Monnie1976's Full Review: Off The Wall [Remaster] by Michael Jackson
As most music writers here on Epinions as well as on many other websites I knew it was only a matter of time before I touched on the death of Michael Jackson. There isn’t a single person alive in the world who hasn’t heard of his untimely death a couple of weeks ago. I needed to take some time and ponder just what role the King of Pop played in my life. For some he was beyond an influence or an icon. He was the air they breath in and out and the heart beating in their chest. For me he was an amazing singer and a man who inspired me to want to do good for other people. He was a symbol of a person who made no compromises when it came to his music. He was a caring and dedicated philanthropist who wanted to make the world a better place. While there are definitely other aspects of the man Michael Jackson many could discuss I choose to let his legacy be the music. I find peace in the fact he is a soul who is now free from the intense scrutiny of the public, the constant sorrow of mental illness and the demons of child abuse and drug addiction. Any other issues regarding Michael Jackson’s life are between him and his higher power now.
When I was a little kid Michael Jackson really had no past in my mind before his revolutionary 1982 blockbuster album Thriller. In reality there were five albums by this entertainer before he released the album that revolutionized music completely and unalterably. As most of my peers in their thirties I can never remember a time where there was no Michael Jackson. It wasn’t until the hits dried up and I was able to find music on the internet that I explored his back catalog including Off The Wall. This album was a wonderful discovery. The fact is if I were to make a top twenty lists of my all time favorite Michael Jackson songs I know at least two would come from this 1979 collection. The more I listen to this album the more I wonder if this one is possibly a little bit better than Thriller.
While there are so many vocal ticks and mannerisms that define Michael Jackson this album includes what truly defines him as an artist. His amazing, flawless voice. “Rock With You” is probably one of the best male R&B vocals ever. There’s no hiccups, “woohs” are any other Michael Jackson trademarks. It’s just Michael and his brilliant talent for interpreting a song making you feel romance and in the mood to move your feet all in one breath. I always thought this song was so suave and romantic. There are many fantastic ballads on this album with singing so amazing you just want to close your eyes and float away. A great example of this is the dreamy “Can’t Help It” which has a vibe reminding me of another legend by the name of Stevie Wonder. This make sense since Wonder penned this song with Susaye Green from The Supremes. Another beautiful ballad is the sweet and sincere “She’s Out Of My Life”. He sounds very vulnerable and filled with emotion on this stripped down ballad.
There’s a lot of great songs to inspire bootie shaking of epic proportions. My personal favorite is the opening track with its iconic string melodies rushing over a nice hand clap percussion along with nice little horn riffs. Jackson uses his falsetto for the hook and then coos his ad libs with a warm sensual baritone underneath. “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” is guaranteed to get any party started. “Working Day And Night” with its use of cowbell, Jackson’s crooning falsetto and horn arrangement is another highlight. I love the groove of the bass thumbing underneath giving the song a strong foundation. “Get On The Floor” wasn’t one I love immediately but it has grown on me with its funky string bass, swirling strings and you can almost see the disco ball pattern revolving on your floor as this song plays. Jackson takes the very best of disco and R&B and makes an intoxicating fusion of the two.
Just like Thriller there isn’t really an average song in the bunch. The select few that weren’t instant classics on first listen became so on the second or third. For example “It’s The Falling In Love” was one I only thought was alright the first couple of times. Then it grew on me an now I think it’s a very nice duet between him and Patti Austin. “Burn This Disco Out” is a song that becomes a lot more fun after a couple of listens. The title track “Off The Wall” has a very interesting change up between the verse, bridge and finally the chorus. It takes a few listens for your ear to cuddle up to the slightly off beat melody. A lesser singer couldn’t really pull this off.
Overall, this album is a master class on how to make a good album. Everything works from the dance tracks designed to get everyone on their feet to the love songs which can inspire every emotion from sexuality to surrender to sadness. Jackson’s voice transcends all barriers and while his pitch is amazing it’s the heart he puts into the songs which makes them special. He has a conviction to every song and I can’t really think of any moment on this album where he is phoning it in. Even the cute, boy group goodness of “Girlfriend” is filled with passion. No collection of pop, R&B or disco would be complete without this album.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Off The Wall [Remaster] by Michael Jackson](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/8d/73/b9/2002010361-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.