Michael Jackson's Off The Wall – a review
It's hard to believe now, in the days of 7 years since Invincible; that in 1979, not even 10 years since he was this ten year old kid singing 'I Want You Back', Michael Jackson was about to release album from which there was no going back.
Sometimes one simple, apparently meaningless event change the way the rest of your life pans out. Sometimes this event can change the world. When Michael Jackson met Quincy Jones during the filming of The Wiz in 1978, such an event occurred. If Michael and Q (as he affectionately became known) had not met, If Michael had said no to starring in the Wiz, there would be no Off The Wall, no Thriller, no Bad. Music & entertainment history would have been rewritten. Thank God then for that meeting.
In 1975 the Jackson 5 had moved to CBS/Epic in a bid to have more creative control over their work. This had been seen as a suicide move by many in the industry but in reality they had nothing to lose - their popularity had been waning and the boys who had grown into young men were desperate for an updated image.
After the Jacksons' first album with CBS - Destiny, Michael wanted to branch out even further and make his first 'adult' solo album. The child prodigy had learnt so much from all the greats he had worked with during his Motown tenure he was bursting with ideas, tunes and lyrics.
With Quincy at the helm, Michael Jackson was about to take his career to the next level, and the next 30 years in music were never to be the same.
Michael was not even 20 when Off The Wall was released and therefore the record is one of immense fun. This was before the days of songs about the media, intrusion, allegations and the environment. Nearly all the songs here are about enjoyment, excitement, and getting down!
No song represents that more so than the lead single and first track. Michael had showcased his song writing skills on Destiny in fine form with collaborations with his brothers on such hits as the fabulous 'Shake Your Body' and 'Things I Do For You'; on Off The Wall, he would refine this skill further. 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough' was solely written and composed by Michael, one of three on the album. It is a classic on every sense of the word. With brother Randy on percussion, 'Don't Stop' has everything you could want on a record, an amazing hook, fun lyrics and is amazingly sung in Michael's newly found falsetto range. The production is outstanding, with multiple layers weaving their way over each other which may only become apparent at the end when one by one they all fade. At over 6 minutes long, it is the longest on the album and is a hint of what was to come on much later albums when Michael would compose other 6 or 7 minute epics. Don't Stop was the biggest hit from Off The Wall, selling over a million in America and winning him his first Grammy. More importantly, it launched Michael Jackson as much more than a novelty child performer. He was now a fully fledged songwriter and entertainer.
When people write about Michael Jackson's career, they often – if not always - refer to Quincy Jones but one other man has made just as significant contribution to his career. Rod Temperton - without this man there would be no Thriller, Baby Be Mine, Lady In My Life, Burn This Disco Out and also this next classic. 'Rock With You' confirmed Michael as the biggest pop star of the new decade. An infectious piece of R&B/disco, it burns it's way into the listeners brain after one listen, just as Remember The Time would 12 years later.
Another Jackson penned track next and like all Michael's subsequent albums, his self written songs are the best. Before the days of releasing 80% of his albums as singles, 'Workin' Day and Night' was unreleased, but it is still well known after live performances of it on the Bad & Dangerous tours and is even referenced on 2001's Whatever Happens. Like 'Don't Stop', 'Workin' Day & Night' has a furious hook that means you have to move when listening to it - it commands you. Fantastically sung and arranged, it tells the story of a man who spends all his time bringing home the bacon to satisfy his lady's material lust. Michael's songs would break the mould, he questions traditional song arrangements and there were often another verse, bridge or instrumental section where you least expect it. For many, many reasons this is my favourite song from Off The Wall.
The third and final Michael penned song is next, 'Get On The Floor' is another slice of funky disco pop that fits perfectly on the album. The main joy of this track is the way Michael plays about with the vocals, like most of the album he sounds like he had amazing fun in the studio. In love with the tracks and the freedom Quincy gave him to perform them.
Rod Temperton's masterpiece is next. This is the one song he should be remembered for. 'Off The Wall' is quite simply, a dazzling record. From the crazy intro that resembled the not yet released Thriller to the carefree lyric 'leave that 9 to 5 up on the shelf, and just enjoy yourself', it is a blissful piece of pop music. Careful listeners can make out a little tribute to his childhood days on Motown as he sings 'when the world is on your shoulder' – shoulder in the singular, as in 'Just look over your shoulder, baby' from I'll Be There. It sums up the mood of the entire album and deserved the credit of being the title track. A part of Michael that makes him stand out from other performers is the way he makes his songs his own. It matters not one bit whether he wrote them or others did, you simply can't tell by listening to them. Off The Wall, is similar to 'Thriller' and 'Man In The Mirror', they are so synonymous with Michael Jackson it is often assumed that he wrote them.
Before they collaborated on duets such as The Girl Is Mine and Say, Say, Say, Paul McCartney and Michael worked together on the next track. 'Girlfriend' was written by the former Beatle and it's hardly Hey Jude or Yesterday. It's a fluffy piece light pop which is nice enough but would never set the world on fire. The song fits in both musically and lyrically with songs such as Ben or Mama's Pearl and is therefore notable as the last time we'd hear Michael Jackson the teenager.
Track seven is the first chance the album really slows down and it does so in style with yet another classic. Penned by Tom Bahler, 'She's Out Of My Life' is the song that would break records as the forth Top 10 hit from a single album in America. The song is beautiful and even more beautifully sung. Legend has it that Michael cried while recording it and on subsequent live renditions he plays the audiences emotions for all they're worth as he 'struggles' to get the final note out. Fantastic lyrics from Tom such as 'damned indiscision and cursed pride, I kept my love for her locked deep inside' are sung with such emotion, one wonders what heartbreak Michael went through for him to wring such passion from the words.
Another future collaborator and ex-Motown label mate Stevie Wonder co-writes the next track. 'I Can't Help It' is another pleasant piece of disco, helped in no mean part by Michael's vocals, despite the fact that he sings Help as Elp every time! Only Michael or perhaps Stevie Wonder himself could get away with 'scatting' the final verse as he just lets his voice ride the rhythm.
Two another future collaborators co-write the penultimate track; Carole Bayer Sager also duets with Michael on 'I Can't Help It', the two were to work together again in the far off 2001 on the beautiful 'You Are My Life' on Invincible. The other co-writer is the incredible producer David Foster who went on to co-produce Michael's biggest ever UK hit single 'Earth Song'. The songs itself is a sweet ode to young love, loving the highs and hating the lows.
A fantastic Temperton-penned track closes the album. 'Burn This Disco Out' is another all out dance track, in the same vein as many other Off The Wall tracks, just a groove about the joy of dance.
Listening to Off The Wall thirty years later, the album is meaningful on so many levels. As a single recording piece it is the blueprint of all that was to follow. Jackson would refine the process each time to make the perfect album, Off The Wall merged into Thriller which morphed into Bad which became Dangerous. Like Thriller Off The Wall was the perfect album for it's time, it perfectly crossed the threshold from '70s disco to '80s pop. It sounds just like the sort of album a 20 year old should make - carefree, fun, joyous and a happy-go-lucky cheerful groove.
The record was released in the simpler days of 'old technology', people who purchased Off The Wall had 2 choices; vinyl or cassette and normally went for the former. With four tracks on side A and six on side B, the listener could put the record on the turntable, admire the exquisitely cool Michael with his afro and tux on the cover, lose themselves in the music and be amazed that the 10 year old boy they'd watched barely 10 years earlier with the outstanding voice and James Brown moves had become this young man who was now setting the world on fire. It seems short as it is such an easy album to listen to, the 42 minutes just fly as each track grooves by.
You can hear Michael's potential all over this album; from the vocals and the song writing to the (at the time) great videos. Most artists would kill for an album of this quality as it is often voted as one of the best of all time, it is hard to believe that it was to be eclipsed time and time again, and sales wise it is way below all future releases. At the time it became the biggest selling album by a black artist and sold 8 million (latest estimates are around the 20 million mark), it held clues as to Michael's future but no-one had an inkling what would come next. All we knew is, two years after Elvis's death, the world had a new king and his name was Michael Jackson.
Thriller:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1265736#post1265736
Bad:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45266
Dangerous:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44057
HIStory:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44385
Invincible:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44468
It's hard to believe now, in the days of 7 years since Invincible; that in 1979, not even 10 years since he was this ten year old kid singing 'I Want You Back', Michael Jackson was about to release album from which there was no going back.
Sometimes one simple, apparently meaningless event change the way the rest of your life pans out. Sometimes this event can change the world. When Michael Jackson met Quincy Jones during the filming of The Wiz in 1978, such an event occurred. If Michael and Q (as he affectionately became known) had not met, If Michael had said no to starring in the Wiz, there would be no Off The Wall, no Thriller, no Bad. Music & entertainment history would have been rewritten. Thank God then for that meeting.
In 1975 the Jackson 5 had moved to CBS/Epic in a bid to have more creative control over their work. This had been seen as a suicide move by many in the industry but in reality they had nothing to lose - their popularity had been waning and the boys who had grown into young men were desperate for an updated image.
After the Jacksons' first album with CBS - Destiny, Michael wanted to branch out even further and make his first 'adult' solo album. The child prodigy had learnt so much from all the greats he had worked with during his Motown tenure he was bursting with ideas, tunes and lyrics.
With Quincy at the helm, Michael Jackson was about to take his career to the next level, and the next 30 years in music were never to be the same.
Michael was not even 20 when Off The Wall was released and therefore the record is one of immense fun. This was before the days of songs about the media, intrusion, allegations and the environment. Nearly all the songs here are about enjoyment, excitement, and getting down!
No song represents that more so than the lead single and first track. Michael had showcased his song writing skills on Destiny in fine form with collaborations with his brothers on such hits as the fabulous 'Shake Your Body' and 'Things I Do For You'; on Off The Wall, he would refine this skill further. 'Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough' was solely written and composed by Michael, one of three on the album. It is a classic on every sense of the word. With brother Randy on percussion, 'Don't Stop' has everything you could want on a record, an amazing hook, fun lyrics and is amazingly sung in Michael's newly found falsetto range. The production is outstanding, with multiple layers weaving their way over each other which may only become apparent at the end when one by one they all fade. At over 6 minutes long, it is the longest on the album and is a hint of what was to come on much later albums when Michael would compose other 6 or 7 minute epics. Don't Stop was the biggest hit from Off The Wall, selling over a million in America and winning him his first Grammy. More importantly, it launched Michael Jackson as much more than a novelty child performer. He was now a fully fledged songwriter and entertainer.
When people write about Michael Jackson's career, they often – if not always - refer to Quincy Jones but one other man has made just as significant contribution to his career. Rod Temperton - without this man there would be no Thriller, Baby Be Mine, Lady In My Life, Burn This Disco Out and also this next classic. 'Rock With You' confirmed Michael as the biggest pop star of the new decade. An infectious piece of R&B/disco, it burns it's way into the listeners brain after one listen, just as Remember The Time would 12 years later.
Another Jackson penned track next and like all Michael's subsequent albums, his self written songs are the best. Before the days of releasing 80% of his albums as singles, 'Workin' Day and Night' was unreleased, but it is still well known after live performances of it on the Bad & Dangerous tours and is even referenced on 2001's Whatever Happens. Like 'Don't Stop', 'Workin' Day & Night' has a furious hook that means you have to move when listening to it - it commands you. Fantastically sung and arranged, it tells the story of a man who spends all his time bringing home the bacon to satisfy his lady's material lust. Michael's songs would break the mould, he questions traditional song arrangements and there were often another verse, bridge or instrumental section where you least expect it. For many, many reasons this is my favourite song from Off The Wall.
The third and final Michael penned song is next, 'Get On The Floor' is another slice of funky disco pop that fits perfectly on the album. The main joy of this track is the way Michael plays about with the vocals, like most of the album he sounds like he had amazing fun in the studio. In love with the tracks and the freedom Quincy gave him to perform them.
Rod Temperton's masterpiece is next. This is the one song he should be remembered for. 'Off The Wall' is quite simply, a dazzling record. From the crazy intro that resembled the not yet released Thriller to the carefree lyric 'leave that 9 to 5 up on the shelf, and just enjoy yourself', it is a blissful piece of pop music. Careful listeners can make out a little tribute to his childhood days on Motown as he sings 'when the world is on your shoulder' – shoulder in the singular, as in 'Just look over your shoulder, baby' from I'll Be There. It sums up the mood of the entire album and deserved the credit of being the title track. A part of Michael that makes him stand out from other performers is the way he makes his songs his own. It matters not one bit whether he wrote them or others did, you simply can't tell by listening to them. Off The Wall, is similar to 'Thriller' and 'Man In The Mirror', they are so synonymous with Michael Jackson it is often assumed that he wrote them.
Before they collaborated on duets such as The Girl Is Mine and Say, Say, Say, Paul McCartney and Michael worked together on the next track. 'Girlfriend' was written by the former Beatle and it's hardly Hey Jude or Yesterday. It's a fluffy piece light pop which is nice enough but would never set the world on fire. The song fits in both musically and lyrically with songs such as Ben or Mama's Pearl and is therefore notable as the last time we'd hear Michael Jackson the teenager.
Track seven is the first chance the album really slows down and it does so in style with yet another classic. Penned by Tom Bahler, 'She's Out Of My Life' is the song that would break records as the forth Top 10 hit from a single album in America. The song is beautiful and even more beautifully sung. Legend has it that Michael cried while recording it and on subsequent live renditions he plays the audiences emotions for all they're worth as he 'struggles' to get the final note out. Fantastic lyrics from Tom such as 'damned indiscision and cursed pride, I kept my love for her locked deep inside' are sung with such emotion, one wonders what heartbreak Michael went through for him to wring such passion from the words.
Another future collaborator and ex-Motown label mate Stevie Wonder co-writes the next track. 'I Can't Help It' is another pleasant piece of disco, helped in no mean part by Michael's vocals, despite the fact that he sings Help as Elp every time! Only Michael or perhaps Stevie Wonder himself could get away with 'scatting' the final verse as he just lets his voice ride the rhythm.
Two another future collaborators co-write the penultimate track; Carole Bayer Sager also duets with Michael on 'I Can't Help It', the two were to work together again in the far off 2001 on the beautiful 'You Are My Life' on Invincible. The other co-writer is the incredible producer David Foster who went on to co-produce Michael's biggest ever UK hit single 'Earth Song'. The songs itself is a sweet ode to young love, loving the highs and hating the lows.
A fantastic Temperton-penned track closes the album. 'Burn This Disco Out' is another all out dance track, in the same vein as many other Off The Wall tracks, just a groove about the joy of dance.
Listening to Off The Wall thirty years later, the album is meaningful on so many levels. As a single recording piece it is the blueprint of all that was to follow. Jackson would refine the process each time to make the perfect album, Off The Wall merged into Thriller which morphed into Bad which became Dangerous. Like Thriller Off The Wall was the perfect album for it's time, it perfectly crossed the threshold from '70s disco to '80s pop. It sounds just like the sort of album a 20 year old should make - carefree, fun, joyous and a happy-go-lucky cheerful groove.
The record was released in the simpler days of 'old technology', people who purchased Off The Wall had 2 choices; vinyl or cassette and normally went for the former. With four tracks on side A and six on side B, the listener could put the record on the turntable, admire the exquisitely cool Michael with his afro and tux on the cover, lose themselves in the music and be amazed that the 10 year old boy they'd watched barely 10 years earlier with the outstanding voice and James Brown moves had become this young man who was now setting the world on fire. It seems short as it is such an easy album to listen to, the 42 minutes just fly as each track grooves by.
You can hear Michael's potential all over this album; from the vocals and the song writing to the (at the time) great videos. Most artists would kill for an album of this quality as it is often voted as one of the best of all time, it is hard to believe that it was to be eclipsed time and time again, and sales wise it is way below all future releases. At the time it became the biggest selling album by a black artist and sold 8 million (latest estimates are around the 20 million mark), it held clues as to Michael's future but no-one had an inkling what would come next. All we knew is, two years after Elvis's death, the world had a new king and his name was Michael Jackson.
Thriller:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1265736#post1265736
Bad:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45266
Dangerous:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44057
HIStory:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44385
Invincible:
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44468
Last edited:
unk: