Remembering the King of Pop

Today, June 25, marks the one-year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death.

While some of the world have moved on, a barrage of "news" specials and tributes that recap the late entertainer's life, death and everything in between, aired this week.

But they were expected, weren't they?

In the past year, I, along with my daughters and their friends, have listened to Jackson as I drove them to school or where ever they needed to be.

We listened because we loved the music. We listened because we wanted to remember.

"Don't Stop "til You Get Enough" and "Man in the Mirror" were their favorites.

As for myself, I blasted "Beat It," "Smooth Criminal," "Bad" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You."

And then we would always try to throw in "Thriller."

We did, on occasion, listen to the Jackson 5's "Third Album," which features "I'll Be There" and Smokey Robinson's "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," my favorite J5 cover.

However, I do confess that while I can listen to and enjoy these songs, I have a hard time listening to MJ's early solo works, such as "Got to Be There," "Ben" and his version of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine."

I also have a hard time hearing MJ singing "If N' I Was God," from the 1973 musical film "Tom Sawyer," which, incidentally starred Johnny Whitaker.

The reasons are simple. These songs were Michael all alone. To me they represented what was really in his heart and soul when he was a preteen and teenager.

They are lonely songs. And, to me, they are his most personal.

They're different than the Jackson 5 songs, because he had his brothers with him.

And they are different from his later solo works in feel, production and emotion.

There was a sonic innocence to the earlier solo songs. Which belied what was really going on in his troubled childhood.

Maybe in another year I'll be able to listen again.

e-mail: scott@desnews.com