Pop Genius

‘Off The Wall’ has been re-released twenty years after its record breaking debut in August 1979, when the album broke music industry records by being the first album to ever spawn four Top Ten singles in the US.

Included in the September issue of ‘Q’ Magazine, is a review of the re-released album, written by David Quantick and entitled POP GENIUS. The following are extracts from the review, … ‘Off The Wall’, with its Quincy Jones production, its brilliant choice of cover versions, ‘She’s Out Of My Life’ and ‘Girlfriend’ [in those days Michael would sing Paul McCartney songs rather than just buy them], and its incredible dance tracks [the title track, the woozy ‘Rock With You’, the borderline epileptic ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’] is one of the greatest albums ever made, if the definition of such things is that all the songs are great, the sound is new and different, and it was a big part of pleasant people’s lives at the time.

It stays fresh now, thanks to Jones’s pristine, sparse studio sound, Michael’s impeccable singing, and some of the best melodies in the history of pop. Mostly we recall the big singles, but even the slighter ‘It’s The Falling In Love’ is far away from being duff old padding. Unlike much soul and pop then and now, ‘Off The Wall’ is an album first and a collection of hits second.

Recorded at a time when Michael’s star was rising for the second time, after he and his brothers had made three fun but hardly ground-breaking pop soul albums for Philadelphia International, ‘Off The Wall’ established a new sound for Michael [a sound which he would later duplicate for his brothers on ‘Victory’ and ‘Triumph’] and showcased an innovative use of songwriters, from Rod Temperton of Grimsby and Heatwave to the still-thriving McCartney.

The future would see glories, notably ‘Billie Jean’ and The Jacksons ‘Can You Feel It?’

The album is awarded five stars; one of two albums to be awarded 5 stars amongst the 63 re-releases reviewed. The other album being the classic, ‘Tapestry’ by Carole King.

Quantick chooses ‘Off The Wall’, ‘She’s Out Of My Life’, and ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ as the outstanding tracks, and sites Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Superfly’ BUDDAH 1977 as the album, which influenced ‘Off The Wall’, and names R. Kelly’s ‘JIVE 1999’ as the album that ‘Off The Wall’ had influence upon! ‘Off The Wall’ – EPIC CDX83468

Source: Q Magazine, MJWN With many thanks to Matt