Less than a week remains until the unveiling of Bad 25, an expanded edition of Michael Jackson’s 1987 classic.
One of the most anticipated parts of this set is the official release of Michael’s 1988 Wembley Arena show, which he performed in the presence of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. The show is also being released on CD-the first ever commercial release of an adult MJ solo concert. Lots of qualifiers there, but oh well.
There’s no disputing that a Michael Jackson concert in 1988 was an electrifying experience, and this clip of “Human Nature” solidifies that statement. Moving like a cat, pulling out all the dramatic stops, and singing his ass off, this video is mesmerizing even if you’ve seen a million other performances of “Human Nature” via YouTube or This Is It.
Damn, I miss that man.
7 comments
Gonzo says:
Sep 12, 2012
Good god, this DVD is going to be something.
blerd says:
Sep 12, 2012
Mmmm hmmmmm!!!
Thierry says:
Sep 13, 2012
Arguably the peak of MJ live, too – no tapes, not much of the weirdness yet, perfect vocals, flawless dancing and off-the-chart confidence in his own abilities.
Gonzo says:
Sep 13, 2012
I haven’t seen the DVD yet or any boots from this leg of the tour, but I believe this is when he started incorporating some lip synching, albeit much more limited than subsequent tours. He’s clearly singing live in this clip (and the “Another Part of Me” clip that was going around last week).
The first leg of the tour was all live, as I recall – but it also was sparse on material from the Bad album – only “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Bad” were in the set.
I could be wrong about lip synching on the second leg, but that’s my recollection.
Either way, I’m psyched for this release.
blerd says:
Sep 13, 2012
Hmmm. I don’t know enough about the “Bad” tour to make an educated rendering, but I don’t think he started lip-synching until the “Dangerous” tour…
Gonzo says:
Sep 13, 2012
I’ll have to sift through You Tube later to confirm/deny. But I think it was primarily the Bad additions on the second leg (“Smooth Criminal,” “Man in the Mirror,” etc.).
Gonzo says:
Sep 13, 2012
Yeah, confirmed. But only on a few cuts, and some not even for the whole song. Regardless, I’m convinced that this was the last of his voice being at its peak. But I was pleasantly shocked with the live cuts in This is It.