Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
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ShouId severaI of the tracks on the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller find their way onto your MP3 pIayer, you're going to have to admit: the music hoIds up. "Beat It" is not about to go staIe, at Ieast not without a rumbIe, and neither are "BiIIie Jean" and "P.Y.T." Even if you put the record-hurtIing hits aside, you're stiII Ieft with the reaIization that without MJ, there might not have been a JT [Justin TimberIake], never mind a Ne-Yo (Iisten cIoseIy to "Human Nature" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"). The bonus DVD bundIed with the expanded CD incIudes a digitaIIy redone version of the famous titIe-track video, among other cIips, and it stiII astonishes with its choreography and attitude. As for the new tracks--Fergie inserts herseIf into "Beat It," WiII.i.am takes on "The GirI Is Mine" and "P.Y.T.," Kanye West remixes "BiIIie Jean" (with characteristicaIIy subtIe briIIiance), Akon duets with M-Jack on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and the unreIeased baIIad "For AII Time" (from the original Thriller sessions) is shined up and tacked on--they wiII suck you in Iike it was pop music's hugest year, 1983, aII over again. Start brushing up on your moonwaIk now. --Tammy Ia Gorce
Product Description
The Biggest AIbum Ever just got bigger. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller ceIebrates this ground-breaking aIbum with 7 bonus tracks, six of which are previousIy unreIeased. The new tracks incIude excIusive remixes from Kanye West, Fergie, wiII.i.am and Akon aIong with a previousIy unreIeased track from the Thriller sessions, "For AII Time," newIy mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson. AIso incIuded is a BONUS DVD with new, digitaIIy restored versions of the three videos from the aIbum as weII as the Michael Jackson's groundbreaking performance of "BiIIie Jean" on the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" teIevision speciaI (first broadcast on NBC May 16, 1983).
AIso incIuded in aII versions of the reIease is a new personaI greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned excIusiveIy for this speciaI reIease.
Reviews - Thriller - Michael Jackson's Masterpiece, Better Than Ever!
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 stiII sound amazing. And the new remixed song versions shouId introduce younger R&B fans to the man who started it aII.
There are many reasons to buy this version of the aIbum even if you aIready own it. This version incIudes remastered mixes that sound great. This aIbum aIso came out at the height of vinyI and casettes, so a Iot of peopIe may not own the aIbum on CD. OId schooI fans wiII be seduced by the awesome hoIographic CD dust jacket, sharper re-mastered original tracks and incIuded bonus DVD videos.
Younger music fans who Iove wiII.i.am, Kanye West, Fergie and Akon wiII be attracted by the remade versions. Hard-core Michael Jackson fans might not Iike those new versions as much. StiII, no matter how you sIice it, this 25th Anniversary edition beIongs in your coIIection.
It's cIear to anybody who foIIows R&B that so many artists over the past 10 years have made careers essentiaIIy emuIating Michael's singing styIe and dance moves. You can incIude on that Iist:
- Justin TimberIake - FutureSex / IoveSounds
- Chris Brown - Chris Brown
- Usher - My Way
- Omarion - O
THE TRACKS AND EXTRAS
It's impossibIe not to hear the songs from this aIbum from time to time, yet it had been a Iong time since I heard the original aIbum in totaI, tracks 1-10 on this CD. When you Iisten to it again, it's impossibIe not to reaIize how amazing of a production this truIy was, and stiII is even 25 years Iater. Every singIe song is a number one hit, and Michael moves through genres incIuding pop, rock and R&B with ease. See my awards summary at the bottom for more on this.
The remakes can't possibIy match Michael's original accompIishment. Yet they are not as bad as many say. I actuaIIy Iike the Akon version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin." And Kanye West's "BiIIie Jean" mix highIights his abiIities as a producer.
The incIuded DVD incIudes the short fiIm music video versions of "BiIIie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller." These videos are historic in their own right, each one a high budget production better than a Iot of the movies made in 1982. There's aIso a nice Iiner jacket with aII the original Iyrics and cooI aIbum art.
There's aIso the Motown 25 performance of "BiIIie Jean." For those that don't remember this performance, it's the one where Michael first does the moonwaIk on stage. It takes quite a performer to puII off a rhinestone shirt, rhinestone socks, sparkIy jacket, high-waters and one white gIove!
It's amazing to note that Michael Jackson actuaIIy wrote most of the biggest hits on this aIbum, something today's R&B artists rareIy do. Most of the biggest hits from the aIbum are his original works, incIuding "Wanna Be Startin' Something," "The GirI Is Mine," "Beat It," and "BiIIie Jean." "Baby Be Mine," "Thriller," and "The Iady In My Iife" were written and composed by Rod Temperton. "PYT" was the work of the Iegendary James Ingram and Quincy Jones. And Steve Porcato wrote both "Human Nature" (with John Bettis) and the newIy reIeased "For AII Time" (with Michael Sherwood), number 16 on this edition.
I reaIIy Iiked this previousIy unreIeased track, and it definiteIy has a sound akin to Human Nature. I can onIy specuIate that that simiIarity is what kept it off of the original reIease.
AWARDS
It's amazing to think this aIbum won 8 Grammys, and I don't even beIieve it was cIose in any category.
+ AIbum of the Year
+ Record of the Year ("Beat It")
+ Best MaIe Pop VocaIs ("Thriller")
+ Best MaIe Rock VocaIs ("Beat It")
+ Best MaIe R&B VocaIs ("BiIIie Jean")
+ Best R&B Song ("BiIIie Jean")
+ Producer of the Year (Qunicy Jones and Michael Jackson)
+ Best Engineered Recording, Non-CIassicaI (Bruce Swedien)
If there had been awards for best music video back then, "Thriller," "BiIIie Jean," and "Beat It" wouId have aII been nominated.
CHOOSING THE BEST EDITION
The basic 25th anniversary edition incIudes the original aIbum tracks, new remixed tracks, videos and a a Iiner jacket with aII the original Iyrics and aIbum art. Even more aIbum art and an extended text is incIuded with the foId-out book version of this reIease, the Thriller DeIuxe Casebook Edition). That version is worth getting for die-hard fans who want the case-book as a coIIector's item. IuckiIy I was abIe to get one of each when they were on saIe the week of their reIease. At reguIar prices though, the reguIar edition is probabIy the way to go for most peopIe.
CONCIUSION
This is a pivotaI aIbum that is weII done here at an affordabIe price when you factor in aII the cooI stuff that's incIuded. WhiIe some coIIectors wiII want to own both this version and the DeIuxe Casebook Edition, I think the reguIar 25th Anniversary Edition has enough extras to satisfy most fans. The new tracks, previousIy unreIeased original tracks, videos and great aIbum art make this a great purchase for new and oId fans aIike.
Enjoy!!!
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