filmandmusic
Proud Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2021
- Messages
- 5,794
- Points
- 113
Nice review, this guy had some sort of crystal ball, he has a point here, I probably would not have made these statements as early as 1983 yet but later in his career Michael did go over the top and he already saw it happening here. It would be interesting to see his reviews for Bad, Dangerous and HIStory, I donāt think he rated these albums at all.I was only able to see Page 2 but I enjoyed it. Can't remember if I've seen this before or not.
"Jackson gets serious
BY CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY
JANUARY 20, 1983
MAYBE THE BEST song here is āBeat It,ā a this-aināt-no-disco AOR track if ever I heard one. Jacksonās voice soars all over the melody, Eddie Van Halen checks in with a blistering guitar solo, you could build a convention center on the backbeat, and the result is one nifty dance song. Programmers, take note.
Jacksonās greatest failing has been a tendency to go for the glitz, and while heās curbed the urge on Thriller, he hasnāt obliterated it entirely. The end of side two, especially āP.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),ā isnāt up to the spunky character of the other tracks. And the title song, which at first sounds like a metaphoric examination of the same under-siege mentality that marks the LPās best moments, instead degenerates into silly camp, with a rap by Vincent Price. (Couldnāt they get Count Floyd?)
His talents, not just singing but dancing and acting, could make him a perfect mainstream performer. Perish the thought. The fiery conviction of Thriller offers hope that Michael is still a long way away from succumbing to the lures of Vegas. Thriller may not be Michael Jacksonās 1999, but itās a gorgeous, snappy step in the right direction."
āJacksonās greatest failing has been a tendency to go for the glitzā and
āJackson has made no secret of his affection for traditional showbiz and the glamour that goes with it.ā
Also interesting to see a comparison with Prince being made this early on.