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Michael Jackson
Thriller
[25th Anniversary Edition]
(Epic/Legacy)
First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2008, Volume 15, #3
Written by John Metzger
Sun March 30, 2008, 12:45 PM CDT
Twenty-five years after it was issued, Michael Jackson’s Thriller has
become even more difficult to assess. By dangling babies over railings, putting
himself in the position of being accused of child molestation — a charge that,
incidentally, never was proven — and routinely altering his facial appearance,
Jackson, of course, hardly has helped his cause. Although individuals certainly
have every right to decide for themselves whether or not to purchase his albums
and contribute further to his bank account, it is important for critics to
separate Jackson’s actions from his art. If it is heard with a clear head, Thriller not only remains a certifiable classic but it also has retained
both its charm and its relevance.
There’s no denying the fact that Thriller was an immediate phenomenon
in popular culture. It truly did not matter whether or not one was a fan of
Jackson’s post-disco dance grooves. In 1982 — as well as the years that
followed — his songs weren’t just impossible to avoid, they also were impossible
to resist. Even the debut of his videos turned into events that — like The
Beatles’ appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show — were not to be missed.
There are only three outings in music history that succeeded in placing seven
tracks in Billboard’s Top 10, and Thriller came first. It’s no
wonder, then, that the set continues to have the distinction of being the
best-selling album of all time.
Nevertheless, listening to Thriller today is an odd experience,
especially for those who weren’t necessarily fans of Jackson’s solo work but
nonetheless lived through his kingly reign over the pop charts. On the one hand,
the music is stuck in time, forever tied to an era from long ago, so much so
that Jackson’s Human Nature sounds like the entire impetus for Howard
Jones’ solo career. Simultaneously, though, the songs themselves feel strangely
contemporary. Although different beats and textures have been applied to the hit
singles that have emerged since 1982, pop music itself — particularly the
dance-friendly kind — hasn’t really evolved, at least not in ways that are
nearly as appealing and compelling as Thriller.
Consider this: With Thriller, Jackson resurrected disco by making an
album that brought together a cast that included Paul McCartney, Eddie Van Halen,
actor Vincent Price, members of Toto, and producer Quincy Jones. In spite of its
seemingly hodgepodge construction, the resulting effort actually felt cohesive
and complete. By delving into gang warfare (Beat It) and commenting on a
then-recent paternity suit against him (Billie Jean), Jackson dealt with
big issues, too, which is something pop music frequently has struggled to
accomplish in a meaningful fashion. In tying unshakeable melodies to thumping
bass lines (Wanna Be Startin’ Something) and a writhing electric guitar
lead (Beat It), Jackson turned Thriller into an album that was
universally acceptable, yet also phenomenally good. He even dared to slip an ode
to The Beatles into the title tune as well as to highlight it by having Paul
McCartney sing with him on the preceding track The Girl Is Mine.
In the wake of Thriller’s enormous success, everyone from Justin
Timberlake to Britney Spears to Usher has attempted to put their own stamp upon
Jackson’s work, but the results — even those by Jackson himself — largely have
sounded like carbon-copy clones or, worse, as if they had been manufactured from
synthetic components. Therefore, it ought not to be a surprise that the
well-meaning remakes of the album’s songs by contemporary artists such as Fergie
and Kanye West — which are tacked onto the conclusion of the 25th
anniversary edition of Thriller — fail miserably. Akon, at least, had the
wisdom to alter the flow of Wanna Be Startin’ Something, but his version
still pales in comparison to the original. This, of course, is an illuminating
statement about what Jackson achieved as well as about the decline of pop music
in general.
As an added bonus, the newly minted version of Thriller also compiles
the short films that Jackson made for Beat It, Billie Jean, and
the title track. Wonderfully conceived and expertly choreographed, they continue
to provide insight into Jackson’s showmanship, though it’s equally true that
they haven’t aged nearly as well as the music itself. In the end, Thriller
might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but even those who hate the sounds that
typically emanate from nightclubs have to admit that Jackson left a very big
imprint upon popular culture, one that has proven to be rather difficult — if
not impossible — to recreate, let alone supplant.
Thriller [Original Album] — 
Bonus Materials —
Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition [Deluxe Casebook] is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
Click Here!
For UK orders, please
Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2008 The Music Box
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