Michael Jackson Thriller CD

Few albums in pop music history have the legacy of Michael Jackson's THRILLER. Not only was the 1983 landmark one of the biggest-selling albums ever, its influence touched R&B, quiet storm, rock, hip-hop, and practically every other genre in the decades that followed. The 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION gives the world the chance to re-evaluate this classic.

For starters, the original tracks hold up marvelously. The luster hasn't worn from the pure pop gems "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," from the taut energy of "Beat It" and "Thriller," or the soft, intimate pulse of "Human Nature." Quincy Jones's crisp, multi-layered production seems even more masterly in hindsight. The set includes seven bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased ballad "For All Time" from the original sessions, while remixes from will i. am, Akon, Fergie, and Kanye West underscore THRILLER's influence on contemporary pop. The package also comes with a bonus DVD featuring digitally restored versions of the album's classic videos, and a 48-page color booklet complete with lyrics, rare photos and a personal greeting from Michael. The album and its colossal legacy come out no worse in the bargain.

The finest example of perfect disco pop, and a record that should be prescribed to musical snobs and manic depressives. The album is a true ambassador of what pop music can be. Jackson whoops and dances through a suite of unforgettable melodies that should be danced to with a smile on your face. Each track offers at least one musical hook, whether it is the beauty of 'Human Nature' (who can resist the 'dada dada da da da') or the 'whoo whoo' of 'Billie Jean'. It's all too good.

Principally recorded at Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, California.

Additional Tracks

Personnel includes: Michael Jackson (vocals, percussion); Paul McCartney (vocals); Vincent Price (spoken vocals); Steve Lukather (guitar, bass); Eddie Van Halen, Dean Parks, Paul Jackson (guitar); Larry Williams (flute, saxophone); Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn); Bill Reichenbach (trombone); David Paich (piano, synthesizer); Greg Phillinganes (Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, programming); Steve Porcaro (synthesizer, programming); David Foster, Rod Temperton (synthesizer); Tom Bahler (Synclavier); Louis Johnson (bass); Ndugu Chancler, Jeff Porcaro (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Brian Banks (programming); LaToya Jackson, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, Becky Lopez, Janet Jackson (background vocals).

Rolling Stone (pp.67-68) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "THRILLER was MJ at his breathiest and most salacious, and his most beautifully fragile....[A] work of genius."
Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.98) - Ranked #20 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...There was a time when he was truly the King of Pop. This is it..."
Rolling Stone (11/89) - Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The 80s" survey.
Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.98) - Ranked #20 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...There was a time when he was truly the King of Pop. This is it..."
Rolling Stone (11/89) - Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums Of The 80s" survey.
Entertainment Weekly (p.64) - "[A] masterpiece....THRILLER was a collection of songs that cohered as the statement of a young artist proclaiming his freedom..."
Q (1/03, p.56) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"
Q (1/00, p.138) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...The music stands undimmed by time....delivers some of the greatest ever pop-soul-dance-whatever...hardly a weak moment, and still no one goes 'aow' quite like Michael Jackson."
Q (1/03, p.56) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"
Q (1/00, p.138) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...The music stands undimmed by time....delivers some of the greatest ever pop-soul-dance-whatever...hardly a weak moment, and still no one goes 'aow' quite like Michael Jackson."
Uncut (p.90) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]racks like 'Wanna Be Starting Something' remain slabs of total pop, whose genius should never by obscured by a blizzard of sales stats."
Vibe (12/99, p.164) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century
Vibe (12/99, p.164) - Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century
Blender (Magazine) (p.86) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's genius....This is a profoundly quirky and omnivorous R&B mash-up, making room for hard-rock guitar and soft-serve balladry."
The Word (magazine) (p.113) - "[A] magnificent helping of pop history, due in no small part to Quincy Jones's immaculate production."