Off the Wall

by

Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson's first solo album as an adult tops many peoples list as his best yet. It's an incredibly strong and innovative album that set the mold for the greatness to come. This special edition reveals the album as it's never been heard before.

The clarity of sound presented here is astounding! Especially when you go back and listen to the original release. From the swirling cackles in the title track, to the bass on Burn This Disco Out, to the layered voices in Don't Stop, the sound enveopes you in it's crispness and rishness. It's pure aural candy!

The special edition includes a booklet with 4 new photos (one featuring Paul McCartney), a brick design on the cd itself, and 18 minutes of bonus material including, interviews with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton and, the best treat, two demo recordings.

Both demo's run about 4:30 and feature Randy and Janet on rhythm and sound efects. There is a hillarious spat between Randy and Janet at the begenning of the Don't Stop demo that had me roaring in laughter. These demos really give a sense of the Jackson family as a whole, fun, musically inventive, talented and wanting to help each other out. They also showcase Michael's strong song writing skills. The rhythms and arrangements are completely fleshed out but the lyrics are barely there. What you can hear of lyrics is very different from the final recordings and seems like MJ made it up as he went along in the song (Is he really singing 'Keep on with you hot dog' in Don't Stop Til You Get Enough?). The demo's highlight his talent as a rhythm arragner and song builder rather than a lyricist.

On the down side, the interviews aren't that enlightening and I can't imagine wanting to listen to them more than once or twice. Also nowhere in the booklet or on the jewel case is the bonus material given track numbers. There are a total of 19 tracks here with an announcer, interviews and demos. A track listing would''ve made it alot easier to find the demo's later. One final nitpick, I would've liked to have seen a picture underneath the cd's clear tray in the jewel case. Instead all we get is black. Oh well, it hardly detracts from all the great things about this sepcial edition.

If you're a MJ fan or have an older copy of Off The Wall, then you have to have this for the incredible restoration done, it's historical value and the insightful demo recordings. For the rest of you, don't miss out on this strong, innovative, fun and moving album. The sepcial edition is the one to have!

Well, hmmm. I finally decided to get this CD because I got tired of playing the LP and explaining to my kids that an LP is not a "big CD". This CD has been re-packaged. You don't see the original Michael face, you get what appears to be his next face and nose, off the "Thriller" album. You also get some "bonus" extra tracks. If you're a die-hard Michael fan I suppose these are nice, but I want to listen to the music, not listen to Quincy Jones talk about this album. Listening to the Jackson kids' demos are kind of fun -- once. Complaints aside the music is what I bought the CD for and of course the music doesn't disappoint. Just skip those last "bonus" tracks.