King of Pop Retrospective

In the following days, we will hear so much commentary (enough to make you unplug your TV)about Michael Jackson's Life and Career, I wanted to take a moment to breakdown an album and add really think about the music. I just have two albums : Off the Wall and Thriller and random Jackson 5 songs, but we'll stick with Off the Wall.

Off the Wall-1979

Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough- A great choice to start his first solo album. Already a pop wunderkind, he had enough success with the 5 that he could have retired early at 21 and cashed in the royalties. With that bass line intro, the young Mr. Jackson laid down the gauntlet for allcomers and established the first chapter of the most dynamic music presence of the last 50 years.

Rock With You- This is the second most well-known track and it is pretty solid. His voice makes what sounds like the last gasp of disco sound like, well, the first breath. Fresh and tight, it makes you wonder where disco went wrong.

Workin' Day and Night- Cowbell, Cowbell, Cowbell then horns, the rhythm guitar, then more horns. Very busy song, first song on the album ( and possibly his career) where Michael shows some swagger. Very underated, people should talk this one more.

Get On the Floor- Solid, but not exactly memorable, very disco. Most notable for Michael goes from high to low octaves. Lots of the grunts that would later on be parodied so often.

Off the Wall- Let's call this a prequel to Thriller. Michael experiments with the spooky atmospherics that would should up later in, well you know.

Girlfriend- This what the Motown sounded like in 1979. Very melodic and mellow. The "do-do-do's" allow Michael to pay homage to Smokey Robinson among others.

She's Out of My Life - The other single from the album. Anyone else singing this would require breaking the album in half in anger. Michael is able to spin this cheese into something heartbreaking. Everyone should hear this before passing judgement.

I Can't Help It- Again not to memorable, but there is not a bad song on the album. But the fact that Stevie Wonder wrote it, makes it kinda disappointing.

It's Like Falling in Love- This seems like a very good karoke song, which in 1979 meant singing into your hairbrush in front of the mirror.

Burn This Disco Out-A real toe-tapper. Not sure if Michael want to light a fire under disco's ass or burn it down to the ground. Impressive none the less.