I'm a headbanger. By nature. Not just for the music but also for the lyrics that often touch upon social, political and other hot-button issues of a certain era. In my opinion, Metallica's '... And justice for all' is one of the best albums ever made that unleashes a crushing fist @ what's wrong with this world with uncompromising musical and lyrical forces. The classics like Blackened, The eye of the beholder, One, or Shortest straw offer timeless behavioral studies of human actions that, despite of being evil, cruel, lethal, and always condemned, keep on re-occurring. The well of selfishness of some individuals is just bottomless. Sad but true. Metal is not the only music I listen to, though. Whatever sounds subjectively interesting or good to my ears gets played in my cd player. From Vivaldi, Massive Attack, Sinead O'Connor, Suzanne Vega, Lenny Kravitz, Depeche Mode to Kreator, Destruction, Slayer, Sodom, M.O.D., Sepultura. Music is really just one.
In the light of recent passing of the universally recognized King Of Pop, I happen to spend some time going thru his vast catalog to remind myself of the unique talent he possessed. Though not a hard core fan, I always had respect for the man's ability to push the envelope in the way that would make him tower above everybody else, be light-years ahead, in the league of his own. Usually, I avoid pop stations when listening to the radio, for to me they play unsubstantial fluff, but he was one of the few stars of the genre who would catch my attention. So while watching some of his videos online, and @ the same time peeking @ the endless tv debates dissecting his legacy, attempting to conclude whether he was an ingenious pervert or a perversive genius, I was again reminded, after all those years, how boldly political many of his songs were. Especially, for a pop star. 'Beat it', 'Bad', Another part of me', 'Black or white', Heal the world', 'We are the world', pretty much entire HIStory album. When reading the lyrics, however sometimes naive, it is quite obvious that the man really wanted to challenge and change the world. Using his powerful verses and mighty beats, he dared to bring attention to ongoing issues the humans have been avoiding to resolve. Poverty, famine, racism, crime, environment are not your typical pop themes to build a legendary career on. Yet, thanks to his unbridled talent, MJ was able to attack those problems with poignancy wrapped in heartbreaking anthems. He did not have to do it. He could've stayed lyrically faithful to the obvious: love, courtship, ladies, partying. But he decided not to and used his gift and his celebrity to better causes. And for that, I have nothing but an utter respect for him. Regardless of his eccentricity or what might have happened in his personal life. He put his money where his mouth was. Unlike so many of us. So before the first stone gets cast, make sure you'll look in the mirror first.