so long michael, see you tomorrow

michael jackson is dead. it's sad that in a lot of ways i wasn't entirely surprised to hear the news; it was shocking, but after that ten seconds when it all sank in i was left thinking about what michael's legacy was to this generation. mtv, in a confounding state of sensibility and honor not seen since... well when they started playing mj, is doing a bunch of interviews, and they're trying to bring in viewers that really only know jackson as this media freak who used to have a few catchy songs.

i think jackson is like the beatles: one of those musical acts that will never really see someone come in after them and do it quite as well or rather quite as orginally. it took me years before i truly appreciated michael's music, and a lot of friends of mine still don't appreciate it. maybe they will now. isn't that how it works with dead musicians?

i don't think the london shows were going to turn out that well, and i think the new material he had been working on with will.i.am and akon among other people wouldn't even have been a glimmer in the face of the body of work he had produced in the late 70s and 80s. nothing against him, but again i think the media will be quick to speculate what would have happened if today hadn't happened.

i'm not sure much will change for me from here on out. thriller and off the wall were in my car this morning, and they'll be there when i wake up tomorrow.

no music posts today. how could you pick just one? or ten?