Off the Wall

1979年，Michael Jackson凭借这张专辑横空出世，成为一代流行天王。   MJ自己认为，是他创作的那首情歌She's Out of My Life让这张专辑与众不同——不过当他和众兄弟一起鼓捣的时候，其他人都不太热心（所以不是人人都能成为流行天王的）。在歌曲的最后，可以听到他的声音已经有点哽咽了，这并不是录音效果，唱完这首歌之后MJ是结结实实认认真真地哭了一场，确实很深情。但真正为他赢得荣誉的是一首快歌Don't Stop Till You Get Enough，MJ凭这首歌获得葛莱美奖，开始真正红起来了——不过，据说MJ对他这张专辑“只”得了一座葛莱美奖相当不满，这也促成了他在Thriller中的更强悍表现。   这张专辑在美国大卖了700万张，虽然相对之后的几张专辑，在商业上并不显得特别成功（只是相对而言），但许多专业人士认为，MJ在这张专辑中的表现已经达到一个高峰，此后的Thriller等专辑只是延续了这个高峰而已。   这张专辑在滚石杂志评出的500张历代最强专辑中排名第68位。   ====================================   Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released August 10, 1979 by Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well-received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to work with Jackson on his next studio album. Recording sessions took place between December 1978 and June 1979 at Allen Zentz Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California. Jackson collaborated with a number of other writers and performers such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Rod Temperton. Five singles were released from the album. Three of the singles had music videos released. Jackson wrote three of the songs himself, including the Platinum-certified lead single, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". It was his first solo release under Epic Records, the label he would record on until his death in 2009.   The record was a departure from Jackson's previous work for Motown. Several critics observed that Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads. Jackson received positive reviews for his vocal performance on the record. The record gained positive reviews and won the singer his first Grammy Award since the early 1970s. With Off the Wall, Jackson became the first solo artist to have four singles from the same album peak inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album was a commercial success; to date it is certified for 8× Multi-Platinum in the US and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling albums of all time.   On October 16, 2001, a special edition reissue of Off the Wall was released by Sony Records. Recent reviews by AllMusic and Blender have continued to praise Off the Wall for its appeal in the 21st century. In 2003, the album was ranked number 68 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The National Association of Recording Merchandisers listed it at number 80 of the Definitive 200 Albums of All Time. In 2008, Off the Wall was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.   (wiki)   ====================================   by Stephen Thomas Erlewine   Michael Jackson had recorded solo prior to the release of Off the Wall in 1979, but this was his breakthrough, the album that established him as an artist of astonishing talent and a bright star in his own right. This was a visionary album, a record that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable, but not the primary focus -- it was part of a colorful tapestry of lush ballads and strings, smooth soul and pop, soft rock, and alluring funk. Its roots hearken back to the Jacksons' huge mid-'70s hit "Dancing Machine," but this is an enormously fresh record, one that remains vibrant and giddily exciting years after its release. This is certainly due to Jackson's emergence as a blindingly gifted vocalist, equally skilled with overwrought ballads as "She's Out of My Life" as driving dancefloor shakers as "Working Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor," where his asides are as gripping as his delivery on the verses. It's also due to the brilliant songwriting, an intoxicating blend of strong melodies, rhythmic hooks, and indelible construction. Most of all, its success is due to the sound constructed by Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, a dazzling array of disco beats, funk guitars, clean mainstream pop, and unashamed (and therefore affecting) schmaltz that is utterly thrilling in its utter joy. This is highly professional, highly crafted music, and its details are evident, but the overall effect is nothing but pure pleasure. Jackson and Jones expanded this approach on the blockbuster Thriller, often with equally stunning results, but they never bettered it.