Man in the Music
The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
For half a century, Michael Jackson’s music has been an indelible part of our cultural consciousness. Landmark albums such as Off the Wall and Thriller shattered records, broke racial barriers, amassed awards, and set a new standard for popular music. While his songs continue to be played in nearly every corner of the world, however, they have rarely been given serious critical attention. The first book dedicated solely to exploring his creative work, Man in the Music guides us through an unparalleled analysis of Jackson’s recordings, album by album, from his trailblazing work with Quincy Jones to his later collaborations with Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Rodney Jerkins. Drawing on rare archival material and on dozens of original interviews with the collaborators, engineers, producers, and songwriters who helped bring the artist’s music into the world, Jackson expert and acclaimed cultural critic Joseph Vogel reveals the inspirations, demos, studio sessions, technological advances, setbacks and breakthroughs, failures and triumphs, that gave rise to an immortal body of work.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Vogel, a Huffington Post writer, immerses readers in a chronological exploration of Michael Jackson's remarkable solo career. Chapter by chapter and literally song by song, he discusses Jackson's albums, videos, dances, cinematic influences, musical heroes, idiosyncrasies, and artistic transformations from the inception of Off the Wall, Jackson's 1979 solo debut, through 2001's Invincible, his last studio album. In a final chapter set after Jackson's notorious child abuse trial, Vogel reconstructs the performer's plans for a series of comeback concerts and the worldwide shock following news of his death. Vogel has produced a smart if at times academic study of Jackson's creativity and musical legacy. Based on interviews (none with Jackson himself), articles, and reviews, he achieves moments of intimacy and insight: a glimpse of Jackson, an ambitious perfectionist, in the studio relaxing his vocal cords with a hot drink poured over cough drops. By astutely contextualizing Jackson's cultural impact and relevance, Vogel bolsters his premise that media sensationalism continues to denigrate Jackson's artistic integrity without sounding vindictive. Strangely, Vogel occasionally undermines his hard work by giving Jackson a makeover as a romantic hero rather than a unique, complex multimedia celebrity. Jackson may have agreed; readers will enjoy.
