List Price: $19.98

 

 

 

 

 

Track Listing

1. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
2. Baby Be Mine
3. The Girl Is Mine (with Paul McCartney)
4. Thriller
5. Beat It
6. Billie Jean
7. Human Nature
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
9. The Lady In My Life
10. Vincent Price (bonus track)
11. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am ( Previously Unreleased Track For 25th Anniversary Edition )
12. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with Michael Jackson and will.i.am ( Previously Unreleased Track For 25th Anniversary Edition )
13. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008 with Michael Jackson, Akon and will.i.am( Previously Unreleased Track For 25th Anniversary Edition )
14. Beat It 2008 with Fergie( Previously Unreleased Track For 25th Anniversary Edition )
15. Billie Jean 2008 with Kanye West ( Previously Unreleased Track For 25th Anniversary Edition )
16. . For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions) ( Previously Unreleased Track For 25th Anniversary Edition )

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-12
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered

Album Description
The Biggest Album Ever just got bigger. The 25th Anniversary Edition of Thriller celebrates this ground-breaking album with 7 bonus tracks, six of which are previously unreleased. The new tracks include exclusive remixes from Kanye West, Fergie, will.i.am and Akon along with a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions, “For All Time,” newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson. Also included is a BONUS DVD with new, digitally restored versions of the three videos from the album as well as the Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking performance of “Billie Jean” on the “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever” television special (first broadcast on NBC May 16, 1983).

Also included in all versions of the release is a new personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release.

Amazon.com
Should several of the tracks on the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller find their way onto your MP3 player, you’re going to have to admit: the music holds up. “Beat It” is not about to go stale, at least not without a rumble, and neither are “Billie Jean” and “P.Y.T.” Even if you put the record-hurtling hits aside, you’re still left with the realization that without MJ, there might not have been a JT [Justin Timberlake], never mind a Ne-Yo (listen closely to “Human Nature” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’”). The bonus DVD bundled with the expanded CD includes a digitally redone version of the famous title-track video, among other clips, and it still astonishes with its choreography and attitude. As for the new tracks–Fergie inserts herself into “Beat It,” Will.i.am takes on “The Girl Is Mine” and “P.Y.T.,” Kanye West remixes “Billie Jean” (with characteristically subtle brilliance), Akon duets with M-Jack on “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and the unreleased ballad “For All Time” (from the original Thriller sessions) is shined up and tacked on–they will suck you in like it was pop music’s hugest year, 1983, all over again. Start brushing up on your moonwalk now. –Tammy La Gorce

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Customer Reviews

The Citizen Kane of pop
I woke up from a nap and there were three text messages on my phone. Nobody ever texts me, so I knew it must have been big news. I thought there was a fire or something. Turned out, Michael Jackson is dead. I was startled, to say the least, because MJ never seemed like the kind of person that could, you know, die. To be honest, he never really registered in my consciousness as being a person; Michael Jackson was the androgynous sexual panic of “Billie Jean,” the breathless seduction of “P.Y.T.,” the thrilling kitsch of “Thriller,” the chattering afro-popisms of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” The idea that he had a human body, one that needed food and air and sleep, never really clicked in my mind. But then again, I guess that’s to be expected. I mean, how can a mere human being really be thought to be capable of creating something as monstrous, as mechanical, as all-encompassing, and as awesome as Thriller? This kid wasn’t the king of pop; he was the whole damn kingdom. And we, the audience, are not his loyal subjects; we’re just reading the travel brochures.

The point is, Thriller is one of the greatest moments in the history of pure pop. Which is to say, it’s plastic, mass-produced, jugular-grabbingly commercial, and completely unconcerned with originality, artistic merit, or honesty. And goshdarnit, I wouldn’t have it any other way! With songs and performances as irresistible and ecstatic as the ones found here, artfulness will only get in the way. Because when you have a song as swooping, as ethereal, as hypnotic, and as unashamedly romantic as “Baby Be Mine,” there’s really no need to question its validity. Just let those labyrinthine keyboards and yearning vocals carry you away to a shiny place. And when “Beat It” comes roaring out of the gates, it does so with such force and brutal eloquence that you completely forget how absurd it is for Michael Jackson to take on the role of a street-smart hoodlum. As a vision of ghetto reality, it’s a nonsensical failure; but the important thing to remember is that, on a purely visceral level, it SOUNDS more convincing and more immediate than its more authentic counterparts.

And then there’s “Billie Jean,” whose lyrics are either shockingly amoral or completely uneventful, but which still manages to be one of the most magical, irresistible, and emotionally charged moments in the history of music. And if we found ourselves getting annoyed by the idea of having to root for a child-abandoning father, then we can just remind ourselves that it’s only a pop album. An stunning pop album, to be precise.

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 still sound amazing. And the new remixed song versions should introduce younger R&B fans to the man who started it all.

There are many reasons to buy this version of the album even if you already own it. This version includes remastered mixes that sound great. This album also came out at the height of vinyl and casettes, so a lot of people may not own the album on CD. Old school fans will be seduced by the awesome holographic CD dust jacket, sharper re-mastered original tracks and included bonus DVD videos.

Younger music fans who love will.i.am, Kanye West, Fergie and Akon will be attracted by the remade versions. Hard-core Michael Jackson fans might not like those new versions as much. Still, no matter how you slice it, this 25th Anniversary edition belongs in your collection.

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

THE TRACKS AND EXTRAS

It’s impossible not to hear the songs from this album from time to time, yet it had been 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 25 years later. Every single song is a number one hit, and Michael moves through genres including pop, rock and R&B with ease. See my awards summary at the bottom for more on this.

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 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 a nice liner jacket with all the original lyrics and cool album art.

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. 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.

AWARDS

It’s amazing to think this album won 8 Grammys, and I don’t even believe it was close in any category.

+ Album of the Year
+ Record of the Year (“Beat It”)
+ Best Male Pop Vocals (“Thriller”)
+ Best Male Rock Vocals (“Beat It”)
+ Best Male R&B Vocals (“Billie Jean”)
+ Best R&B Song (“Billie Jean”)
+ Producer of the Year (Qunicy Jones and Michael Jackson)
+ Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Bruce Swedien)

If there had been awards for best music video back then, “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” and “Beat It” would have all been nominated.

CHOOSING THE BEST EDITION

The basic 25th anniversary edition includes the original album tracks, new remixed tracks, videos and a a liner jacket with all the original lyrics and album art. Even more album art and an extended text is included with the fold-out book version of this release, the Thriller Deluxe Casebook Edition). That version is worth getting for die-hard fans who want the case-book as a collector’s item. Luckily I was able to get one of each when they were on sale the week of their release. At regular prices though, the regular edition is probably the way to go for most people.

CONCLUSION

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. While some collectors will want to own both this version and the Deluxe Casebook Edition, I think the regular 25th Anniversary Edition has enough extras to satisfy most fans. The new tracks, previously unreleased original tracks, videos and great album art make this a great purchase for new and old fans alike.

Enjoy!!!

Not a bad Re-issue
This second re-issue of Thriller is a better re-issue than the 2001 Special Edition. The sound quality is a lot better. But I still find it a tad lacking. It is missing “Can’t get Outta The Rain” Which appeared on side 2/B of the 45 release of Billie Jean and “Got the hots” (Which is appearing on the Japan Release). Those 2 tracks should have been added. I wouldn’t be surprised if the album has a 30th anniversary edition 5 years later with those 2 songs adeed. Also, The Kanye West Remix of Billie Jean was a tad disappointing. Kanye gave the song a great new beat but I was hoping to get a rap verse out of him on the track. The Fergie remix to Beat It wasn’t too bad either. I have nothing against Fergie but I think that P!nk would have been a better choice for the song. Anyways,Anyways, Like I said, this is a big improvement from the 2001 Special Edition for the sound quality. The Interviews on that edition are better bonus features. I think it’s well worth getting for the better sound quality. But Even though the sound is better, I find the DVD lacking. Thriller is missing the making of the video. That should have been added.

List Price: $11.98

 

 

 

 

 

Track Listing

1. Jam
2. Why You Wanna Trip on Me
3. In the Closet
4. She Drives Me Wild
5. Remember the Time
6. Can’t Let Her Get Away
7. Heal the World
8. Black or White
9. Who Is It
10. Give in to Me
11. Will You Be There
12. Keep the Faith
13. Gone Too Soon
14. Dangerous

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Special Edition

Amazon.com essential recording
Michael Jackson was still going for pop hits with 1991’s Dangerous, but he also front-loaded the album with six straight Teddy Riley-assisted cuts. This half-hour swoop of tense, aggressive, often angular funk was Jackson’s most interesting music since Thriller, and still sounds, well, invincible on this remastered edition. After that, the record’s uneven, but there’s nothing embarrassing about it, either. “Gone Too Soon,” a non-Jackson composition about teen AIDS casualty Ryan White, is a quiet statement (particularly played next to the choir-laden “Heal the World,” “Keep the Faith,” and “Will You Be There”) showing that the star doesn’t always have to get showy. The sprightly “Black or White” is explicitly pro-interracial romance, an angle its video didn’t go near, and the urgent “Give In to Me” is almost scary. Scary good, that is. –Rickey Wright

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Customer Reviews

A Massive, Epic, Grandure Album!
Firstly I’d like to thank the media for creating such unnecessary fuss about Michael Jackson’s personal life over the past few months. If they hadn’t, I’d never have got into Michael Jackson’s music as much as I have done recently; I basically had no interest in him for years. A few months back I happened to pick up a copy “Dangerous” which I borrowed from my dad. Well, if I wasn’t just blown away by the excellence of this record! The album “Dangerous” was the follow up to the immensely successful “Bad” from 1987. Dangerous was released in November 1991 and sold 27 million copies worldwide – 10 million copies of which were sold in its first four weeks of worldwide release. Nine songs were released as singles in the UK from this album, leaving a minority of five songs left unreleased.

Dangerous opens with the rather disappointing “Jam.” The fifth song to be released as a single from the album, it peaked at No.13 in the UK in September 1992. The song is good, but fails to live up to the rest of this amazing album. “Why You Wanna Trip On Me” has an amazing guitar intro, followed by a different guitar beat that’s very similar to that of Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You.” Coincidence? Hardly. The chorus with the exact words as in the title of the song is amazing. “In The Closet” has to be one of the absolute best songs on the entire album. Michael has never been this [] explicit before, but it works rather well with the female vocals of the ‘Mystery Girl’. The video was banned in some countries, and features Naomi Campbell while the song peaked at No.8 in the UK upon its May 1992 release. The song runs for more than six minutes, but this is only a good thing because of the amazing beat that we are treated to. While not the most upbeat and lively song on the album, it definitely is a highlight because of its pure funk nature. “She Drives Me Wild” is a fairly good song, with a great funky beat and a cool rap. A great song, but the car horn beeping away at the beginning is dreadful!

“Remember The Time” is just an all-time classic. By far the best released song from this album, it charted at No.3 in the UK in February 1992. The lyrics are brilliant, the beat is so funkadelic and the video was truly eye-popping. Michael’s world-famous “Woo!” also crops up a few times towards the end of the song. Just brilliant. Things can’t possibly get better after that, and they don’t. “Can’t Let Her Get Away” shows strong promise, but falls flat on its face with far too many beats all clustered together, and the extreme repetition of the lyrics “I can’t let, I can’t let her get away.” Take a look at the lyrics on the inlay and you’ll know what I mean – the same line fills half the page. Luckily, things pick up with the amazing “Heal The World.” Released as the sixth single from the album, this touching and heart-felt ballad peaked at No.2 in the UK in December 1992. In my opinion, Michael has never been very successful in promoting all this world peace stuff. In this case, however, Michael is very convincing because the message is not one that involves a mass audience, but the song speaks to you as an individual – each and every listener. “Black And White” was the biggest and most successful single from this album, peaking at No.1 in both the UK and US upon its November 1991 release. The lyrics are great and the rap is excellent, while the video is particularly memorable because of its comedy.

“Who Is It” and “Give Into Me” are another two brilliant songs, perfectly executed with killer beats and funky basslines. The former is about Michael’s lover who has run off with another, while his voice is filled with the raw emotion necessary to make this song excellent. The latter has the same emotion in Michael’s vocals, and a superb rocky chorus. “Will You Be There” runs for almost eight minutes, which is a bit too long for this exceptional ballad. The first two minutes are taken up by pointless, but effective, choir vocals that really do sound epic and heavenly. The song featured in 1993’s smash-hit blockbuster ‘Free Willy’ and was brilliant even before the film claimed it. “Keep The Faith” is another excellent song about self-power and really does make an impact on the overall face-value of the album. “Gone Too Soon” is perhaps one of the worst songs on the album. The term ‘worst’ when reviewing this album can only be used lightly, as no song is [bad] – all are consistently good, but there is obviously a line which separates the great ones from the stunning ones. The album finishes with the title-track, “Dangerous.” At almost seven minutes long, the song is the perfect finish to a near-flawless record with incredibly descriptive lyrics which are displayed on the inlay and shaped like the hourglass figure of this ‘dangerous’ lady.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

Dangerous is by far one of the most essential albums of the 1990’s. The entire album is almost 80 minutes long, so you definitely get your money’s worth, with each song usually running into the six/seven minute time bracket. I’d definitely put this stunning piece of work in my top 10 albums of all time, because every song is great and there’s nothing like Michael Jackson’s music to get you moving and grooving on the dancefloor. Also, the record still sounds brand new despite being released more than ten years ago. Buy this now – you’ll feel like a fool if you decide not to and pick it up years later…

Dangerous Special Edition
This is probably my favorite MJ cd ever. It’s packed with hard hitting dance hits, SFX, heartfelt lyrics, touching melodies and beautiful harmonies. It’s a perfect capture of the MJ persona. It also sports one of the greates album covers of all time. Not only is it visually stunning to look at, but it can be read as a psychological exam of MJ himself! Notice that all the flash is a mask, hiding the real MJ behind it.

This special edition is remastered, given a booklet with 6 new photos (one featuring Eddie Murphy and Iman from the Remember The Time video) and a cardboard keepsake case. Dangerous was recorded with the best technology available when it was first released and this special edition doesn’t sound that much better. Actually, as special editions go, it’s pretty flimsy, but seeing that the original album is packed with 77 minutes of some of the best music from the 90’s you can hardly complain. This cd is packed to the teeh already! Yes it would be nice to have a picture disc, a photo underneath the clear cd tray, a bonus song or two, but look at what you do get.

JAM – A slammin dance track that says all the worlds problems aren’t enough to get MJ (and hence us) down. He can still jam!

Why You Wanna Trip On Me – A very personal song that still gets us to dance. Listen to that rock lick in there!!

In The Closet – MJ sexiest song yet! There is such a sexual tension running through out.

She Drives Me Wild – Great companion song to ‘Speed Demon’ from BAD. Great use of SFX, and a kicking beat. MJ’s on the prowl, watch out!

Remember The Time – Beautiful layerd vocals, a chorus that won’t leave your head. It’s a song about a failed romance but somehow manages to be uplifting. Always brings a smile to my face. Showcases the power of melody and rhythm over lyrics.

Can’t Let Her Get Away – MJ doin his funky best.

Heal The World – A beautifully written and sung message of hope for the world. Listen to his range on this song. MJ’s still got it!

Black or White – A guitar riff to end all gutiar riffs, a positive message, and it’s uplifting! How can you go wrong? You can’t, just as long as you skip the spoken intro.

Who Is It – Haunting song of a broken relationship. Again MJ piles on the vocals to tremendous effect. He’s an expert at the atmospheric, jilted lover type songs.

Give In To Me – MJ rocks out and give a preformance you’ll not soon forget. Listen to that ache in his voice!

Will You Be There – Probably the stongest song on the album. Suprising in the fact that it’s such a religious song. It oozes emotion.

Keep the Faith – Truly inspirational. It’s songs like this, ‘Will You Be There’ and ‘Man in the Mirror’ that make me long fo rthe day when MJ makes a full out gospel album.

Gone Too Soon – A loving tribute that has MJ in top vocal form. Simple yet very powerful.

Dangerous – A kickin dance song to end the set. A therapist would have a field day with lyrics like “Deep in the darkness of passions insanity, I felt taken by lusts strange inhumanity”. Hear the poety in that? This song is an entire film set to music. Stunning!

So pick up this CD not for it’s special edition features, but for the music itself. You won’t be disappointed. If you really want a special edition keep your eyes open for the rare Australian edition that featured an entire second disc of remixes or the extremely limited edition that came in a case featuring a pop up rendition of the albums cover art!

Definitely worth having in your MJ collection
Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” hits and missess, but it leans more towards the hits.

First a breakdown of the album, then a breakdown of the songs. What “Dangerous” succeeds in is being Michael’s second most artistic album to date (IMO, the first is HIStory). If “Dangerous” fails in any way, it seems like two albums mashed together. The album’s direction is divided up basically between Teddy Riley and Michael Jackson. The result is a mish-mash of songs on this CD that don’t really seem to go together. If I were in charge, I would almost break up the album as follows:

Michael Jackson – “Dangerous” (produced by M.J. and T. Riley)
1. Jam
2. Why You Wanna Trip on Me
3. In the Closet
4. She Drives Me Wild
5. Remember the Time
6. Can’t Let Her Get Away
7. Dangerous

Michael Jackson – “Semi-Dangerous” (produced by M.J.)
1. Heal the World
2. Black or White
3. Who is It
4. Give in to Me
5. Will You Be There
6. Keep the Faith
7. Gone Too Soon

The album almost splits right down the middle in this fashion. And with few exceptions, the half co-produced by Teddy Riley seems, unfortunately, redundant and difficult to listen to.

I’ve always felt that Michael Jackson suffers as a recording artist because he is 1) eccentric and 2) difficult to categoriize. Neither of these qualities are necessarily bad, and I doubt that Michael truly deserves all the hatred, scrutiny and gossip he has been handed over his career. I think many of us say we wish an artist would come down to earth and be more “normal”, but then we end up eating our words; I found myself disappointed with “Invincible” because it found Michael less original than he’s been in the past.

Now a quick breakdown of the songss:
Jam – Teddy Riley did a good job on this one. The catchy part of the song is the chorus revolving around the phrase “It ain’t to much for me to jam.” The rap on the bridge I really could’ve done without. Michael’s voice seems too grungy to get much of a melody out though.

Why You Wanna Trip on Me – nice guitar intro; the rest of the song seems to fade away into limbo.

In the Closet – Michael hasn’t been quite this sexual before! This song is passionate and pretty lusty. It almost works.

She Drives Me Wild – I’m sorry… corny rhythmic car horns, poor instrumentation and the tendency for Michael’s voice to drown in the overproduction makes this one forgetabble too.

Remember the Time – IMO Teddy Riley’s best work on the album. It’s amazing how “Egyptian” this song feels even when you haven’t seen the music video. MJ’s ad lib is always a treat when he does it this well. The video really breathed life into this song

Can’t Let Her Get Away – The song repeats the same four bars for half the song. I’m sorry; there’s just nothing to this track

Heal the World – People tend to laugh uncomfortably at Michael when he tries to show a softer side. I believe this song to be sincere, and it really is quite beautiful, and it’s message is one that would truly change the world we live in if we as people were only compassionate enough to embrace it.

Black or White – This song was a runaway pop hit from the beginning. A sweet guitar riff courtesy of slash, rock’n'roll backbeat and catchy melody. It lightheartedly addresses racial prejudices and interracial relationships. This song will likely live forever.

Who is It – Could be Michael’s best song on the album. It’s about a lost love who ran off with another. Michael’s voice communicates the pain the grieving lover is suffering. The synthesizer melody on the bridge has a simple beauty, and the bass line and human rhythm effects grab your ear from start to finish.

Give in to me – I didn’t know Michael had it in him for this one. Somewhere inbetween the Beatles and Metallica, Michael calls on the object of his affection to “quench my desire”… whoah…

Will You Be There – This song was beautiful even BEFORE “Free Willy” claimed it. With lryics about being “carried home”, “fighting to the end”, “when lost will you find me”, this song means something different to everyone. A deep rich African choir in the background gives this song its soul

Keep the Faith – I hate to talk down a positive Michael Jackson song, but Keep the Faith never seems to work. I think a more guitar-driven version of this song (less synthesizers) and deeper lyrics would have made this song a great work of art. About two minutes before the end of the song, the song drops all instrumentation and goes to Michael and a choir singing counterpoint behind him. At that point, the song really works.

Gone Too Soon – Many artists wrote a song about fallen AIDS patient Ryan White. Some may call it too sentimental; I’ll just say it really works.

Dangerous – the album began with Teddy Riley and ends with it. Dangerous is an equal enough blend of Michael’s and Teddy’s influence that the song really pulls together and finishes the album off very well.

I would call this album a definite inclusion for anyone trying to get a sense of Michael Jackson’s extreme talent especially in the 80’s and early 90’s. For a clearer picture of MJ as an artist, listen to the tracks which carry more of his production credit, and listen for melody and rhythm; I believe it’s these elements in which Michael Jackson really shines.