Random House Books for Young Readers Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson

This book was a pleasant surprise - a real gem among all the boring, sensation-seeking reads. Vogel's thoughtful, intelligent analysis and ability to somehow look at and take into account the different aspects of MJ's work and contribution to Music is truly brilliant. I enjoyed every sentence, every metaphor, not to mention the interesting parallels the author draws with other works of art and artists, literary works, characters, etc. MJ compared the process of creating a song to 'tapestry' - an analogy which seems to be relevant also to Vogel's book and the way in which he 'weaves in and out', incorporating ideas from contemporary sociology, art history and Jungian psychology (e.g. the archetypes - Michael seemed to embody at least several simultaneously). The author skilfully reflects on the power of the 'visual' but also of the auditory MJ used so well; on the different levels and layers of MJ's extremely sophisticated, multi-layered art and forms of expression (undoubtedly, Jackson was a genius and at least a few more decades will be needed for serious scholars and critics to even start to fully comprehend his complex mind, versatility, deep psychological trauma, ability to hold paradoxes and yet, outstanding artistic integrity and resilience). Somehow, Vogel manages to 'capture' that multi-layered look and delve deeper, look under the surface, reflect on and offer interesting interpretations in the context of the current social and political events and climate. His analysis - similarly to its subject - is multi-faceted, not a one-dimensional tabloid story. He discusses different perspectives, paradoxes and identifies some recurrent themes during MJ's artistic development while remaining deeply empathic and firmly grounded. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is seriously interested in MJ's art.

It's nothing short of ridiculous & tragic that it took Michael Jackson to pass away to finally see credible books released about his art. Considering his genius, sales figures & cultural impact there was scant material available up until 2009 - now it seems not a month goes by when a new book of some variety is released that focuses on Michael Jackson - from the incredibly lavish Opus to Jermaine's autobiography, from the re-release of Moonwalk to a graphic novel, if you want to read all about Michael Jackson, you've now got plenty of choice. The sole focus of this particular book however is what made Michael Jackson famous in the first place, his music. With this in mind & as a fan of over 25 years I was really looking forward to Joseph Vogel's account of MJJ's creative life however I'm sorry to say that it's someway short of what I'd hoped but that's not to say that's not a decent read.The intentions of the author are on-the-money. Vogel should be applauded for looking beyond the headlines & heaping praise on Michael Jackson the musician. The book is also very nicely laid out, generally very well written & has a nice balance of facts, figures, narratives & photographs (several of which are incredibly rare & fascinating). The thing that ultimately lets the book down somewhat is Vogel's text when it comes to much of the track-by-track listings. Far too much of this is simply lifted from a number of media reviews & it's clear that Vogel has managed to locate plenty of old copies of Rolling Stone, etc & simply slipped in the most positive reviews that relates to any given song. There's also a lot of direct lifting from past interviews & whilst the Author has managed to interview several of Michael's key players when it came to recording, the book is ultimately a professional study-by-numbers as opposed to a genuine work of something special. Considering the type of book & fact that's it's over 300 pages, I learnt very little new information which is the acid test when it comes to the fans.Desite the above criticism it's still a worthy addition to any fans collection & it's lovely to read the thoughts of a like-minded individual who recognises MJJ's talent & isn't afraid to share it. Reverting back to the start of this review, it's just a shame this kind of book wasn't out when Michael was still with us.

Since Michael died I have purchased almost every single book written about him.This book is by far the best. It is so well researched and has taken Joe Vogel many years to produce. It is not one of the books written to make a quick buck (as so many of them have been )It is informative and covers every album and every single track.It also includes information on many unreleased tracks. It shows where Michael was personally at the time of each new album release. With information given by many of Michaels sound engineers and producers who have never spoken before it gives true insight into Michaels genius and the artistry he bought to everything he did.This includes looking at the dance and his short films.It follows Michaels career from "Off the Wall" to the day he died and continues with a review and indepth look at the posthumous album "Michael" I was surprised to see where Michaels work was taking him in his last few years.Michael worked hard to perfect his art and this is a major look into that work.It is tragic that his life was cut short as he was about to embark on taking his art further.I cannot praise this book enough.Joe Vogel has produced an excellent book that goes far beyond all the sensationalism that so many want to write about.I am sure this book will be on the best selling lists for a long time.I can't recommend it enough.

'Man in The Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson' remains at the top of my reading list for all students of MJ Studies. This book is an incredibly comprehensive analysis of Michael’s creative process album-by-album with the cultural significance and context of his creations.The work of Dr. Joseph Vogel is nothing short of a breath of fresh air. His work reminds us that Michael Jackson was the William Shakespeare of the 21st century. His playhouse was the eyes and ears of television screens and record players/walkmans/CD-players/mp3-players for forty solid years. For me, Vogel will always be one of the most influential Michael Jackson Studies Academics because he was actively pursuing Michael’s artistic representation, presenting Michael Jackson Studies long before it was remotely fashionable to do so. Vogel never skips a beat. His research is impeccable. The level of understanding and insight in his work is always accessible and informative. No matter whether you read a blog, article or one of his books you will not be disappointed.– Elizabeth Amisu, author of THE DANGEROUS PHILOSOPHIES OF MICHAEL JACKSON: HIS MUSIC, HIS PERSONA, AND HIS ARTISTIC AFTERLIFE and editor of THE JOURNAL OF MICHAEL JACKSON STUDIES.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book. At last someone has taken the time to really appreciate the creativity and talent of Michael Jackson. Yes some of the information is taken from interviews/reviews which fans may have read previously. However Joe Vogel does a great job of pulling it all together and placing Michael Jackson's work into context. What has come across loud and clear since his untimely passing is that those who really knew Michael Jackson well and worked with him all describe him as extremely creative, talented and professional. They also talk of an intelligent and humble person who was a pleasure to work with - guess that doesn't sell tabloid newspapers!I am sure his children, family and true friends will be delighted to see his work celebrated in this way.