Foreword: This is my entry into sparkfan77's write-off, where the goal was to write about the album that most influenced your life. This, quite simply, is not only the album that jump-started my addiction to music but also for a long time represented to me what the independence and freedom of adulthood was all about. It also gives me the chance to wipe out one of my stinky old reviews!

Freedom is an interesting concept. When you've been fenced in by barriers your whole life, nothing seems more necessary, more crucial, than finally attaining freedom. For most people, the real first sense of freedom arrives somewhere between the ages of 18 and 21. Let out into the world on your own for the first time, unlimited possibilities open up to you. You can wear this. You can say that. It's a lot to take at once, but it's a thrilling ride to go through it.

"Gonna hide your inhibitions/Gotta let that fool loose deep inside your soul"

By 1978, Michael Jackson was hungry. He'd already spent almost a decade as the lead singer of the Jacksons, a group comprised of him and four of his five brothers. After beginning their career as the Jackson 5 with Motown Records, Michael essentially became the first black teen idol. Along with the group's sugary sweet pop confections, Mike found himself on everything from magazine covers to lunchboxes to TV screens as a result of the J5 cartoon. A split from Motown in the middle of the decade necessitated a name change to the Jacksons, and after two moderately successful albums, the brothers finally gained some semblance of creative control, began writing and producing their own music, and managed to reignite the flame in their dormant career. As Michael reached the age of majority, he began to think about making a name for himself-not as 1/5th of the Jacksons, but as Michael Jackson. Period.

"Do what you wanna do...there ain't no rules, it's up to you..."

“Off The Wall” certainly did the trick. Released a week before Michael's 21st birthday, this album sounds like the joyful noise of a man who has just found out what he's capable of. With an able assist from producer Quincy Jones, this album synthesizes funk, disco, pop and soul to create an unforgettable meld that still sounds fresh a quarter-century later. Michael exhibits one of the most versatile voices ever-crossing from urgent yell to seductive croon and back again. “Off The Wall” not only established Michael as a legitimate adult superstar, it broke records! At the time, it was the most successful album by a Black act ever-until MJ broke that record himself. It was the first album by a solo artist to spawn 4 Top Ten singles (another record Michael broke), and it set the template for teen stars to successfully mature. New Edition's "Heartbreak”, Usher's �”, Justin Timberlake's “Justified”-even little sister Janet's “Control”-all of them owe a HUGE debt-sonically as well as in attitude-to “Off The Wall”.

Amid the spectacle that is Michael Jackson nowadays, one of the things everyone forgets is that the man can sing his *ss off. Listen to “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough”. The man sings the ENTIRE song in an impossibly high falsetto. Know why there's never been a cover version of this song? Because there's not one singer in the world that could vocally do this song justice. From a muisical standpoint, it's the busiest yet simplest arrangement ever. Strings and horns are everywhere, but what you really focus on is the song's insistent bassline-one of many provided by Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson. The song itself screams of buildup and release. As much as the squeaky-clean MJ may have protested when asked in the early 80s-this song ain't about nothing but f*ckin. Check out how Mike's mumbling in the intro turns into a full-bodied yelp. Check out his breathless vocal. Check out how you're still wiggling even after the track has faded out.

One other thing about “OTW” is that this is an ESSENTIAL party album. The title track may have that corny witch's cackle at the beginning, but there's nothing funny about Michael's insisting that you shed your inhibitions and just live life. Hearing a song like this, you wish that MJ had stopped for a second and took his own advice. "Working Day & Night” is the point where Mike's woman-hating first peeks it's little head out-but unlike songs like “Billie Jean” and “Dirty Diana”, he sounds almost playful here. Over an impossibly funky arrangement, Mike souonds alternately ticked off and attitudinal. "How can you live girl?", he sings, taking his voice so high it almost sounds like a J% sample on top of an adult MJ record, then concludes the line with an obnoxious "You must be seein' some other guy instead of me". This song (one of two solely penned by Michael) is irresistibly danceable, although the break in this song may have you moving so fast you might break a hip. “Get On The Floor” features Mike's loosest vocal, culminating in his actually breaking out into laughter as he turns into the final chorus. Michael Jackson? Loose? Laughing? Who knew? If you enjoyed JT's “Rock Your Body” and wanna know where that song originated, check out this track-Justin & The Neptunes emulated almost every grunt, beat and bassline from this track, all the way down to them both singing “dance with me” at the end of the first line of the chorus.

While “OTW” is more memorable as a groove album than anything else, it's highlights move far beyond the dance tracks. “Girlfriend” is an unbelievably peppy, poppy Paul McCartney track, but Mike's reading is so gleeful and innocent, you fall for it even despite it's corniness. The dramatic “She's Out Of My Life” has provoked snickers ever since Eddie Murphy delightfully skewered it in a comedy routine, but it's a simple, pretty lov song-definitely in line with what was going on at Top 40 radio in the late Seventies/early Eighties. What saves the tune from dissolving into treacle is Michael's searing vocal performance. He completely nails the absolute despondency of the track, although, yeah I could do without the crocodile tears at the end.

“Rock With You”, the album's biggest hit, is a summery singalong classic. Over a walking bass and shimmering keyboards, along with a groove that straddles the line between danceable and slow, Michael turns the vocals into a massage, using the right inflections on the right words at the right time. “Girl, when you daance...there's a magic, that must be love!”. It also features evidence of Michael being one of the best melodic singers of his era, as the multi-tracked gang of Michaels on this song harmonize beautifully. As if all this classic material wasn't enough, there's also “I Can't Help It”, a Stevie Wonder-composed ballad that flutters lightly over a wash of ethereal keyboards and a spacey bass line. Many consider it to be MJ's single greatest vocal performance, and I'd be hard pressed to find one better-except for maybe “Billie Jean”. This is the perfect blue light slow dance classic.

There are a couple tracks here-exactly two-that aren't exactly stellar. Better than average-they're just a slight letdown after the genius that is the rest of the album. “It's the Falling In Love” is a back-and-forth duet with Patti Austin that just sort of floats around for a while. The two vocalists have a decent enough chemistry as they portray a couple who are sort of on the outs, but the sparks don't really fly until Patti makes her graceful exit about 2/3 in and Mike takes over the ad-libbing for himself. “Burn This Disco Out” is just a case of Mike going to the well one too many times. However, Michael tempers his outbursts with a call-and-response type thing between his soulful normal range and a funky-sounding lower register.

The special expanded edition of this album doesn't offer a whole lot in the way of bonuses. It's kinda fun to hear Michael, Janet and brother Randy screaming at each other while recording the demos for “Don't Stop” & 'Working Day & Night”, and it's kinda cool to look through the new booklet at photos of Mike when he was a young, handsome Black man. However, the interviews (with producer Quincy Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton) are tear-inducingly boring, and unlike many special edition discs, there really doesn't seem to be a personal touch to the proceedings-although we all know that the Michael Jackson who recorded “Off The Wall” departed Earth years ago.

This album is probably the single set that I could absolutely not do without in my record collection. I was 3 when the album came out, and since I've been old enough to buy records, I've probably gone through 7 or 8 copies in all configurations-vinyl, CD and cassette. I cut MJ's picture off the gatefold sleeve of the album and have it taped to my bedroom door. I still own four copies of this album-2 on cassette, 2 on CD. I can recite EVERY lyric of EVERY song on this album verbatim (although I can't hit those falsetto notes anymore). The reason I enjoy “Justified” so much is because it's practically a Xeroxed copy of this album. From the second I got my eyes on the cover and heard the music within, I've wanted to be like this guy. His singing is the personification of someone who's at the single happiest point in their life. The cover screams “I'm Michael Jackson and I'm f*cking cool”. Although “Thriller” may win the popular vote by virtue of sales, “Off The Wall” is the Michael Jackson album you MUST own.

And of course, Michael's spent the rest of his career proving that there is such a thing as too much freedom-both professionally and personally.


"Off The Wall" by Michael Jackson

Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Repeat: "Rock With You", "Off The Wall", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", "I Can't Help It", "Working Day & Night"

Skip: The bonus material

Great Music To Play While: Leavin' that 9 to 5 up on the shelf...and just enjoyin' yourself.


Recommended: Yes