Michael Jackson: Off The Wall

Without question, Michael Jackson was one of the most talented artists to grace vinyl over the last 50 years. His sining, songwriting, and musical genius remain something to marvel at to this day. If it were not for his off the wall behaviors that tarnished his reputation and left a void in the hearts of so many fans, he might be considered one of the best ever.

However, character does matter. Perfection, not so much, as we are all human and imperfect. Morality and decency, definitely. That's something we all must practice no matter of one's standing in society. Regardless of one's view of Jackson's life outside the studio, inside the studio and on the stage he was an exceptional talent.

Off the Wall was Jackson's fifth studio album and his first produced by Quincy Jones. Call it disco, pop, funk, R&B, soft rock or whatever thought comes to mind to classify the music held within, Off the Wall is one of Jackson's better efforts. While the album has heavyweight contributors, such as Paul McCartney, it is a showcase of his creative genius. As such, Off the Wall peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top albums chart and number 1 on the Billboard's Top Black Albums chart. The album produced 4 songs that reached the Billboard Hot 100, with "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You" reaching number 1.

The 1979 vinyl release of Off The Wall is a very good pressing. The record sampled for this review was the FE 35745 Pittman pressing. It has excellent low ends, nice detail, and sonic range that impresses for a mass market release. Sonically it was a pleasant surprise and one that gives rise to the question about whether or not an audiophile release could improve upon the listening experience enough to justify the cost. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Track Listings
Side One:
1 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
2 Rock With You
3 Workin' Day and Night
4 Get on the Floor
Side Two:
1 Off The Wall
2 Girlfriend
3 She's Out of My Life
4 I Can't Help It
5 It's the Falling in Love
6 Burn This Disco Out

If you are looking for a nice copy of Michael Jackson's Off The Wall, you cannot go wrong with the OG release. 💰

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