I was cleaning out one of my old bags for storage and out came Bad. Shamow! I hadn’t listened to the full album in years, so I stopped what I was doing and popped it in my CD player. When Michael sings ‘your butt is mine’, I’m transported back to the first time I saw the “Bad” video and thought he had to be the baddest gangster ever. I was 6 and my only knowledge of gangsters came from cartoon wolves in zoot suits. When it first came out a Rolling Stone review said Bad is a better record than Thriller, I’m not so sure I agree, but it still is very exciting. It debuted at 1 back in 1987 and claimed that spot the next six weeks.
The video for the eponymous single cost more than the “Thriller” video, but where did the money go? Did the dancers’ fees go up that year? Was the cost of studded leather ridiculously high then? Aside from that financial mystery, it is a pretty cool vid. I love that, like in “Beat It”, Michael’s idea of street gangs had more in common with Bernstein and Sondheim’s Sharks and Jets than anything rooted in reality. Here’s the full 16 minute mini movie directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Roberta Flack and Wesley Snipes:
I prefer the Guys ‘n Dolls inspired gangster antics of “Smooth Criminal”, because I have fond memories of me falling on my nose while trying that leany forwardy bit of the video. And I used to love to play the Moonwalker game on my brother’s Sega. It was awesome, I could kill a man with a fedora! I’m actually a bit surprised so many bands have covered this song, because other than ‘you been hit by a smooth criminal’ I still cannot decypher any of the lyrics. What is it about? Who’s Annie? Why does he pronounce the you in ‘Annie are you OK’ like Ricky Ricardo?
The rest of the album is also still thrilling and a stunning walk down Michael’s wacky but wonderful memory lane. Even the lesser known songs, that are generally considered the album’s filler tracks, like “Speed Demon” and the upbeat duet with Stevie Wonder “Just Good Friends”, are great pop songs and balance out the album really well. Whatever Michael’s next otherworldly stunt, there is nothing he can do that could erase the awe-inspiring musical legacy he leaves behind with legendary albums like these under his belt.
Michael Jackson – Bad
Michael Jackson ft. Stevie Wonder – Just Good Friends
Filed under: Backtrack, Music Tagged: | Michael Jackson, Pop
Moonwalker. I loved that film! I want to see the scene where he turns into a robot again.
Ohmygod, me too! And then robot Michael turns into a spaceship! Wow. It was like a really good episode of Power Rangers.
Man, Thank God for Michael Jackson. This man is a LEGEND and dude u are sooo right about the BAD album…. man that dominated my childhood! There will never be another MJ. I wish he was around forever!
Leave me alone and Smooth criminal are both featured in his movie Moonwalker. You can get it from amazon.uk. or watch it on youtube.
I have begun to enjoy MJ a lot lately. I wish i would have started that before he died
. RIP
Thriller Videos are always great, i love those dancing zombies *
I’m glad I identified your write-up. I would never have made sense of this subject on my own. I’ve read some other articles on this topic, but I was confused until I read yours.