Michael Jackson. (AP photo by Opus Media and Michael Jackson Estate)
The new Official Michael Jackson Opus, a 404-page 26-pound masterwork which generated tons of buzz after Kraken Opus announced its planned publication following news of the iconic singer’s death, was published December 7, 2009.
However, Jackson enthusiasts rushing to make a quick purchase of the title on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Target.com, will discover that only Amazon currently shows any in stock, and that consists of exactly one copy. Despite the minimal inventory, the Official MJ Opus moved up from a sales ranking of 640,145 in Amazon Books on December 6 to a sales ranking of 34,949 on December 7, indicating that more may or may not become available in the near future.
Those who pre-ordered the title can look forward to its imminent delivery while, for those who did not, the best bet for purchase at this point is through the Opus website or its home store in London.
The Different Sides of a Global Icon
If the movie This Is It may be considered the ultimate film tribute to the King of Pop, it is very possible that the new Opus is not only the ultimate book tribute to him but also the definitive print documentation of who Jackson truly was as an individual and creative artist. The ten sections of the king-sized title examine different facets of his life, including those that focus on him as a child star, a composer, friend, art lover, and global icon.
The epigraph at the beginning of the chapter entitled “Voice” offers the following observation: “There are so many aspects of Michael Jackson that lit up the world, but at the heart of the pop phenomenon was a simple instrument expertly employed.”
Michael Jackson in Thriller costume. (AP Opus photo)
If it was the expert employment of the singer’s voice that launched and sustained a musical reign spanning four decades, it was more likely his belief in a unified and unconditionally loving humanity that drew so many phenomenal souls from all walks of life to both his talent and his vision. Take, for example, the fact that the MJ Opus boasts a foreword by a Jackson legend of a different kind: the brilliant civil and human rights leader, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson. Like the singer, the reverend is no stranger to controversy and is one of the few individuals whose words could place Michael Jackson’s life in an accurate and appreciative context.
Classic Michael Jackson dance image. (Art by Nate Giorgio)
In addition to Rev. Jackson, the Opus contains reflective affirmations from singer/TV show hostess Paula Abdul, actress Jane Fonda, dancer Savion Glover, music magnate Berry Gordy, producer Jimmy Jam, director Spike Lee, singer Olivia Newton-John, producer Quincy Jones, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, singer/composer Lionel Richie, boxing champion Mike Tyson, and numerous others whose lives have helped define culture in the modern era.
The accomplished writers listed as the official authors of the Opus are Serena Kim, Kim Morgan, and Thane Tierney. Ironically, most people are far more familiar with the illustrious superstar contributors. Nevertheless, add to the powerhouse line-up of famous guests the fact that the book contains contributions from fans around the globe, and the extraordinary achievement represented by the Opus becomes more and more apparent.
NEXT: Aberjhani’s Official Michael Jackson Opus Published Part 2 The Artist and the Singer
by Aberjhani
The National African American Art Examiner and author/co-author of eight books including Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance and ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love.
More on the Magnum Opus Life of Michael Jackson:
- The Official Michael Jackson Opus Website
- The Kraken Opus Store
- Enter Sweepstakes to Win Official Michael Jackson Opus
- The Michael Jackson Opus on the Oprah Winfrey Website
- Michael Jackson's This Is It
- Michael Jackson Million Dots Portrait
- A Moonwalking Giant Lies Down to Rest
- Official Michael Jackson Opus Published Part 2 The Artist and the Singer
Comments
It's so important for black men to speak and write about the man, Michael Jackson, rather than the jealous, resentful, uninformed and often vicious white males (and some women) of the U.S. and U.K. mainstream and tabloid press. Aberjhani, you may never say such a thing, so I am saying it. The words of these writers have broken my heart and the hearts of millions of MJ lovers. And not one of them was from a black man. Thank God for your writing. I am comforted.
After the slate of slanted, negative articles that came out today about the paintings featured in the Opus, and the accompanying, stunningly misguided comments by some unfathomable readers, it was with great pleasure that I found your article waiting for me in my email account. You have saved my day. And so has SWB. Chris Brown called those kind of readers "the haters." They're glad to hate anyone, anytime, anywhere--but most particularly, they're glad to hate young, accomplished men of color. I wonder why?
Thank you SWB and Gina for visiting and commenting.
I have not seen the negative reviews to which you’re referring so don’t know what others are criticizing as faulty about the Opus. But I’ve worked at one level or another in the publishing industry for a couple of decades and know an exceptional book product when I see one —even from a distance. And this particular book is illustrative of what Old Schoolers used to call “putting the jelly on the jelly” – or blending high quality genius with more high quality genius.
Where so-called haters are concerned, I think many (Black and White) simply envied Jackson because he accomplished what they were unable to, and not merely in a professional sense, but in the sense that he challenged social and political definitions of what he “was supposed to be” and rose so high above it. Not everyone can achieve that kind of inner freedom and self-empowerment. And sadly, not everyone applauds when others do.
Aberjhani
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