Just blundered upon this definitive MONDO “Beat It” from the infamous Jacksons VICTORY Tour of 1984, and I’ll be damned if the spectacle doesn’t live up to all its crazed HYPE, at least for the distended, 7:03 length of this one song, drum solo and all!
I love how random Michael’s attempts to interact and go head-to-head wit’ Eddie Van Halen are (from 2:40 to about 3:15), and just how utterly, magically bizarre this pairing at the APEX of both their careers really was, in the fleshly moment!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=k_Vr4OhqmJ0&feature=endscreen
Also love this cynical YouTube comment, which seems rather plausible, at least until the wide angle shot from 6:45 to 6:51—
this is obviously a soundcheck that was filmed, not a performance
Anyhow, I hope you’ll enjoy this li’l peek into the now-practically-unimaginable Eighties Arena Rock past….
