In the Days Before Hoochie Mamas

[morrigirl]

This year Jay made me a mix CD for Christmas. I love Jay! He knows exactly what I like. I have been listening to his mix non-stop for the past four days. Here are some of the highlights:

American Jesus by Bad Religion (It's time I admitted it...I like them. I really like them. As such, I should probably go buy one of their albums)

The Metro by Berlin

Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson (A song I HATED when it was out, a song that sounds incredibly dated now, yet, when compared to the shit today's pop princesses are putting out, is fucking RAD!)

Disorder by Joy Division

Shake the Disease by Depeche Mode (This is the song I've been listening to on repeat. It's time to buy Depeche Mode's greatest hits.)

St Teresa by Joan Osborne (True evidence of the psychic connection that exists between Jay and I since this is one of only two songs I like off of that album.)

Listening to Rhythm Nation put me on a Janet Jackson kick, so I've spent much of the evening watching her old videos on YouTube. God, they are really obscenely good. Made back in the days when women actually DANCED in music videos instead of just shakin' their little hoochie mama asses. I mean, in her hey day Janet had so much style and pop music sensibility and awesome moves. My mother always liked Michael and Janet Jackson videos because, not only did they feature real dancers doing real dances, but they were so stylistically engaging. Just look at these! Really! Watch them. They are amazing!

Miss You Much

Alright

Isn't it a little creepy how much she resembles Michael? I'm just sayin'.

Comments

[ninquark.livejournal.com]

The Jacksons have always had really good music, in my opinion, especially in the up until the 80s. And their music videos have always had so much love put into them!

Janet and Michael are both very similar in personality and personal style, but I think another major factor in why they move so similarly is not just because they're related but because they both used the same choreographers. One of their main choreographers during the 80s was Paula Abdul, one of the most recognized dance composers of the period, though she didn't choreograph for the Rhythm Nation music video (she was busy making her own albums then). But they all communicated and collaborated with each other a lot in those days.

It also doesn't hurt that both Michael and Janet both looked similar to begin with, and for a while were altering their bodies with cosmetic surgery in really similar ways at the same time as each other. It makes it seem uncanny...

Until the 90s, they both had such pretty smiles.

[gender-euphoric.livejournal.com]

ha i brought up that paula factoid as well. i still think paula abdul is really talented.

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

My mother's favorite video of all time is "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson. Friggin AWESOME piece of work. Whenever we used to catch it on TV, during the dance routines she'd say to me, "You see that? See what they're doing? That's REALLY hard."

I agree with you, the Jacksons are amazing artists. People can say what they will about them, doesn't change the fact that even on their worst days they can crank out music better than 99.9% of today's most popular artists. "Thriller" is still one of the greatest albums on the planet and Janet's "Control" isn't far behind.

I remember hearing Janet say once in an interview that when she first started out she consciously tried to immitate Michael, not because he was successful, but because he was her brother and she admired the hell out of him. I think that's so sweet.

I also watched the video for "Scream" tonight and when I saw Janet's face come on the screen I thought, "Wow, she looks more like Michael then Michael does."

[gender-euphoric.livejournal.com]

awww. glad you enjoyed.
paula abdul choreographed janet's Control era videos--she supposedly as a cameo in what have you done for me lately, but the versions on youtube are too poor quality for me to figure out which one is paula.

when i was a pre-teen, one of my cousins and i were really close. we'd watch MTV to catch the rhythm nation video, and she'd try to teach me the "routine". i was never good at that sort of thing.

Out of the Blue

[morrigirl.livejournal.com]

I thought Paula only had a cameo in "Nasty."

I can't tell you how many girls I knew who tried to learn the dance routine in Janet's video for "If." Speaking of "If," thanks to Yahoo Music, I now realize that's a really dirty song! I submit to you the following line - "Your smooth and shiney feels so good against my lips, sugar." I knew the video was racy (by 1993 standards) but I can't believe that my fourteen year old self was bopping along humming a song about graphic sex.

I also went looking for Debbie Gibson clips. I pulled up the video for "Anything is Possible," her 1990 attempt at shedding her wholesome image. I remember liking the song but the video is hilarious. Apparently, if you want to seem "urban" and "edgey" all you need is some leather, a little black chiffon, and black people. I particularly like the group of Latino "gangstas" who show up half way through. You have to watch this. I think Debbie may have a future in sketch comedy.

PS And what the hell is she doing with her hands?!