ArtsEtc.
Jackson’s best-seller still thrills 25 years later
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Nicole Dorskind:
- Jackson's best-seller still thrills 25 years later (February 13, 2008)
- Addictive attributes still not 'Lost' (February 4, 2008)
- Actors take center stage in SAGs (January 29, 2008)
- Alicia Keys hip, soulful, just 'as' she is (November 20, 2007)
- Country awards forget competition (November 9, 2007)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
Twenty-five years ago, Michael Jackson thrilled the world with his top-selling album Thriller. After selling 27 million copies and having seven of its songs on the top 10 charts for a year, Jackson’s famed album took home eight Grammy awards in 1984. This year, Thriller was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Thriller went on to become the best-selling albums of all time, and its continued iconic status shows Jackson’s songs have stood the test of time.
Now, the songs of Thriller have been pressed into a newly updated compact disc and are available on Thriller 25, the 25th-anniversary edition of the best-selling record. All of the album’s original nine tracks are there, including favorites “Thriller,” “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “PYT (Pretty Young Thing)” to please long-time fans of Jackson’s music.
Jackson has also attempted to market this album to new audiences by remixing some of these original tracks with a few top artists of the new millennium. This is a necessary sales technique, considering at least 27 million Americans already own Thriller. Jackson updates “The Girl is Mine” by replacing Paul McCartney with Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, who also exercises his influence on “PYT.” While these remixes are upbeat and bring a modern hip-hop twist to the ’80s pop song, they do not compare with their original tracks. “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” is also remixed with will.i.am and Akon. This song replaces the up-tempo tone of the track with a slow reggae beat that follows Akon’s twangy vocals. It’s interesting, but the original is once again preferable to this updated track.
Surprisingly, top artists Kanye and Fergie couldn’t pull together a remix as strong as will.i.am’s. “Beat It 2008” is remixed with vocals from the “Duchess,” but you can hardly hear them. Fergie sings over portions that Michael Jackson originally sang, yet it’s almost a challenge to tell the difference between their voices. Additionally, “Billie Jean 2008” starts off strong with a rap introduction by Kanye West, but the excitement fades as the updated version is less upbeat than the original track.
Thriller 25 closes with “For All Time,” a track that did not appear on the original album in any form. This track is a down-tempo exploration of the depths of love. “For All Time” is slightly hard to swallow at first because of its ’80s tone, but it’s still great, and Jackson even hits some of his highest notes on this one.
But, if you really want to be taken back to the ’80s, make sure to view the DVD, which contains music videos of “Thriller,” “Beat It” and “Billie Jean” as well as Jackson’s Emmy-nominated performance of “Billie Jean” from the NBC special “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” Michael’s entire outfit is dazzling in silver and black sequins — even his socks sparkle. He twists, turns and even does the moonwalk while singing and sporting his classic white glove. This performance is definitely worth watching.
Yes, he has had endless nose jobs, has changed his skin color from black to white, has dangled his child off a balcony and shares his bed with little children, but despite his insanity, Michael Jackson is by far one of the most talented musicians any of us have ever listened to. Even though his remixes on Thriller 25 cannot compare with the original tracks, it is evident that Michael Jackson is still incredible and is still the king of pop.
3 stars out of 5
9 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Muckrakers
President’s Visit Marked a Speech to One of the Last Groups Not Critical of Him
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
super album man, i think the remixes were meant to be not so good, just enough to get younger generations interested because of the artist included on the track. So then they listen to the original and go ‘WOW’ can’t believe i never heard this stuff before.
Great Reort
5 STARS.
I totally agree. I’m probably not a fan, man i don’t know a thing about Jackson, but theres a reason his albums number one, and his second album is also the 2nd larget album He can definately beat all the press and tabloids with his albums, and they have to be quite. He should come back and sing i think. He shouldn’t try to be now, more modern because people don’t like the of him…as it shows…..He should be himself, thats why he is THE ONLY LIVING LEGEND LEFT. So i think we need to respect him more.
Thriller 25……Totally awesome. MIchael is still the king of pop. He is irreplaceable
this article would be way better without that last paragraph. keep to the facts!!!
The media is not giving Will.i.am enough credit for his remixes. PYT 2008 is da Bomb, for the R & B crowd!! Fergie & Akon are ok. I love Kanye’s remix. The last cut “For all Time” is a new wedding song!! They sold out at the Target Stores in the US by 1pm. yesterday!!! So enough said!!!!
Michael Jackson is the true king of pop,rock and soul…MJ is on a whole different level…he just makes rest of all sound so lame…The KING….
Why ending the article with this lies, STOP RACISM AGAINST Michael Joseph Jackson NOW !!!
Go Michael Jackson!
i am definitely buying this album. have waited years to hear some new, decent, cutting edge music and now i am going to. i am not too happy about the lies in the last paragraph though. That’s all false about Michael. People may think that, but that can never stick to the facts. People always want money and tries to damage the other’s rep. But Michael is still the King of Pop. That will never change.
I think thriller 25 CD is a great deal for everyone specially considering the price for all that offer. For people who liked the remixes it is good because they get to enjoy a modern version of some of the tracks. For those who don’t like the remixes and don’t have the original cd, it is a good deal, because they get to have the original this time. For those who have the original and don’t have the videos on DVD, it is a good deal as well. so, in a way everybody wins.