Captivating Michael Jackson Photo Tribute to The One and Only
Written: Oct 21 '09 (Updated Oct 22 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: Good variety of Michael Jackson photos Basic timeline from birth to death Good value for price
Cons: Lacks imagination and insight
The Bottom Line: Overall, Michael Jackson: The One and Only is a handsome tribute to the King of Pop; great-value for the price. Don't expect high quality, glossy photos or coffee-table size.
jenniferkateab's Full Review: National Enquirer - Michael Jackson, The One and O...
I admit, I miss Michael Jackson as much your average 40-something American housewife probably does. That is, he wasn't on my radar screen much during the latter part of his career, but I went wild for Jackson during his early MTV days and his awesome Thriller video, while later becoming puzzled and disgusted by his child molestation charges and overdone plastic surgery. Nevertheless, when Michael Jackson's untimely death hit the news, I mourned along with everyone else. I mourned because he was a human being of unbounded talent and apparent sensitivity. Whatever his failings were in life, his footprints in life spanned the globe and touched millions, if not billions of people. It's hard to think of a public figure who is less recognizable than Michael Jackson ~ certainly Barack Obama and the Pope are close competitors for that kind of global recognition.
I picked up Michael Jackson: The One and Only at my library. I was maybe a little surprised that this "Tribute to an American Icon" was sitting there on the shelf and not in heavier demand (with dozens of holds by interested patrons). There is no mention of National Enquirer as the book's publisher written inside the book. Instead, the book lists Triumph Books as its publisher and Getty Images as the source for most of the photographs included. Modestly sized at 8.5 x 11 inches, the overall theme of this book is a photographic tribute to the various stages of Michael Jackson's life, interspersed with basic narrative highlighting Jackson's musical and entertainment triumphs and philanthropic work, while minimizing the singer's foibles and flaws. It's definitely a tribute in the sense that it's biased in depicting Jackson at his greatest moments while glossing over any unpleasantness that Jackson suffered or allegedly perpetrated.
Photography is the most compelling aspect of Michael Jackson, The One and Only. If you studied only the photographs, and read none of the text, you would still gain a huge appreciation for the amazing odyssey that Jackson's life encompassed. From a humble boy in a fledgling band of talented brothers, to a boyhood entertainer, to super-stardom and finally the King of Pop. Photos of his early days depict Jackson as I'd like to remember him: pure and unsullied; natural; smiling; seemingly carefree. Did you know Michael had a younger brother Randy? A darling photo of Jackson with Randy and three older brothers gives a glimpse of the pre-iconic Michael. I learned that Michael's album "Off the Wall" was his first real taste of stardom, followed by the uber-successful "Thriller". In Jackson's life, there was BT (before Thriller) and AT (after Thriller). Even the term meteoric rise seems inadequate to describe Jackson's liftoff into solar-systemic stardom.
I love the photos of the 20-something Michael, before his surgery-induced metamorphosis. I find Michael naturally attractive and sweet looking ~ fresh and innocent. Michael always professed that he missed out on a real childhood. While his lacking boyhood is indeed sad and poignant, photos of Michael in his twenties depict a person of intensely likable stature. I can't help but wish Michael would have appreciated these qualities in himself and resisted the urge to become someone other than himself. All the photos included are compelling to view: Michael's trend-setting fashion; his visionary hairstyles; his hobnobbing with Hollywood elite. In the 1980s, Michael still smiled: he glistened like a newly-polished gem. One photo of Michael with Whitney Houston in 1988 seems to herald a decline in his physical appearance. Michael is actually more made-up than Whitney ~ while she glows radiantly, Michael's complexion seems pasty and powdery in comparison. His eyes are too made-up, as if he's trying to hide the windows to his soul.
Fast forward to later photographs in this tribute: Michael dances energetically; he poses with children and stars like James Brown and Madonna, and with his short-termed wife Lisa Marie Presley. There are no photos of his second wife included, and very few of his children. We see him accepting countless award statues, plaques and an honorary doctorate. As his personal life progresses with bizarre charges and public behavior, his nose becomes gradually chiseled away while his chin gains heft and cleft. Unfortunately, photos toward the back of the book do not progress in strictly chronological order. Many of the captions give approximate dates or even place the photo in a particular decade, so the book is not that useful from a comprehensive, biographical standpoint.
As a narrative of Jackson's life, Michael Jackson, The One and Only provides glimpses into various phases of his existence, but doesn't really bring any commentary or insight into his thoughts, feelings or actions. The chronicle of Jackson's final decade (the 2000s) spans just nine paragraphs and mentions his "long battle (with child molestation charges) had taken its toll physically and emotionally on Jackson, and despite the acquittal, many said he was never the same." That gives you an idea of how shallow the book is from a biographical standpoint. I enjoyed reading the text, though, which definitely complements the photographs while providing an overview of Jackson's career.
Overall, I assess the value of Michael Jackson, The One and Only based on its rich variety of photos and basic background information highlighting the key milestones in Jackson's life. It also includes some poignant tribute messages from Quincy Jones, Sheryl Crowe, Janet Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, Usher, Mariah Carey and Lisa Marie Presley. The book contributes nothing new from an analytical or historical perspective of Jackson. However, it was still enjoyable and memorable to read, and for the amazing price of about $5, provides more than its value in photographic content. While lean on text, at least the book doesn't stoop to gossip or innuendo, which is something I might have expected from a National Inquirer publication. Nor are any compromising photos included. It also doesn't intrude on Jackson's personal life or make accusations that can't be defended by Jackson. Certainly, sticking to the positive is what makes this book a tribute and distinguishes it from another type of biography. Despite being somewhat grainy at times, and published on matte stock instead of glossy, the photographs in Michael Jackson, The One and Only are spectacular in representing a true legend and icon of my generation.
From his youth as a prodigious talent in a gifted musical family driven by a visionary father, it was apparent that Michael Jackson was destined for f...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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