# 68 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums
Background-
Michael Jackson was the lead singer of The Jackson 5 from 1970 at the age of 9/10 spawning 4 number 1s in a row- the most famous being I Want You Back and ABC, significantly knocking Let It Be off the number 1 spot. After their initial wild success the band didn't have has many big hits by the mid 1970s apart from Dancing Machine.
They reformed as The Jacksons with one brother replacing another as they moved from Motown to Epic where they were allowed more creative freedom. Michael began to pen the bands big hits by his late teens writting such classics as Shake Your Body, Can You Feel It, Heartbreak Hotel and the band were once again wildly popular though almost all the focus was on Michael. Michael had released some solo albums as a teenage with songs like Ben however his first proper solo album as an adult was 1979s Off The Wall which was produced by Quincy Jones, who Michael had met on the set of 'The Wiz'.
The Review-
1. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough- This is one of the few tracks written by Jackson but its among the best. Its a really emphatic opening and sets the tone for whats to come. Lyrically it must have struck a chord with a nation entering the greed of the 80s too. Its very original too, there really aren't many mainstream pop songs with these kind of melodies and include percussion using glass bottles and cowbells. Basically everyone knows this one, a classic and a great opener- 5/5
2. Rock With You- This is probably the best song on the album, and among the finest in his whole career in my opinion. It was written by Rod Temperton of Heatwave, who also wrote tracks 5 and 10 and a number of songs on Thriller.
Its got a really relaxing feel to it and yet at the same time wouldn't be out of place played at a club. Another classic- 5/5
3. Working Day And Night- Another Jackson-penned song featuring similar percussion to track 1 but with piano runnig over the top. Whilst its not the same league as the first two tracks its continues the theme of going out and enjoying yourself and is definetly among the albums highlights- 4/5
4. Get Down On The Floor- Featuring an awesome baseline by the Brothers Johnson this is another disco classic of a similar calibre to the previous track. Jackson also had creative input into this song. Whilst lyrically the song is about similar themes to the previous 2 tracks, the overpowering bass really gives the album some much appreciated diversity- 4/5
5. Off The Wall- The opening to this song is very odd, not bad just quite different reminiscent of the sound effects of 'Heartbreak Hotel' and 'Thriller'.
This is one if the albums 4 singles (5 in the UK) and although its not as strong as the opening 2 tracks, its a very enjoyable song just about not wasting your life 'Do What You Want To Do...' Jackson sings on the bridge etc. 4.5/5
6. Girlfriend- After the first five disco/ R'n'B style tracks, there is a change of pace with this Paul McCartney penned track. The song is about persuading a girl to tell her boyfriend that she actually wants to be his, Jacksons, girl instead. Its quite a decent track I guess, however, its not really one of my favourites by any means. Paul McCartneys writing credit adds some kudos to it and its less cheesy than the McCartney duet 'The Girl Is Mine' on Thriller. Quite good, though may not be your cup of tea- 3.5/5
7. Shes Out Of My Life- This is a track Quincy was saving for a couple of years apparently and he decided it would suit Jackson. This is the albums only ballad and its among the best songs of Jacksons career, definetly his best ballad. Its also a concert staple since its so well liked. I guess it depends whether you like the odd slow song or not as to whether you will love this song or just find it ok. For me its really superb especially lyrics like 'And it cuts like a knife, shes out of my life.....the way that it stands, shes out of my hands'. A classic-5/5
8. I Can't Help It- Another track penned by a musical legend- Stevie Wonder (who would later duet with Jackson on Bad and Wonders own Characters album in 1987). The verses are so chilled out, however the chorus whilst obviously bearing Wonders trademark does get slightly repetitive after a while. This is quite a nice track but its not one I listen to much to be honest- 3.5/5
9. Its The Falling In Love- Very much an all out 'pop' song and whilst it has its own original tune to it and some decent hooks its arguably the weakest track on the album. Its not much to really dislike about it but theres not much to really love about it either- 3/5
10. Burn This Disco Out- A return to the upbeat R'n'B of the first 5 tracks with the albums closer. This is a really underrated song in my opinion and has such a awesome rythme running through it that it just makes you want to dance. It also has quite an original chorus too. Not a classic but not be missed either, a really nice end to an enjoyable album- 4/5
OVERALL- 4.2/5
Whilst there are a couple of classic, faultless songs on this album, the generally standard is more of the excellent level (4) rather than classic. The first half of the album in particular is superb and whilst there are some less good tracks later on like track 9, everything has something to offer. Overall I would regard this as a classic.
Key Tracks-
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
Rock With You
Shes Out Of My Life
Closing Comments-
Whilst this album isn't quite in the same league as Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, it deserves its place in any record collection as the first of Jacksons four classic albums. It is actually a more organic album than its sucessors and doesnt feel as if it was targeting any particular audience like Thriller. By many critics it is actually regarded as Jacksons strongest album to date and is always present in top 100 album lists eg 36 on VH1s list and 68 on Rolling Stones list. The album went on to sell 19 million and was one of the biggest and most popular albums of the late 70s/ early 80s. Many older fans look back at Off The Wall very fondly as a consistently enjoyable album made at a time when Jackson was a handsome young, often charming, black man. It also represents the beginning of Jacksons domination of the music world. I would say this isn't as essential as either Thriller, Bad or Dangerous, its still a worthy addition to any music collection.
