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Between 1977-1978, while Michael Jackson was playing the role of the Scarecrow in The Wiz with Diana Ross, the desire for a solo album began to form in his mind. He contacted Quincy Jones, with whom he had a great friendship, and asked him for advice regarding his idea.
In Michael's autobiography (Moonwalk 1988), it's written that Quincy, called "Q" for his passion for barbecue, proposed himself as a producer, thinking the boy from Gary had set him up... but Michael swears he hadn't even thought about asking Quincy Jones to become his "mentor".
Anyway, in 1979, the first masterpiece by Michael Jackson was released without his family in tow. The album featured greats of music including Paulinho da Costa on percussion, Rod Temperton composer and arranger, Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson, George Duke, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, and many others. The malicious would say the Jacksons were now making "obsolete" music, which is why the most talented of the group left them. In reality, however, Michael was eager to venture into something of his own, without sharing burdens and honors with his brothers and father (notice that the following year he would record an album with the Jacksons).
The child is growing up. In 1979 Michael was 21 years old and had already been performing for over 13 years.
And thanks to Quincy Jones, the music contained in Off The Wall would be funkier and more in line with the trend spreading during that period: Black Music.
"Off the Wall" (Epic Records) contains gems that remain today as icons of late '70s Disco Music, let's examine them:
"Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" is the song that opens the album. An R&B piece with dance nuances that should be kept in every disco with a lively and sustained rhythm. "Rock With You" is officially the song that drives women crazy for that trembling and sensual voice that gets into your guts and never leaves you. Even "Working Day And Night" is a very lively song, great for dancing, but unfortunately lacks the character that keeps it from ever entering the "Best Of...". In "Girlfriend" and "I Can't Help It" you can really feel the influence of Paul McCartney in the first and Wonder in the second, both helping Michael to break through, help that will be repeated in "Thriller" and "Bad", launching another handful of stars on MJ's head. He then moves us with "She's Out Of My Life", makes us dream with "It's The Fallin' In Love", and excites us with "Burn This Disco Out".
I purposely wanted to leave the title track for last because it summarizes what would be Mike's mentality in the future: take life with simplicity. While "Off The Wall", the track, advises us to dance even in the most difficult moments, as if it were a reason for living, Off The Wall (without quotes thus the album) summarizes '70s black music and the trends of a decade, and of course, tells us the origins of the myth, period.
If I forgot something, sorry, I was dancing.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (06:05)
1st Verse
Lovely is the feelin' now
Fever, temperatures risin' now
Power (ah power) is the force the vow
That makes it happen
It asks no questions why (ooh)
So get closer (closer now) to my body now
Just love me 'til you don't know how (ooh)
Chorus
Keep on with the force, don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force, don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
2nd Verse
Touch me and I feel on fire
Ain't nothin' like a love desire (ooh)
I'm melting (I'm melting) like hot candle wax
Sensation (ah sensation) lovely where we're at (ooh)
So let love take us through the hours
I won't be complanin'
'Cause this is love power (ooh)
Chorus
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
(Ooh)
3rd Verse
Heartbreak enemy despise
Eternal (ah eternal) love shines in my eyes (ooh)
So let love (oh let love) take us through the hours
I won't be complanin' (no no)
'Cause your love is alright, alright
Chorus
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Refrain
Lovely is the feeling now
I won't be complanin' (ooh ooh)
The force is love power
Chorus
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til you get enough
(ad-lib to fade)
02 Rock With You (03:40)
Girl, close your eyes
Let that rhythm get into you
Don't try to fight it
There ain't nothin' that you can do
Relax your mind
Lay back and groove with mine
You got to feel that heat
And we can ride the boogie
Share that beat of love
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Dance you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock with you (all night)
We're gonna rock the night away
Out on the floor
There ain't nobody there but us
Girl, when you dance
There's a magic that must be love
Just take it slow
'Cause we got so far to go
When you feel that heat
And we're gonna ride the boogie
Share that beat of love
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Dance you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock with you (all night)
We're gonna rock the night away
And when the groove is dead and gone... yeah
You know that love survives
So we can rock forever, on
I wanna rock with you
I wanna groove with you
I wanna rock with you
I wanna groove with you
I wanna rock (all night) with you girl (sunlight)
Rock with you, rock with you (yeah) (all night)
Dance the night away
I wanna rock with you (yeah) (all night)
Rock you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock with you (all night)
Rock the night away
Feel the heat feel the beat (all night)
Rock you into day (sunlight)
I wanna rock (all night) - rock the night away
05 Off the Wall (04:05)
1st Verse
When the world is on your shoulder
Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down
If you can't hang with the feeling
Then there ain't no room for you this part of town
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way
Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
Groove, let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)
2nd Verse
You can shout out all you want to
'Cause there ain't no sin in folks all getting loud
If you take the chance and do it
Then there ain't no one who's gonna put you down
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way
Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove, and let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)
Bridge
Do what you want to do
There ain't no rules it's up to you (ain't no rules it's all up to you)
It's time to come alive
And party on right through the night (all right)
3rd Verse
Gotta hide your inhibitions
Gotta let that fool loose deep inside your soul
Want to see an exhibition
Better do it now before you get to old
'Cause we're the party people night and day
Livin' crazy that's the only way
Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy ourselves/yourself
C'mon and groove (yeah) let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)
Chorus
So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf
And just enjoy yourself
C'mon and groove (yeah) let the madness in the music get to you
Life ain't so bad at all
If you live it off the wall
Life ain't so bad at all (live life off the wall)
Live your life off the wall (live it off the wall)
06 Girlfriend (03:04)
1st Verse
Girlfriend
I'm gonna tell your boyfriend (yeah)
Tell him (woo hoo)
Exactly what we're doin' (yeah)
Tell him what you do to me
Late at night when the wind is free
2nd Verse
Girlfriend
I'm gonna show your boyfriend (yeah)
Show him (woo hoo)
The letters I've been savin' (yeah)
Show him how you feel inside
An' how love could not be denied (oh no)
Chorus
We're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do, etc.
We're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
3rd Verse
Girlfriend
You better tell your boyfriend (yeah)
Tell him (woo hoo)
Exactly what we're doin' (yeah)
Tell him what he needs to know
Or he may never let you go
Chorus
We're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do, etc.
Chorus
We're gonna have to tell him
You'll only be a girlfriend of mine
Do-doot-do, etc.
(ad-lib to fade)
10 Burn This Disco Out (03:44)
1st Verse
There's a steam beat
And it's comin' after you
You can take it
If you only let your feelings through
Refrain
So D.J. spin the sounds
There ain't no way that your gonna
Let us down
Gonna dance gonna burn this disco out
Chorus
Groove all night
Keep the boogie alright
Get that sound
Everybody just get on down
2nd Verse
Got a hot foot
Better freak across the floor
Join the party
And we'll keep you movin', that's for sure
Refrain
So D.J. spin the sounds
There ain't no way that your gonna
Sit us down
Gonna dance 'til we burn this disco out
Chorus
Groove all night
Keep the boogie alright
Get that sound
Everybody just get on down
Bridge
Once you get the beat inside your feet
There ain't no way to stop you movin' good
Now the weekend's come it's time for fun
You got to groove just like you know you should
3rd Verse
People now
Are you ready
Won't you rock across the room
Got a feelin'
That we're gonna raise the roof off soon
Refrain
So D.J. spin the sounds
There ain't no way that your gonna
Sit us down
Gonna dance 'til we burn this disco out
Chorus
Groove all night
Keep the boogie alright
Get that sound
Everybody just get on down
Refrain
So D.J. spin the sounds
There ain't no way that your gonna
Sit us down
Gonna dance 'til we burn this disco out
Chorus
Groove all night
Keep the boogie alright
Get that sound
Everybody just get on down
Chant:
Gonna dance, gonna shout
Gonna burn this disco out
Gonna dance, gonna shout
Gonna burn this disco out
Gonna dance, gonna shout
Gonna burn this disco out
(ad-lib to fade)
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Other reviews
By RingoStarfish
"Off The Wall is the quintessence of the 'dance' album, meant to make humans dance."
"We can dream of moving for a night as if dancing was the most beautiful philosophy of life, as if it were vital and important as breathing or eating."
By lucumine74
"Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough" rightfully enters the history of disco music, indeed in the history of global music.
This album is a unique entry in Jackson’s career, not comparable to any of his other works, not even the closest, which is Thriller.
By Ilpazzo
"Off The Wall is an unmatched masterpiece of pop and R&B that forever changed the sound of pop music."
"Michael Jackson wasn’t understood back then because he was too ahead... He dies physically, but he lives and will live forever in the history of music."
By DizionarioRock
Michael Jackson represents the anti-musical par excellence.
‘She’s Out Of My Life’ is the most syrupy and stupid thing you can conceive, the anti-music par excellence.
