Been almost two years since I dug this up, and I feel like trying to maybe get it going again. I'm still open (sort of) to suggestions, but remember, if you're going to recommend an album to me it must be a recognised classic, and that's by generally the world at large. I mean, you may think it's a classic, all your mates may think it's a classic but if it's not officially recognised as one, don't bother. This isn't “Love or Hate Part Two”; I don't want to just listen to albums because someone thinks it's good. If you're confused about the idea behind this journal then please re-read the OP and the first few posts. That said, if you can prove the album is a classic – even if I haven't even heard of it – then it may be considered. Note: I'm not asking for recs here. I have more than enough to get through already and will be shortly adding more, but this is just in case someone knows of a classic album I should give a chance. Also remember, it has to be an album I have not heard (clue is in the title).
In case this is – which it could very well be, given how long it's been since I wrote in this journal – your first experience of this, don't expect an in-depth review. These are, after all, classic albums, and it's assumed that most everyone (other than me) has heard them, so I won't be going deeply into the songs, just giving my own thoughts and impressions.
With that in mind, and as I'm currently reading his biography for Karen, let's do this one.
Title: Thriller
Artiste: Michael Jackson
Year: 1982
Chronological position: Sixth album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Who doesn't know some Jackson? Though I have never listened to one of his albums all the way through. Or even partially. I know him from his singles.
Genre: Pop/Funk
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Great
One track in --- Great
Halfway through --- Great
Finished --- Great
Comments: Yeah yeah I know: where have you been? But I was never a fan of disco, funk or really even pop, and though as Martin Prince said, “I'm aware of his work” (who could not be?) I was never that interested in Jackson's music. Despite myself, I have been exposed to his singles, so obviously I know quite a lot of this album. It's therefore the ones that weren't released as singles I am interested in. Perhaps also the structure of the album. I'll add in some trivia here too that I've picked up from the biography, as we're currently right at the making of this album. “Wanna be startin' somethin'” opens the album well, with a funky, upbeat dancy tune with a certain edge, one of the many singles. At the time, this and “Beat it” made me laugh, given that Jackson was such a quiet individual and the lyric on both was more or less based around fighting. I always considered disco and funk and soul as quite reserved in terms of comparing them to rock or metal; the gentler side of music sort of. Anyway the next one is one I don't know, one of only two I see.
Jackson's famous vocalise (
Woo! Cha-mon etc) comes into its own on this album, but I have to say I find the album version of this opener way too long at over six minutes. Considering that apparently the original mix was too long and they had to delay the release of Thriller to shorten it, I'm surprised they didn't shorten this one down. But on to “Baby be mine”, the first of three songs written by Rod Temperton, who also wrote the title track. It comes across as very Jackson 5/EWF to me, very soul, very dance, very boring, to me. Meh. My darkest vitriol however is reserved for the next one, the cringeworthy collaboration with Paul McCartney, that stain on the music world we know as “The girl is mine”. God how I hate that song. In fairness, I hated any duet between him and Sir Paul, but this one really grinds my gears, and seems almost out of place on the album. Just awful. Urgh. Let's move on.
How could I not love the title track? With its horror-themed intro, its funky beats, its by-now-legendary lyric, it's a great song and then of course you have the added bonus of the late Vincent Prince guesting on it. Fun fact: when asked how he wanted to be paid for his work on the album, Price was offered a straight USD 20K or a percentage of the profits from the album. He chose the former. I bet he regretted that. Not that he needed the money but, you know, it sold over thirty million units. Anyway on to side two and I know almost all these, starting with “Beat it”. Another fun fact: Eddie Van Halen did the solo gratis, saying that he enjoyed doing it. What a guy huh? That knocking sound just before his solo? He confirms it's just him tapping on his guitar. So now you know. “Billie Jean” we all know, and after “Beat it” has (ahem) rocked things up, this brings it back to disco/funk basics, while also later causing a huge fracas at MTV, who initially refused to play the video because it was by a black artist! I know, sounds stupid when we say it now.
And even more fun factoids: “Human nature”, the next song up, and the only real ballad on the album, was included by a complete accident. Steve Porcaro of Toto , who was playing session on the album, was trying the song out, intending it to be a Toto song. He had it only partially written, and it got included on a tape sent to Quincy Jones (
Thriller's producer) by mistake. He heard it, loved it, asked could they have it, and so it ended up here. It's a great song, one of the better ones certainly, but you can definitely hear the Toto sound on it.
That leaves “PYT (Pretty Young Thing”) written by James Ingram and another single, keeping the dance/funk vibe going, with some nice stabbing keyboard chords and perhaps some vocoder work on the chorus? Anyway it's okay but again I'm not much of a fan of any of these genres, but for what it is it's decent. The closer then is the final Temperton track, and the only other one on the album I don't know. “The lady in my life” is another ballad (so I was wrong about “Human nature” being the only one: sue me) and it's kind of typical of seventies soul ballads (I know this is an eighties album, that's the point) and the kind of thing the charts were full of. Meh.
Favourite track(s): “Thriller”, “Beat it”, “Human nature”
Least favourite track(s): “Baby be mine”, “The girl is mine”
Final impression Nobody could deny with a straight face that this is a classic album. After all, it's the biggest-selling album of all time, it's been selected for the Library of Congress and it made Jackson a
bone fide star. Nevertheless, as there were so many singles from it I almost feel like I know it already, and it's been something of a wasted effort listening to the whole thing. I guess everyone should though, once in their life.
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
G) Enjoyed this album just purely on its own merits
H) Glad I listened to it
I'd probably give it a cautious H, but really, my life could have continued on fine without this.
