Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller(Deluxe Casebook Edition) [ENHANCED] [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller(Deluxe Casebook Edition) [ENHANCED] [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
A LANDMARK in the History of Pop… and so much more!
Well… THRILLER came out in 1983 and if you wanna know what’s the importance of this album, just think about this: not only it summed up the best things about American popular music so far but it also revolutionized the way pop music was marketed and regarded. Perhaps, in the History of American music, there are only two phases: before THRILLER and after THRILLER.
If we try to break down the album, we can see each song as the outstanding corollary of certain styles and influences… R&B, Motown, TSOP, Blues, Disco, Gospel, Electro and anything else you can think of. It’s all there. And that is the proof that both Michael and his producer Quincy Jones were, at that time, a match made in heaven.
This is certainly an album to be studied.
This 25th Anniversary Edition puts together a nice package: first comes the CD with all the original tracks plus some new remixes and homages(made by Kanye West, Fergie and Will.I.Am) and a new unreleased track FOR ALL TIME.
Now… honestly… I found all this new material completely delectable. I really prefer the previous THRILLER SPECIAL EDITION which contains other unreleased tracks AND a beautiful demo of BILLIE JEAN that is gorgeous. That edition of THRILLER is, in my opinion, superior to this one. It is richer… while this one focuses on the “homage” side.
BUT… this edition comes with a DVD that cannot be missed. Not only it brings you the THRILLER video - without a doubt, the video that defined what a music video is today (before THRILLER, music videos were something else…) but it also comes loaded with new stuff (like the unreleased song FOR ALL TIME) and the great MOTOWN 25 TV special.
So, in a word, unmissable.
And if you are willing to spend more money, this is a DELUXE CASEBOOK EDITION that comes in a hardbound 48-page book full of rare photos, lyrics and more.
A little more expensive, but twice unmissable. (laughs)
Thriller - Michael Jackson’s Masterpiece, Deluxe Casebook Edition, Better Than Ever!
he 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller is an awesome release and a must have for serious fans and new inductees. This deluxe casebook edition also includes a fold out collectable book with bonus pictures, background information, album art and the original liner jacket with all the lyrics. There’s also more basic editions going for about $12 that don’t include the casebook. Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller No matter how you slice it, this 25th Anniversary edition belongs in your collection.
There are many reasons to buy this album, even if you already own it. First of all, this album came out at the height of vinyl and cassette tapes, so there are a lot of people who don’t own the album on CD. Granted many people bought the previous re-releases on CD, but if you haven’t now’s your chance.
Younger music fans who love will.i.am Songs About Girls, Kanye West Graduation, Fergie The Dutchessand Akon Konvicted will be attracted by the remade versions, even if hard-core Michael Jackson fans don’t like them as much.
Old school fans will be seduced by the awesome holographic CD dust jacket, sharper re-mastered original tracks and included bonus DVD videos. It was 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 now 25 years later. Every single song is a hit, and Michael moves through genres including pop, rock and R&B with ease, nailing each one.
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
Record labels have an army of executives that realize the marketing potential of putting some top stars together to add remakes to this re-release. 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 really 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 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. Let me tell you, 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.
Still, there are many other B-side tracks and unreleased songs that could have also been included. I can only guess they are saving those up for a forthcoming box set to further extract cash from die hard fans.
It’s amazing to think this album won 8 Grammys, and it probably wasn’t close in any category.
+ Album of the Year
+ Record of the Year (”Beat It”)
+ Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (”Thriller”)
+ Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (”Beat It”)
+ Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (”Billie Jean”)
+ Best R&B Song (”Billie Jean”)
+ Producer of the Year (Qunicy Jones and Michael Jackson)
+ Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Bruce Swedien)
And there must not have been awards for best music video back then because “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” and “Beat It” would have all been nominated.
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.
Enjoy!!!