Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Michael Jackson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 12, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony Music Distribution
• ASIN: B001041JKU
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,900 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

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.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thriller - Michael Jackson's Masterpiece, Better Than Ever!, March 18, 2008

By 

Mark "Technology, Music and Movies" (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller (Audio CD)

Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller

The 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller is a must own CD. Some new versions should introduce younger R&B fans to the man who started it all.

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, so there are a lot of people who don't own the album on CD. 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. No matter how you slice it, this 25th Anniversary edition belongs in your collection.

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 now 25 years later. Every single song is a number one hit, and Michael moves through genres including pop, rock and R&B with ease, nailing each one. See my awards summary at the bottom for more on this.

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 very intelligent number crunchers that clearly realized the marketing potential of putting some top stars together to add remakes to this anniversary edition. 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!

There's also a nice liner jacket with all the original lyrics and cool album art. Even more is included with the fold-out casebook version of this release. Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller(Deluxe Casebook Edition)

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.

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)

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!!!

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Originals Still Sound Great, "Remixes..." Not So Much, February 13, 2008

By 

Danielle Turchiano (Van Nuys, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller (Audio CD)

There isn't much more that can be said about the tracks on this re-release of "Thriller" that are from the original 1983 album. Everything from "Wanna Be Startin' Something" to "The Lady In My Life" holds up extremely well even a quarter of a century later. This 25th Anniversary Edition also gives us both the single release version and the long version of "Billie Jean," as well as a previously unrecorded track called "For All Time." With all new technology employed to clean up the tracks and make the sound crisper, Michael sounds fresh and new and revived (which I'm sure he is hoping will be a metaphor for this stage in his career, as well).

Unfortunately, though, the so-called remixes are very disappointing and do not enhance the value of this album at all. The two tracks that feature will.i.am ("The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T.") suffer from Will's lack of creativity in his verses and really only remind you how great the songs were when they were untouched. "Beat It" featuring Fergie isn't really a remix so much as a few lines in a verse or two laid down by Fergie over the old track. Lame and boring. And don't let the "featuring Kanye West" tag on "Billie Jean" fool you: Kanye does not do a guest rap verse but rather he produced the new mix, adding a heavier beat and a couple of introductory grunts. Ironically, the one stand out was Akon's version of "Wanna Be Startin' Something," which is a unique approach to the song, breathing new life for a new generation, and of course the second disc, which gives you also three music videos ("Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller") and a live performance by Michael at an awards show, is a must-have for any collector, as well.

It may be a little sad to say the only "new" music you're getting excited about is an album you actually already own, but with the case of this er-release, it's true. Buy this album only if you want to hear rejuvenated versions of classics. You can skip most of the "new" stuff.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars For The Oringal Album One Star For The Remixed Versions, February 12, 2008

By 

Derrick Dunn "The Realest DJ" (Woodbridge,VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller (Audio CD)

Michael Jackson's Thriller is without a doubt one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Thriller sucessfully combined every genre of music into one album and easily puts to shame half of the music today. Not many artists can put out an album where every song has single potential and songs such as Wanna Be Start Sumthin, P.Y.T., Billie Jean and the rest of the songs on rhe album still stand the test of time. As for the 2008 versions of the songs they are sub par at best and I would have liked to hear a cover album. First and foremost Mr. Kanye West brings nothing new to Billie Jean, either Kanye had an off day or he was paid a pretty penny to do the track because it sounds horrible ! Next comes the talented Fergie who insults Beat It with her tepid vocals;I'm a Fergie fan but like Kanye West she's wasted. There is some hope in the CD with Will I Am and Akon. Will I Am does justice to P.Y.T. and The Girl Is Mine turning both into ear candy for the listener. Much to my surpise Akon does Wanna Be Startin Sumthin justice doing a great vocal tag team with Jackson. The CD also features the unreleased ballad For All Time which is fine in it's own right. Thankfully no one touched Thriller however I think the bonus disc could have benefitted with a few improvements. The prince of R&B Mr. Chris Brown would have done justice to Baby Be Mine (one of my personal favorites) and Justin Timberlake would have sounded better on Beat It. A strong songer like Mario,Eric Roberson or Anthony Hamiltion could have did justice to The Lady In My Life while Ne-Yo or The Dream would have killed Human Nature. In closing Thriller is a great album that didn't need a re-release maybe a cover album similar to Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth Wind & Fire but Michael is still the KING and Thiller is still one of the greatest albums of all time.