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Rating: Although some may turn up their noses, I am reviewing another work by Michael Jackson, one of the most important, the one that marked his definitive breakaway from the Jackson group and consecrated him as a great artist and performer in America, and then, with decent success, also in old Europe. A note on style: this album was supposed to also feature the great Freddy Mercury, what a pity he decided, regrettably, not to seal this masterpiece with his collaboration.
This album consists of 10 tracks and spans from pure disco music to R&B to funky and even pop, which will characterize the King’s work in the future.
Michael Jackson is 21 years old and writes 4 songs for this work, including, incidentally, the 2 most famous ones; the music is engaging, played divinely, new even in the guise of disco music. This album is a unique entry in Jackson’s career, it is not comparable to any of his other works, not even the closest, which is Thriller. In fact, I struggle to define it as a pop album, I believe it's MJ’s qualitatively best album.
Jackson wrote "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", a song that rightfully enters the history of disco music, indeed in the history of global music; who among us over 30 hasn’t danced to this song in a club at least once? "Lovely is the feelin' now..." an anthem to dance, life, fun, a carefree Jackson singing, dancing, having fun and entertaining the audience, musically revolutionary for 1979, an R&B touch in a dance atmosphere, a masterpiece of contemporary music.
Jackson also wrote "Rock with You"; see the difference between MJ and other pop artists of the '80s, and especially compared to today’s subpar pop artists, is that Jackson comes from an immense musical culture, the Black Music of Motown, the soul and R&B of the '70s, which he experienced as a protagonist, so at just 20 years old, he manages to write an R&B masterpiece that will remain in music history. Even in the future, remembering his roots will produce significant music, but that’s another story; a gigantic track, still very relevant today, it has an elegant and suave sound— to me, it could have been written yesterday; monumental, history of world "light" music.
Attention, Jackson also wrote the following track "Working Day and Night", in which he plays insieme al mostro sacro Paulinho da Costa le percussioni, an afro piece with a guitar that harkens to solid funky, the performance is fantastic, syncopated, in the arrangement proposed for the Bad Tour '87 this track reaches a unique level of involvement, with the protagonist dancing non-stop for 9 minutes, taking you back to the '70s, and with the addition of a hard-rock style electric guitar, oh my, but where is the artist that makes teen-pop or as I read in a comment, "his music is fun, makes you dance but is very mediocre"? But maybe Jackson did something valid in his thirty-year career? Did he make music a little more meaningful than the Spice Girls or the much-acclaimed Timberlake? Perhaps yes, maybe indeed yes.
"Get on the Floor" super dance, fun yes, but not mediocre, quite the opposite, it has a frighteningly beautiful arrangement, a fabulous bass, and the percussion—ah, the percussion in this track, my god, fabulous, and then the carefree voice of a 20-year-old, who still cannot imagine what he will become.
Rod Temperton, who will write Thriller, brings the title track here, a piece that won’t even come close to the successes of Thriller, yet it is one of my favorites; bass-drums-guitar-electric piano-percussion-sax & flute-trombone-trumpet, just to give an idea of the complexity of this track performed by the one who makes teen-pop, indeed fun but mediocre music.
"Girlfriend" none other than Sir. Paul McCartney, the track is a bit naive, I must say, the lowest point of the entire album, the fabulous Paul writes a track too simple to be on this record, a fish out of water, this track would sound good in Thriller, much less musically complex, not here, here there is no space for chart-topping '80s pop, however, the two will make a comeback with the splendid collaboration "Say Say Say".
"She's Out of My Life" nu me piac'prop', the next "I Can't Help It" is a gift from the giant Wonder, a cheerful ballad, elegantly as per good Steve’s style, not an exciting, beautiful filler track.
Excuse me, I'll go back to the '70s for a moment, listen to the last two tracks of this album, then I'll come back to tell you about them.
Here I am "It's the Falling in Love" 3:48 min. of pure fun, a spine-tingling vocal performance, a voice that contrasts with the first track of the album, beautiful this one, yes it's fun but it has nothing mediocre in it, Patti Austin and Michael Jackson— a beautiful duet.
"Burn This Disco Out" once again Temperton, more beautiful music, DISCO MUSIC in all caps, you feel like you're on the streets of San Francisco, listening to this track with closed eyes, you see sequins, black women dancing, strobe lights, bell-bottom pants, "so D.J. spin the sound"
I feel privileged to have had the luck to listen to this album in uncertain times, to conclude, I just want to say that this record deserves to enter music history because it has crazy quality, it blends funky-dance R&B rhythms, albums of such musical elegance have not been produced for years and years, here you can sense the desire to make music, to dance, to be carefree, of a young prodigy, who had not yet gotten fed up with life.
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 ronnie92
Off The Wall summarizes '70s black music and the trends of a decade, and of course, tells us the origins of the myth.
'Don't Stop Till You Get Enough' is an R&B piece with dance nuances that should be kept in every disco with a lively and sustained rhythm.
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.
