A quarter of a century ago, Michael Jackson released “Bad,” his follow-up to the blockbuster album "Thriller." It sold over 30 million copies, contained many hits that you can probably sing by heart -- “Dirty Diana,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and others -- and has become one of the touchstone pop recordings of the era.
Since his death, Jackson’s record label Sony Music has understandably started capitalizing on his legacy, doling out a handful of tracks for last year’s “Michael” album and adding remixes to his Cirque du Soleil performance. Now, on "Bad 25," the label has dug into the archives for a disc’s worth of unreleased rehearsal recordings and a complete 1988 live performance at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The result is the three-CD, one-DVD box set released Tuesday. The set’s list price is 34.99. Is it worth it?
PHOTOS: Michael Jackson | Life in pictures
The sturdy box, which is kept shut with a nifty magnet, includes two double-disc collections with glossy cardboard gatefold sleeves. The first features a remastered version of 10-song album (with the bonus track "Leave Me Alone") and a selection of demos on the second disc that illustrate the musician at work.
The best of these is also the most revealing: a track tentatively titled "Song Groove" but also known as "Abortion Papers." Somewhat understandably, Jackson struggled with the lyrics to this story about a teen pregnancy, and ultimately decided not to tackle the hot-button issue on "Bad."
Also featured on that disc are new remixes by current EDM hitmakers Afrojack and Nero intended, one would assume, to appeal to a young generation that wasn’t yet born when Jackson was a commercial force. These are terrible commercial house tracks -- especially Afrojack's "Bad" remix featuring Pitbull -- and are an insult to MJ's memory not because they rework his music, but because they do it so ungracefully.
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http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-michael-jacksons-bad-25-is-it-worth-your-money-20120918,0,2000283.story
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