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Man in the Music

The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson

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About this listen

 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. Entertainment & Celebrities History & Criticism Music Social Sciences Celebrity

Critic reviews

“Brilliantly cracks the DNA of Michael Joseph Jackson. . . . A pointed, intelligent dissection of an epic body of work.” —Spike Lee

“The only comprehensive and critical rundown of Jackson’s solo material.”—Rolling Stone

“A must-have for any Jackson fan. . . . A fascinating read. . . . Each song Jackson recorded during his solo career is examined with a critical eye.” —Associated Press

“Don’t be surprised if it makes you go back and listen . . . with a whole new outlook on the King of Pop.”—Zack O'Malley Greenburg, author of Michael Jackson, Inc.

“This is the kind of book about Michael Jackson’s music, artistry, and creativity that really needed to be written—and Joseph Vogel has done it and done it very well. I am absolutely floored by Joe’s in-depth research and perceptive insight into what made Michael the one-of-a-kind, recording-breaking King of Pop. And—amazingly enough—even I learned a lot!”—J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Michael Jackson: The Magic and the Madness

“[Man in the Music] celebrates Michael’s songs and artistry in a wonderful journey through his music.”—Jermaine Jackson
All stars
Most relevant
loved it. found out loads of pieces of information I'd never heard before. didn't want it to end.

Brilliant MJ book.

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I was looking for a story after seeing this author on BAD25. wasn't ready for how indepth and fascinating it was though, I knew some of it, but nowhere near all of this. Good narration too and that helps I don't care how good the book is, it won't work if the voice is awful. Great. Highly recommended

THIS IS IT

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Interesting read. Great insight into the songs of MJ. Highly recommended and will more than likely read again.

Excellent

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Very in depth and a must for an MJ fan, well narrated and really informative

Great music detail and context to his life

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Thank you Joseph Vogel for this exploration of MJ’s music. The behind the scenes insights and technical knowledge is staggering. I’ve been an MJ fan for almost 40years and I have come away from this book with a new found respect for his process, his generosity and humility. Due to his genius, the huge budgets and the genius of those around him- we will never hear music like this again. Thank you for reminding the world.

This an amazing review of Michael Jackson’s artistry

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