Looking back at M J's finest albums

Some periods in your life tend to be very much connected with external events such as polical history, the whole hype around a film, tv show or for that matter a record.

Given the last time I wrote about him here was way back in 2010 it's time to move on.

I can remember the hype around this Michael Jackson's first solo album for Epic Records in the Fifth Form around September and October of 1979 having read 208 magazine, the teen monthly issued by Radio Luxemburg with features on him and his then upcoming single Don't Stop Til You Get Enough  sandwiched between the ads for Boots No.7 cosmetics and girls intimate products.

Clearly that magazines target was teen girls but they did cover soul and funk music which was popular at the time well and it was clear Big Things were expected of this album.

In due course they did being the home of Off The Wall, Rock With You (the single contains added hand claps) and the poignant She's Out Of My Life.

At this point strangely enough people had forgotten his Motown solo career starting as it did with Got To Be There and running for four solo lps, one being the Ben soundtrack something that British Motown put right in that gap between his Epic albums when they re-released 1975's excellent One Day In Your Life from the Forever Michael album and had a #1 hit with it in the summer of 1981.

That is my British original orange Epic label original which came in a gatefold sleeve which unlike later copies didn't replace the original Rock With You for the single version.

After Off The Wall his next project emerged around October of 1982 with the relatively low key The Girl Is Mine colaberation with Sir Paul McCartney which followed from Michael's cover of his Girlfriend on the previous album.

Like Off The Wall, Thriller was concieved as a luxury project so had a gatefold lp jacket  this time taken up with a posed photograph and the album lyrics this time on the lp inner sleeve.

It was a slow album to sell initially not being helped by being released into the mainly British New Romantic invasion by such acts as ABC, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet whose sound tended to eclipse American soul and funk although it was Shalamar's finest hour in the UK.

Eventually aided by such upbeat numbers as Billy Jean and especially Beat It with Eddie Van Halen's  guitar solo and ground breaking videos, it took off to be one of best selling albums in the UK and the topping the Billboard sales for 1983.

Amazingly six out of nine tracks made it to 7 inch vinyl  or got radio playlisted with the last one being P.Y.T. in early 1984 in the UK.

November's premier wherever in the world you were of the Thriller extended promotional video was an event few of us can forget it moved video on as much as Girls On Film did two years before and like that not necessariily without a little controversy either.

That is my Dutch pressed copy from 1983 - it has Co-production credits to Michael Jackson on the jacket unlike first pressings - and this edition used the American mastering on stampers rather than one made locally.

If you look closely at the label, you will spot both the full track length and also the introduction lengths marked  for DJ's.

This is the promotional leaflet outlining previous Jacksons and Michael Jackson albums included in mine but mine being an early copy makes no reference to Compact Discs and "For Europe cds from the then CBS Group didn't come in until around 1984/5.

For me these two albums remain his greatest solo achievements, the point where he was setting the standard in Soul and Funk rather than playing catch up as with Bad and especially 1991's Dangerous where he copped the New Jack Swing style but seemed out of his depth as some of the controversy  around early versions of lyrics showed what may be fine for some could never be acceptable for a person whose appeal was more universal.

Travelling back through sound II

The series that never seems to stop continues on from where we left back in February  with a new volume issued on Friday that sees us going further back in time and no doubt the extra edition shortly afterwards.

Anyone who was around in 1981 knows this was one of the finest ever years for popular music and specifically the top twenty singles chart with many new and exciting sounds from new artists on a weekly basis even if in truth some of their influences had been about a year or so before.

The year was also different from the point of view that music videos to hit recordings while existing for a couple of years before really took off with long form arty productions from both newer acts such as Duran Duran and Adam and The Ants to evergreen chart fixtures such as Cliff Richard with his very topical Wired For Sound .

We were wired for sound as the Walkman, the portable headphone based tape player introduced in late 1979 really took off with cheaper versions so many of us walked and roller skated to portable stereo sound of our own choosing.

That's why this set is so much a must having either in the deluxe with booklet form or the slightly cheaper all card four cd set.

Back then we bought our copies of Chart Hits '81 and other albums on Ronco and K Tel that came out around every three months or so filled with hits but with compromised sonics and edits get it all in and increasingly they were on tape too.

This is five lp records worth of hits that cover everything from songs from stage shows such as Cats with Memory, Ska from The Specials with Ghost Town, the electronic New Wave sounds of the Human League with Don't You Want Me, Rockabilly revival with Shakin' Stevens with Green Door and Rock This Town by the Stray Cats and Soul from the Four Tops and Smokey Robinson.

The world of hard rock was represented by Rainbow, the band lead by Richie Blackmore with I Surrender and the combination of Motorhead with Girls School with a remake of the Johnny Kid and the Pirates number Please Don't Touch while such staples of previous years such as the Electric Light Orchestra  with Hold On Tight, The Pretenders with the Ray Davies song I Go To Sleep and The Jam with That's Entertainment also feature.

Today this is the most complete anthology of the whole of that years amazing mixture of sounds we heard on Radio One and on Top Of The Pops

July 1st saw the release of Extra, the now familiar package of an extra three discs worth of hits that is part of this series bonus touches expanding the scope of the initial selection with some less obvious choices.

This adds tracks like the original single of My Own way by Duran Duran rather than the remake for the Rio album this group have effectively disowned, Me And Mr Sanchez by the much talked about but ultimately not the the next big thing Blue Rondo A La Turk, the forgotten The Elephant's Graveyard by the Boomtown Rats, Ant Rap, the last hurrah of Adam And The Ants before they split and a good selection of classy soul from Diana Ross and Randy Crawford amongst others.

Not so classy but unavoidable stuff included the Birdie Song by the appropriately named The Tweets popular with the under tens and  number of not so popular at the time tracks that remind me of the KTel and Ronco albums which had a few like Tears For Fears's Suffer The Children and Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield, a massive US hit that did nothing here as much as I loved it and the brilliant Joan Of Arc by OMD that did well and Barry Manilow's Bermuda Triangle that was a "guilty secret" by a guy who is a brilliant performer.

So we round of 1981, a magnificent year in pop but, pop pickers, what will be the next year to get the Now Yearbook treatment?

Reflections

The new reality isn't really all that new but just the outward manifestation of the reality within, that did not and could not move on which is really what being age dysphoric means in practical terms when you are (being) allowed to be just you.

It was never really about changing sex but more about just letting my more feminine side out, being that little child all over again but this time allowed to wear dresses, soft frilly knickers and girls socks with pretty bows without a care in the world.

Learning to feel alive as you just run with how you felt on the day so if did want to wear a t shirt and shorts that was okay too as it for many children today in a way it was never like for us ridiculed or even beaten up for daring to be just ourselves.

I learned to let it all out.

Miss Shao and our panties

A Favourite of MacGyver's from the anime Mamotte Shugogetten that's always a thing I'm aware of when the wind gets up!

"Sissification" isn't and never was what this blog about but sometimes the art produced under that influence does reflect some important parts of presentation as it applies to feminine boys.

The direction is more "being a girl" but it's really to do with with fully expressing your feminine side within what kind of an outfit you are going to be presenting in and a party dress with puffed shoulders with lace trimmings as the girl is saying demands the softest frilliest of pretty knickers underneath it.

Feminine boys (not just "sissies" like me) need to embrace being "PANTY BOYS", choosing the right pair the outfit rather just grabbing any old pair of pants.

Some may think there are disadvantages to being one but consider the following:

Boys will miss out on having a thick elastic band from boxer shorts around their waist all day.

They’ll have to look in their panty drawers to select a pair that’s suitable for the rest of the outfit they’re wearing, rather than blindly grabbing another pair of tighty whities every day.

Some of the girls at school might think it’s odd, but who cares what they think?

Boys can easily get an erection by having all of that soft and silky fabric down there.

Some girls might get confused about your sexual orientation, but that would be their mistake and not yours.

You would have to keep them hidden while you’re changing into your workout clothes in the school gymnasium.

Wearing panties can become addictive, so you would need some extra cash to keep your collection growing.

If you’re still living at home, you may need a safe hiding place for them.

If you end up loving panties like many boys and men do, you might eventually decide to wear more than panties (and maybe much more) which would cost some extra money for an entirely new wardrobe.

In truth, none of these are really disadvantages that would stand in the way of your enjoying panties if you really love wearing them.

You're a panty boy so just do it!

Taking it back

 Here we are this May bank holiday with a bit of clear up and removal of things that just aren't needed any longer not least stuff from the muddled era and duplicate books and the like.

When I looked over a while back some of my older attire I ditched a chunk because it did nnot fit quite right on me and as the whole point of this is to feel good as  me anything that doesn't for whatever reason needed to go.

That included one grey tunic that was the right sort of length for me so it looked more junior bit didn't hang so well otherwise.

I recently had a new grey box cut tunic altered to a 32 inch length like that from a quality UK supplier that just fits and looks right on me.

Ditto jettisoning the whole adult thing that never really was me, taking out the adult side for that of the schoolboy back in his grey uniform responsible as that boy like a prefect or sixer but still just that makes more sense.

I also now wear more traditional knickers with such outfits with plain looks and modest cuts

Just getting back to the core things, removing the adult inspired excess when it comes to collectors approach and just majoring on what you love to use and play with makes more sense.

More to the point I feel better about being me this way and that's what matters.