Michael Jackson – BAD25 Review

In Stores 9/18/12

MICHAEL JACKSON – BAD: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition 3CD + DVD (Epic/Legacy)

The era of BAD represented Michael Jackson’s creative ‘coming of age’ as a solo artist in charge of every aspect of his career – from recording to touring to endorsements to merchandising.  This was the first album on which nearly all of the songs were written by Michael.  It was also was the first album in history to produce FIVE consecutive #1 singles.  It was the first time Michael would tour as a solo artist − his vision, his decisions on what the show would be.  The enormous success of the BAD album and tour was a pivotal moment in Michael Jackson’s growth as a composer, performer and producer, cementing his role as the King of Pop.  BAD produced ten chart-topping singles, nine groundbreaking short films, and to date the BAD album has generated over 45 million units in sales.  BAD was nominated for six Grammys and won two.  The album also earned Michael the first-ever Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMA Awards.  Now, 25 years after the phrase “Who’s Bad” became a generation’s cultural catchphrase, the legendary album and record-breaking BAD tour are being celebrated.

BAD: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition comprises 3 CDs and a DVD.

CD1 features a remaster of the original album.

CD 2 showcases rare and previously unreleased material recorded as part of the BAD sessions in Michael’s studio, including early demo versions of songs from the album as well as outtakes from the sessions. This CD will also include new 2012 remixes featuring Pitbull, Afrojack and Nero.

CD3 includes audio from the sound truck recordings of the July 16th Wembley Stadium performance in London. The first-ever live Michael Jackson CD to be released, this is the only concert from the BAD Tour known to exist on multi-tracks.

The DVD features the first-ever authorized release of Michael’s legendary July 16, 1988 concert at Wembley.  The Wembley Stadium concert is one complete show, exactly as Michael performed it for Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the 72,000 fans in the audience.  The DVD was sourced from Michael Jackson’s personal VHS copy of the performance as shown on the JumboTrons during the concert.  This footage was only recently unearthed and is the only known copy of the show to exist.  The visuals have been restored and the audio quality enhanced so that fans can share in the excitement of that famous night.

For a complete tracklist of the Deluxe Edition visit http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/news/official-track-list-bad-25th-anniversary-special-edition-unveiled.

Additionally, BAD: 25th Anniversary will be released in a Standard Edition featuring the same tracklists as Discs 1 & 2 detailed above.  A BAD: 25th Anniversary vinyl picture disc will be sold separately, featuring the original 10 tracks remastered.  And finally, the Wembley concert will have a standalone DVD release.