Joseph Vogel

"The book ... is a collection of features, reviews and articles about Michael Jackson. They were written in the months and years following his death as an atempt to flesh out, in more depth and detail, who Jackson really was and why he mattered."--Introduction, p. 3.

Collected Writings on the King of Pop

Featuring Michael Jackson

SINCE ITS PREMIERE IN THE SUMMER OF 2016, Stranger Things has become a global phenomenon. It also restored in vivid detail the pulse and feel of a decade: the 1980s.Indeed, the show's creators-the Duffer Brothers-describe the series as "a love letter to the '80s." From its synth soundtrack, to its retro fonts, to its nostalgic nods to Spielberg and Stephen King, Stranger Things is populated with references, homages, and artifacts from the Reagan era. This book dives deep into that world, revealing everything you wanted to know about the series and its influences, including:The parallels to the show's biggest touchstone: the 1982 classic, E.T.: The Extra TerrestrialThe significance of The Clash's hit song, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"The context behind Dungeons & Dragons-which incited a national panic in the '80s-and an explanation of how the game works in the showThe connections to a host of '80s books and movies, including Stand By Me, IT, The Thing, Aliens, and The GooniesOther stops on this "curiosity voyage" include: explorations of arcades, Ataris, BMX bikes, MTV, Radio Shack, Carl Sagan, Ronald Reagan, Eggos, Steve's hair, and mom jeans. Packed with detail and insight, Stranger Things and the '80sis the ultimate companion to the hit show and the era that inspired it.

The Complete Retro Guide

Stranger Things and The '80s

For half a century, Michael Jackson’s music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his songs continue to be played in nearly every corner of the world, however, they have rarely been given serious critical attention. The first book dedicated solely to exploring his creative work, Man in the Music guides us through an unparalleled analysis of Jackson’s recordings, album by album, from his trailblazing work with Quincy Jones to his later collaborations with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Rodney Jerkins. Drawing on rare archival material and on dozens of original interviews with the collaborators, engineers, producers, and songwriters who helped bring the artist’s music into the world, Jackson expert and acclaimed cultural critic Joseph Vogel reveals the inspirations, demos, studio sessions, technological advances, setbacks and breakthroughs, failures and triumphs, that gave rise to an immortal body of work.

Man in the Music

Released in 1995, Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" was in many ways anachronistic. In both subject and sound, it was like nothing else on the radio. It defied the cynicism and apathy of Generation X; it challenged the aesthetic expectations for a "pop song" (or even a "protest song"), fusing blues, opera, rock and gospel; and it demanded accountability in an era of corporate greed, globalization and environmental indifference. A massive hit globally (reaching #1 in over fifteen countries), it wasn't even offered as a single in the United States. Yet nearly two decades later, it stands as one of Jackson's greatest artistic achievements. In this groundbreaking monograph, author Joseph Vogel details the song's context and evolution from its inception in Vienna in 1988, to its release and reception in 1995, to Jackson's final live performance in Munich in 1999. Based on original research, including interviews with the song's key participants, Earth Song: Inside Michael Jackson's Magnum Opus offers a fascinating reassessment of this prophetic musical statement.

Inside Michael Jackson's Magnum Opus

Earth Song

By the 1980s, critics and the public alike considered James Baldwin irrelevant. Yet Baldwin remained an important, prolific writer until his death in 1987. Indeed, his work throughout the decade pushed him into new areas, in particular an expanded interest in the social and psychological consequences of popular culture and mass media. Joseph Vogel offers the first in-depth look at Baldwin's dynamic final decade of work. Delving into the writer's creative endeavors, crucial essays and articles, and the impassioned polemic The Evidence of Things Not Seen, Vogel finds Baldwin as prescient and fearless as ever. Baldwin's sustained grappling with "the great transforming energy" of mass culture revealed his gifts for media and cultural criticism. It also brought him into the fray on issues ranging from the Reagan-era culture wars to the New South, from the deterioration of inner cities to the disproportionate incarceration of black youth, and from pop culture gender-bending to the evolving women's and gay rights movements. Astute and compelling, revives and redeems the final act of a great American writer.

Witnessing the Reagan Era

James Baldwin and the 1980s

FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED! Released in 1995, Michael Jackson s "Earth Song" was in many ways anachronistic. In both theme and sound, it was like nothing else on the radio. It defied the cynicism and apathy of Generation X. It challenged the aesthetic expectations for a pop song or even a protest song, fusing blues, opera, rock and gospel. It demanded conscience in an era of corporate greed, genocide and environmental indifference. A massive hit around the world (reaching #1 in over fifteen countries), it wasn t even offered as a single in the United States. Yet nearly eighteen years later, this six-and-a-half minute lamentation stands as one of Jackson s greatest artistic achievements. In this groundbreaking monograph, author Joseph Vogel -- who filmmaker Spike Lee praised as having "brilliantly cracked the DNA" of Jackson's work -- details the song s evolution from its inception in Vienna in 1988, to never-before-heard stories from the recording studio, to its controversial release and reception, to Jackson s final live performance in Munich in 1999. Based on original research, including interviews with the song s key participants, Earth Song: Inside Michael Jackson s Magnum Opus offers a fascinating reassessment of this timeless work of art.

Earth Song: Inside Michael Jackson's Magnum Opus

What were Prince's politics? What did he believe about God? And did he really forsake the subject-sex-that once made him the most subversive superstar of the Reagan era? In this illuminating thematic biography, Joseph Vogel explores the issues that made Prince one of the late 20th century's most unique, controversial, and fascinating artists. Since his unexpected death in 2016, Prince has been recognized by peers, critics, and music fans alike. President Barack Obama described him as “one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time.” Yet in spite of the influx of attention, much about Prince's creative life, work, and cultural impact remains thinly examined. This Thing Called Life fills this vacuum, delving deep into seven key topics-politics, sound, race, gender, sex, religion, and death-that allow us to see Prince in fresh, invigorating new ways. Accessible and timely, This Thing Called Life takes the reader on a journey through the catalog and creative revolution of one of America's most compelling and elusive icons.

Prince, Race, Sex, Religion, and Music

This Thing Called Life

When the student government of Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University) heard about Michael Moore's 2004 Slacker Tour, they thought he would be a great speaker that would create the intelligent debate that is the mainstay of college campuses across the U.S. They knew their choice would stir controversy in one of the most conservative counties in America, but they felt they could handle it. They were completely surprised, however, by the tremendous anti-liberal reaction to their choice -- a reaction that threatened violence, used bribery, applied political pressure, and ultimately failed to stop the student government, UVSC students, and the community from hearing Michael Moore.

Joseph Vogel

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