Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
School is rubbish. I know it, you know it, and Ferris Bueller knows it. Which is why he’s decided to fake out his folks with a pretend dose of sniffles, round-up his girlfriend and best bud, and get down to some serious truanting in the Chicago sun.
when someone new to tumblr has a classic rock blog
it’s like
welcome friend
you’ve chosen an excellent side of tumblr to join
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Michael Jackson - Little Susie
heavensgladyoucame:
‘Little Susie’ is yet another testament to Jackson’s range and depth as an artist. The song also demonstrates his commitment to his creative vision regardless of whom it might alienate. Many critics were simply baffled that a ‘mini-opera’ about such a dark and grotesque subject could land on a mainstream pop record. “What it’s doing on an album with Dallas Austin and Jam and Lewis is anyone’s guess,’ wrote Rolling Stone.
For Jackson, however, the reasoning for “Little Susie” was quite simple: He believed it was a great piece. Commercial viability or audience expectations didn’t matter. What mattered was the personal connection, the story, the melody. Jackson had actually written and recorded a version of the song more than 15 years earlier in 1979. He tinkered with it a few times over the years, but it wasn’t until working with Brad Buxer in 1994 that it finally began to unfold itself for Jackson.
While “Little Susie” remains mostly unknown, it is one of the most poignant and unique songs in his entire catalogue. “If he ever decides to stop being a pop singer,” wrote Anthony Wynn, “this song [is] a proof he could compose music for movies and seriously win Oscars for it. It’s sad, haunting, beautiful.” Indeed, “Little Susie” reaffirms his substantial abilities as a songwriter. A tragic, piercing account of loneliness and loss, the song also boldly veers from traditional pop/rock instruments and expectations, featuring Broadway-style orchestration and strings borrowed from Fiddler on the Roof’s “Sunrise, Sunset.” The song begins with the “Pie Jesu” segment of Maurice Durufle’s majestic masterpiece, Requiem Op. 9. Following this interlude, a little girl’s voice (sung by Markita Prescott) hums simple melody to the sound of a music box. The effect is both enchanting and disturbing.
