Still "Off the Wall" 30 Years Later, Michael Jackson's Masterpiece

Music was the reflection of Michael Jackson. It was with this music that he enraptured us in life and lives on past his untimely passing. Many have tried to pry apart the music from the man while peering at his legacy, this has proven to be an impossible task. An important anniversary proves this without fail. The progenitor to Thriller (1982) and his later albums, Off the Wall (1979) on August 10th, 2009 turns exactly 30 years old. This album launched Jackson into the stratosphere of music evolution, and in Jackson's mind, had been years in the making.

Clearly not satisfied with the pleasant, but diminutive solo output during his Motown tenure, now at Epic Records Jackson sought to make an impact worth remembering outside of the context of being a charter member of The Jacksons. Enter Quincy Jones, the production maestro Jackson worked with on the film adaption of The Wiz two years prior. Hitting it off personally and professionally, each had a unified vision for what became Off the Wall, Jackson's fifth overall long player.


It was 1979, the year disco, a dance offshoot of R&B, had taken hold of the mainstream music world after years of amassing power in the underground. With Jones and Jackson in head of production, they drew together a collection of talent that criss-crossed songwriters, session musicians, and singers.

Writers Rod Temperton (Donna Summer, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Heatwave), Paul McCartney (of The Beatles), Carole Bayer Sager (The Carpenters, Phyllis Hyman, Diana Krall), Stevie Wonder, and former Wonderlove and Supreme Susaye Green all brought special songs to the proceedings.

The musicians, also integral, boasted talent like George Duke, Greg Phillinganes, Louis Johnson (of The Brothers Johnson), Jerry Hey, John Robinson (the drummer from Rufus), and David Foster were some of the figures present.

Everyone drew together on a synergistic note to propel Michael Jackson into the pumping pulse of contemporary disco and R&B, without making him a slave to it. Off the Wall fit into the period perfectly and outlived it as well. The preciseness of Jones' R&B know-how, complimented Jackson's exuberance, making the album enjoyably addictive with each listen.

Danceable, groovy, and downtempo elements all cohered on Off the Wall. The bursting "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was filled to the brim with cascading strings, throbbing bass, varied percussive elements. Through all of this, Jackson whooped, crooned, and sang his heart out. The vibrancy that characterized the searing "Get On the Floor" and "Workin' Day & Night" was muscular instead of the prototypical R&B macho-fuel that drove a few of Jackson's male colleagues. The springy "Rock With You" further found Jackson well-mannered, but not any less enthused.

The arrangements stayed succulent on the slow jams side too. Quaint and sparse described the poignant "She's Out of My Life," a staple for decades in Jackson's live shows. Partnered with Jones' goddaughter, Patti Austin, she and Jackson duetted on the valentine "It's the Falling in Love." Here you hear Jackson humoring some of the last bit of his Motown innocence. The mesmeric "I Can't Help It," penned by the aforementioned team of Wonder and Green, was a living, breathing lush sound of romantic proportions.

If Thriller was the visual and crossover watermark for Jackson, Off the Wall was the pre-MTV, pre-crossover solidification of Michael Jackson as a modern, R&B magus. Off the Wall when released on August 10th, 1979 was an immediate win across the board.

Five singles were released, with the first four reigning as Jackson standards. All four singles were U.S. Top 10 hits, a first in American music history. Off the Wall also gave Jackson his first solo Grammy win in 1980 for "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." The record would certify platinum seven times in America and globally moved over 20 million copies. On October 21st, 2001 the record received a generous remastering, tacking on several demo tracks and interview segments with Rod Temperton and Quincy Jones.

"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"
Directed By: Nick Saxton


I've always preferred Michael Jackson with an urban slant, his energized vocalizing sounded better against colorful R&B. While R&B's grit and groove was never too far from Jackson as he moved throughout the '80's, in the '90's and early '00's his work turned back to the hearty urban sound he started with. With Michael Jackson's tragic departure, celebration of his music is necessary. It was the medium he used to share joy with all of us. Five out of five stars.-QH

[Editor's Note: Off the Wall is available at all music retailers: big box, indie, and online.-QH]

Celebrating 20 Years of Texas

I first met and fell in love with Texas at 19, during the summer of 2004. Already a fan of various European exports in the form of the Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue, The Corrs, and Robbie Williams, Texas was a welcome addition to my growing collection.

Founded by Johnny McElhone in 1986, a former member of Hipsway and Altered Images, McElhone drew the Texas name from the Wim Wenders directed, Ry Cooder scored film Paris, Texas. Texas shot to fame with the biting urgency of "I Don't Want a Lover," from their debut Southside (1989) in the United Kingdom.

More than another hip '90's outfit, Texas is musical magic, and here is the tale of Texas, thus far...

1989-1993: Earthy Beginnings

Signed (still) with Mercury Records, Texas' debut recording Southside (1989) introduced the world to Sharleen Spiteri. A charismatic voice that was breathtaking. The band, Stuart Kerr (drums), Ally McErlaine (slide guitar), and Johnny McElhone (guitar/songwriter) constructed a solid sound of early-era U2 flavored rock with spacious country ambitions for Spiteri to soar atop. Off the strength of "I Don't Want a Lover," Southside shifted two million units in Britain alone.

1991's follow-up, the insistent Mothers Heaven fell victim to a fickle buying populace. Ricks Road alleviated some of the commercial tension when it released in 1993. The single "So Called Friend" became the theme to Ellen DeGeneres' TV show Ellen. Ricks Road drew from a similar well of blues, country, and rock like their two previous recordings. One key difference with Ricks Road factored into a tender cover of the Al Green classic, "Tired of Being Alone." The first seed of the blue-eyed revolution Texas was to utilize later surfaced on this song.

1997-2000: Blue-Eyed Soul Reigns

Texas' creative overhaul led to a burst in popularity across the board, partially in thanks to Spiteri's transformation from ingenue to confident front woman. McElhone and McErlaine became the only members from the original Texas line-up to stay intact as the band took on a revolving door aspect. Eddie Campbell, a keyboardist since 1991, also stayed with Texas throughout out its swaps.

Texas kept music at the fore and pulled off a major coup with White On Blonde (1997). Mingling alternative pop-rock with soul helped White On Blonde go platinum six times, securing Texas as darlings of the British realm.

Spiteri's growth as a singer was on display with the somber "Say What You Want" and epic "Halo." Texas' exploration of blue-eyed soul reached its zenith with The Hush (1999), their most accomplished record to date and the one that began my romance with them in the summer of 2004.

Taking the best from Philadelphia, Stax, and Motown they worked in those American sounds with a smooth European sheen. The Hush was downcast ("Day By Day"), sexy ("Summer Son"), and groovy ("Tell Me the Answer").

A retrospective followed a year later in 2000 with three new songs: "In Demand," "Inner Smile," and "Guitar Song." Anything cut before 1997 was given a "reworking" for the collection. Depending on the type of Texas fan, this either infuriated or excited. Notably absent was any material from Mothers Heaven.

2003-Present: Experiments & Hiatus

Dabbling in a bit of punk, dancehall, but with their rock soaked soul, Texas unleashed Careful What You Wish For (2003), their sixth LP, and first of original material since The Hush.

The album spawned a muted reaction amongst record buyers and critics. A thrilling, if mixed, bag of tricks in "Telephone X" and "Broken" kicked off the record on a hard note. "Telephone X" owed a debt to Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone," while "Broken" saw Spiteri flaunting her self-harmonies. The first single "Carnival Girl," with Kardinal Offishall, grated or delighted. Careful managed to be effective in stating that Texas would not rest on past laurels, even if the new ideas didn't always click.

Another year passed before Red Book (2005), their safe reach back to pop majesty ("Getaway") that recalled former glory. Dull patches like "Can't Resist" did mar the record unfortunately. Red Book recovered quickly on the sprawling duet "Sleep" with Paul Buchanan (of The Blue Nile) and the watercolor sadness of "Bad Weather." The record didn't fare better sales when compared to Careful What You Wish For, though many hailed it as a return to a "classic Texas" feel.



Texas took a sabbatical excusing their the live album The BBC Sessions  dropping in 2007. In 2008, Sharleen Spiteri issued Melody, her first solo album. The record performed modestly, whether or not its muted success will herald a Texas reunion is yet to be seen. Though favored by the college radios of the U.S.A. they never broke into our marketplace due to our auditory ignorance. Our loss as Texas executed refined pop like none other. One can hope for the Texas story to continue.-QH

[Editor's Note: For more information on Texas visit, http://www.texas.uk.com/-QH]

"Schizophonic": Geri Halliwell 10 Years Later

As a member of the Spice Girls, Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell ascended the ranks in popular music history as one of the most successful female groups ever. In May of 1998, Halliwell departed the Spice Girls dramatically before the start of the American leg of their Spice World Tour. The remaining four Spice Girls stormed through the American leg and completed it without fail. A reinvention of their own went on without Halliwell. Scrutiny fell upon the Halliwell, the question of whether she had the talent to make it alone was omnipresent.

Halliwell did have the talent and her debut album Schizophonic (1999) carved out her own niche in pop music. Ten years later, the record is as hungry, urgent, and fascinating as when it first arrived.

The History
After the uproar of Halliwell's departure cooled, she managed to quickly secure a record deal with EMI, the parent company to Virgin Records where she resided as a Spice Girl. It was important to not cause ripples for her former band mates, but go with a label that was still familiar to her presence.

Looking to the past few months for writing experience, Halliwell began an unsure trek toward what became Schizophonic.

The Record
Geri Halliwell immediately reached out to the production duo Absolute, Paul Wilson and Andy Watkins. Absolute had ties with Halliwell from her Spice Girls days.

Halliwell had bathed in the pop of Shirley Bassey, Madonna, and George Michael and all of that worked itself into her debut. Halliwell's unashamed love of pop music is what helped Schizophonic take on its fresh appeal. Thematically, Schizophonic divided between a "red" and "white" section. The "red" section dealt with "ego," and "white" with "spirituality." Lead writing credits on all 10 cuts went to Halliwell, who set the track that she was a wit with a pen.  Cleverness was platformed on the saucy thrust of "Bag It Up." In conjunction with a plethora of disco fluff and groove, Halliwell quipped about male and female contests:

I like chocolate and controversy, he likes Friday and bad company. I like midnight, it's when I'm in the mood, he likes the morning, that's when he's rude! Just a bad case of opposite sex! Have to look to the stars! All we need is a little respect! 'Cos men are from Venus and girls are from Mars!"

Noteworthiness extended to Halliwell's voice, which sounded comfortable in its own husky glory on "Bag It Up." Halliwell didn't hide, rather she made her voice the force that tied songs like the "La Isla Bonita" doused "Mi Chico Latino" and the touching "Someone's Watching Over Me" together.  Schizophonic followed  a pop changeability model, no two songs sounded alike. One could hear the jazzed up pop explosiveness of "Look At Me" or the Hindi pep of "Let Me Love You."

"Let Me Love You" started with a sitar rinsed chant from Halliwell which hypnotized the listener before it fell into kinetic guitar and drum dramatics. It stood out as the best example of converging the musical, vocal, and lyrical ambitions of the LP into one perfect song.

The Impact
Schizophonic was released in England on June 7th, 1999 and sailed into the #4 position on the U.K. Album Chart. It moveD over 600,000 copies and earned certified double platinum there.
The album spun off four singles: "Look At Me" (5/10/99-#2), "Mi Chico Latino" (8/16/99-#1), "Lift Me Up" (11/1/99-#1), and "Bag It Up" (3/13/00-#1). Halliwell scored a U.K. Top 10 hit, and three U.K. number one hit singles, following the six she achieved as a Spice Girl.

This trend was duplicated by her former group mates respective solo careers. Halliwell actually entered into the first, and only, "Spice Girls Chart Battle" with Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton on November 1st, 1999. Ms. Bunton released her first solo single, a joint effort with U.K. rockers Tin Tin Out, a cover of Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians' "What I Am." Going head to head with Halliwell's third single "Lift Me Up," Bunton's single-only release took the #2 position on the U.K. Singles Chart, while Halliwell took #1. The song later appeared on Bunton's gold certified debut, A Girl Like Me (2001).

Schizophonic, along with Melanie C's Northern Star (1999) and Bunton's Free Me (2004/2005) are the only solo-Spice Girl recordings to get a U.S. release. It moved enough units by 2001 Stateside to gain a gold certification with 500,000 copies. Though it had a limited shelf life on the U.S. Billboard 200 (#42), it's the highest ranking for a solo Spice Girl on American charts. Internationally, the record did respectably, it reached reach gold status in Mexico, Australia, and Spain.

Schizophonic EPK, Circa 1999



Geri Halliwell recorded two more albums: Scream If You Wanna Go Faster (2001) and Passion (2005). Both spun off many hit singles, but sales tapered off with each record. Between these projects Halliwell wrote two best-selling autobiographies before reuniting with the Spice Girls in the 2007 for their successful tour and best-of collection. These days Halliwell is a content mother and author of a popular line of children's books. Her mark as an indelible pop act for her time is heard throughout Schizophonic, a timeless token to pop spunk. Five stars out of five.-QH

[Editor's Note: Schizophonic is in print as an affordable import or easily found used in U.S. record stores.-QH]