More of the Music of Michael Jackson
Reviews and Commentaries for Off the Wall
On the better copies the multi-tracked chorus and background vocals are as breathy, rich, sweet and Tubey Magical as any pop recording we know of.
An extended top end opens up the space for the huge, dense production to occupy.
There is Midrange Magic To Die For, exceeding anything to be found on Thriller.
Side One
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
The first single from the album was designed to go to Number One and it certainly met all expectations in that regard.
On the properly mastered and pressed copies the vocals and percussion will be a bit brighter than those on most of the tracks that follow. The percussion is often somewhat brittle on even the best copies; it’s surely on the tape that way.
It should be big, clear and lively right out of the gate.
Rock With You
The balancing act to the first track, Rock With You has some of the richest, smoothest, sweetest, most ANALOG sound on the entire album. There is no track on Thriller that sounds as Tubey Magical, assuming you have a top quality pressing.
As is always the case with rich and smooth sound, transparency is key. The sound should not be thick and dark, it should be both rich and clear.
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough gets hot in the higher frequencies with the volume cranked. Rock With You is just the opposite; the louder you play it the better — the more right — it sounds from top to bottom.
Working Day and Night
Get on the Floor
Side Two
Off the Wall
On the better copies the multi-tracked chorus and background vocals are as breathy, rich, sweet and Tubey Magical as any pop recording we know of. An extended top end opens up the space for the huge, dense production to occupy. There is Midrange Magic To Die For exceeding anything to be found on Thriller.
The top end at the start of a side is sometimes lacking so pay attention to see if more top end can be heard later on in the song.
Watch for smear on the horns. They are rich and smooth and on some copies their transient bite will get blurry.
Girlfriend
Girlfriend can achieve the status of a top Demo track on the better copies, no question about it. Turn it up to hear some of the biggest, tightest, most note-like bass on the album. The best copies pull off that monstrous bottom end without bloat, while maintaining some of the loveliest, most tubey rich mids on the album.
On the better copies the stage is wide and the vocals as breathy as on any track on the album. Potentially the Demo Disc track of side two.