1001 Albums Summary

Michael Jackson's 1979 Off The Wall album is a classic dance album that has stood up well to the test of time. While the mid to late disco era influences are up front and present on the album, the musicality and approachable nature shine through the monotony that might normally be found on other "disco" dance records. This is due to the true genius and talent of both Michael Jackson and the remarkable production team that worked on this album. It is a given that a Michael Jackson album is going to sound impeccable, production wise, and that is sometimes taken for granted. However, by the end of the third track, "Workin' Day and Night", I said out loud "who the hell tracked and mixed this album?". I already knew that Quincy Jones surely had a large hand in that but I learned that it was the legendary Bruce Swedien, who was the mastermind behind Michael's other legendary albums Bad and Thriller, among many other very important albums. The amount of instruments and sounds happening all at once, on tracks like "Workin' Day and Night" specifically, it is incredibly hard to find a useful space for each of those individual elements on a track, from an engineering stand point. To be able to have found a place for each one and for each element to shine on it's own and contribute to the whole song without sounding muddy and clumsy shows Swedien and Quincy's incomparable talent. Even with the ballads in the middle of this album, Off The Wall moves from start to finish. Without being aggressive about it, this album found a way to allow you to sit back and have an enjoyable listening experience but at the same time keep your head nodding and toe tapping. 7.5/10