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Can someone explain me why I always thought that...

Arunas

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Mikes first solo album was Off the Wall ?


I've been a fan since the trials, and just now, like 5 minutes ago my little brother ran in saying how he loved the new single with JT and decided to "get" all of Mikes solo albums. When I came into his room to recommend him some good songs I saw he has 4 CDs prior and Of the Wall was actualy the 5th one ?

Its like... for me... I ran to wikipedia and it seems its true?! HOW ON EARTH did i miss the first 4 ones? I knew he had the whole Jackson 5 thing going on prior to going solo, but... ???

............?????
 
Arunas said:
Mikes first solo album was Off the Wall ?


I've been a fan since the trials, and just now, like 5 minutes ago my little brother ran in saying how he loved the new single with JT and decided to "get" all of Mikes solo albums. When I came into his room to recommend him some good songs I saw he has 4 CDs prior and Of the Wall was actualy the 5th one ?

Its like... for me... I ran to wikipedia and it seems its true?! HOW ON EARTH did i miss the first 4 ones? I knew he had the whole Jackson 5 thing going on prior to going solo, but... ???

............?????
Click to expand...

Those 4 albums are young Michael from Jackson 5 days but performing solo without the brothers (songs like Ben - his first solo #1 hit, Rockin' Robin, I Wanna Be Where You Are, Music & Me...). Those albums were released by Motown Records while Michael was still in Jackson 5. First solo album as adult and first released by Epic records is Off The Wall.
 
I always consider Off The Wall to be his true debut solo album. Cause that was the first solo album where he had creative control and was running the show.
 
OTW was his first true effort at a solo career as an adult, so it is widely considered his first actual solo effort.

So, you're not wrong in thinking that, because the albums preceding it were not made with the intention of having him break away from the J5, as OTW was.
 
It was his first post-Motown solo album. There are some good songs on those Motown albums, regardless if he had creative control or not and they shouldn't be dismissed because of it. Mike himself didn't dismiss those childhood albums.
 
Like Onir said his first four solo albums were childhood solo albums which were released under the Motown label. Michael did not have any creative control on those albums - he just sang whatever he was given to sing. OTW is his first adult album and his first solo album where he had creative control - wrote and produced songs, instead of just singing them. Although overall OTW was not the first album he did that, because on the 1978 Jacksons album Destiny the brothers already had creative control and Michael and his brothers already wrote and produced all songs bar one on that album.

His first four solo albums are:

Got To Be There (1972)

gottobethere.jpg


Ben (1972)

ben.jpg


Music & Me (1973)

musicandme.jpg


Forever, Michael (1975)

forevermichael.jpg
 
Despite his lack of creative control, there is very good music on each of these albums. My favourite of the four is Forever, Michael. One Day In Your Life and You Are There are tremendous, nostalgic, bittersweet songs. We're Almost There and Take Me Back are excellent too.

Got To Be There is my second favourite. The title track is really nice, and Ain't No Sunshine, I Wanna Be Where You Are, Maria, Love Is Here And Now You're Gone are all highlights. Strong songs on this one.

Music & Me features the wonderful title track, as well as With A Child's Heart, two of young MJ's best imo. What's amazing is that even though Michael did not write these songs, they fit him to a T (and seem almost prophetic), both lyrically and vocally.

Ben is my least favourite effort, but is still enjoyable. It is of course mainly famous for the title track, but also contains MJ's cover of My Girl, which features amazing vocals, especially the adlibs at the end (and it's a great song too, of course).

It's amazing how gifted he already was at such a young age, and how he was able to sing all these songs convincingly. He truly was one of a kind.
 
I think my favourite of the four is Music & Me. With A Child's Heart, Music and Me, Happy, Up Again, Too Young, Morning Glow - I love these songs.
 
'Forever, Michael' & 'Farewell My Summer Love' i own these two records on Sealed Vinyl, they're great releases and feature some fantastic song's! i only have 2 J5 Releases.. but his solo work from that time, showed how talented he was at such a young age... Born a genius.
 
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