Michael Jackson - Thriller 25 Anniversary Edition

Jul 9, 2008

It's probably not difficult to guess the line that this review will take. In 1983, Michael Jackson released one of the most perfectly realised pop albums of all time. A great, great many people concurred, making this the biggest selling record in history. To celebrate, and also one suspects, because other events in the proceeding 25 years have, unfathomably, left him short of cash, Thriller has been repackaged and re-released.

By definition of its monumental sales, many people already own this LP. How then to entice young new listeners and completists alike? By roping in contemporary artists such as Fergie, Kanye West and Akon to re-interpret tracks which were already nigh on pop perfection, and tagging them on to the end of the original album, that's how. The results, predictably, serve both to remind what a classic Jackson originally made, and to denigrate it.

You more than likely already know that 'Billie Jean' has the most infectious bass line you've ever heard, and that, coupled with the iconic keyboard stabs, its intro is rivalled only by 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and 'How Soon is Now?' in the instantly recognisable stakes. You probably also know that with its brooding sound and venomous lyrics allegedly about a real life stalker, that it is at once utterly funky and a little disconcerting. You probably didn't realise that in actual fact Quincy Jones' production had been letting it down. That certainly seems to be Kanye West's take, as he bravely and inexplicably slows the track down to a snail's pace and removes the bassline entirely for his 2008 version.

Did you also realise that 'Beat It', despite its classic 80s guitar riff that managed to successfully merge rock 'n' roll, soul and disco, was in truth always lacking the constipated cat warblings of Fergie? Or that 'P.Y.T.', originally the perfect distillation of Quincy's rich, distinctive sound would be greatly improved if turned into a Black Eyed Peas album track?

If you are unfortunate enough not to own Thriller, buy it now. Buy it for the underrated swagger of 'Wanna Be Startin' Something', or the cartoon horror of the title track. Even buy it for the sheer comedy (and no little irony) of Jackson and Paul McCartney vying for alpha male status on 'The Girl is Mine'. Just don't buy this version. You may forget to turn it off after track 10, unleashing the sheer disaster that is 'Thriller' 2008 style.

Oliver W J Rock

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