Michael Jackson

Many favor this album for its warm, genuinely unpretentious feel. The stellar selection of songs precludes any notions of Jackson being the King of Pop, but surely they helped fan that flame. The gentle disco beat of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and the heart-wrenching "She's Out of My Life" are just two of Off the Wall's many highlights.

Like many an aging child star, Michael Jackson has had to grow up gracefully in public in
order to survive. Until now, he's understandably clung to the remnants of his original Peter
Pan of Motown image while cautiously considering the role of the young prince. Off the
Wall marks Jackson's first decisive step toward a mature show-business personality, and
except for some so-so material, it's a complete success. A slick, sophisticated R&B-... More >

In which fast-stepping Michael J. and quick-witted Quncy J. fashion the dance groove of the year. Michael's vocabulary of grunts, squeals, hiccups, moans, and asides is a vivid reminder that he's grown up, and the title tune suggests that maybe what makes Stevie Wonder (who contributes a good ballad) such an oddball isn't his genius or even his blindness so much as the fact that since childhood his main contact with the real world has been on stage and in bed. (Grade - A)