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Post by The Curmudgeon on Feb 16, 2008 1:30:58 GMT 2
 Worse than child abuse.The Curmudgeon never has been, nor ever will be, what you would call a major Michael Jackson fan but there really is no denying that, before the baby dangling and kiddie fiddling antics and the frightening plastic surgery and, well, everything else that turned him into an off-putting laughing stock, before all that - Michael Jackson was quite simply one of the greatest pop stars on the planet. Innovative, exciting, mysterious - basically everything that absolutely NO pop star is nowadays. Jackson really did seem like he came from some fantastic alternative universe, creating some jaw dropping, magnificent pop records - Thriller being one of them. So it comes as absolutely no shock that one of the all-time essential albums gets a 25th anniversary edition. Quite as to WHY we really need another edition, when you consider that it was re-released as a Special Edition a few years back, not to mention the fact that every single was re-released only last year - really Mike, how much longer do you expect your glassy-eyed, weirdo obsessive fans to buy the same music time and time again? Anyway, you're probably wondering WHY Thriller, one of the greatest albums of all time, from one of the greatest pop stars of all time, is sitting alongside the very worst Amazon has to offer in the Curmudgeon's reviews? Because, not only is it a cheap cash in, not only is it unwarranted, not only is it MISSING actual album tracks from the previous Special Edition, but because the main selling point here isn't Thriller itself - more the "previously un-released" (read - knocked up about a week ago) bonus tracks, featuring remixes and covers from such luminaries as Will.I.Am and Fergie. Are you scared yet? Gentle reader, you SHOULD be. For tacked on at the end of the album are 5 horrific, worthless, pointless remixes that clearly anyone could and should do without. Did you ever want to hear Dead Eyed Peas "singer" Fergie strain through "Beat It?" Not in a million years, obviously - but you can now! Did you ache to hear a new version of Wanna Be Starting Somethin', but this time with Akon and Will.I.Am? Only if suicide swiftly followed, surely - but it's on here too. People like Akon and Fergie don't even deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as someone like Michael Jackson, yet here they are stinking up a classic album, an album that some poor kid is going to think is the REAL Thriller record. It's like Bob Dylan re-releasing Blonde On Blonde but with Fred Durst on vocals. An abomination, then. By all means add Thriller to your record collection. In no way, shape or form make it this version. See Fergie: Beat It www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRogdKod4iM |
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Post by trashcanman on Feb 16, 2008 12:46:53 GMT 2
Those remixes sound like the worst idea ever. I'm talking the entire history of mankind here. It's sad to say that there is absolutely NO ONE in the modern pop landscape that should be allowed to sing more than three consecutive notes of a classic Michael Jackson tune. Ever. Fuck this shit.
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Feb 16, 2008 23:03:45 GMT 2
I forgot to add the link so you can hear some of the actual songs, as I'm doing now with all the reviews (where possible). This time its (shudder) Fergie's attempt at Beat It.
Don't have anything breakable nearby.
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Post by Benjamin Haines on Feb 17, 2008 3:07:10 GMT 2
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Post by Hudson G TANNIS on Feb 17, 2008 12:38:01 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
This juvenile delinquent,this Jackson hater, needs to travel outside of their cocoon and experience the admiration this living legend has around the globe.
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Post by Anna Marissa on Feb 17, 2008 12:39:54 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
Kids are sent to JD these days for not worshipping Michael Jackson?
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Feb 17, 2008 12:40:32 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
First of all, a MICHAEL JACKSON fan telling me that I have to "travel outside of my cocoon" is pretty ironic.
And didn't you read my review? Would a "Jackson hater" (oh dear) describe him as "one of the greatest pop stars on the planet"? Would a hater describe Jackson's work as "some jaw dropping, magnificent pop records"? No.
But remember when I described Jackson's fans as "glassy eyed, weirdly obsessive?" Grab the net boys, we got a live one here!
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Post by InvisibleWolfMan on Feb 17, 2008 21:40:03 GMT 2
 DELETE IT - Beat It Parody They told him don't you ever play that CD around here
Don't wanna hear those 25th remixes , Fergie better disappear
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
So delete it, just delete it
You better run, you better undo what you can
Don't wanna hear no Akon, don't need no Will.I.Am
You wanna be tough, better toss them in the can
So delete it, but you wanna get cash
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it
Just delete it, delete it
Just delete it, delete it
Just delete it, delete it
Scum'll buy it for West, not you, or worse yet Will.I.Am
Don't wanna hear a marketing ploy, We wanna hear THE MAN
You wanna keep your career alive, better restructure that plan
So delete it, just delete it
You have to show them that you're really not scared
They're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare
They'll kick it with you, the scum'll forget you,
Then they'll tell you it's fair
So delete it, but you wanna get cash
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it
Delete it, delete it, delete it
Delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it
Delete it, delete it, delete it
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it
Delete it, delete it, delete it
Delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight
Only by giving fans shitty cover versions, right?
Just delete it, delete it, delete it, delete it
No one wants to be cheated
Just delete it, delete it
Delete it, delete it, delete it© 2008 IWM parody lyrics, inc.
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Post by Benjamin Haines on Feb 17, 2008 21:46:16 GMT 2
^ A performance of that by David Bowie is the ONLY thing that should have been added to this 25th anniversary release. Well done, Wolf.
And does anybody else notice the Google banner at the top of this page advertising the very product being reviewed here? You can almost taste the irony.
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Post by Giacomo Holdini on May 14, 2008 21:45:46 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
Well, Curmudgeon, you certainly live up to your name - and really, I can't fault your logic. I've been tempted to buy this version just for the remastered sound (I own the original '80s vintage CD, which sounds good to my ears, but could be improved upon, no doubt), but the vomitous remixes have caused me to hold off so far. No, glassy-eyed Jackson fans, I've not heard them, but I rather doubt I need to in order to stand by my choice of adjective. However, what about the sound itself? Other reviewers have said this is the best sounding Thriller to date. Would I not find it a pretty substantial improvement over my current CD? As far as the remixes go, I can just program them out, or - egads - press the Stop button before they come on. Am I on to something here?
Edit: I just previewed this disc on iTunes, whose 30 second samples are very close in sound quality to the disc from which they're excerpted. Honestly, doing a direct comparison between the remastered version and the vintage CD I already have, I didn't notice much improvement. The newer mastering is louder, to be sure, but once I compensated for the difference in volume, the two sounded very similar. If anything, it just goes to show that the engineers of the original CD mastering did a pretty darn good job straight out of the gate. Even if the newest mastering is a slight improvement, it isn't enough to warrant a new purchase if you already have one of the pre-existing CD versions. And then there are the remixes. Yep, "vomitous" is about right. The 30-second previews were enough; I can't imagine actually having to listen to the full-length tracks.
It's too bad. I really wanted a reason to buy this CD, since I feel I have a personal stake in helping M-Jack stay financially solvent. Poor guy: what, with all his legal bills and virtually no career at present, it really puts a pinch on his ability to drop $10 million at a Vegas store in an afternoon. He needs to be able to get his fans to re-buy music they already own. Be that as it may, I just don't see any reason to buy this disc.
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Post by The Curmudgeon on May 16, 2008 8:18:23 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
This is probably one of the best replies I've ever had from someone who doesn't know me from my website (www.thecurmudgeon.proboards88.com, of course). It actually adds something, instead of the usual "LOL ure just jealous U R teh suxx" comments.
Giacomo, I can understand the need for better sound than your old CD copy. Hell, if Prince were to re-release his old albums with enhanced sound I'd buy them in a second. So I'm pretty sure there's a remastered version of Thriller available from a few years back, with better sound AND the extra tracks that were on the imported version of the original record, something this awful version has removed in favour of Fergie stinking up the disc.
Shop around on here and you'll probably find it.
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Post by Heliacal Rising on Apr 19, 2009 18:59:54 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
Apparently the massively talented Will.I.Am will be producing Michael Jackson's forthcoming studio album. Prepare yourself for the inevitable disaster. This one's undoubtedly going down in flames, baby!
Can I request a future review of it?
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Post by The Curmudgeon on Jun 30, 2009 19:03:14 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
Hmmmm. I'll keep it on my radar, especially if it's anything like the new Black Eyed Pea's song. Urgggh.
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Post by Jonathon Taylor on Jun 30, 2009 19:04:01 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
Great review. Keep it up! I hate Michael Jackson!
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Post by NCearlock on Jun 30, 2009 19:04:41 GMT 2
ORIGINAL COMMENT FROM AMAZON.COM
At first I was saying to myself, "Who the hell rates THRILLER one star?!?!". But after reading through it all makes perfect sense. Thanks dude.
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