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album review
The downside to a success like Thriller is that it's nearly impossible to follow, but Michael Jackson approached Bad much the same way he approached Thriller -- take the basic formula of the predecessor, expand it slightly, and move it outward. This meant that he moved deeper into hard rock, deeper into schmaltzy adult contemporary, deeper into hard dance -- essentially taking each portion of Thriller to an extreme, while increasing the quotient of immaculate studiocraft. He wound up with a sleeker, slicker Thriller, which isn't a bad thing, but it's not a rousing success, either. For one thing, the material just isn't as good. Look at the singles: only three can stand alongside album tracks from its predecessor ("Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"), another is simply OK ("Smooth Criminal"), with the other two showcasing Jackson at his worst (the saccharine "Man in the Mirror," the misogynistic "Dirty Diana"). Then, there are the album tracks themselves, something that virtually didn't exist on Thriller but bog down Bad not just because they're bad, but because they reveal that Jackson's state of the art is not hip. And they constitute a near-fatal dead spot on the record -- songs three through six, from "Speed Demon" to "Another Part of Me," a sequence that's utterly faceless, lacking memorable hooks and melodies, even when Stevie Wonder steps in for "Just Good Friends," relying on nothing but studiocraft. Part of the joy of Off the Wall and Thriller was that craft was enhanced with tremendous songs, performances, and fresh, vivacious beats. For this dreadful stretch, everything is mechanical, and while the album rebounds with songs that prove mechanical can be tolerable if delivered with hooks and panache, it still makes Bad feel like an artifact of its time instead a piece of music that transcends it. And if that wasn't evident proof that Jackson was losing touch, consider this -- the best song on the album is "Leave Me Alone" (why are all of his best songs paranoid anthems?), a tune tacked on to the end of the CD and never released as a single, apart from a weirdly claustrophobic video that, not coincidentally, was the best video from the album. [The 2001 reissue adds three songs that had never been released in America ("Streetwalker," "Todo Mi Amore Eres Tu," and "Fly Away,") interviews with producer Quincy Jones, and a new booklet] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
more albums by this artist
See all-
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- Thriller
- Released 1982
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- Essential Michael Jackson
- Released 2005
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- HIStory: Past, Present And Future, Book I
- Released 1995
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- Bad
- Released 1987
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listener reviews
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Streetwalker is soo underrated
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- By Lindsay1982
- 10/7/2009 05:12:41
- Looking at these plays, I frown upon (but also I understand) how few plays STREETWALKER has. Not many 'fans' know of this song. I am serious when I say that this song is awesome and defo one of his best! Yay for MJ and how he's taken the bulls by the horns! He knew what he was doing! Wish he was still around to continue doing so! :(
- 2 out of 2 people
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badder than bad
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- By chocolatemuzik
- 9/27/2009 02:30:28
- Yes, there is something about this about that speaks volumes about its contents. Yes, his previous album "Thriller" was a huge hit but Bad does its thing from "another part of me" (a personal favorite) to "Dirty Diana". It seems if you were expecting something along the lines of Thriller, you might be slightly disappointed but to be honest, MJ up the ante and I feel this album came a little harder than Thrilller.
- 1 out of 1 people
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Dig deeper than "Thriller"
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- By RemmyV
- 7/25/2009 23:15:28
- Forget the "professional" reviews. Thriller is undeniably great. But Bad has more to it. Michael put more of his amazing talent into it. Among the best selling albums of all time, along with "Dangerous;" great short films, with even more imagination than ever before. He worked very hard to top Thriller so give it a try, your ears will thank you for the investment.
- 3 out of 3 people
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