Michael Jackson's 'Bad': 34 Years Later*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by SITKOL'76, Sep 1, 2017.

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  1. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    Michael Jackson's 'Bad' released 30 years ago

    Yesterday actually marked the 30 year anniversary since 'Bad' was released. It was of course a mammoth when it first dropped and sold millions around the world, also becoming the first album to score 5 #1 singles. It has sold an estimate of over 35M copies WW making it one of the best selling albums of all time.

    I've always regarded this album as very typical and prime MJ. The videos, the look and all of what's associated with it, it's an album that represents when MJ ruled the world, it was also his first album for which he would accompany with a solo concert tour, The Bad Tour which at the time was the most successful concert tour by a solo artist and the tour to play to the most fans (4.5M) around the world. Earning 2 Guinness World Records.

    What are your opinions on MJ's 'Bad' era?

    [​IMG]
     
  2. thxphotog

    thxphotog Camera Nerd Cycling Nerd Guitar Nerd Dietary Nerd

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    My Bad story; At the time I was livin' the life in the middle of the Sunset Strip glam metal phenomenon and was a 'guitar tech' for a buddies popular band of said genre. A guy I knew played me Bad in his mini truck to show off his car stereo that was worth likely double what the truck was. Impressive as hell, but nothing I would run out & purchase for myself. Cut to some months later I was filling out one of those Columbia House 8 CDs for a penny deals. I had seven chosen, and from the list couldn't find one more that I was interested in. Remembering how amazing Bad sounded in my friend's truck, I ordered it to fill out my eight, & figured I could use it to tune or gauge the bottom end of my car stereo that I had considerable expense in.

    Long story short, (too late?) I played it so much because of the amazing sound quality/production that it grew on me and I became a fan. Still a fan to this day and I play Bad, not a lot, but more than I play Thriller. Demo material top to bottom.
     
  3. Vahan

    Vahan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glendale, CA, USA
    Bad is probably his best music video. I prefer the version heard in the video (I don't care for the album cut of the song).

     
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  4. Pieter Kozak

    Pieter Kozak Well-Known Member

    Great album, Topped by Dangerous 4 years later.
     
  5. clarkydaz

    clarkydaz Forum Resident

    Location:
    uk
    I was a kid and mad into jacko when this came out. The following years as he became more of a circus it made me stop listening to the music and his musical tastes ageing aswell. However when I listen to this now I think its great songwise still. The only thing that grates on me is the 'mechanical' sound of the album.
     
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  6. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    Yeah, and to me HIStory is just as good.
     
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  7. Pieter Kozak

    Pieter Kozak Well-Known Member

    Agreed. Stranger In Moscow sublime
     
  8. AlanDistro

    AlanDistro Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sandy, OR
    It was one of the first cassettes I bought with my own money as a kid. I love it. I have numerous CD copies (original Japan pressing for the original mixes, and a US CD for the immediate reissue with the single mixes). I have all the CD singles from the era for all the extended mixes and alternates. If pushed, it would probably be my favorite MJ album, though really everything from Off the Wall through HIStory is great, imo.
     
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  9. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    And it's 30 years ago today that I bought the CD.:) The 31st of August was a bank holiday here so I had to wait until the following day for the shops to open so I could pick it up.

    I've always liked the album. It was fantastically successful and a great sounding record/CD to boot. 30 years later I can hear that there's a little filler here and there, but tracks like The Way You Make Me Feel, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal and the title song are so fantastic I can forgive that. In my opinion, it was his last great LP. After Bad, every other album was far too long and overblown, though of course there were always moments of genius.

    I have the 2001 and 2012(?) remasters, but the original CD sounds best. Especially as the later editions feature Michael's tweaks. They don't feel like the 'proper' album to me. The spoken intro to I Just Can't Stop Loving You is cringe inducing and he should never have done it.. Still, I don't like him removing it on the remastered versions.:)

    I remember well the full length Martin Scorsese video for Bad premiering on Channel 4. I taped it on my VCR.:D

    I think the highlights of Thriller are stronger than the ones on Bad, but the latter is a damn fine album and still fun to hear all these years later.
     
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  10. Dodoz

    Dodoz Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    Not for me.
     
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  11. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    I liked Bad a lot during its release and bought the LP in no time. Played it a lot, but In time I started to like Thriller and Off The Wall much better.

    Some years ago I hunted down a first pressing CD (JPN 4 EU) because I couldn't live without Liberian Girl. Together with Bad, I Just Can't Stop Living You and Smooth Criminal this is the highlight of the album. I won't skip other track if they start playing, but the very obviously 80's sounding production of those didn't age well, IMHO.
     
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  12. rocknsoul74

    rocknsoul74 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    I bought the cassette the day it came out and watched the video premier on TV that very same night. MJ at the top of his game.
     
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  13. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Like most people I watched the video premiere on TV, great album. There are one or two weak tracks which is surprising given at least one of the bonus tracks on a reissue. Was it Butterfly??
    And I just love that sleeve with Michael in his new butch rig out. all buckles and black clothing, it's might just be the campest album sleeve ever, and heaven knows there was tough competition in the 80's.:D
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2017
  14. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Street Walker was great. Really should've been on the album.
     
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  15. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Maybe it was that one. I bought I think the 25th anniversary edition with stupid commentary in between the extra tracks. It totally ruined the album...
     
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  16. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I'm a big fan of this one. I received the cassette for Christmas '87.
     
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  17. bob60

    bob60 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I remember in London after a few weeks of release the street posters had the slogan 'Bad is good' as the record company thought the title might put people off....
     
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  18. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
    Love every track. Great album. Man in the Mirror is my fave.
     
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  19. mbrownp1

    mbrownp1 Forum Resident

    I loved Off The Wall and I liked Thriller a lot. Did not like anything after.
     
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  20. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    If I remember rightly, Actually by the Pet Shop Boys came out a week later..

    Maybe someone will do a 30th anniversary thread for that on 7th September.:)
     
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  21. joethomas1

    joethomas1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Yorkshire, UK
    Love this album. Love the deluxe version with the Quincy Jones interview. The story behind the writing of "Man In The Mirror" is amazing. Also loved the Bad 25 Documentary by Spike Lee.
     
  22. bluesbro

    bluesbro Forum Hall of Shame

    Location:
    DC
    The music took a back seat..

    Is he white now? What the hell happened to his face?

    Sorry, that's what I remember from that week the album was released.
     
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  23. ampmods

    ampmods Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    I think Thriller was his prime. Bad was a step down (and a step deeper into the weird).

    The first lyric of the album is 'your butt is mine.' That's a weird thing to say, Mr. Jackson. I liked this concept better when it was called "Beat It."

    The whole "Dirty Diana" thing brought up some icky weirdness too.

    As far as the music goes though most of it isn't all that exciting to me. I thought "Smooth Criminal" was a really interesting track. I thought "The Way You Make Me Feel" was the best and catchiest track on the album... but what the hell was with that video? Jumping on cars, grabbing his crotch and screaming? Weird.

    I find a song like "Man in the Mirror" to be pretty generic but fairly catchy. Better than "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" which I find to be awful.

    But I tend to hate most of the pop music from 1987 anyway... "Walk Like an Egyptian?" "Hip to be Square?" "Ballerina Girl?" The Theme Song From Mannequin the Motion Picture? The rise of Tiffany? oof.
     
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  24. PH416156

    PH416156 Alea Iacta Est

    Location:
    Europe
    I still think it's so much better than "Thriller"..bought the CD only some years ago. Why? Those songs were everywhere so -strange as it may seem- didn't feel the need for a physical copy at home. But now I have an old pressing with the original mixes.
    "Just good friends" is the only track I skip. The rest is excellent; imho "Smooth Criminal" is the very best MJ track. By the way, my top 3 are the aforementioned "Smooth criminal", the title track and "Liberian girl".

    The TV premiere of the "Bad" video was a massive event in my country, too. Of course at that time I was a kid and so didn't know anything about Jimmy Smith, but I thought that that "weird" organ sound was the best thing of the song!:)
     
  25. PH416156

    PH416156 Alea Iacta Est

    Location:
    Europe
    ...be thankful that it wasn't called "Butt it" ;)
     
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