Along with the rest of the universe I have been revisiting Michael Jackson’s music this weekend. Whenever I listen to Michael Jackson I end up listening to some Prince too (although listening to Prince doesn’t usually spur me to listen to MJ).
The two are very clearly linked in my memories of growing up in the 80s in Alaska, where all culture came out of the radio or the coaxial cable. Both were androgynous black men with a ridiculous about of talent. Both were hailed as geniuses. Both had a unique fashion sense. Both made me want to dance. Both eventually lost the plot and went rich man crazy in their own unique way. One was the ‘King of Pop and the other guy was just named Prince (that was his real name!). Michael was omnipresent and everyone appreciated him from my grandparents to 5 year-olds like me. I even had a sliver glove I liked to wear and try as I might I could never moonwalk. While Prince was a more dangerous and naughty character and listening to a Prince song made me feel like I was gaining a window into a forbidden adult world like looking at dirty magazines; not something that was safe to imitate without welcoming a visit from the dreaded wooden spoon.
As kid it preferred the pop of MJ, while in college I reveled in exploring every crevice of Prince’s back catalog. But where do they stand in my mind now? It’s not an easy answer the size of Prince’s catalog (at least 9 great albums plus a lot of interesting gems elsewhere) dwarfs that of MJ (a mere 3 and half great albums). But an entire catalog comparison isn’t really a fair; maybe Michael’s small catalog packs more punch?
So I decided to pick and rank my top11 favorite MJ and Prince songs and have them fight to the death. Why 11? Well I just couldn’t make a choice on those last few songs! Too much good stuff on both sides! Not surprisingly all of the 80’s with a few 70’s tracks thrown in; nothing from the 90’s or beyond. Rules: no ties, artist who wins is declared subjectively better in my mind only and nowhere else, and the song and the song alone can be considered- having a cool video or working really well in the context of the album isn’t allowed to be considered. Now let’s get this started:
11. ‘Baby Be Mine’ v. ‘Starfish and Coffee’
Alright, so we are starting off with the hidden gem of Thriller against Prince’s sweetest song. The fact that fantastic song like ‘Baby Be Mine’ wasn’t a single and seven other songs on Thriller were is kind of amazing. If some unknown artist had released it instead, it would be part of the 80s retro canon. I love the straightforward lyric and driving poppy funk. Although I don’t really buy that MJ is going really wants her “you stay with me until the morning sun”. ‘Starfish and Coffee’ is probably the song that made me realize I need to really explore Prince’s catalog. I think I first heard it on a mix tape some dude named Kevin sent my friend Misty (not a crush tape, just a here’s some cool shit tape). It’s catchy as hell and I love the combination of a sweet school yard tale and psychedelic imagery. And the hook of the song is embarrassingly catchy. I remember listening to this song on my walkman while shelving books in the bowels of Suzzallo Library and being caught by my boss singing the chorus out loud and not even attempting to explain myself. Prince also did a really adorable performance of the song on the forgotten Muppets Tonight show in the late 90s that is worth checking out.
Verdict: ‘Starfish and Coffee’ – unique, strange, and catchy- that’s Prince personified, well minus the sex.
Score: MJ 0 – Prince 1
More coming soon… (honest!)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment