heard the news this afternoon, i set out to write this on the blog, in loving memory of the most gifted and iconic entertainer of our times. I had planned to write about him and his music sometime ago and it is just sad that i had to write in this context of his passing away instead. As i pen off now listening to 'We Are The World', i can feel my eyes welling up with tears as Michael's gentle voice seeps into the first chorus.

You may be out of our lives now but not in our hearts.

I used to say 'I' and 'Me'
Now it's 'Us', now it's 'We'

- Ben

'We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving'

- We Are The World

Shake The Disease

'Shake The Disease' was a hit single for electro-pop band Depeche Mode way back in 1985. The haunting and infectious melody ensured this was one of the best and memorable songs within the band's vast catalogue for many of their fans.

Depeche Mode is such an important band to me. I will do a full write-up on the band sometime soon.

I like songs that capture the mood of the times we are living in. This song is most apt for what the world is experiencing now with a certain mysterious virus spreading around the globe and infecting human beings.

'Here is a plea from my heart to you
Nobody knows me as well as you do
You know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
That takes hold of my tongue in situations like these'

- Shake The Disease

Everybody's Changing

Keane is a British trio band who debuted their album 'Hopes and Fears' in 2004 to much acclaim and success. Their unconventional brand of music using vocals, drums and piano as the leading
instrument in their songs was unique and fresh-sounding. I did hear their subsequent releases but those had made little impression on me. I can only attribute it to the lack of consistent guitar sounds in their music. To me, they will never surpass the brilliance of this debut album and especially the following three tracks which remain my firm favorites.


'Everybody's Changing', the outstanding debut single is their best track for me. An unforgettable piano riff and great vocals makes this a great and fresh listen, even till this day. And what a great music video to accompany this song.



'Somewhere Only We Know' is another sentimental track with its pulsating piano track , coupled with great vocals.






'This Is The Last Time' - a semi-fast song that rides on the success of the first two singles. Shimmering pianos, excellent.







'Everybody's changing and i don't feel the same...'

- Everybody's Changing

Runaway Train

Runaway Train was a 1993 song released by US rock band Soul Asylum. It led the band to international fame and to a Grammy award the following year. This song is so well known since that it is always mentioned in the same breath as the band.

I was listening to my music player and running through the tracks in the '1990s' folder when this song came weaving through my ears and brought back great memories. More than that, it revives memories of it's unforgettable MTV which i felt is too good not to be shared here.

From the onset of the first chorus in the MTV, pictures of missing children in the US are shown which follows with their names and the year they have been missing since. As a result, this music video was very successful in reuniting many of the missing children with their families. Some of these children even saw themselves in the video and returned home. Others were not so fortunate and were found not in the best of conditions. One of the girls in the video was not actually missing but was found murdered and buried in her own backyard by her mother, while in the middle of a bitter custody battle between her parents. Looking at the video, these children must be as old as i am now and i hope that wherever they are now, they are leading good and happy lives.

This song has a lot of heart. That is the way music should be and that is probably why i started this blog in the first place.

'Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughing at the rain
A little out of touch, a little insane
It's just easier than dealing with the pain

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like i should be getting somewhere
Somehow i'm neither here not there'

Sex On Fire ; Kings Of Leon

I have not been keeping in touch with current music and bands so much but when i do discover some from time to time, they are usually so good i think they are heaven-sent to someone whose ears are so attuned to the music of the 80s and 90s. I will be writing about a few good bands i have heard since the turn of the century in my next few posts.

I recently discovered Kings Of Leon and how they blew my mind away on the first hearing. They are an American band with a blend of raw but yet fresh sounding rock anthems. Their latest album Only By the Night released in 2008 elevated them to international acclaim and surely one of the best bands in this planet at the moment and for a long time to come.

'Sex On Fire' was the first song i heard from them and i knew for that instant it was something special. This powerful anthem from their latest album won the band a Grammy award last year and deservedly so. This guitar-driven rock tune really sounds as good as the title suggest. Listen to it here.

'Use Somebody' follows up with another strong single that has the singer talks about looking for someone he likes and how he hopes she will notice him somehow. It is a brilliant song and that sweet simple sounding refrain chorus will surely stuck with me (and anyone who hears it) for a long long while.

Other good tracks from this great album are 'Closer', 'Revelry' and 'Manhattan'

'You, your sex is on fire...' - Sex on Fire

'I hope it's going to make you notice
someone like me...'

- Use Somebody