Man in the Music

When news broke of Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, the world mourned his death by celebrating his work--some of the most joyful and cherished songs of our era. Of course, even outside of his music, Jackson's life was notable--by turns enviable and eccentric, always fascinating and relentlessly public. Much attention has been paid to his life as media fodder, but rarely do writers give his recordings given their proper critical due. In Man in the Music, Joseph Vogel expertly guides us through the works of the King of Pop, album by album, from "Thriller" to "Bad" and beyond, leading us on a tour of inside scoops, trivia, interviews, cameos, setbacks and breakthroughs, failures and triumphs, that is as much fun as the songs themselves.

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.