---
product_id: 147138823
title: "Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson"
price: "€ 56.81"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.sk/products/147138823-man-in-the-music-the-creative-life-and-work-michael
store_origin: SK
region: Slovakia
---

# Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson

**Price:** € 56.81
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson
- **How much does it cost?** € 56.81 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sk](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/147138823-man-in-the-music-the-creative-life-and-work-michael)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## 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.

Review: Joseph Vogel Returns the Conversation to Jackson's ART ~ and BRILLIANTLY! - Scholars, fans, and even on-the-fence doubters will find Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson by Huffington Post writer Joseph Vogel, not only an enthralling read, but a gateway into a revised perception of one of the most mysterious and massively influential artists of our time. This is definitely not another run of the mill sensationalist work. Vogel skillfully guides the reader through the remarkable chapters of Jackson's professional career, fully capturing the cultural vibe of the `80s and `90s, while analyzing the particularities of Jackson's creative process from inception to aesthetic fulfillment. It seems the author desires to move beyond exclusively "preaching to the choir" of Jackson's loyal fan base, and has an even more expansive and restorative intention in mind. Vogel's narrative unfolds in a unique album-by-album mode, so Jackson's career is revealed through intricately woven stories that are chronologically linked with the creation of his music. This odyssey reminds one of a mythic "hero's journey," as it evokes the visceral emotion of artistic conquest. Throughout the process, Vogel explicates Jackson's music, performance art, cinematic short films, and aesthetic incarnations, as well as exploring Jackson's myriad eclectic influences. The book's success is due, in large part, to a trilogy of strengths the author possesses as an academic scholar and also a writer on popular culture. Vogel manages to fuse a penchant for research with an engaging gift of journalistic storytelling. Rare, however, is the sense of spiritual exegesis he also provides. This literary alchemy gives the reader an entirely fresh and valuable comprehension of Jackson as a culturally transformative artist. Vogel's book also illuminates the voluminous breadth, depth and influence of his artistic oeuvre. The reader experiences firsthand the gentle singer-songwriter's coming of age, his groundbreaking musical prowess, and his emergence as a humanitarian emissary for the disadvantaged and alienated. We are reminded that Jackson (a voracious reader of Emerson) was a transcendental visionary who called for healing the world through compassion, community, and environmental stewardship. The author offers a Joycean sensibility as he paints his archetypal "portrait of the artist as a young man" with a discerning eye. Vogel irrevocably raises the bar for future critical analysis of Jackson's art and cultural import, as he portrays his subject as an artist of stature amidst a constituency of the most influential and prescient artists of all time. One hopes the sincerity of Vogel's efforts will prompt inchoate scholarship on this subject to burgeon. Vogel's personal interviews document the rich and sundry details offered by a plethora of Jackson's musical collaborators, technical producers, and artistic associates. These remembrances add surprise and synchronicity to the more familiar aspects of Jackson's complex life history. Included among the recollections are those of musical giants Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Teddy Riley, Bruce Swedien, Rodney Jerkins, Buz Kohan, Brad Buxer and many others. Vogel, a Huffington Post writer on politics and popular culture, is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Rochester where his scholarship focuses on 18th century poets Blake and Wordsworth. Since he emerges out of an academic perspective on the history of literature and the arts, he is able to credibly position Jackson amidst a much broader contextual background than the many apocryphal works by authors who leapt too eagerly onto the greed-bandwagon following the artist's untimely death. It is interesting to note that Vogel began research for this book almost six years ago. This was during a time when Jackson was often treated by publishers and much of the public as a social leper. Vogel wanted to correct what he perceived as a terrible injustice and return the conversation to the genius of Jackson's art and his global transformative cultural import. Vogel later made a conscious choice to refrain from publishing his material immediately following Jackson's death. Hence, his biography includes analysis of Jackson's posthumously released works, as well as reflections on the nature of the artist's ultimate legacy. Vogel's insight and impeccable research do much to relieve the ignominy this artist suffered in life from a rapacious media. Vogel utilizes a Picasso-like construct in his ability to see his subject from multiple angles simultaneously, thereby rendering a multidimensional portrait. Formulaic tabloid stereotyping and long-standing racial binaries are finally exploded and cast aside. Vogel's readers will experience Jackson anew as a fine artist, cultural troubadour, and shamanic performer, because he is perceived through a lens that clarifies instead of mystifies. Perceptive, metaphoric, and humane, Vogel's Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson is certainly the defining biographical work to date regarding this artist. The revelatory nature of Jackson's art, and Jackson's under reported international initiatives for social justice, surely deserve this long over due literary retrospective. The book's stunning photographs make this volume attractive to appreciators of all art genres. It is especially meaningful to note the author has dedicated his book to Jackson's three children. One imagines they will be grateful, for Vogel offers respect and appreciation to the father they loved. Constance Pierce, New York, October 18th, 2011
Review: LONG LIVE THE KING!! AMAZING!!! PHENOMENAL!! MUST READ FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS!!! - Just when you think you know everything about Michael, Joseph Vogel writes a book that shows there is more to be learned. This book is PHENOMENAL!! This was worth every penny. Most books are about his personal life but this book is about his creative GENIUS! From the first page, I was so enthralled with this book. Joseph writes so elegantly. His way of writing keeps you wanting more. I couldn't put the book down. It was so refreshing to be able to read about some of the most iconic songs ever written. Being able to read up on some of my most favorite songs such as Tabloid Junkie, The Lady in My Life, Whatever Happens, and Is It Scary was exciting. He evens mentions some of his unreleased some from each album. I have the majority of them so I was so happy to find out when they were originally recorded. The way he describes each song makes you want to listen to them immediately after. My MJ jam sessions are more amazing now that I have read this book. My favorite chapter was Thriller. There have been many times where I questioned why this is the greatest selling album of all time. I was kindly reminded as to why. The hard work he put into this album is like no other I've ever seen. This album has broken so many records and gained many accolades. I felt like I was there with him while making this record. Listening to the album after reading this gave me the most amazing feeling. Michael's spirit oozed through each lyric, melody, and sound on that album. No one will ever top this! The photographs selected for this book are breathtaking! I shrieked when I turned the page and saw my all time favorite picture of him! Hint: its from the Liberian Girl video :). He is one of the most sexiest men ever. I wish he could've seen the beauty we see in him. I loved seeing all of the album covers and the pictures from the videos. All in all, this is a classic. This should be a best seller but of course the media isn't going to advertise something that shows Michael in a positive light. Everyone who reads this, recommend it to others. Lets get the word out!! All music lovers must read this!!! Thank you Michael! Thank you for blessing us with your gift! Thank you for making history! Thank you for paving the way for other artist! Thank you for loving the children! Thank you for loving Mother Earth! Thank you for understanding me when no one else would! Thank you for showing me what hard work and dedication is all about! Thank you for being you! :) Joseph Vogel - you're the man!!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #11,996 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7 in Music History & Criticism (Books) #32 in Rock Band Biographies #43 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 469 Reviews |

## Images

![Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/819ad9AvrlL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Joseph Vogel Returns the Conversation to Jackson's ART ~ and BRILLIANTLY!
*by C***E on October 19, 2011*

Scholars, fans, and even on-the-fence doubters will find Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson by Huffington Post writer Joseph Vogel, not only an enthralling read, but a gateway into a revised perception of one of the most mysterious and massively influential artists of our time. This is definitely not another run of the mill sensationalist work. Vogel skillfully guides the reader through the remarkable chapters of Jackson's professional career, fully capturing the cultural vibe of the `80s and `90s, while analyzing the particularities of Jackson's creative process from inception to aesthetic fulfillment. It seems the author desires to move beyond exclusively "preaching to the choir" of Jackson's loyal fan base, and has an even more expansive and restorative intention in mind. Vogel's narrative unfolds in a unique album-by-album mode, so Jackson's career is revealed through intricately woven stories that are chronologically linked with the creation of his music. This odyssey reminds one of a mythic "hero's journey," as it evokes the visceral emotion of artistic conquest. Throughout the process, Vogel explicates Jackson's music, performance art, cinematic short films, and aesthetic incarnations, as well as exploring Jackson's myriad eclectic influences. The book's success is due, in large part, to a trilogy of strengths the author possesses as an academic scholar and also a writer on popular culture. Vogel manages to fuse a penchant for research with an engaging gift of journalistic storytelling. Rare, however, is the sense of spiritual exegesis he also provides. This literary alchemy gives the reader an entirely fresh and valuable comprehension of Jackson as a culturally transformative artist. Vogel's book also illuminates the voluminous breadth, depth and influence of his artistic oeuvre. The reader experiences firsthand the gentle singer-songwriter's coming of age, his groundbreaking musical prowess, and his emergence as a humanitarian emissary for the disadvantaged and alienated. We are reminded that Jackson (a voracious reader of Emerson) was a transcendental visionary who called for healing the world through compassion, community, and environmental stewardship. The author offers a Joycean sensibility as he paints his archetypal "portrait of the artist as a young man" with a discerning eye. Vogel irrevocably raises the bar for future critical analysis of Jackson's art and cultural import, as he portrays his subject as an artist of stature amidst a constituency of the most influential and prescient artists of all time. One hopes the sincerity of Vogel's efforts will prompt inchoate scholarship on this subject to burgeon. Vogel's personal interviews document the rich and sundry details offered by a plethora of Jackson's musical collaborators, technical producers, and artistic associates. These remembrances add surprise and synchronicity to the more familiar aspects of Jackson's complex life history. Included among the recollections are those of musical giants Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Teddy Riley, Bruce Swedien, Rodney Jerkins, Buz Kohan, Brad Buxer and many others. Vogel, a Huffington Post writer on politics and popular culture, is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Rochester where his scholarship focuses on 18th century poets Blake and Wordsworth. Since he emerges out of an academic perspective on the history of literature and the arts, he is able to credibly position Jackson amidst a much broader contextual background than the many apocryphal works by authors who leapt too eagerly onto the greed-bandwagon following the artist's untimely death. It is interesting to note that Vogel began research for this book almost six years ago. This was during a time when Jackson was often treated by publishers and much of the public as a social leper. Vogel wanted to correct what he perceived as a terrible injustice and return the conversation to the genius of Jackson's art and his global transformative cultural import. Vogel later made a conscious choice to refrain from publishing his material immediately following Jackson's death. Hence, his biography includes analysis of Jackson's posthumously released works, as well as reflections on the nature of the artist's ultimate legacy. Vogel's insight and impeccable research do much to relieve the ignominy this artist suffered in life from a rapacious media. Vogel utilizes a Picasso-like construct in his ability to see his subject from multiple angles simultaneously, thereby rendering a multidimensional portrait. Formulaic tabloid stereotyping and long-standing racial binaries are finally exploded and cast aside. Vogel's readers will experience Jackson anew as a fine artist, cultural troubadour, and shamanic performer, because he is perceived through a lens that clarifies instead of mystifies. Perceptive, metaphoric, and humane, Vogel's Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson is certainly the defining biographical work to date regarding this artist. The revelatory nature of Jackson's art, and Jackson's under reported international initiatives for social justice, surely deserve this long over due literary retrospective. The book's stunning photographs make this volume attractive to appreciators of all art genres. It is especially meaningful to note the author has dedicated his book to Jackson's three children. One imagines they will be grateful, for Vogel offers respect and appreciation to the father they loved. Constance Pierce, New York, October 18th, 2011

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LONG LIVE THE KING!! AMAZING!!! PHENOMENAL!! MUST READ FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS!!!
*by T***E on January 11, 2017*

Just when you think you know everything about Michael, Joseph Vogel writes a book that shows there is more to be learned. This book is PHENOMENAL!! This was worth every penny. Most books are about his personal life but this book is about his creative GENIUS! From the first page, I was so enthralled with this book. Joseph writes so elegantly. His way of writing keeps you wanting more. I couldn't put the book down. It was so refreshing to be able to read about some of the most iconic songs ever written. Being able to read up on some of my most favorite songs such as Tabloid Junkie, The Lady in My Life, Whatever Happens, and Is It Scary was exciting. He evens mentions some of his unreleased some from each album. I have the majority of them so I was so happy to find out when they were originally recorded. The way he describes each song makes you want to listen to them immediately after. My MJ jam sessions are more amazing now that I have read this book. My favorite chapter was Thriller. There have been many times where I questioned why this is the greatest selling album of all time. I was kindly reminded as to why. The hard work he put into this album is like no other I've ever seen. This album has broken so many records and gained many accolades. I felt like I was there with him while making this record. Listening to the album after reading this gave me the most amazing feeling. Michael's spirit oozed through each lyric, melody, and sound on that album. No one will ever top this! The photographs selected for this book are breathtaking! I shrieked when I turned the page and saw my all time favorite picture of him! Hint: its from the Liberian Girl video :). He is one of the most sexiest men ever. I wish he could've seen the beauty we see in him. I loved seeing all of the album covers and the pictures from the videos. All in all, this is a classic. This should be a best seller but of course the media isn't going to advertise something that shows Michael in a positive light. Everyone who reads this, recommend it to others. Lets get the word out!! All music lovers must read this!!! Thank you Michael! Thank you for blessing us with your gift! Thank you for making history! Thank you for paving the way for other artist! Thank you for loving the children! Thank you for loving Mother Earth! Thank you for understanding me when no one else would! Thank you for showing me what hard work and dedication is all about! Thank you for being you! :) Joseph Vogel - you're the man!!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Vogel's Man in the Music is a Masterpiece!
*by N***N on November 4, 2011*

Michael Jackson said "Who wants mortality? Everyone wants immortality. You want what you create to live be it sculpture or painting or music or composition. Michelangelo said: I know the creator will go but his work survives. That is why to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work. That's how I feel. I give it my all. Because I want it to just live and give it all that I have." Michael Jackson has succeeded in achieving his goal! Although the fabulously talented, creative King of Pop Michael Jackson is no longer with us, his spirit remains alive through his beautiful and unique music, inspiring and entertaining generations to come. Now Joe Vogel's incredible book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson gives us a clear inside view of Jackson's creativity, focus and spirit as he describes the making of each song starting with Jackson's Off The Wall album. Vogel even covers unreleased songs in order to show the full range of Jackson's artistry. Jackson was multi-talented and THE artist that changed the world of music videos forever with his innovative approach. He inspired the world of dance with his sheer magical gravity-defying moves. Joe weaves these elements into the stories about each song, as they are inseparable elements. This book is unlike most other books you will read about Michael Jackson. It is not a tabloid-style unauthorized biography that tries to generate sales by sullying and distorting the life of Michael Jackson. While covering all important points in Jackson's personal life, the book focuses on the Man and his Music, pure and simple, and shows us the true nature of this creative genius. Vogel states, "As an artist, then, Jackson's work was about liberation. He wanted to free what was bound; transform what was petrified, and awaken what was dormant. He wanted to break through any obstacle that constrained the imagination, any chains-psychological, social or political-that imprisoned the body or mind. This is what art meant to him personally, and it was his intended effect on his audience as well." Read in Vogel's book about "They Don't Care about Us", "Scream", "Earth Song", "Black or White", "We've Had Enough" and other songs in which this liberation theme is evident. What was so unique about Jackson was that, as Vogel states, "The standard for Michael Jackson, of course, has always been himself". While other artists were busy chasing the achievements of Elvis, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra, Jackson had broken all album-selling records at an early age with Thriller, and this would be the album he would have to attempt to surpass throughout his life! You can read Joe's blogs about music on the Huffington Post to get a taste of his wonderful style of writing and his expansive knowledge of the music world. I'm sure that you will be inspired, as I have been, to read and enjoy Man in the Music. Vogel's book is well-written, thoroughly researched and a must read for Michael Jackson fans and all music fans. ENJOY!

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sk/products/147138823-man-in-the-music-the-creative-life-and-work-michael](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/147138823-man-in-the-music-the-creative-life-and-work-michael)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Slovakia*
*Store origin: SK*
*Last updated: 2026-10-29*