#bill bottrell

And I, I can’t cry anymore.

Linda Perry - Knock me out 

Those musical records that are released before their musicians' death can also be seen as a culmination of everything they did in their careers. You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen stays as a  great example of that, because the disc finds him discussing the same themes that troubled him throughout his opus, but his finale gives this a specific outlook. While you can call the album bleak, you also notice he's quite light hearted about the latter quality. His patented wit remains firm, his words are strong and his musical backing could be seen as one of the best he ever had. One wishes Mr. Cohen lived on, You Want It Darker reminds us of Blackstar in that regard, i.e. he sounds highly invigorated on something that became his sonic will.

With so much recent discussion about Michael Jackson writing songs, here are the songs credited to MJ from 1972 to 1992. Of Jackson’s 13 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, he wrote/co-wrote nine: Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Beat It, Say Say Say, I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana, and Black or White.  In his solo career, Jackson wrote or co-wrote 23 of his US top 40 singles.

Thomas Dolby - Hot Sauce

Michael Jackson - Earth Song

From the November 4, 1995 issue of Music & Media. Jackson’s single “Earth Song” Although it was released as a promotional radio single in the US, peaking at #15 on the US Dance chart, the song received a major release internationally, peaking at #1 in the UK for 6 weeks 

Michael Jackson - Black Or White [1991]