Reviewed by Allen Lulu
Released: November 30 1982 Michael Jackson Thriller Genre: The Apex Of The 80s Rating: 4.75 out of 5 Highlights: Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' Baby Be Mine The Girl Is Mine Thriller Beat It Billie Jean And I mean that. Not just the apex of Motown, which this also seems to have been. This album, more than any other, exploded the marketability of the 80s. Between this and ET, High Concept was the word of the day. More words have been written about this record than just about any other so I will be brief. It opens by way of demanding you hit the dance floor and had everyone showing “Mamma say mamma sa mamaqusa” and thinking we were hip. More hip than “Fa Diddly Qua Qua” and yet there’s little difference. I first heard this record when my suitemate (what happened to him??) brought it to the dorm. I don’t remember hearing “Baby Be Mine” more than once but I bet it was all over some of those other dorm rooms. Because it will hold you on that dance floor, for damned sure. It’s pretty inspired to duet with Paul McCartney, not just because they are both musical icons but they also tie together the origins of modern rock and roll, one from the British Invasion, the other the offspring of one of the most important factories of the same era. That they culminate in soft rock, smooth listening R&B should mean something but it’s too delightful for me to come up with the requisite words of contempt. Did you know that “Thriller” was written by Rod Temperton and not MJ? I forgot. How fucking rich is that guy? If I’m Rod I never work again, buy an island, pay for all my offspring’s offspring’s colleges and be done with it. Not Rod. He wrote more, got nominated for an Oscar and was knighted. Jeez. There’s more smooth stuff, like “Human Nature” and “The Lady in My Life” that I’m sure was affected by the likes of Freddie Mercury, who wrote “Cool Cat” and duetted with Michael on “There Must Be More to Life than This” before they decided not to release that. Jackson called attention to Hot Space as an influence on Thriller. Let’s face it, the coming sound of the pop 90s are all from the DNA in “PYT”. It’s like Prince lite. But, man, that title is combustible in hindsight, no?
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