Whether you like it or not, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is the most popular album of all time.
It's the best-selling record of all time and seven of its nine tracks were top 10 singles worldwide. Jacko, ever looking to further increase the sales of the 25-year-old release, has unleashed "Thriller 25," which combines the entirety of the original album with remixes by contemporary pop artists.
The result is a timeless album bogged down by artists who'll be forgotten in a few years.
All the classics, like "Billie Jean," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and "Beat It" sound better than ever, and the album comes in a beautiful package including intricate new artwork and a DVD with the album's classic music videos. Also included is "For All Time," a vintage Jackson-Quincy Jones co-production that never made the album's final cut.
But that's where the good ends. Four of the five remixes are awful.
Will.i.am's "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008" become generic contemporary club-bangers, while Akon thugs out "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008." Worst of all is "Beat It 2008," which eliminates Eddie Van Halen's memorable guitar work and features Fergie trading verses with Michael.
The saving grace is Kanye West's "Billie Jean 2008." The most subtle and infectious of the remixes, Kanye doesn't attempt to rap on the song, instead recreating the song's classic sound with an epic orchestra and booming drums.
If you don't have the original already, "Thriller 25" is the way to go, but if you do, the remixes don't warrant your time or money.
