May you find peace

Introduced first in the mid-1970s, the Synclavier is a cross between a synthesiser and a sampler. It was one of the most expensive pieces of studio equipment that one could (or not) buy at the time. Today's technology is so advanced, that several softwares available out there will provide virtually the same kind of sound and function that the Synclavier did.

So why am I talking about an instrument that most people are unaware of? A machine whose use and indeed name, I myself was unaware of till the advent of the Wikipedia age a few years ago... While you might not have heard its name, you have quite likely heard one of the most famous sounds ever created on this machine.

Gong... Gong... Gong... Gong... Gong... Gong... Gong... 7 times (well count it if you don't believe me) before the guitar riff kicks in...

That's the intro to Track #5 on the biggest selling album of all time - Beat It from Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller. My introduction to the music from this album happened a couple of years after its official release. Not surprising considering access to Western music was not as widespread and by extension quick as it is today.
In the past I have mentioned my love for MJ's music and especially the above mentioned song. There was something... a genre-busting element to the track. I saw and heard so many musicians and people in the industry mention at the funeral just how vital MJ's contribution has been to the world of music and indeed the world.

Speaking of the funeral, I managed to catch it live about an hour into it the other day. I cannot believe the amount of overacting some of the family and friends did. Whole hunks of ham would feel inadequate after seeing the villains mentioned below:-

• Brooke Shields - WTF was that whole sniffling, stuck for words crap she did when she came on???!! My God this woman is supposed to be an actress... obviously not a good one coz she came across as just plain lame.
• The King siblings - OK we get that your father was a great man but was it really necessary to keep preceding every other sentence with "Like my/our father used to say...". And while writing this, I'm also reading up on both Bernice and Martin Luther III. Not very flattering and I now understand why, while watching Bernice King, I felt like I was watching some chest thumping evangelical type on God TV.
• Berry Gordy & Marlon Jackson - Gordy, who is the founder of Motown Records, has probably seen in entirety the rise and fall of the Michael Jackson phenomenon but mate that doesn't give you the right to go on and on about the freakin' softball games in which your family got your asses handed to you by them. And Marlon Jackson who started blubbering from when he took the mic and said he had no words and was speechless to a mind numbingly lengthy eulogy. Liar... liar... your brother's dead!
• Paris Jackson - To be fair, I really don't think its Paris who's the villain here but the entire Jackson family. You cant put a 12 year old little girl in the public spotlight like that. I think it was an extremely selfish and thoughtless gesture on the family's part.

While the above almost made you feel glad that MJ was dead and not have to listen to their interminably long and boring speeches, some of the others really showed their love, respect and admiration for Michael with stirring performances and eulogies:-

• John Mayer - Did a cool rocker thing. Walked on stage with a beat up ole guitar, didn't sing, just played an instrumental version of Human Nature. Very cool! \m/
• Usher - Amazing feel and reiterated why he is such a big superstar.
• Judith Hill - What a voice! No wonder she was one of the leading voices for the "This Is It" tour
• Shaheen Jafargholi - OK if this is what this kid can sing at age 12, what in the name of God is he going to sound like once he's out of his teens
• Reverend Al Sharpton - The only other time I have only seen the good Reverend speak was in his guest role in Boston Legal. And oh boy, he's as good off camera as he is on it. Statement of the ceremony, "There was nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with, but he dealt with it."

It's been a sad, unexpectedly short end to what was already a legendary life and held promise to be even bigger had the proposed "This Is It" tour taken place. A life that tomes have been written about and a lot of them for the wrong reasons. While he may have also been a humanitarian raising and contributing millions, he will, for me, always be the very first of many musical influencers who was key in shaping up my likes, taste and approach to music.

I end by echoing that charismatic rabble-rouser, Rev. Al Sharpton, "Some came here to say goodbye to Michael Jackson, I came to say... thank you."