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

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

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  1. Dhreview16

    Dhreview16 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    There seems to be a lot of interesting stuff Stateside about the making of Bad, e.g. in Rolling Stone and Billboard. I vaguely recall a good documentary about a year ago (or maybe that was Thriller). The album has a terrific track list, and flows superbly. Some critics didn't think it hit the heights of the best of Off the Wall or Thriller in that nothing topped Beat It, Billie Jean or Don't Stop Til You Get Enough. While I prefer Off The Wall and Thriller (especially the rawness of OTW), and find Bad a little too glossy, I think Man In the Mirrow stands easily among MJ's best work, and tracks like Dirty Diana had a rock feel the other albums don't. It deserves its place in the celebrated Hall of Fame albums.
     
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  2. Leggs91203

    Leggs91203 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indiana

    In defense of MJ for saying "your butt is mine", do not forget that around that time, if you wanted to fight someone or if you planned to defeat them in a competition the expression "Your butt/ass is mine!" was popular. I guess that is one problem with using jargon in lyrics. Someday people look back and are like, "what the heck...?"

    Thriller beat the pants off Bad. When thriller came out, I would have handed over an arm for a copy. Not so much now.

    I remember in music class, our teacher played the Bad video to our class. The video just seemed like he was "trying too hard. "Someone mentioned how by then, MJ had become a circus. That is pretty solid analogy. When us kids mocked the song, we had a different (and derogatory) three letter word in place of "bad". Take a guess. It wasn't "cool" to like MJ anymore. You know at that age, we needed our peer's approval for our taste in music. Interesting though how Bad sold so much if kids seemed to hate it. Maybe grown-ups were into it?

    It seemed like each MJ album after that just got worse and worse while he became more of a media circus. I guess "Bad" is when he jumped the shark.

    Other top 40 songs from 87 -
    1987 was just not a good year for the pop scene. Of course for me personally, nothing was good about '87. Middle school, 7th grade, as bad as it gets.
    I have some recorded rerun shows of AT40 from 1987 and ugh, was it ever an icky year for music.
     
  3. SteveS1

    SteveS1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Weald, England, UK
    I have it down as his third best which still makes it better than most.

    Getting to what this place does best, I have the Japan 32 8P CD which to my ears sounds amazing so I've not looked elsewhere. What's the view on the top sounding version available these days?

    Editing out the schmaltzy spoken intro to "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - improves that track no end. :)
     
  4. The Bishop

    The Bishop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dorset, England.
    Yeah, fantastic album. My favourite of his and probably my favourite of the 1980s.
     
  5. ando here

    ando here Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Pole
    Good post but 1987 not good for pop music?

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Some of the Pop stuff I liked. Maybe you have a point. :laugh: But I'll take any of them over Bad (no dis to Mike).
     
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  6. BryanA-HTX

    BryanA-HTX Crazy Doctor

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Great album. I really don't listen to pop but Michael is the exception (sometimes Prince), plus the album overall had a bit of a rock edge to it anyway. Wasn't a fan of much after this though.
     
  7. atomic powered poster

    atomic powered poster Well-Known Member

    Location:
    germany
    I had this on tape as a kid, liked it then, but honestly it hasn't aged well to my ears. There are way too many fillers here and the production sounds too polished and cold.
     
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  8. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    A few good pop songs but most not as good as the best from Thriller. And the title track is ordinary. One exception is the bad ass "Smooth Criminal" which is one of my favourite MJ songs
     
  9. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Wow! 30 years ago already?

    I have a huge soft spot for this album. It's not his best by a long shot, and it's really not my favorite but it has a lot of songs I really like and I'm a sucker for that 80's synth sound that peppers the album. Unlike HIStory and Invincible I can put Bad on, let it repeat a time or two and smile throughout the album. :)

    Leave Me Alone might be my favorite song from the album.

     
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  10. goodiesguy

    goodiesguy Confide In Me

    Location:
    New Zealand
    The Way You Make Me Feel was the best tune on it IMO (The earlier mix which I think has less ah-Hee hees).

    But this was the beginning of the end. With Dangerous being his last hurrah.
     
  11. BlueGangsta

    BlueGangsta Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    This is my fantasy "Special Edition" tracklist.

    Bad: Ultimate Edition

    Disc One: The Approved Album
    1. Bad
    2. The Way You Make Me Feel
    3. Speed Demon
    4. Liberian Girl
    5. Just Good Friends
    6. Another Part of Me
    7. Man in the Mirror
    8. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
    9. Dirty Diana
    10. Smooth Criminal
    11. Leave Me Alone

    Disc Two: Alternate Mixes
    Original Album Mixes
    1. Bad (Original Album Mix)
    2. They Way You Make Me Feel (Original Album Mix)
    3. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (Original Album Mix)
    4. Dirty Diana (Original Album Edit)
    5. Smooth Criminal (Original Album Mix)
    6. Smooth Criminal (Second Album Mix)
    Alternate/ Uncut Session Mixes
    7. Bad (Uncut 8min Mix)
    8. Liberian Girl (DAT Percussion Mix/ Jungle Mix)
    9. Man In The Mirror (Uncut Mix - with Horns and alternate ad-libs)
    10. Dirty Diana (Uncut 8min Mix)
    11. Smooth Criminal (Orchestra Stings Version and third verse)

    Disc Three: The Sessions 1984-1986
    1. Another Part of Me (1984 Version)
    2. Streetwalker (1985 Mix)
    3. Hot Fever
    4. Al Capone (feat. Roger Troutman)
    5. Changes
    6. We Are Here To Change The World (Demo)
    7. Earth Song/ What About Us (1986 Demo)
    8. Tomboy
    9. Chicago 1945
    10. Get Around
    11. Someone Put Your Hand Down
    12. Streetwalker (1986 Mix)
    13. Tomboy (feat. Roger Troutman)
    14. The Price of Fame (Pepsi Version)
    15. Bad (Pepsi Version)
    16. We Are Here To Change The World (Choir Mix)

    Disc Four: The Completist
    Remember The Time (1992)
    1. Come Together (Original Mix)
    Bad: Special Edition (2001)
    2. Streetwalker (1988 Mix)
    3. Fly Away
    4. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (Spanish Version)
    The Ultimate Collection (2004)
    5. We Are Here To Change The World
    6. Scared of The Moon
    7. Cheater
    Bad 25 (2012)
    8. Don't Be Messin' 'Round
    9. I'm So Blue
    10. Song Groove / Abortion Papers
    11. Free
    12. The Price of Fame
    13. Al Capone
    14. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (French Version)
    Xscape (2014)
    15. Loving You
    16. Do You Know Where Your Children Are

    Disc Five: The Singles (Part One)
    Bad
    1. Extended Dance Mix (Includes "false fade")
    2. Dub Version
    3. A Cappella
    4. Dance Remix Radio Edit
    The Way You Make Me Feel
    5. Extended Dance Mix
    6. Dub Version
    7. A Cappella
    8. Dance Remix Radio Edit
    9. Instrumental
    Man In The Mirror
    10. Single Version
    11. Instrumental
    Dirty Diana
    12. Instrumental
    Smooth Criminal (US Promo Mixes)
    13. Extended Dance Mix
    14. Dub Version
    15. A Cappella
    16. Dance Extended Mix Radio Edit
    17. Annie Mix
    18. Instrumental

    Disc Six: The Singles (Part Two)

    Another Part of Me
    1. Extended Dance Mix
    2. Dub Version
    3. A Cappella
    4. Single Mix
    5. Radio Edit
    Smooth Criminal
    6. Extended Dance Mix
    7. Dub Version
    A Cappella
    8. Dance Extended Mix Radio Edit
    9. Annie Mix
    10 .Instrumental
    Leave Me Alone
    11. Extended Dance Mix (Previously Unreleased)
    12. Dub Version (Previously Unreleased)
    13. A Cappella (Previously Unreleased)
    14. Dance Extended Mix Radio Edit (Previously Unreleased)
    15. Instrumental (Previously Unreleased)
    Liberian Girl
    16. Single Edit
    17. Instrumental (Previously Unreleased)
     
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  12. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Hot dog! Sold!!! Where do I send my money? :)
     
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  13. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Apparently he recorded 3 or 4 albums' worth of material for Bad. I want to say there was talk at one point of releasing it as a double or triple album (!) but he was talked out of it.

    So there must be plenty of unreleased Bad-era songs still in the vaults in various states of completion.
     
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  14. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    [​IMG]

    Review from Smash Hits. September 1987.
     
  15. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    [​IMG]

    Try getting a newly released LP for that now!
     
  16. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I agree with the Bad review and the Elton John review is pretty funny (and spot-on). :)
     
  17. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Bad album release commercial:

     
  18. DazNEUK

    DazNEUK Well-Known Member

    I've never anctipated any album more than Bad, in hindsight it was impossible to follow up Thriller but I still love the Quincy Jones trilogy - has there ever been 3 better consecutive albums as Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad?

    I bought every version going at the time including a Japanese box set that came with a t-shirt, book and phone card.

    I urge everyone to watch the Bad25 documentary by Spike Lee which is on iTunes, its 2 hours of what went into the recording and is absolutely brilliant even if you're not an MJ fan.

    The final point on Bad is it produced the greatest tour of all time in my opinion, MJ was at his absolute peak - I was at the Princess Diana Wembley show and he was just incredible, truly was other worldly.
     
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  19. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I made a thread about the existing Bad tour footage:

    Michael Jackson Bad tour video / film footage roundup

    and I hope at some point we get a DVD/Blu-Ray box set of Bad tour shows.
     
  20. carrolls

    carrolls Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin
    I liked the album when it first came out but grew tired of it very quickly unlike Thriller and OTW. Have not played it in 29 years.
     
  21. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Then i think you're long overdue to give it another chance.
     
  22. carrolls

    carrolls Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dublin
    I think it was the most over-saturated album in Ireland ever by the media. That had a lot to do with it. But I might take your advice this weekend and give it a spin.
     
  23. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    The only really cringeworthy song is "Just Good Friends" IMHO. I think everything else is either good, or decent.
     
  24. Pieter Kozak

    Pieter Kozak Well-Known Member

    God damn, Only at the end did it hit me that I remembered Prince is dead also. Wow. :mudscrying:
     
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  25. ronm

    ronm audiofreak

    Location:
    southern colo.
    The apex of MJ.At age 26 on its release I didn't own any MJ.Now I have his big three on vinyl.
     
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