Latest on MJJC

Early configuration of Bad

Replace Just Good Friends with Leave Me Alone and every song would be a hit single.
 
Bad is borderline perfect. There's nothing you can do to make it any better than it is.

If I had to make any changes, I'd probably revert some of the songs to the original 1987 mixes. The differences are mostly pretty minimal (e.g., "Bad" features more horns, "The Way You Make Me Feel" doesn't have ad-libs during the fade, "Dirty Diana" was about 10 seconds longer), but I just think they sound far, far better than the later reissued mixes. (I'd also figure out a way to cut those three beeps at the end of "The Way You Make Me Feel.")

But even then, it's Michael's magnum opus (in my opinion). Don't touch it.

analogue said:
Speaking of Just Good Friends one thing I don't understand is why Stevie Wonder's name wasn't written on the album tracklist. With a massive name like Stevie's you'd think the tracklist would have read ''Just Good Friends (Featuring Stevie Wonder)''
Click to expand...

I always wondered why Michael didn't include "featuring [name]" in track titles more often, especially when the names were massive musical presences. The only two times I can think of him doing so is with Paul McCartney and Janet.

"This Time Around (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.)" would've attracted MASSIVE attention in 1995.
 
Judging from the songs that didn't make the album I think it would have made a great double album as well.
 
JichaelMackson said:
Judging from the songs that didn't make the album I think it would have made a great double album as well.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Listening to songs like Loving You, Price of Fame, Don't Be Messin Round, Free, Abortion Papers, Fly Away, Cheater, Streetwalker tells me that Michael could have easily released a great double album.
 
Nite Line said:
Agreed. Listening to songs like Loving You, Price of Fame, Don't Be Messin Round, Free, Abortion Papers, Fly Away, Cheater, Streetwalker tells me that Michael could have easily released a great double album.
Click to expand...

And we haven't even heard Buffalo Bill, What You Do To Me, Tomboy, Make or Break, etc.
 
Hess;4290709 said:
I will say however - the only song I might consider changing on BAD is Just Good Friends. - JGF could/should have been released either as a stand alone single or as a b-side on a single.
Click to expand...

‘Just Good Friends’ should have never been released, neither on the ‘BAD’ album, nor in any other way (stand-alone single, B-side on a single, etc).

As Quincy Jones also admitted, the ‘Just Good Friends’ song was a mistake, and it should have never been recorded, let alone been included on the ‘BAD’ album.

The fact also that it was the only song from the album that it was not released at the time as a single also shows their big mistake for its inclusion on the album.

Even when Stevie Wonder joined Michael Jackson on stage in Brisbane (on November 28th, 1987) during the BAD Tour, they avoided singing that duet song together.
 
Is Just Good Friends a ground breaking masterpiece that changes the way we look at music? Of course not. It's just a fun, feel good song. And that's why I love it.
 
analogue said:
Is Just Good Friends a ground breaking masterpiece that changes the way we look at music? Of course not. It's just a fun, feel good song. And that's why I love it.
Click to expand...

But that's the thing, why include a song like that when you have other stronger songs that could have replaced it?
 
mj_frenzy said:
Even when Stevie Wonder joined Michael Jackson on stage in Brisbane (on November 28th, 1987) during the BAD Tour, they avoided singing that duet song together.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that's because Michael and his band never rehearsed Just Good Friends and they wouldn't have had time to put it in the setlist at the last minute. And in the 87 shows only 2 songs from the BAD album were performed.
 
analogue;4290861 said:
Is Just Good Friends a ground breaking masterpiece that changes the way we look at music? Of course not. It's just a fun, feel good song. And that's why I love it.
Click to expand...

Watching the Bad 25 documentary last night, I’m surprised that the producers and people involved in the song were so negative talking about it? Like they thought it was bad but no one said anything.

I don’t think the song’s bad, I like it, but I would’ve preferred Streetwalker.
 
Themidwestcowboy;4290862 said:
But that's the thing, why include a song like that when you have other stronger songs that could have replaced it?
Click to expand...

Because he wanted his good friend Stevie on the album? :)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6xWRXfQkBsc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s a weak song anyway. I love it. :)
 
Michael should've made "Cheater" a duet between him and Stevie.

Imagine their trade-off ad-libs on a finished version of that track. Good LORD.
 
AlwaysThere said:
Michael should've made "Cheater" a duet between him and Stevie.

Imagine their trade-off ad-libs on a finished version of that track. Good LORD.
Click to expand...

I think a better duet between the two would have been Don't Be Messin Round.
 
Last edited:
Every great album has a "filler"
Just Good Friends is the filler on Bad IMO.

Amazing album. Prefer it to Thriller
 
Michael's here Michael's here. When MJ does that it sounds exactly like Stevie Wonder

Let's be honest in the late 80s he could have filled the album 3 times and it would still be quite good. He was on a roll and churning out good melodies in the wink of an eye. Just good friends is a great song, as is get it. They were sparkling together.
 
AlwaysThere said:
Michael should've made "Cheater" a duet between him and Stevie.

Imagine their trade-off ad-libs on a finished version of that track. Good LORD.
Click to expand...

for some reason i can hear stevie on Leave Me Alone. that would have been a great song for a duet. The song is already a masterpiece as it is.
 
Just Good Friends is an average song and Get It is terrible. Two very disappointing collaborations between two of the greatest artists ever.

What's disappointing about Just Good Friends is that the song wasn't even written by Michael and Stevie. Here you have two great songwriters deciding to collaborate on a song and they get other people to write the song. Very strange!

Michael's high profile collaborations were disappointing. Paul McCartney songs were underwhelming with the exception of The Man, which isn't even well known. Scream with Janet is a good song but nothing special. This Time Around with Biggie is very average. And the aforementioned Stevie Wonder collaborations were Bad (pun intended).
 
Nite Line said:
Just Good Friends is an average song and Get It is terrible. Two very disappointing collaborations between two of the greatest artists ever.

What's disappointing about Just Good Friends is that the song wasn't even written by Michael and Stevie. Here you have two great songwriters deciding to collaborate on a song and they get other people to write the song. Very strange!

Michael's high profile collaborations were disappointing. Paul McCartney songs were underwhelming with the exception of The Man, which isn't even well known. Scream with Janet is a good song but nothing special. This Time Around with Biggie is very average. And the aforementioned Stevie Wonder collaborations were Bad (pun intended).
Click to expand...

What exactly don't you like about them. It's okay but posts like this always lack a reason. Care to elaborate?
For me they are good songs because of both artists vocal deliveries, the songs sound like they were having fun and I think both voices go very well together. But that's just what they are , good, not brilliant. imo.
 
JichaelMackson said:
What exactly don't you like about them. It's okay but posts like this always lack a reason. Care to elaborate?
For me they are good songs because of both artists vocal deliveries, the songs sound like they were having fun and I think both voices go very well together. But that's just what they are , good, not brilliant. imo.
Click to expand...

I don't like the cheesy lyrics. Michael and Stevie were/are great singers, so more often than not, their vocal deliveries would be on point. That isn't enough to make it a good song for me. Just Good Friends, I can tolerate as it has that amazing bridge section but I find Get It absolutely unbearable.
 
Nite Line said:
I don't like the cheesy lyrics. Michael and Stevie were/are great singers, so more often than not, their vocal deliveries would be on point. That isn't enough to make it a good song for me. Just Good Friends, I can tolerate as it has that amazing bridge section but I find Get It absolutely unbearable.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, I actually never paid attention to the lyrics, lyrics are often an afterthought with MJ, at least it seems that way to me. It's all about the melody when he speaks about music.

Either way you must dislike quite a few songs then as I believe he has sung a lot of songs with cheesy lyrics in his career. I'm thinking about you are my life, speechless, carousel, you are not alone, girlfriend and his many we are the world clones to name a few.
 
Nite Line said:
Just Good Friends is an average song and Get It is terrible. Two very disappointing collaborations between two of the greatest artists ever.

What's disappointing about Just Good Friends is that the song wasn't even written by Michael and Stevie. Here you have two great songwriters deciding to collaborate on a song and they get other people to write the song. Very strange!

Michael's high profile collaborations were disappointing. Paul McCartney songs were underwhelming with the exception of The Man, which isn't even well known. Scream with Janet is a good song but nothing special. This Time Around with Biggie is very average. And the aforementioned Stevie Wonder collaborations were Bad (pun intended).
Click to expand...

Say Say Say is good.

McCartney wasn't up to much with his writing at the time (and since) so not exactly sure why Michael decided to work with him.
Perhaps an attempt to try and become accessible to that type of audience?
 
JichaelMackson said:
Fair enough, I actually never paid attention to the lyrics, lyrics are often an afterthought with MJ, at least it seems that way to me. It's all about the melody when he speaks about music.

Either way you must dislike quite a few songs then as I believe he has sung a lot of songs with cheesy lyrics in his career. I'm thinking about you are my life, speechless, carousel, you are not alone, girlfriend and his many we are the world clones to name a few.
Click to expand...

Normally, I only really focus on the melody and the vocals, which is why I love/like songs like Speechless, Carousel, You Are My Life etc. So perhaps, I am being nit-picky by focusing on the lyrics of JFG. But it just doesn't connect with me for some reason. Maybe, I expected a whole lot better for a MJ/SW duet.


MOR316 said:
Say Say Say is good.

McCartney wasn't up to much with his writing at the time (and since) so not exactly sure why Michael decided to work with him.
Perhaps an attempt to try and become accessible to that type of audience?
Click to expand...

Say Say is decent, but nothing special.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top