Michael co-wrote and sang in the the chorus of the track.

Copycat said:

You gotta check out the 12". From memory there is a MJ solo on it - and I think also in the instrumental version there is a MJ break down.

Swa

BAD

After the seemingly unstoppable triumph that was Thriller, the pressure was truly on MJ and team to bring the goods with the follow up. Whilst Quincy has often said their attitude was to just forget they had ever made Thriller, it's shadow was always going to be caste over the remainder of Michael's releases.

As an album Bad was full of ambition and lofty goals. It wanted to break new ground but was also tethered to blueprint Thriller had made.

I still remember running to the record store to grab my pre-ordered version on vinyl. Holding the album in my hands I quickly scanned the tracklisting to see if some of the songs I had heard rumours of were on it - hmmm no Crack Kills with Run DMC. Racing home I put the needle into the groove and sat back to listen.

With a climbing crescendo of synth stabs Bad burst through the speakers. A funky crawling bass line taunts as an underpin to the track, while a thin yet multilayered percussive blip punctures the air. Michael's voice had a sense of tease to it as he spat out each line of the lyric. The nice additions of music as the track progresses, the chords that bubble from the organ, the wah wah guitar that hits accents, and the synth bed that swarms takes the song from verse and ascends to the chorus. And here in the midst of the chorus is the weakest point of the song - those backing vocals with their "really really bad" falsetto deliveries don't exude the threat they should. For me it's these lines that date the song more than anything. I've always wondered if the song had been recorded without them would it sound funkier. Thankfully the blissful organ solo rescues the song somewhat as does the funk guitar riffs smattered throughout. And who doesn't smile hearing "because I'm smoooooth" and those horns hitting. Dated it might be, but there are still elements of the track that don't make it a total cringe moment.

With a pure pop sensibility The Way You Make Me Feel is one of Michael's catchiest compositions. His vocals are near flawless, and there is a sense of joy in his delivery that is very reminiscent of the finest moments on Off The Wall. A deep mix of layers the song was destined to be a hit, especially when those Jackson harmonies kick in on the chorus. As Bad introduced "chamon" to the lexicon, The Way You Make Me Feel introduced buz-i-ness. And this track is the business - everything on it is right in the pocket.

Speed Demon is a love hate track for me - though thankfully more love than hate. I get suckered in with the feel of it, and that rattling bass during the chorus, but the lyrics do make you feel like it doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's where the track suffers. That said Michael's delivery in the bridge is out of this world. Maybe it's just that the song that should be funky, comes off feeling a little too produced and digital when a few organic/real instruments would have delivered a better punch, especially in the drums department.

Liberian Girl is one of Michael's most underrated tracks in my opinion. It's a beautiful composition with a lush arrangements that doesn't over power the song but allows it to float. And once again, the way Michael uses phrasing and a range of mid and high notes work perfectly, and those harmonies are perfect, especially when backing the ad libs in the final minute of the track.

Just Good Friends to meet was the filler of the album. It just felt throwaway and although both Stevie and Michael give great vocal deliveries, it does feel a little bit too bright and poppy. If only "Get It" had been recorded earlier it could have made it here in it's place. And here's something I never thought I would say, but Just Good Friends is a poor man's The Girl Is Mine.

Another Part of Me will always have a soft place in my memory as I am immediately taken to all the Captain EO viewings I managed to sneak in during a trip to Disneyland. For me, this track was ok, not a standout and really only saw its real potential when played live where it hard more spark and funk.

What can you say about Man In The Mirror. It's become Michael's "imagine" and fittingly so. And while some will be quick to point out it's not a Michael penned song, the way he invests in it vocally makes it truly his. And for many Man In The Mirror showed a new side of Michael, a gospel side. His vocals are honest and dripping in humanity. The way he twists and climbs the melody to the choruses and key change just take the song to another level. And for me it's the final 2 minutes that really make this song with Michael in call and response mode, just laying it all out there and taking on the role of both preacher and convert. Undoubtedly the unexpected stand out of the album.

I Just Stop Loving You whilst the designated love song of the album does start the overly produced and sugar sweet arrangements that would later mark some of Michael's weaker songs. Whilst you can't deny it's catchy qualities or the way on first listen you spend half the time thinking "who is singing this line", the song just feels a little too fluffy. For me the love song on the album was Liberian Girl, it had more heart.

Dirty Diana followed the "rock track" blueprint of Beat It. Get a hot current guitarist in and let them lose on the track. Thankfully though, Michael doesn't go for Beat It part to, but actually tries to push his time in rockland. The production here is perfect and Michael's retelling of seduction thankfully boarders on the believable.

Smooth Criminal was another unexpected highlight and what a way to finish the album. The urgency in the bassline forms the foundation of the vocal delivery and allows the progression of the narrative to feel vibrant and fresh. To this day this is a favourite track that just makes you want to get up and dance. One of my favourite moments is hearing Michael's "doah" being sampled and then played back as a melody line at the 2:50 mark, something I didn't really notice for a long time.

Leaving Leave Me Alone from the main album was a true sin in track selection. give me this over Just Good Friends any day. Thankfully it appearing as a bonus track on the CD (somewhat unheard of at the time) made it even more valuable. The song just shuffles along effortlessly and has Michael displaying some of his best vocals on record. And hearing his scat like stabs during the synth solo (also treated trough a vocoder) brings an extra sense of joy to the track.

Whilst a few songs on BAD don't hold so well many years later (and here I point to the instrumentation selection that sounded fresh at the time but quickly dated) the album still holds some quintessential Michael moments.

And while it might not have the consistency of Thriller, it certainly came packed with a few hits and let's not forget it was the first album to spawn 5 consecutive number 1 hits. Artistically speaking it was a step forward, but perhaps not the leap many fans had hoped for, but for new generation of fans it was the perfect introduction to Michael.

Check out:
Off The Wall - http://prince.org/msg/8/314514?&pg=3
Thriller - http://prince.org/msg/8/314514?&pg=5

Swa