Review Of Michael!

 

Just watched it, the late night show. Few Issues! As an audience of his, and as far as anyone remembers’, Michael ne’er changed his name after the Victory Tour, and he remained Michael forever! Correct? So, the movie should’ve been named Jackson 5, RATHER, Michael, because, this isn’t about Michael -> the solo artist that the audience remembers especially from the 90s, including me! This is another Bob Dylan’s A Complete Unknown left unstitched.

Where was his changed get-up style, the songs -> they don’t care for us, smooth criminal, blood is on the dance floor, black or white, the whole song Beat It being played, and many more; where were that? Where was his relationship with Lisa Presley, and then the incident of Eminem making parody of him which created the news, his 24/7 doctor, then the controversy involved about his Legal case; I think that should’ve been included in the movie called -> Michael! Again, the selection of songs played was of the Jackson 5, and not of the Michael alone, except for few minutes that were introduced, but only after the interval, which was quite flabbergasting! I awaited that they would play the entire BEAT IT, but that didn’t happen either!

Furthermore, I’ve started noticing in the recent movies that these PR Agencies would come in between and portray themselves as if they’re the Alpha on this Planet and no one can become anything without PR; YET, PR Agencies for me would always remain as (Pay & Use Services). As if without PR Agencies, MJ was nothing, or, Bob Dylan was nothing! Was NOBEL Prize to Dylan arranged or laundered by the PR Agencies? Of course not!

Great casting! Spectacular acting! YET, the Michael which the audience knew across World, was missing in the Picture! Thus, the name of the flick could’ve been -> Jackson 5 and not Michael, OR, the movie should’ve been started when Michael declares that this Victory Tour with the Jackson 5 would be his last tour! This should’ve been the first scene of the movie and not the last!

Why I am saying all this? Because most of the Globalization started in the Mid-90s, thus, people knew Michael as with different get-up Style, and not of the 80s style!

And just like I kept waiting in The Complete Unknown the Song Things Have Changed,  similarly, I kept waiting that they would play the entire BEAT IT or They Don’t Care For Us or Smooth Criminal! Alas, that didn’t happen either! Or maybe they could’ve titled the movie as -> The Early Life Of Michael!

All said and done, I quite didn’t feel the energy what I feel when I listen to BEAT IT! That was missing in the entire movie! Sorry!☹

© Pranav Chaturvedi

Which Part Of The World Has Excelled In Music In Modern Times? Forget What Academia & Books Say! We’ll Take The Real Examples!

Trance

 

Clearly, Artists from Europe (Eastern + Western Europe), Russia, & UK, dominate in Electronic Music! No Doubt! In one of my earlier blogs long back, I cited some of the best Trance artists are either originating from Europe + UK, or, Russia. And honestly, no other Nation in terms of Electronic so far can match them! Michael Cretu, Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, Dash Berlin, Solarstone, Otnicka, Ferry Corstein, Tinlicker, Paul Oakenfold, Motorcycle, Schiller, ATB, Aurosonic, Above & Beyond, Robert Miles, Faithless, Chicane (being an only exception from North America) etc. are some of the well-known examples coming from that region. Other Nations tried Trance, but, it looks more of unnecessarily overdoing things rather than originating anything new or everlasting! Moreover, other nations got sucked into REMIXING, rather than defining uplifting, psy, progressive, ambient, deep house (vocal or non vocal). And I don’t like the remix versions. What Trance I used to listen in my school days in the 90s and in the early 00, just vanished in the last 20+ years. Yes, Artists like Tinlicker and others tried to revive that, yet, it didn’t gain much of attention, because the Board Of Directors of the Music Industry changed and got filled with who don’t understand Beats, Music, Notes, &, Tempo! And why it matters, I tell you! Unless and Until I learn to feel that tempo in Jazz & Blues, I won’t be able to enjoy that. Yes, it keeps playing at the Coffee Shops, yet, I can only enjoy more if I can understand those typical Blues beats’! Similarly, people who are becoming DJs by Remixing different songs, are not DJs at all. If you can’t create an uplifting, progressive, PSY, Deep, House etc. beats (vocal or non vocal), then, you’re not a DJ, and can call yourself something else, maybe a mere Remixer!  

 

Metal/Rock

 

Now, when it comes to Metal / Doom Death Metal / Hard Rock, in that case, US has excelled. Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Iron Maiden, earlier Slipknot, Rammstein (being an exception from Europe), Audioslave, Linkin Park, SOAD, Evanescence, and many others originated from therein.

 

Rap/Reggae

 

Again, in Rap, it is the US that outshined. Eminem, 50 Cents, Snoop etc.. While Reggae, it is the African sub-continent.  

 

POP / Indie

 

When it comes to POP, Urban, Indie, Soft/Alternative Rock, Neo-Psychedelia etc. then again, Europe and Eastern Europe, UK have excelled! No Doubt! I’m surprised that POP, Alternative artists from US ended up becoming billionaires! How? And honestly, till today, I haven’t understood what is K-POP, except, of the fact that the American PR Companies marketing them. For what, I’ve no idea!

 

Kaleidoscopic Diversified Music

 

When it comes to more of a Kaleidoscopic diversity of music and traditional mythological hymns of myriad cultures covering in One Single Album belonging to One Single Nation, then of course in that case, INDIA excelled! Means, you can discover traditional music from close to approx 1600+ Dialects & Languages in One album. But again, just like Blues, you should be knowing the context and essence of what you’re listening to, else, you won’t understand nor enjoy.

 

Classical

 

Classical is something, that every nation takes pride of! Be it of ‘any’ Asian or African or American or European nation, every nation feels proud of their Classical legacy! So, I’m not going to comment on that part because, again, to understand and to enjoy that, you require deepest knowledge of Music, which only those people have earned, who have devoted Learning & Playing Music of different Origins and Cultures, and I’m Not one of them; thus, I’m not able to comment on that!

Am I missing something beyond Academia? Academia is Boring! 😊

© Pranav Chaturvedi

Review Of Project Hail Mary

 

If you’ve noticed this phenomenon, even during the Covid times, there were from Scientists to Philosophers who were publishing from blogs to videos about death; that it is not the end, and this is just continuation journey; as if they’ve seen afterlife (no one has, BTW!)! But why they were doing this? The guilt factor -> to hide the unfortunate event of unleashing a deadly virus across World, and thus to mitigate the public anger, they started issuing such blogs, posts, and videos, so that people become more philosophical, and, not try to put the blame on anyone about the manufactured chaos!

Now, w.r.t. the present movie, if someone tells you that as you’ve no one, not even a dog to cry when you die (like been said in the movie), and thus you’ve been chosen to sacrifice your life for others! Then merely on this argument, would or should you sacrifice? NO! NE’ER! And this is exactly the argument Dr. Grace also gave when he was asked to sacrifice his life and to become expendable, for the mere reason that, as there was not even a dog to cry after his death, and thus, should sacrifice his life for the others and children of others! Remember, for whom? For the Oligarchs. Leaders, Dynasts, Corrupt, Terrorists, Poor, Rich, and many others on Earth, because of whom at the first place, the forever Chaos only unleashed! And honestly, Dr Grace, took the Correct Decision not to accede to this argument, because, it was humiliation for him, until of course, he was dragged and put into the spaceship for the sacrifice, to become the expendable. This is an example of when greatness is thrusted upon him, and, indeed he passed that litmus test too, because, he has a righteous soul! But imagine, what would’ve happened, had he been the only person alive in the space, and not decided to execute the indispensable specified mission, because he was put on the spaceship forcibly, and against his wish & will?

Secondly, Dr Grace truly sacrificed his life for the alien Rocky’s Planet, & NOT for Earth, because, imagine, what would’ve happened had those autonomous ships carrying the Antidote to Astrophage not reached Earth only? BUT, he was able to save Rocky as well as Rocky’s planet! That means, even his inner gut inclined to save Rocky, rather than travelling to earth by himself, making sure that the Antidote reaches safely on earth. Means, many a times, you may require the ship to be controlled Manually, and what would’ve happened had those autonomous space containers’ had collided with space rocks?

But there’s one major issue I found and that was the robust conversation between Dr Grace and alien Rocky! Means, even when we speak one language, we cannot comprehend the statements properly, and require different interpretations; so how come they both were able to execute such an important mission for collecting the samples of Antidote from the surface of a planet or sun with such a precise accuracy? Means, can anyone on earth explain to me the QUANTUM Theory with precision, despite millions of papers on it have already been published in one language?

I’m not saying that one should run away from sacrifice or greatness or duty! No! But, why you’ve been chosen and the reason given, that matters! This happened in Mickey 17 also, when the protagonist was made the expendable for the same reason, and thus, that shouldn’t have happened!

Another example contrary to the above example is The Expendables movie in itself, wherein, the mercenaries assembled to execute missions because of their PASSION, and as they LOVED doing that, and not because, they were all Single!

All said and done, a good weekend watch! 😊

© Pranav Chaturvedi