BBC review: Easy Star’s Thrillah

The series of crossover covers albums by NYC’s Easy Star Records have done valuable work taking reggae into the mainstream. Their latest, however, departs from the student digs of Dub Side of the Moon, Radiodread and Lonely Hearts Dub Band for an American artist who’s been a huge influence on Jamaican music.

For this reason, there is less of a “magic trick” involved in reworking Michael Jackson’s Thriller than, say, Pink Floyd or Radiohead. Jackson’s songs have been repeatedly done over in reggae, so these retreads invite more critical comparison with previous versions – not to mention the near-insurmountable achievements of Jackson, Rod Temperton and Quincy Jones.