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PrintableScorpeze of the band Windimoto wrote this about Michael and Sony
http://board.okayplayer.c...4801&page= Michael's gravy years with CBS Records occurred during the reign of Walter Yetnikoff, then president of CBS Records...Yetnikoff thought very highly of MJ and believed in his talent...MJ appreciated Yetnikoff's support of his career and showed it by bringing Yetnikoff onstage at the 1984 Grammys(where Michael won 8 Awards) and having him present at the Guiness Book ceremony that proclaimed Thriller the best selling album of all time.... This was, of course, a huge. feather in Yetnikoff's hat...he bragged that after appearing onstage with MJ at the Grammys, he requested and received a $2M raise... It also didn't hurt MJ that after firing Ron Weisner and Freddy DeMann as his managers--he picked Epic Records promotions man, Frank DiLeo, as his new manager...DiLeo was close with Yetnikoff... During these years, MJ could write his own ticket at CBS...whatever he wanted, he got... Things changed in 1988, when Sony bought CBS Records...Yetnikoff retired in 1990 and named Tommy Mottola his successor.... In 1989, before becoming chief of Sony, Mottola signed 19 year old singer Mariah Carey to Sony...Mottola threw all the company's power into promoting the gifted young singer...Mottola would serve as Carey's Svengali--personally supervising every aspect of her career...much the same way Berry Gordy had done with Diana Ross at Motown... mirroring Gordy and Ross, perhaps unsuprisingly, a romance developed btwn the Mottola and Carey...they would be wed in 1993... During those years, MJ would release his last scandal free album, Dangerous, in late 1991... Dangerous would go on to be a huge seller, with 2 monster singles out of the gate(Black Or White, Remember The Time) In an effort to derail his public image as a bizarre recluse, MJ agreed to do a prime time television interview with Oprah Winfrey from his Neverland Ranch home... In the 1993 interview, Michael came off as intelligent, humble, funny, and still immensely talented...he gained public sympathy by revealing that he was abused as a child by his father Joseph--but he was making strides to forgive and mend the relationship...he explained that the dramatic change in his skin color was the result of a skin disease(later identified as vitiligo) and declared that he was proud to be a Black man and that the loss of his color makes him sad...and the allegations that he doesn't want to be Black hurt him...he cleverly turned the point around on white people "who sit out in the sun...to become darker...to become something other that what THEY are"...MJ declined to reveal if he was a virgin or not and lied abt the extent of his plastic surgery("I've had two...")... Even if he was not completely forthright, the interview worked...the ratings broke records and Dangerous surged back to the top of the charts... Shortly after this victory, 13 year old Jordan Chandler accused MJ of child molestation...Santa Barbara prosecutor Thomas Sneddon jumped on the case with unusual zeal, applying full pressure to MJ with his investigation... MJ's surge in popularity was completely scrapped by the scandal...it ultimately ended with a cash settlement to the accuser, who subsequently refused to cooperate with Sneddon's vicious investigation(which included ransacking Michael's homes and the home of his parents and subjecting MJ to a dehumanizing strip search and photo session)... Meanwhile, Sony continued to pump out Carey product at an astounding pace...it could be said that with her husband as label boss, Carey replaced MJ as the top priority at Sony.... after putting the scandal behind him, MJ wanted to continue his career...he also needed to vent...MJ was set to release a greatest hits album with a few new songs in 1990...but rejuvenated by the grooves of producer Teddy Riley, inspiration struck and MJ turned the project into the Dangerous album...he decided to go ahead with the greatest hits package he had beem promising but once he got in the studio inspiration struck again and a full new album was recorded...he decided to make it a 2 disc set--one disc of hits, and one disc of new material... the late 80's and early 90's were a time of sea change in the music industry....uncompromising forms of underground music seized the mainstream in the form of hip-hop and grunge...vinyl and cassette faded away as CDs became the primary media of recorded music...many wondered if there was still a place for the mega popstars of the 80's in this new landscape... Many also wondered if MJ mattered anymore...he represented the excess of the 80's and his recent scandal had permanently tarnished his image in the public eye... Sony tread carefully and released HIStory in 1995...a brilliant, yet defiantly angry work, the album met an uncertain public...critics complained that MJ's music was too dark and too angry...the public still gave in, giving the album hits like Scream, You Are Not Alone, and Stranger In Moscow...HIStory sold well, but still slightly less than Dangerous... One could reason that Mottola saw his young bride as the future and MJ as the past...still, the success of History meant that MJ was able to move on with his career and his life to an extent... PART 2 in that same year, Sony merged their publishing arm with MJ's ATV/Northern catalogue...making Michael richer by $90M and making him 50% owner in the new entity, Sony/ATV... since the scandal, rumors had been running rampant that MJ was strapped for cash...perhaps driven by his settlement with Jordan Chandler and his recent divorce from Lisa Marie Presley...when news of a deal between Sony and MJ broke, the news first reported it as MJ selling ATV/Northern to Sony for much-needed cash...when the story was corrected, MJ described as not an act of desperation but as "just good business..." Sony's motives for the merger were unclear at the time but their handling of MJ's career at the time denoted a change in the company's attitude towards him... In 1997, after completing the History tour and still feeling creative, MJ returned to the studio more quickly than usual...he completed Blood On The Dancefloor, a hybrid EP and remix album containing 5 new songs...a video was shot for the title track...critics who listened to the new songs objectively opined that the work was cutting edge and daring and a testament to MJ's artistry and creativity... Zero promotion was done for the project by Sony and quickly the album disappeared in the US...however, the album caught on abroad and sold4M total making it the best selling remix album of all time...something was amiss... also in 1997, MJ welcomed his first child named Prince Michael Jackson, Jr.(after himself and his maternal grandfather, Prince Albert Scruse)--a product of an arrangment between MJ and his dermatologist's nurse and longtime friend Debbie Rowe...the next year, another child was born of the same union...MJ wed Rowe shortly before Prince's birth to placate his deeply religious mother Katherine... Mariah Carey would divorce Tommy Mottola in 1998. MJ threw himself into fatherhood full tilt...lavishing his full attention on raising his children...MJ had long threatened to quit touring...the process drained him emotionally as well as physically...its been confirmed that he would not eat or rest properly when preapring for a tour, taking a toll on his health(he was hospitalized in 1990 for these reasons), causing dehydration related poblems and in 1996, causing him to be hospitalized while preparing for HBO concert... The long 1978-79 Destiny Tour was exhausting and difficult...dating as far back as The Jacksons 1981 Triumph Tour, he has vowed that that tour and each subsequent one would be his last...for any artist--even under the best conditions, touring is a grueling process...he was an unwilling participant in the 1984 Victory tour with his brothers because he was outvoted....his anger at being forced to tour by his family and the fiasco that the organization of the tour became spurred him to finally quit the family group, a decision that he'd been struggling with since Off The Wall...his 1988 Bad tour would be his first solo tour and he publicly declared it his last, even though he would tour twice more for Dangerous and History.. PART 3 1998 marked 30 years for MJ as professional entertainer, and 35 years onstage...MJ was 40 years old...having accomplished all there is to do as a recording artist and being a new father to 2 infants, it certanly isn't a stretch of the imagination that MJ may have been eyeing retirement...the years onstage, the public scrutiny, the constant lawsuits(frivolous and otherwise) and media cruelty had definitely taken their toll... but it was true that MJ was having cashflow problems...his expenses not only included his lifestyle but his staff, his numerous business ventures, and supporting various relatives and friends(it was revealed in court documents that Debbie Rowe at one time was receiving 1.5M per MONTH)... he used his ownership in Sony/ATV as collateral for a $200M loan--a decision that would haunt him for the rest of his days... at one time, it seemed Sony's interest in getting into business with MJ was motivated purely by enterprise...but the truth soon became clear...Sony no longer considered MJ a priority as an artist...the fact that he had made the company billions meant nothing to Mottola and the new gatekeepers at Sony Music USA...the respect that existed between MJ and former label head Yetnikoff was discarded with the change in leadership at the label...MJ fired Frank DiLeo in 1989 after the Bad tour...DiLeo vacated his post with CBS Records to become MJ's manager and had no juice with the new Sony configuration of the company(MJ rehired DiLeo recently).... soon after the merger, Sony got tired of waiting for MJ's finances to crumble and began pushing him to sell his half of Sony/ATV...the pressure to sell never relented...it became clear that if MJ failed as a recording artist it would force him to sell his half of the company to survive...Sony decided to play with fate starting with Blood On The Dancefloor...MJ never even considered selling his half of Sony/ATV... MJ restructured his deal with Sony in 1990...the way he understood it, the ownership of his masters would revert back to him in 2000...at that point, he could release and market those recordings anyway he liked without having to share any of the profit with Sony...at least that's how it was supposed to be... but the contract had much fine print regarding the masters reverting back... in order to get the masters, MJ was required to turn in a new CD every cpl of years, and with each failure to do so more years were added to the wait time for ownership of the masters to revert back to him...also required were soundtracks and a Christmas album with same time penalty applied to them as well...four more albums were left on the contract... in all, the contract was set up so that MJ would NEVER get his masters...Mottola and his cohorts told MJ that they were in control and the last laugh would be theirs... if MJ was eyeing retirement, those masters would have definitely created a new revenue stream for him to work with if he decided to stop performing... when Mike found out abt this, he launched an investigation...he found that one of the lawyers representing him was also working for Sony on the sly and snuck the bogus clauses into the contract...the obvious conflict of interest allowed Mike to walk owing Sony one more studio album, a greatest hits album, and box set...the ball was back in Mike's court... MJ told Mottola that after Invincible that he and Sony could suck it--he was outta there...one could gather that Invincible was one last cash grab before MJ called it a day on his career... as MJ got to work on Invincible, it was clear that his heart was not in the project...instead of writing and producing most of the music like he normally did, he left the grunt work to a group of producers and writers resulting in the very long writer and producer credits on Invincible...instead of working day and night(no pun intended)like he normally did on an album, he would leave the studio at the drop of a hat... if he got a phone call, he would be gone for the day...business meeting--gone for the day...any distraction would mean the end of that day's session... the final product is not a bad album at all minus his few now trademark sacchrine pop songs, but the whole lacks the stamp of MJ's artistic trademark... what he did was made an album with a group of surefire singles that would carry the album with the right promotion...by 2001, pop music was entering a stagnant period and with the Chandler scandal far behind, music fans realized that a musical talent like MJ's was still needed...there were very few, if any innovators who could energize the music scene like MJ...the new breed of artists were mostly cardboard cutouts foisting disposable music on the masses...the torch was still not ready to be passed...there was anticipation for the new MJ record... Mottola decided he had one last trump card--pull all promotion for Invincible... PART 4 Sony refused to issue the high energy comeback track Unbreakable as the first single or film the video he had planned, insisting on the laid back album cut You Rock My World being released as the lead off... Sony harassed MJ abt funding the video for Rock to the point where MJ seemed "over it" to the film crew...the video had been shooting for days before he showed up on set... Sony also refused to give MJ a decent video budget for Cry, another forced single choice by Sony...frustrated and angry, he refused to appear in the clip... on the streets, Butterflies was getting major airplay and incredible buzz...Sony refused to fund a video or even an official single release... an MJ project with no label backing seemed strange from the outside looking in...Sony had to explain themselves and took the opportunity to attack....they announced that recording the album was a $30M affair and they simply could not afford to put anymore money into the project...by announcing such a number to the public made MJ look like a spoiled and wasteful artist... to the non industry public, $30M was a huge number, but in reality, recording an MJ record had always been a costly affair and each time out the label recouped their costs quickly--and Invincible was no different...Sony made a profit on the album anyway... even though Invincible was successfully sabatoged by Sony, the album still racked up 10M in worldwide sales... Tommy Mottola stepped down as head of Sony Music in 2003. of course, MJ was ready to get back in the ring and salvage his career, but unfortunately, he agreed to let a conniving journalist film a documentary called Living With Michael Jackson... the fallout from the documentary brought about new child molestation allegations against MJ... he fought the allegations in court and was acquitted of all charges...but the damage was done... it seemed that MJ might have been finished... Then...Michael Jackson decided to end his career with a bang... in early 2009, a series of 10 final MJ concerts titled This Is It("I mean it...this is IT...")in London were announced...the overwhelming response grew the total number of shows to 50...all sold out very quickly... the public had spoken...they didn't care abt the accusations, the bad press, the plastic surgery, or the nasty fight with Sony....the people had crowned him King and they anxiously awaited his return... Michael Jackson would not live to conclude his career the way he had planned... ...and though many predicted a tragic end, Michael Jackson still went out on top. "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." | |
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OFF THE WALL
In 1979 as the disco years were winding to a close, Michael Jackson made his mark as a solo artist. With greater confidence in his writing and production, as evident with his brother’s on Destiny, Jackson embarked on an album that would see him present himself as a serious (adult) male performer. A lot has been said and written about the impact of Off The Wall, and listening to it today it’s easy to gloss over just how fresh and innovative this album was for the times. Not only was it reflective of the funk, soul and disco vibe that was building in his work but it also offered hope for an artist on the cusp of a new decade of growth. With its percussive and bass intro, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough beckons the listener in as Michael delivers his spoken intro. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this 15 second intro is that you don’t know where the song is going to go. Then with what would become a trademark scream the music comes to life with a driving beat, lush strings, and teasing guitar. Michael’s falsetto is flawless on this track. Dripping and smooth the lead and background vocals draw out phrases and add accents in a way that is immediately catchy. With each passing verse and chorus the intensity of the song builds to the bridge, and the song steps up to another level. Much love and dedication is given to the delivery and arrangement of this song, with strings countering each other, and that non-stop wall of percussion that just shuffles the song along. With its more traditional disco groove, Rock With You allows Michael’s voice to float through the verses in anticipation of a driving chorus. Again the production and arrangement sees Quincy Jones bring his ability to sew together hints of jazz with a funk groove, all topped with Jackson singing with a sense of joy and excitement. With the gear shifted to funk Jackson delivers the frenetic and hurried Workin’ Day and Night. And his falsetto delivers the vocal with ease as he expresses frustration at not getting the good loving he craves. With blasting horns and piano stabs the track is a dizzy hypnotic journey that is too good to sit still to. The bass work on Get On The Floor is second to none as Louis Johnson (co-writer on the track) runs his hands all over the fret board in a flurry of funk. With a sparse arrangement of just bass, strings and vocals (later embellished with overdubs of guitars and horns in subsequent pressings) the song is just pure energy. Mixing his upper and mid voice, Michael delivers the vocals with a sense of abandon and teases out the lines. At the breakdown Jackson uses his voice as percussion, whispering and grunting as the section builds and builds to its climax. The joy of this album is evident completely in this track especially at the 3:38 mark where Jackson laughs caught in the moment. A spontaneous moment that in later years would have been removed and sacrificed for a more polished take. The groove doesn’t let up as another party jam springs to life in the shape of Off The Wall. Layered with musical and vocal hooks, Michael’s own harmonies leave his brothers in their dust. Rich and velvety the vocal performance just oozes off the record. Girlfriend, penned by Paul McCartney, has Michael taking on Paul’s trademark arrangements and “woo hoos” and making them his own. With its pop sensibilities on full display the track sounds terribly dated now. Heartbreak hasn’t been captured on record quite like it is on She’s Out Of My Life. From the melodramatic string intro, to the crying guitar licks the song goes for the heartstrings from the first beat. Showing maturity in his vocals Michael delivers an impassioned performance complete with real tears and a break in the voice – sincere in the recording, more showman on stage SOOML became a staple ballad for many tours. With its jazz feel I Can’t Help It has Jackson taking a Stevie Wonder penned track and making you forget who wrote it from the first refrain. With such ease Jackson’s voice trails up and down his register, scats here and there and then soars the closing minute before floating back down to earth. If anyone ever questions Michael’s ability to sing – this is the track to leave them awestruck. It’s The Falling in Love is pop at its best. Dueting with Patti Austin, Michael blends the soul of R&B with a pop sensibility. And employing a technique he would use time and time again with his duets, Jackson puts his vocals on par with Patti to the point where the casual listener may forget the song is actually a duet. Closing the record with Burn This Disco Out not only signalled an end of an era but also hinted to the future. Thankfully because it is infused more with funk than disco the song holds up fairly well to this day. Again Jackson sings with a sense of joy and energy that makes the whole album such a fan favourite. Held by many as his shining moment as an R&B artist, Off The Wall sounds just as vibrant 30 years later as it did the first time it was played. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Off the Wall (Epic) – Michael Jackson
Off the Wall Michael Jackson Epic Records (1979) It’s the one thing that has always concerned lead singers of a popular recording group/band: “can I do it on my own?” This must’ve popped in Michael Joseph Jackson’s mind when he decided to record a solo album in the midst of his debut film role in the critical bomber but cult fave, “The Wiz” and releasing the Jacksons’ return-to-form album, Destiny (1978). But it seem like Michael was more confident than some: he had riskily included Quincy Jones as his producer, a move that Epic Records associates at the time felt was costly since they felt Jones was simply a “jazz man”. However, Jackson stuck to his guns that he picked the right choice. Eventually released in August of 1979 prior to the singer’s 21st birthday, the album eventually liberated Jackson from his family and set him on the path to pop stardom. From first glance, the cover indicates joy and relief in an independent young man basking on upcoming glory. Later issues of the album included a Jackson trademark: glittery and silver socks and his penny loafers. Most of the material on the album also fill that happy mood as you can tell with the tuxedo Jackson sports that it’s in the middle of the disco revolution, which kicked into full speed in the year this album was released. However, disco was also getting a backlash by other musical genres for being too…something. “Too posh, too gay, too black, etc.” Oddly enough, even black music audiences complained that disco’s elements had been stripped of its origins (funk and soul) and had become a watered down genre that any artist could do as a trend rather than as a means to go against the grain. In their view, the music of the likes of Rick James, Prince and the Bar-Kays were annoyed while Rod Stewart, Donna Summer and the Bee Gees dominated with their colorless-based pop sound. Many contributed disco to John Travolta walking down a New York street in a strut and dancing in a white suit to Deney Terrio’s complicated dance routines (though that simple arm shuffle used during “Night Fever” was often repeated as a joke/gimmick to what people thought disco really represented). By comparison, Jackson’s album had more grit in its disco feel than say ABBA or Gloria Gaynor, whose “I Will Survive” pretty much dominated 1979 (at least until Donna Summer’s Bad Girls came out and took away most of its attention). But while the album definitely shows some dated disco affair, there was also something timeless about its material. In spite of its disco assocation, you can say Off the Wall ushered in the modern pop music scene, a scene that soon exploded upon Jackson’s next release – yeah that one. Anyway, this author didn’t get the record until Christmas 2000. And I was amazed with how much the original album differed from the single releases. As it turned out, after the single release of the second single, “Rock With You”, later versions included the famed handclaps that accompanied the chorus. There was more vocals in the finale of the funk song “Get on the Floor” that was not included in the original version, which I had on tape. I eventually got the CD and this album is easily my favorite of Michael Jackson’s albums in his entire career. Some may ask “why?” Sure the songwriting Michael displays on this album doesn’t reach the ominous intensity of “Billie Jean” or the raucous anti-violent advice of “Beat It” or the murderous assumption of “Smooth Criminal” or the depressed and downhearted mood of “Stranger in Moscow”, but it still is thrilling to hear them sung through the heart the way Michael does it. His vocals here are mostly softer than later releases but his trademarks help make up for it. And there is still a sense of innocence and curiosity in Jackson’s sound that would be absent in later albums in which Jackson’s mood had obviously shifted due to stress over his frantic career and the struggles of just being Michael Jackson, that nearly got the best of him. To show you what I mean, I’ll give you a song-by-song review: 1.) Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (Jackson) – this potent first release off the album is probably its crowning achievement. Based off “Star Wars” (the force) and Marvin Gaye’s potent funk hit “Got to Give It Up” (in which was also sung in falsetto), this song almost gives you the debut of an adult Michael: he begins by speaking in his nervous whisper as if he doesn’t know about “this force” that has a hold on him. The bass riff keeps up until Michael finally loses it (”it makes me feel like…ooooh!”) and the beat kicks in and the singer sheds his Motown teen pop image in a flash. The lyrics have an adult flair (”I’m melting like hot candle wax/sensation, lovely where we’re at…”; “touch me and I feel on fire” for example), the music is testorone-driven funk. In fact the only thing “disco” about it were the strings, which go at the flow in a staccato flow. Jackson multi-layered his vocals in the similar way Marvin did it and did it to the max. Oddly enough the ending of the song is much like the intro but instead of Jackson, it’s an instrumental that ends with a raucous guitar riff played here by the recently departed David Williams. Quincy Jones helps propel the song from strength to strength and leaves you for more in the end. The song eventually hit number-one on the pop chart and culminated in ten years the growth of Michael from teeny bopper to adult superstar. 2.) Rock With You (R. Temperton) – The other great thing about Off the Wall was Rod Temperton. The Wales import had previously made a splash as the main songwriter and keyboardist for the funk band, Heatwave. During a break in sessions, Temperton was recruited by Quincy Jones to help in assisting on Jackson’s album. Temperton included three songs that were to be chosen to be included on the album. Jones included all three songs much to Temperton’s amazement. One of those songs, “Rock With You” (original title was actually “Eat You Up” if you can believe that) was a then-rarity. Though its move was also “disco”, there’s a more conversational soul approach to it. Instead of a falsetto, Jackson sings the song in a deep tenor vocal. His voice clearly having graduated to the trademark flutter that would coronate his legend (”girl close your eyes/let the rhythm get into you”), it’s a sexy song done on the dance floor but done with so much class that it still resonates with audiences today. The chorus, instrumental solo and the bridge are my favorite moments of the song personally. They help to take the song home and its melody just punctuates throughout. It’s what makes Jackson a genius vocally because he helps to bring Temperton’s music home. The second number-one from the album, it remains one of his signature songs and probably one of the songs I normally associate when you say the name “Michael Jackson”. 3.) Working Day & Night (Jackson) – the second song written by Jackson, this song is more personal… though it’s unclear whether or not Jackson is referring to his girlfriend or maybe his family. As we all know Jackson had a tough relationship with his father Joseph and he was known to have driven Michael crazy during his childhood. Then again, who knows? But the song is still an amazing dance song. Jackson’s raw tenor flows in and out of its consciousness at times raising an octave whenever he tries to get his point across (”HOW CAN I LIVE, GIRL?!/If the love for us was meant to be…”) You can sense the paranoia in Jackson as he purports to his lady that she must be seeing someone else adding to the frustration that he feels the girl wants out of their relationship. Jackson is helped musically by the backing musicians, accompanied by Quincy Jones. Louis Johnson, the great bass player, is on this track like wildfire as is Greg Phillinganes, Stevie Wonder’s former keyboardist, and again David Williams has his great guitar licks during the break of the song where Jerry Hey’s horn arrangements bring in that party mood. The song was often performed during Jackson’s tours between 1981’s “Triumph” tour and 1992’s “Dangerous” tour often in different arrangements though it always ended with Jackson being cornered and then put under a sheet before “disappearing” and then “reemerging”. Jackson’s intro which includes some proto beat-boxing is probably my favorite intro of a song ever (besides the great intros by Motown’s sixties singles). Overall it’s a fine classic of Michael’s though it was never released as a single. 4.) Get on the Floor (Jackson/Johnson) – originally supposed to be a Brothers Johnson single, Jackson (and Jones) insisted that it should be recorded for Jackson’s album with Michael adding in extra lyrics. Louis Johnson’s bass dominates the entire song while Michael sings with reckless abandon. It’s clear what his intention is: to rock the dance floor and he’s willing to take a participant along with him. The song’s message was repeated a year later with The Jacksons’ “Everybody” and also influenced a lot of other dance songs that had that same similar message. Personally I think Jackson’s spoken vamp: “get up/won’t you gon’ get down/shake your body/won’t you gon’ get down?!” is my favorite part of the song. It has a Marvin Gaye-esque affair about it also in my honest opinion in which Michael hollers, shouts and does a slick vamp much in the same way Marvin did on his later Motown releases in the 1970s. The energy throughout the song is palpable and this is actually my second favorite track on the entire album. 5.) Off the Wall (Temperton) – the second Rod Temperton single, it was also the third release of the album and the title track pretty much coronates the album’s entire base (”so tonight/better leave that nine-to-five upon the shelf/and just enjoy yourself”) and the whole assumption that things are not as bad as they seemed (”life ain’t so bad at all/if you live it off the wall”). The chorus actually prophetizes what became of Jackson’s life from then until his untimely death. Jackson uses a staccato flow to his voice in much the same way Stevie Wonder did his vocals during this time. In fact Wonder was one of Jackson’s biggest influences in his career. Again the Marvin influence comes in through his background doo-wop emulated harmonies. Michael is one of the few to match this trademark. At one point you can hear Michael’s baritone, tenor and falsetto clash into each other during the bridge (”do what you wanna do/there ain’t no rules it’s up to you”). The title track is still as funky today as it was the day Michael recorded it and much like the other singles lives up to its reputation. 6.) Girlfriend (Paul McCartney) – this song’s hsitory is interesting. First, Paul had talked to Michael in 1978 about doing this song for the album but at the time Michael hadn’t recruited Jones for the album and McCartney’s band Wings recorded it themselves. A year later, Jones ironically suggested that Jackson record the song though Jackson told him Paul had suggested he recorded it anyways, which Jones was pleased of hearing. Eventually recording it, the song is evidently more soulful than the Wings release. For a long time I thought the song was the only corny spot of the album but now I don’t see it that way anymore. I love Michael’s scats (especially at the end) and I think it’s kinda sly that he’ll dare tell his new lover’s former interest that they’re going out. The song includes a rarity: a saxophone solo, albeit brief. Jackson almost never has had a song with a sax break. This helps to make the song more jazzy and brings out Jones’ influence on Jackson’s sound. The song was released in the UK and peaked below the top forty. But in the midst of the funk that dominated the first half of the album, it’s a great little pop ditty. 7.) She’s Out of My Life (Tom Bahler) – the next song is the only ballad featured on Off the Wall and yet it’s probably one of the most potent songs Jackson has put out in his career. The songwriter, himself a talented musician, wrote the song after his girlfriend, Carpenters lead singer Karen Carpenter (God rest her soul) broke up with him after discovering that Bahler had a life as a married man and father. Bahler eventually gave it to Quincy for Michael to record and the singer struggled to record the song due to its finale ending with Jackson crying. Quincy Jones himself didn’t know why Jackson would cry but after a few tries, he eventually left it in as a necessity. It ended up being a show-stopping moment for Jackson during performances of the song onstage. Jackson often would sing it and then end it with his voice breaking and him holding his head in disgust and walking around while sobbing before finally singing “…life” in a whimper. The original song is still a classic to this day. 8.) I Can’t Help It (Stevie Wonder/Susaye Greene) – This is my favorite song from the album for many reasons: one, it was written by Stevie; two, the intro’s bass riff and synth flow is haunting; three, Jackson records the most deep-throated tenor of his career with this song only hitting falsetto a few times especially during the end. The song has an obvious jazz and soul influence and was the deepest Motown recording Michael did that wasn’t even on Motown. The lyrics are poetic and Jackson’s choruses are electric. His raw and unpolished growl near the end of the song is actually my favorite part of the song, believe it or not. You could tell Michael had fun making it. This set the tone for singles such as “Human Nature”, “Liberian Girl”, “Someone Put Your Hand Out” and “Butterflies” in terms of its urban fluency. 9.) It’s the Falling in Love (Carole Bayer Sager/David Foster) – a duet with Patti Austin, this song, much like “Girlfriend”, is a pop ditty yet I’d always loved this song. I guess it’s because of Michael and Patti’s harmonies. The music doesn’t thrill me much without the vocals. Patti Austin adds a sexy soprano to contrast Michael’s tenor/falsetto. In fact that damn chorus is so peppy and catchy that if you’re not careful, you may end up repeating it over and over again. Again Quincy Jones’ jazz influence creates the smooth flow that is given to songs such as this, it’s also the finale of the segue of the sweeter songs that parlayed the second side of the album and it’s probably a hint of Michael’s later Motown material (in fact this song reminds me of “We’re Almost There” musically almost). 10.) Burn this Disco Out (Temperton) – just as the disco flow ended with “Off the Wall”, it’s picked back up by the final Temperton single and the final song on the album. Its title is already an indicator of what to expect: it’s a funky disco song aimed for the dance floor and it’s also created with the same staccato flow that created the atmosphere of “Off the Wall” while the song also shouts out Heatwave and The Jacksons hit “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”. A stacatto horn flow keeps up throughout the song and takes the album home near the end of it bringing this masterpiece of an album to an essential close. —- So as you can see, there’s reasons why I feel this is Michael’s best. He seems to relieve the moment that he becomes a solo star (again) and he sheds his Motown image while retaining the Motown sound in his own way through his influences and his own unique vocal style. 30 years on and this album is still as invigorating as it was when Michael first recorded it. And as for Jackson’s solo career after “Off the Wall”, well we KNOW what happened with that, don’t we? Shamon! | |
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Oh and your review is great, Swa.  | |
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Timmy84 said: Working Day & Night (Jackson) – Overall it’s a fine classic of Michael’s though it was never released as a single. Working Day & Night was released as the b-side to Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, though for many fans and DJ's at the time it was treated as a double A-side. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Timmy84 said: Oh and your review is great, Swa.
Likewise Timmy - great thoughts and insight here. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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A friend of mine just said that back when Invincible was recorded, Michael was pro napster and he and Jerkins were planning on sending about 30 tracks to them  "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." | |
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Interesting thought - I mean it was pretty evident that Sony weren't going to push the album as hard as they had other releases.
Speaking of the delay in ownership of the masters - it is my understanding that MJ (now his estate) is due to get them all in 2011. What will be interesting is how Sony deal with that, as now the contract works against them. Surely any new release / compilation will count to the contract fulfilment and thus bring the handing over of masters earlier. I smell a box set coming by Christmas 2010. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Swa said: Timmy84 said: Working Day & Night (Jackson) – Overall it’s a fine classic of Michael’s though it was never released as a single. Working Day & Night was released as the b-side to Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, though for many fans and DJ's at the time it was treated as a double A-side. Swa Ooh, no wonder I always heard it played on the radio. | |
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Swa said: Interesting thought - I mean it was pretty evident that Sony weren't going to push the album as hard as they had other releases.
Speaking of the delay in ownership of the masters - it is my understanding that MJ (now his estate) is due to get them all in 2011. What will be interesting is how Sony deal with that, as now the contract works against them. Surely any new release / compilation will count to the contract fulfilment and thus bring the handing over of masters earlier. I smell a box set coming by Christmas 2010. Swa I don't think it'll count toward the masters being handed over early. He doesn't have a recording contract with Sony, however, they do have the rights to his masters, so they can pretty much put out any and everything they want to until the license expires. From what I can tell, it's a similar deal to what Bowie has with Virgin/EMI (whatever). He doesn't record specifically for them, in fact he left the label early this decade, but they bought the rights to his masters and continue to repackage his catalog ad nauseum until that agreement runs out (2013, I think?). | |
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errant said: Swa said: Interesting thought - I mean it was pretty evident that Sony weren't going to push the album as hard as they had other releases.
Speaking of the delay in ownership of the masters - it is my understanding that MJ (now his estate) is due to get them all in 2011. What will be interesting is how Sony deal with that, as now the contract works against them. Surely any new release / compilation will count to the contract fulfilment and thus bring the handing over of masters earlier. I smell a box set coming by Christmas 2010. Swa I don't think it'll count toward the masters being handed over early. He doesn't have a recording contract with Sony, however, they do have the rights to his masters, so they can pretty much put out any and everything they want to until the license expires. From what I can tell, it's a similar deal to what Bowie has with Virgin/EMI (whatever). He doesn't record specifically for them, in fact he left the label early this decade, but they bought the rights to his masters and continue to repackage his catalog ad nauseum until that agreement runs out (2013, I think?). I thought the extension was due to not fulfilling the contract with album releases at key timelines, thus extending the hand over. You would think that thus releasing new albums would wind the clock back? Hmmm interesting. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Swa said: errant said: I don't think it'll count toward the masters being handed over early. He doesn't have a recording contract with Sony, however, they do have the rights to his masters, so they can pretty much put out any and everything they want to until the license expires. From what I can tell, it's a similar deal to what Bowie has with Virgin/EMI (whatever). He doesn't record specifically for them, in fact he left the label early this decade, but they bought the rights to his masters and continue to repackage his catalog ad nauseum until that agreement runs out (2013, I think?). I thought the extension was due to not fulfilling the contract with album releases at key timelines, thus extending the hand over. You would think that thus releasing new albums would wind the clock back? Hmmm interesting. Swa 2012 is when the estate gets the masters "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." | |
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Yeah I heard 2012 too. | |
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I think it's safe to assume that we'll be getting a "new" MJ album before the end of the year. Hopefully the stuff he was working on this year and in 2006 with Will.I.Am, before they continue to milk the back catalog. | |
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errant said: I think it's safe to assume that we'll be getting a "new" MJ album before the end of the year.
I do hope so  ... and, unemotional as it sounds (but they are a business, after all), Sony would be CRAZY not to capitalise on the Christmas market. The fans and the record company would be happy - win/win. | |
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coolcat said: I think Speed Demon is extremely underrated. I love that high-hat.
It always annoys me when I see people call this the weakest track on Bad.  
It's got a great groove, that synth bass is killer and don't get me started on the horns!!  SERIOUSLY underrated.
And the same goes for 'Liberian Girl' (although I notice you say it's one of your least favourites  ) - sooooo pretty, lush and melodic. I think it's a beautiful track.  | |
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onenitealone said: errant said: I think it's safe to assume that we'll be getting a "new" MJ album before the end of the year.
I do hope so ... and, unemotional as it sounds (but they are a business, after all), Sony would be CRAZY not to capitalise on the Christmas market. The fans and the record company would be happy - win/win.I think Sony/AEG will release the documentary in cinemas and then rush release it to DVD for Christmas - then have a new album out at the one year anniversary mark (surreal to even say that). Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Swa said: I think Sony/AEG will release the documentary in cinemas and then rush release it to DVD for Christmas - then have a new album out at the one year anniversary mark (surreal to even say that).
Swa 
I think you might be right, there. Look how quickly dvds come out after the theatrical release these days - sometimes a month or two later.  They'll get that film out soon, a dvd by Christmas, maybe, and I reckon a soundtrack cd too. Perhaps a photo book as a tie-in too.
God, imagine how that album of all-new material is going to be marketed... people get annoyed with Beyonce being everywhere. Heaven help them. | |
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onenitealone said: coolcat said: I think Speed Demon is extremely underrated. I love that high-hat.
It always annoys me when I see people call this the weakest track on Bad.
It's got a great groove, that synth bass is killer and don't get me started on the horns!! SERIOUSLY underrated.
And the same goes for 'Liberian Girl' (although I notice you say it's one of your least favourites ) - sooooo pretty, lush and melodic. I think it's a beautiful track. I call Liberian Girl - Essential Listening - the melody and harmonies on that track are sublime. Speed Demon was a killer groove when it hit, and holds up ok so I classify it as a Good Track. What are your thoughts on Off The Wall onenite??? Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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onenitealone said: coolcat said: I think Speed Demon is extremely underrated. I love that high-hat.
It always annoys me when I see people call this the weakest track on Bad.
It's got a great groove, that synth bass is killer and don't get me started on the horns!! SERIOUSLY underrated.
ooh... and when the funky guitar kicks in... pure rhythmic bliss. My 3 favorite tracks on the album are: Bad, Speed Demon and Smooth Criminal... I just love the grooves... how all the instruments mesh for those perfect grooves...
And the same goes for 'Liberian Girl' (although I notice you say it's one of your least favourites ) - sooooo pretty, lush and melodic. I think it's a beautiful track. on another album, "Liberian Girl" would be my favorite track.
I think Bad is the most unique sounding Jackson album... [Edited 7/30/09 4:25am] | |
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Swa said: I call Liberian Girl - Essential Listening - the melody and harmonies on that track are sublime.
Speed Demon was a killer groove when it hit, and holds up ok so I classify it as a Good Track. What are your thoughts on Off The Wall onenite??? Swa Oh yes, his vocals on 'Liberian Girl' are just wonderful. And I love the musical arrangement - it might actually be my favourite song on 'Bad'.
As for 'Off The Wall'... well, what can you say? It's a MASTERPIECE.  I think it's his best album, without doubt - I would've loved to have been around when it dropped; to witness its' impact and the reaction to this 'new' MJ. 
It's not my favourite album - that goes to 'Dangerous'; but his best? I think that's got to go to 'Off The Wall'. Just an absolute classic, start to finish.  | |
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coolcat said: ooh... and when the funky guitar kicks in... pure rhythmic bliss.
My 3 favorite tracks on the album are: Bad, Speed Demon and Smooth Criminal... I just love the grooves... how all the instruments mesh for those perfect grooves...Yes!  How could I forget that guitar?!  It's just a brilliant little; I never get the general reaction to it.
coolcat said: on another album, "Liberian Girl" would be my favorite track.
I think Bad is the most unique sounding Jackson album... I think you're right! Funnily enough, considering they came out almost within 6 months of each other, it reminds me very much of 'Lovesexy'. That synthetic, 'perfect' sound - which neither of them repeated over an entire album again. 'Bad' has a vey unique sound, yes. | |
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onenitealone said: coolcat said: ooh... and when the funky guitar kicks in... pure rhythmic bliss.
My 3 favorite tracks on the album are: Bad, Speed Demon and Smooth Criminal... I just love the grooves... how all the instruments mesh for those perfect grooves...Yes! How could I forget that guitar?! It's just a brilliant little; I never get the general reaction to it.
I think it's the meaningless/stupid lyrics/vocals that let it down. Otherwise, I agree, the music track is pretty neat for 1987. | |
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errant said: onenitealone said: Yes! How could I forget that guitar?! It's just a brilliant little; I never get the general reaction to it.
I think it's the meaningless/stupid lyrics/vocals that let it down. Otherwise, I agree, the music track is pretty neat for 1987. 
Say how you feel...
C'mere, you...  
How dare you?! Hater! 
Well, I have no idea what's he singing about, true , but looooove the music. And I *meant* to say it's a perfect little song. To me, anyway.  | |
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Count me in as another one who loves "Speed Demon." I don't get any of the criticism for it, either. I think it all comes together to make a great, fun song.  "Whitney was purely and simply one of a kind." ~ Clive Davis | |
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AlexdeParis said: Count me in as another one who loves "Speed Demon." I don't get any of the criticism for it, either. I think it all comes together to make a great, fun song.
Well, MJ himself obviously thought it was good enough to put on the album... the follow-up to 'Thriller', no less.  | |
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Well, I'm relatively new to MJ's albums - I was only familiar with the "hits" before his passing, and have only recently began digging in to his discography.
My favourite "era" is probably 1976-1982 - the post-Motown 'Jacksons' albums as well as Off The Wall and (of course) Thriller. Bad, Dangerous and History all have some really strong material also, they're just not as consistent IMO. Invincible is a bit hit-and-miss really. Not really a fan of that 'autotuned' sound of the early 2000s. My top-ten 'essential MJ' songs: Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough Working Day & Night Billie Jean (classic) Thriller Speed Demon (funky as hell!) Smooth Criminal Leave Me Alone (amazing video!) Remember The Time Money Earth Song Toejam @ Peach & Black Podcast: http://peachandblack.podbean.com
Toejam's band "Cheap Fakes": http://cheapfakes.com.au, http://www.facebook.com/cheapfakes Toejam the solo artist: http://www.youtube.com/scottbignell | |
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toejam said: My top-ten 'essential MJ' songs: Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough Working Day & Night Billie Jean (classic) Thriller Speed Demon (funky as hell!) Smooth Criminal Leave Me Alone (amazing video!) Remember The Time Money Earth Song Good collection of tracks there. I would suggest giving Invincible another go - might even be bold enough to say check out the tracks I call Essentials on the first post - there are some really cool tracks there that don't get love. Oh and btw totally agree with you on Money. Killer song, great hook and vocals that are on point. Swa "I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love" | |
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Speaking of INVINCIBLE - how good is "HEAVEN CAN WAIT"?... with that rolling bass, reminiscent of 1979's "I CAN'T HELP IT" - it can't be a coincidence that Teddy Riley and MJ were paying tribute to that era, the "INVINCIBLE" album is seriously underrated and IMHO, the slow jams carry that album.
Rodney "DARKCHILD" Jerkin's uptempo cuts were a bit forced, as if he was trying to hard and in attempting to emulate his mentor, Riley's "DANGEROUS" success a decade earlier, came up a little short. Being a huge MJ fan tho', I still love the album from start to finish. | |
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RONNYRON said: Speaking of INVINCIBLE - how good is "HEAVEN CAN WAIT"?... with that rolling bass, reminiscent of 1979's "I CAN'T HELP IT" - it can't be a coincidence that Teddy Riley and MJ were paying tribute to that era, the "INVINCIBLE" album is seriously underrated and IMHO, the slow jams carry that album.
Rodney "DARKCHILD" Jerkin's uptempo cuts were a bit forced, as if he was trying to hard and in attempting to emulate his mentor, Riley's "DANGEROUS" success a decade earlier, came up a little short. Being a huge MJ fan tho', I still love the album from start to finish. hell yeah, i'm with u on that. there are some really great songs like "heaven can wait" but some songs are over produced [Edited 8/1/09 18:54pm] "we make our heroes in America only to destroy them" | |
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