Thriller: The Musical Life of Michael Jackson
Originally this book was to be about the “enduring influence of Thriller,” but after Jackson's death, George decided to be more comprehensive. The result is a brief if heartfelt assessment of Jackson's career and life. Positing that it is unlikely that Jackson's meteoric rise to pop-music dominance could be repeated today, George reappraises his own earlier writings about Jackson and reinvestigates the incredible work ethic that defined Jackson and producer Quincy Jones in the days when they produced Thriller, Jackson's magnum opus and one of the most successful and influential recordings in pop-music history. As one would expect from George, the narrative goes beyond surface concerns about mass sales to consider how Jackson's superstardom affected black artists' entry into the then-significant realm of MTV playlists, mainstream music culture, and popular culture at large. Although George's analysis and insight are laudable, he mentions the charges of pedophilia that dogged Jackson in his final years only in passing. That omission is keenly felt, but this is still a more than useful retrospective on the man and his music. --Mike Tribby