Search - Michael Jackson :: Thriller

The Citizen Kane of pop

Laszlo Matyas | 06/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I woke up from a nap and there were three text messages on my phone. Nobody ever texts me, so I knew it must have been big news. I thought there was a fire or something. Turned out, Michael Jackson is dead. I was startled, to say the least, because MJ never seemed like the kind of person that could, you know, die. To be honest, he never really registered in my consciousness as being a person; Michael Jackson was the androgynous sexual panic of "Billie Jean," the breathless seduction of "P.Y.T.," the thrilling kitsch of "Thriller," the chattering afro-popisms of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." The idea that he had a human body, one that needed food and air and sleep, never really clicked in my mind. But then again, I guess that's to be expected. I mean, how can a mere human being really be thought to be capable of creating something as monstrous, as mechanical, as all-encompassing, and as awesome as Thriller? This kid wasn't the king of pop; he was the whole damn kingdom. And we, the audience, are not his loyal subjects; we're just reading the travel brochures.



The point is, Thriller is one of the greatest moments in the history of pure pop. Which is to say, it's plastic, mass-produced, jugular-grabbingly commercial, and completely unconcerned with originality, artistic merit, or honesty. And goshdarnit, I wouldn't have it any other way! With songs and performances as irresistible and ecstatic as the ones found here, artfulness will only get in the way. Because when you have a song as swooping, as ethereal, as hypnotic, and as unashamedly romantic as "Baby Be Mine," there's really no need to question its validity. Just let those labyrinthine keyboards and yearning vocals carry you away to a shiny place. And when "Beat It" comes roaring out of the gates, it does so with such force and brutal eloquence that you completely forget how absurd it is for Michael Jackson to take on the role of a street-smart hoodlum. As a vision of ghetto reality, it's a nonsensical failure; but the important thing to remember is that, on a purely visceral level, it SOUNDS more convincing and more immediate than its more authentic counterparts.



And then there's "Billie Jean," whose lyrics are either shockingly amoral or completely uneventful, but which still manages to be one of the most magical, irresistible, and emotionally charged moments in the history of music. And if we found ourselves getting annoyed by the idea of having to root for a child-abandoning father, then we can just remind ourselves that it's only a pop album. An stunning pop album, to be precise."

Thriller - Michael Jackson's Masterpiece, Better Than Ever!

Mark | East Coast | 03/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller is a must own CD. The presentation of the CD is great, with top-notch production evident throughout. The original tracks still sound amazing. And the new remixed song versions should introduce younger R&B fans to the man who started it all.



There are many reasons to buy this version of the album even if you already own it. This version includes remastered mixes that sound great. This album also came out at the height of vinyl and casettes, so a lot of people may not own the album on CD. Old school fans will be seduced by the awesome holographic CD dust jacket, sharper re-mastered original tracks and included bonus DVD videos.



Younger music fans who love will.i.am, Kanye West, Fergie and Akon will be attracted by the remade versions. Hard-core Michael Jackson fans might not like those new versions as much. Still, no matter how you slice it, this 25th Anniversary edition belongs in your collection.



It's clear to anybody who follows R&B that so many artists over the past 10 years have made careers essentially emulating Michael's singing style and dance moves. You can include on that list:

- Justin Timberlake - FutureSex / LoveSounds

- Chris Brown - Chris Brown

- Usher - My Way

- Omarion - O



THE TRACKS AND EXTRAS



It's impossible not to hear the songs from this album from time to time, yet it had been a long time since I heard the original album in total, tracks 1-10 on this CD. When you listen to it again, it's impossible not to realize how amazing of a production this truly was, and still is even 25 years later. Every single song is a number one hit, and Michael moves through genres including pop, rock and R&B with ease. See my awards summary at the bottom for more on this.



The remakes can't possibly match Michael's original accomplishment. Yet they are not as bad as many say. I actually like the Akon version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin." And Kanye West's "Billie Jean" mix highlights his abilities as a producer.



The included DVD includes the short film music video versions of "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller." These videos are historic in their own right, each one a high budget production better than a lot of the movies made in 1982. There's also a nice liner jacket with all the original lyrics and cool album art.



There's also the Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean." For those that don't remember this performance, it's the one where Michael first does the moonwalk on stage. It takes quite a performer to pull off a rhinestone shirt, rhinestone socks, sparkly jacket, high-waters and one white glove!



It's amazing to note that Michael Jackson actually wrote most of the biggest hits on this album, something today's R&B artists rarely do. Most of the biggest hits from the album are his original works, including "Wanna Be Startin' Something," "The Girl Is Mine," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean." "Baby Be Mine," "Thriller," and "The Lady In My Life" were written and composed by Rod Temperton. "PYT" was the work of the legendary James Ingram and Quincy Jones. And Steve Porcato wrote both "Human Nature" (with John Bettis) and the newly released "For All Time" (with Michael Sherwood), number 16 on this edition.



I really liked this previously unreleased track, and it definitely has a sound akin to Human Nature. I can only speculate that that similarity is what kept it off of the original release.



AWARDS



It's amazing to think this album won 8 Grammys, and I don't even believe it was close in any category.



+ Album of the Year

+ Record of the Year ("Beat It")

+ Best Male Pop Vocals ("Thriller")

+ Best Male Rock Vocals ("Beat It")

+ Best Male R&B Vocals ("Billie Jean")

+ Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean")

+ Producer of the Year (Qunicy Jones and Michael Jackson)

+ Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Bruce Swedien)



If there had been awards for best music video back then, "Thriller," "Billie Jean," and "Beat It" would have all been nominated.



CHOOSING THE BEST EDITION



The basic 25th anniversary edition includes the original album tracks, new remixed tracks, videos and a a liner jacket with all the original lyrics and album art. Even more album art and an extended text is included with the fold-out book version of this release, the Thriller Deluxe Casebook Edition). That version is worth getting for die-hard fans who want the case-book as a collector's item. Luckily I was able to get one of each when they were on sale the week of their release. At regular prices though, the regular edition is probably the way to go for most people.



CONCLUSION



This is a pivotal album that is well done here at an affordable price when you factor in all the cool stuff that's included. While some collectors will want to own both this version and the Deluxe Casebook Edition, I think the regular 25th Anniversary Edition has enough extras to satisfy most fans. The new tracks, previously unreleased original tracks, videos and great album art make this a great purchase for new and old fans alike.



Enjoy!!!

"

Essential ... if you don't already have the original CD

R. Riis | NY | 10/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The sound quality of the original CD release of "Thriller" was already pretty great (I remember it being used as a demo disc when I bought my first CD player in 1985), but it's been goosed and buffed up here a bit - mostly in the removal of background hiss, etc. The contents of the original album are well known enough to go without comment. The additions are not much of an attraction, however : 2 previously unreleased session songs and one home demo ("Billie Jean") that are interesting but don't shake the rafters. The rest are interviews (try listening to those twice) and the "missing" second verse of the "Thriller" rap by Vincent Price. Booklet does have some nice new notes, but if you have the original "Thriller" CD there really isn't much here to make this an essential purchase, just a luxury."