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The inspiration to talk to you about this album came to me just this past Saturday night, when I found myself, somewhat unwillingly, at a nightclub. I was in the middle of the dance floor, battered by sounds of no quality and no sense, when, stunned and riding on a negroni high, I entered another dimension (you know the dream-bathroom scene in Atalante by Jean Vigo?), and I found myself outside of the real world, not hearing any of its noises or voices. After a few moments, the music of "Off The Wall" returned to my ears, and I smiled thinking about what all those unfortunate sweaty folks in rolled-up sleeves were missing out on.
"Off The Wall" is the quintessence of the "dance" album, or at least an album meant to make humans dance. Michael (everyone calls him by his first name, as if they know him, and I do too) surprised the music world with this solo debut after a respectable career as the frontman of the Jackson5 / Jacksons, a group he formed with his brothers.
Even the last albums of the tween-band (especially "Destiny" from 1978) had hinted at something new and more mature than the cheerful pop-soul chart-toppers that Diana Ross's protégés had offered throughout the '70s. The path was evolving toward a still light, but more complex, accomplished, and thought-out funk. Then in 1979 came "Off The Wall", and everything changed.
The greatest decade of black music summarized in ten tracks, no more, no less. Obviously, not everything is here, because from the ’70s funk-soul, M.J. is exclusively interested in summarizing the most danceable and hedonistic side to create the ultimate genre album. And in the golden years of disco music, two years after the earthquake of Saturday Night Fever, this seemed like a feat. And it was, and to be such, the work had to achieve perfection, aided by extraordinary producers and composers like Quincy Jones and Rob Temperton and the blessing of two giants of the era like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, magi at the birth of the new king of pop, each bringing a song as a gift (respectively "Girlfriend" and "I Can’t Help It").
Jackson thus becomes the Frankenstein of today's musical world, a particularly talented boy bottled up at 13, stuffed with showbiz, interviews, autographs, and screaming girls instead of a normal life. Recognizing his extraordinary talents, he was squeezed like the last great golden goose of pop music, exploiting his innocence never accompanied by a developed maturity. It was like a Shirley Temple used and overturned until 30 rather than until 15. But here we can still see, more dazzling than ever, his genius, forgetting his and our problems, being moved by "She’s Out Of My Life" or running through the city to the rhythm of "Burn This Disco Out", worthy of the best Earth Wind & Fire. 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. It is, but until "Off The Wall" made us realize it, we didn’t know.
P.S.: the new edition is recommended, with -as bonus tracks- the demos of "Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough" and "Workin’ Day And Night", fabulous examples of the creation process of a masterpiece: Michael with his brothers at home creating songs with only maracas, the sisters' hand claps, sighs and blows in bottles, Roland keyboards instead of bass...a small pop crafting workshop at work. Unmissable.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples 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 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 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.
