Joe Jackson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : In his 1999 memoir A Cure for Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage, Joe Jackson writes approvingly of George Gershwin as a musician who kept one foot in the popular realm and one in the classical realm of music. Like Gershwin, Jackson possesses a restless musical imagination that has found him straddling musical genres unapologetically, disinclined to pick one style and stick to it. Is he the Joe Jackson who emerged in 1979 as a new wave singer/songwriter derisively asking, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" The reggae-influenced Joe Jackson of 1980s Beat Crazy? The jump blues revivalist of 1981s Jumpin Jive? The New York salsa-styled singer of 1982s "Steppin Out"? The R&B;/jazz-inflected Jackson of 1984s Body & Soul? Or is he David Ian Jackson, L.R.A.M. (Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music), who composes and conducts instrumental albums of contemporary classical music such as 1987s Will Power and 1999s Grammy-winning Symphony No. 1? He is all of these and more. He was born David Ian Jackson on August 11, 1954 in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. His parents met when his father was in the Navy and his mother was working in her familys pub in Portsmouth on the south coast of England. They initially settled in his fathers hometown, Swadlincote, on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, but when Jackson was a year old, they moved back to his mothers hometown, and he was raised in Portsmouth and nearby Gosport. His father, Ronald Jackson, became a plasterer. Growing up in working-class poverty, Jackson struggled with asthma, first diagnosed when he was three and producing attacks that lasted into his twenties. Prevented from playing sports, he turned to books and eventually music. At 11, he began taking violin lessons, later studying timpani and oboe at school. His parents got him a secondhand piano when he was in his early teens, and he began taking lessons, soon deciding that he wanted to be a composer when he grew up. He played percussion in a citywide student orchestra, but his social milieu was more accepting of popular music than the classics. Becoming interested in jazz, Jackson formed a trio and, at the age of 16, began playing piano in a pub, his first professional gig. By the early 70s, Jackson became a fan of progressive rock, notably by such British groups as Soft Machine. Meanwhile, in 1972, he passed an advanced "S" level exam in music that earned him a grant to study music, and he was accepted at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Rather than moving to the city, he spent his grant money on equipment and commuted several days a week to attend classes while continuing to live at home and play pop music locally. He switched from writing classical compositions to pop songs and joined an established band called the Misty Set, where he sang his first lead vocal on-stage. He moved to another established band called Edward Bear (not to be confused with the Canadian band of the same name); deciding that he resembled the title character on a television puppet show called Joe 90, his bandmates began calling him "Joe," and it stuck. After six months, the two principals in Edward Bear decided to retire from music, and with their permission Jackson took over the name and brought in a couple of his friends, lead singer/guitarist Mark Andrews (later of Mark Andrews & the Gents) and bassist Graham Maby. Jackson continued to attend the Royal Academy, where he studied composition, orchestration, and piano while majoring in percussion. He also occasionally played piano in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Jackson graduated from the academy after three years in 1975. By then, Edward Bear were forced to change their name to Edwin Bear because of the more successful Canadian band, and then became known as Arms & Legs. Arms & Legs were attracting more attention and acquired management, who in turn signed the band to MAM Records. In April 1976, MAM released the first Arms & Legs single, with Andrews "Janie" on the A-side and Jacksons "Shell Surprise You" on the flip. After subsequent singles failed to chart, Jackson quit the band in October 1976 to become the pianist and musical director at the Playboy Club in Portsmouth, determined to save enough money to record his own album and release it himself. In August 1977, he played his first gigs as the leader of the Joe Jackson Band, singing and playing keyboards, backed by Andrews (sitting in temporarily and soon replaced by Gary Sanford), Maby, and drummer Dave Houghton. At the same time, he quit the Playboy Club job to become pianist/musical director for a cabaret act, Koffee n Kream, who were beginning a national tour in the wake of their triumph on the TV amateur show Opportunity Knocks. Jackson toured with Koffee n Kream from the fall of 1977 to the spring of 1978, and the money he made enabled him to move to London and continue recording his album in a Portsmouth studio. He began shopping demo tapes and was heard by American producer David Kershenbaum, who was scouting talent on behalf of A&M; Records. He arranged for Jackson to be signed to A&M; in August 1978, after which they immediately re-recorded Jacksons album. It was completed quickly, and at the end of the month the Joe Jackson Band embarked on an extensive national tour. Despite his classical education and background playing many types of pop music in pubs and clubs, Jackson had become genuinely enamored of the punk/new wave movement of the late 70s in England, especially the energy and simplicity of the music and the outspoken tone of the lyrics. Jackson had no trouble incorporating these elements into his own music, and if he was using the new wave label as a flag of convenience, the style nevertheless was a good fit for him. In October 1978, A&M; released the first Joe Jackson single, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?," a rhythmic ballad in which the singer ponders why "pretty women" are attracted to "gorillas" and worries about his own inadequacy. The record initially failed to chart, but Jackson and his band continued to tour the U.K. and began to attract press attention. Look Sharp!, his debut album, followed in January 1979, and in March, it broke into the charts, eventually peaking at the bottom of the Top 40. The same month, A&M; released the album in the U.S., and it quickly charted, reaching the Top 20 after "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was released as a single in May and became a Top 40 hit; in September, the LP was certified gold in the U.S. In the U.K., "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was re-released in July and charted in August, making the Top 20. Jackson was nominated for a 1979 Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, for the single. Jackson toured more or less continually, but had found the time and inspiration to craft a quick follow-up to Look Sharp!, and his second LP, Im the Man, was released in October 1979. That was a little too soon for the U.S. market, where Look Sharp! had not yet exhausted its run, and while the album made the Top 40, it was a relative sales disappointment, with the single "Its Different for Girls" failing to enter the Hot 100. The story was different in the U.K., where Im the Man made the Top 20 and "Its Different for Girls" reached the Top Five. Like other punk/new wave acts, Jackson used reggae rhythms on occasion, notably on "Fools in Love" on Look Sharp! and "Geraldine and John" on Im the Man. In May, he released an EP in the U.K. including a cover of Jimmy Cliffs reggae standard "The Harder They Come." In acknowledgment of his groups importance to his sound, the disc was billed to the Joe Jackson Band. Beat Crazy, released in October 1980, was also credited to the Joe Jackson Band, and found him digging significantly deeper into his reggae and ska influences. It was a relative disappointment commercially, peaking in the 40s in both the U.S. and U.K., with its singles failing to chart. The Joe Jackson Band played a month-long tour from October to November in the U.K., followed by a month in Europe from November to December, but played no dates in the United States. According to Jackson, the band split up following the European dates because Houghton no longer wanted to tour. Sanford became a session musician, while Maby stuck with Jackson. Jackson, in ill health following more than two years of continual touring, retreated to his family home, where he immersed himself in the jump blues of 40s star Louis Jordan. He organized a new band in the style of Jordans Tympany 5 featuring three horn players (Pete Thomas on alto saxophone, Raul Oliveria on trumpet, and David Bitelli on tenor saxophone and clarinet) along with pianist Nick Weldon and drummer Larry Tolfree, plus Maby and Jackson himself, who played vibes and sang. The group played a collection of swing and jump blues standards, and the resulting album, 1981s Jumpin Jive, was a hit in Britain, where it reached the Top 20. In the U.S., the album struggled to make its way into the Top 50, though it would anticipate the neo-swing movement of the late 90s. Jackson went through more personal changes over the next year. He and his wife divorced, and he moved to New York City, where he began to explore new musical directions, particularly salsa and the classic songwriting styles of Gershwin and Cole Porter. The result was Night and Day, released in June 1982, Jacksons first album to put his keyboard playing at the center of his music. Jackson traded new wave rock for a catchy pop-jazz-salsa-dance hybrid, and "Steppin Out" became a multi-format hit, earning airplay on album-oriented rock radio before spreading to the pop and adult contemporary charts, placing in the Top Ten all around and eventually earning Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. With that stimulus, the album reached the Top Ten and went gold, spawning a second Top 20 single in "Breaking Us in Two." Jackson finished the Night and Day tour in May 1983. He had been asked to contribute a song to Mikes Murder, a film written and directed by James Bridges and starring Debra Winger. Jackson ended up writing a handful of songs and a few instrumental pieces that were released on a soundtrack album in September. Unfortunately, due to a dispute between Bridges and the studio that had financed the film, the movie did not open until March 1984, by which time it had a score by John Barry and only a little of Jacksons music remaining. The film was a bust at the box office, but the orphaned soundtrack album managed to get into the Top 100 and spawned a chart single in the Jackson composition "Memphis," while "Breakdown" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Jackson returned in March 1984 with Body & Soul, a follow-up to Night and Day in style, but with a bit more of an R&B; tilt, and it was another commercial success, reaching the Top 20 and spawning a Top 20 single in "You Cant Get What You Want (Til You Know What You Want)." After the four-month Body & Soul world tour concluded in July 1984, Jackson retreated; he later wrote that the tour had been "the hardest I ever did; it came too soon after the last one, and by the end of it I was so burned out I swore Id never tour again." He re-emerged after 18 months in January 1986 for a series of live recording sessions at the Roundabout Theatre in New York. Audiences were invited to attend, but instructed to hold their applause as the performances were cut direct to two-track tape. The resulting album, Big World, released in March 1986, had a one-hour running time, making it an ideal length for the new CD format, though it had to be pressed on two LPs with the fourth side left blank. Jackson undertook another extensive tour lasting eight months, and the album spent six months in the charts, but only peaked in the Top 40. In the winter of 1985, Jackson was commissioned to write a 20-minute score for a Japanese film, Shijin No Ie (House of the Poet), and the orchestral piece was recorded with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. He adapted it into "Symphony in One Movement" and added a few other instrumental pieces to create his next album, 1987s Will Power, his first disc to reflect his classical background. Jacksons increasing desire to include classical elements in his popular work and to issue "serious" compositions tended to put him in a no mans land, where rock critics for the most part preferred that he stick to pop-based music, while classical critics simply ignored him. While staying off the road, Jackson had two albums released in 1988. In May, he issued the double-disc set Live 1980/86, which reached the Top 100. In August came his swing-styled soundtrack to the Francis Ford Coppola film Tucker: The Man and His Dream; the album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV. His next LP, released in April 1989, was Blaze of Glory, another modest seller that peaked only in the Top 100 despite radio play for the single "Nineteen Forever." Jackson, who felt the album was one of his best efforts and toured extensively to support it, was disappointed with both the commercial reaction and his record companys lack of support. He parted ways with A&M;, which promptly released the 1990 compilation Steppin Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson, a Top Ten hit in the U.K. Jackson wrote his third movie score for 1991s Queens Logic; no soundtrack album was issued. Signing to Virgin Records, he released his next album, Laughter & Lust, in April 1991. Here, he expressed some of his frustration with the record business in the appropriately catchy, 60s-styled "Hit Single," while the socially conscious "Obvious Song" and a percussion-filled cover of Fleetwood Macs "Oh Well" attracted radio attention. Another world tour stretched from May to September, after which Jackson was not heard from on record for three years. In the interim, he wrote music for two movies, the interactive film Im Your Man (1992) and the feature Three of Hearts (1993), neither of which produced soundtrack albums featuring his music. He reappeared in record stores in October 1994 with Night Music, a low-key album that attempted to fuse his pop and classical styles, including instrumentals and guest vocals by Máire Brennan of Clannad. Jackson next left Virgin and signed to Sony Classical, a label more accepting of his musical ambitions. In September 1997, Sony released Heaven & Hell, a song cycle depicting the seven deadly sins, billed to Joe Jackson & Friends; the friends included folk-pop vocalists Jane Siberry and Suzanne Vega, and opera singer Dawn Upshaw. The album reached number three in Billboards Classical Crossover chart, and a tour ran from November to April 1998. Jackson worked on two projects in the late 90s, both of which appeared in October 1999. Sony Classical issued his Symphony No. 1, which was played not by an orchestra, but by a band of jazz and rock musicians including guitarist Steve Vai and trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and it won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. And publishers Public Affairs came out with Jacksons book, A Cure for Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage, in which he wrote about his love of music and recounted his life from his birth up to the point of his emergence as a public figure in the late 70s. Bringing his story up to date, he wrote, "So Im still making music, no longer a pop star -- if I ever really was -- but just a composer, which is what I wanted to be in the first place." Having released only semi-classical works on his prior three recordings, Jackson was thought to have abandoned pop/rock music completely, but the early years of the 21st century found him in a flurry of activity, much of it returning him to the pop realm. In June 2000, Sony Classical issued Summer in the City: Live in New York, an album drawn from an August 1999 concert that featured him playing piano and singing, backed only by Maby and drummer Gary Burke, performing some of his old songs along with covers of tunes by the Lovin Spoonful, Duke Ellington, and the Beatles. Four months later came Night and Day II, a new set of songs in the spirit of his most popular recording. Touring to promote the album in Europe and North America from November to April 2001, Jackson recorded the concert CD Two Rainy Nights: Live in Seattle & Portland, released in January 2002 on his own Great Big Island label. (The album was reissued by Koch in 2004.) Later in 2002, Jackson reunited with the original members of the Joe Jackson Band -- Graham Maby, Gary Sanford, and Dave Houghton -- to record a new studio album, Volume 4, released by Restless/Rykodisc in March 2003. They next embarked on a world tour running through September 2003 that resulted in the live album Afterlife, issued in March 2004. Meanwhile, his recording of "Steppin Out" was being used in a television commercial for Lincoln Mercury automobiles, and he scored the film The Greatest Game Ever Played for a 2005 release. Jackson released a new studio album, Rain, in 2008, followed by 2011s Live Music: Europe 2010, which was recorded live in Europe during his 2010 Joe Jackson Trio tour with Dave Houghton and Graham Maby. In 2012, Jackson released the Duke Ellington tribute album The Duke. Though a long-avowed fan of the legendary jazz pianist and bandleader, Jackson didnt want his tribute to follow the standard reverent approach, and instead he filtered these timeless compositions through various unexpected rhythms, arrangements, and musical pairings, including a duet with punk icon Iggy Pop on "It Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing)." The year 2015 brought another ambitious project from Jackson; the album Fast Forward found him recording in four cities with four different sets of musicians, with each capturing a different aspect of the songwriters musical personality. As part of Record Store Day in 2017, Jackson released the single "Fools in Love" backed by "Music to Watch Girls By," which were unreleased live recordings with his trio from 2010. Joe Jackson and his band -- guitarist Teddy Kumpel, bassist Graham Maby, and drummer Doug Yowell -- toured the United States in mid-2018. After the final show of the tour, in Boise, Idaho, Jackson and his accompanists immediately entered Boises Tonic Room Recording Studio, wanting to begin work on their next album while they were still sharp from regular gigging. The resulting album, Fool, was released in January 2019. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 36 Title: Look Sharp! Released: 1979-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 One More Time (03:17) 2 Sunday Papers (04:19) 3 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:35) 4 Happy Loving Couples (03:07) 5 Throw It Away (02:50) 6 Baby Stick Around (02:37) 7 Look Sharp! (03:22) 8 Fools in Love (04:23) 9 (Do the) Instant Mash (03:11) 10 Pretty Girls (02:54) 11 Got the Time (02:51) |
| Look Sharp! : Allmusic album Review : A brilliant, accomplished debut, Look Sharp! established Joe Jackson as part of that camp of angry, intelligent young new wavers (i.e., Elvis Costello, Graham Parker) who approached pop music with the sardonic attitude and tense, aggressive energy of punk. Not as indebted to pub rock as Parker and Costello, and much more lyrically straightforward than the latter, Jackson delivers a set of bristling, insanely catchy pop songs that seethe with energy and frustration. Several deal with the lack of thoughtful reflection in everyday life ("Sunday Papers," "Got the Time"), but many more concern the injuries and follies of romance. In the caustic yet charming witticisms of songs like the hit "Is She Really Going Out With Him?," "Happy Loving Couples," "Fools in Love," and "Pretty Girls," Jackson presents himself on the one hand as a man of integrity seeking genuine depth in love (and elsewhere), but leavens his stance with a wry, self-effacing humor, revealing his own vulnerability to loneliness and to purely physical attraction. Look Sharp! is the sound of a young man searching for substance in a superficial world -- and it also happens to rock like hell. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 36 Title: I’m the Man Released: 1979-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 On Your Radio (04:01) 2 Geraldine and John (03:14) 3 Kinda Kute (03:33) 4 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 5 I’m the Man (03:58) 6 The Band Wore Blue Shirts (05:07) 7 Don’t Wanna Be Like That (03:42) 8 Amateur Hour (04:05) 9 Get That Girl (03:02) 10 Friday (03:35) |
| I’m the Man : Allmusic album Review : Despite Jacksons anxious demeanor and shaky pop/rock presence, Im the Man holds together quite well as his second attempt. Reaching number 12 in the U.K. and a respectable number 22 in the U.S., the album managed to net him a number five hit in his homeland with the insightful "Its Different for Girls," which revealed Jacksons adeptness at philosophizing and his perception of examining the sexes, a trait which would follow him throughout his career. While this song represents his skill at crafting an effective ballad, the frantic "Im the Man" showcases Jackson at his most frenzied, as a freight trains worth of lyrics pile haphazardly into one another alongside a wonderfully hysteric rhythm. Not only does the track show off Jacksons free-range ability, but his sense of humor arises once again, following in the footsteps of Look Sharp!s "Is She Really Going Out With Him." Jacksons new wave tendencies are toned down for Im the Man, but that doesnt restrain his talent, as songs like "Kinda Kute," "Amateur Hour," and "Geraldine and John" make for catchy side servings of attractive pop. It wasnt until Jacksons next album, Beat Crazy, that he began to expand his musical latitudes into reggae, soul, and later on into jazz and other styles. Im the Man exposes Jackson in his early stages, but its evident that his wit and peculiar brand of pop charm is already building up its strength. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 36 Title: Jumpin’ Jive Released: 1981 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid (02:44) 2 Jack, You’re Dead (02:47) 3 Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby (04:59) 4 We the Cats (Shall Hep Ya) (03:19) 5 San Francisco Fan (04:29) 6 Five Guys Named Moe (02:33) 7 Jumpin’ Jive (02:41) 8 You Run Your Mouth (And I’ll Run My Business) (02:33) 9 What’s the Use of Getting Sober (When You’re Gonna Get Drunk Again) (03:49) 10 You’re My Meat (02:58) 11 Tuxedo Junction (05:21) 12 How Long Must I Wait for You (04:08) |
| Jumpin’ Jive : Allmusic album Review : Jumpin Jive proved to be one of Joe Jacksons most adventurous projects as he tries his hand at covering a bunch of Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway tunes, ranging from the extravagance of big band to bop to vibrant swing music. The album broke the Top 50 in the U.S. and made it to number 14 in England, with the title track peaking at number 43 over there as well. Jackson sounds extremely fresh and vivacious throughout all of the tracks, with Calloways "We the Cats" and "Is You Is or Is You Aint My Baby" demonstrating how easily his persona adapts to this particular style of music. Jackson doesnt just sing the music here, he actually role-plays to some extent to make the songs sound that much more genuine and timeless, giving tunes like "Tuxedo Junction," "Whats the Use of Getting Sober," and the hip-cat composure of "Jumpin Jive" some modern flash and color. The horn work is dazzling as well, especially Dave Bitellis alto sax and Pete Thomas clarinet contributions. Not only was Jumpin Jive a novel idea, but it reveals Jacksons musical dexterity and desire to further his interests into other avenues aside from pop and mainstream ballads. Although he touched on reggae with 1980s Beat Crazy, Jumpin Jive fully uncovers his musical astuteness and remains one of his best albums. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 36 Title: Night and Day Released: 1982-06 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Another World (04:00) 2 Chinatown (04:04) 3 T.V. Age (03:44) 4 Target (03:50) 5 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 6 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 7 Cancer (06:01) 8 Real Men (04:04) 9 A Slow Song (07:02) |
| Night and Day : Allmusic album Review : 1982 will forever be known as the year that the punks got class -- or at least when Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello, rivals for the title of Britains reigning Angry Young Man -- decided that they were not just rockers, but really songwriters in the Tin Pan Alley tradition. (Graham Parker, fellow angry Brit, sat this battle out, choosing to work with Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas instead.) Both had been genre-hopping prior to 1982, but Jacksons Night and Day and Costellos Imperial Bedroom announced to the world that both were "serious songwriters," standing far apart from the clamoring punkers and silly new wavers. In retrospect, the ambitions of these two 27-year-olds (both born in August 1954, just two weeks apart) seem a little grandiose, and if Imperial Bedroom didnt live up to its masterpiece marketing campaign (stalling at number 30 on the charts without generating a hit), it has garnered a stronger reputation than Night and Day, which was a much more popular album, climbing all the way to number four on the U.S. charts, thanks to the Top Ten single "Steppin Out." Night and Day had greater success because its sleek and bright, entirely more accessible than the dense, occasionally unwieldy darkness of Imperial Bedroom. Plus, Jackson plays up the comparisons to classic pop songwriting by lifting his album title from Cole Porter, dividing the record into a "night" and "day" side, and then topping it off with a neat line drawing of him at his piano in a New York apartment on the cover. All of these classy trappings are apparent on the surface, which is the problem with the record: its all stylized, with the feel eclipsing the writing, which is kind of ironic considering that Jackson so clearly strives to be a sophisticated cosmopolitan songwriter here. He gets the cosmopolitan, big-city feel down pat; although the record never delivers on the "night" and "day" split, with the latter side feeling every bit as nocturnal as the former, his blend of percolating Latin rhythms, jazzy horns and pianos, stylish synths, and splashy pop melodies uncannily feel like a bustling, glitzy evening in the big city. On that front, Night and Day is a success, since it creates a mood and sustains it very well. Where it lets down is the substance of the songs. At a mere nine tracks, its a brief album even by 1982 standards, and it seems even shorter because about half the numbers are more about sound than song. "A Slow Song" gets by on its form, not what it says, while "Target" and "Cancer" are swinging Latin-flavored jams that disappear into the air. "Chinatown" is a novelty pastiche thats slightly off-key, but nowhere near as irritating as "T.V. Age," where Jackson mimics David Byrnes hyper-manic vocal mannerisms. These all fit the concept of the LP and theyre engaging on record, but theyre slight, especially given Jacksons overarching ambition -- and their flimsiness is brought into sharp relief by the remaining four songs, which are among Jacksons very best. There is, of course, the breakthrough hit "Steppin Out," which pulsates anticipatory excitement, but the aching "Breaking Us in Two" is just as good, as is the haunting "Real Men" and the album opener, "Another World," a vibrant, multi-colored song that perfectly sets up the sonic and lyrical themes of the album. If all of Night and Day played at this level, it would be the self-styled masterpiece Joe Jackson intended it to be. Instead, it is a very good record that delivers some nice, stylish pleasures; but its shortcomings reveal precisely how difficult it is to follow in the tradition of Porter and Gershwin. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 36 Title: Body and Soul Released: 1984-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 45:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Verdict (05:33) 2 Cha Cha Loco (04:46) 3 Not Here, Not Now (05:29) 4 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 5 Go for It (04:18) 6 Loisaida (05:36) 7 Happy Ending (03:38) 8 Be My Number Two (04:22) 9 Heart of Ice (06:55) |
| Body and Soul : Allmusic album Review : Body and Soul has Joe Jackson playing both hot- and cool-styled jazz songs, getting some worthy help from producer David Kershenbaum, who also lent Jackson a hand on his Im the Man album. This is Jackson at his smoothest, from the fragility of "Not Here Not Now" to the earnestness of "Be My Number Two." While both this song and "Happy Ending" charted fairly low in the U.K., the explosive "You Cant Get What You Want" went to number 15 in the United States, thanks to the brilliant horn work and colorful jazz-pop mingling of all the other instruments, not to mention Jacksons suave singing. But the albums energy isnt spent entirely on one track. "Cha Cha Loco," "Losaida," and the cheery yet stylish "Go for It" carry Jacksons snazzy persona and enthusiasm even further, laying claim to how comfortable he really is at playing this style of music. Sometimes sounding preserved and entertaining in the same light, Body and Soul uses some of the character of 1982s Night and Day album, but instead of splitting up the music into mild jazz, pop, and modern R&B, he decided to tackle one of the genres wholeheartedly, and in doing so he came up with a truly impeccable release. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 36 Title: Big World Released: 1986-03 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:00:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Wild West (04:36) 2 Right and Wrong (04:34) 3 (Its a) Big World (04:43) 4 Precious Time (03:23) 5 Tonight and Forever (02:35) 6 Shanghai Sky (05:12) 7 Fifty Dollar Love Affair (03:39) 8 We Cant Live Together (05:25) 9 Forty Years (04:30) 10 Survival (02:19) 11 Soul Kiss (04:44) 12 The Jet Set (03:50) 13 Tango Atlantico (02:57) 14 Home Town (03:12) 15 Man in the Street (05:04) |
 | Album: 7 of 36 Title: Will Power Released: 1987-04 Tracks: 5 Duration: 42:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Pasarán (instrumental) (06:06) 2 Solitude (09:37) 3 Will Power (instrumental) (05:52) 4 Nocturne (instrumental) (04:26) 5 Symphony in One Movement (instrumental) (16:15) |
| Will Power : Allmusic album Review : Joe Jackson finally becomes the "serious composer" on Will Power. A good exercise in self-indulgence but little of anything else. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 36 Title: Live 1980–86 Released: 1988-04-25 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:42:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 One to One (03:41) 2 I’m the Man (04:18) 3 Beat Crazy (03:59) 4 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:49) 5 Don’t Wanna Be Like That (04:07) 6 Got the Time (04:28) 7 On Your Radio (04:56) 8 Fools in Love (07:14) 9 Cancer (07:31) 10 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (a cappella) (04:07) 11 Look Sharp! (04:17) 1 Sunday Papers (04:56) 2 Real Men (04:47) 3 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (acoustic) (03:49) 4 Memphis (05:13) 5 A Slow Song (07:58) 6 Be My Number Two (02:43) 7 Breaking Us in Two (04:05) 8 It’s Different for Girls (03:21) 9 You Can’t Get What You Want (’Til You Know What You Want) (05:32) 10 Jumpin’ Jive (02:28) 11 Steppin’ Out (05:30) |
 | Album: 9 of 36 Title: Tucker: The Man and His Dream Released: 1988-11 Tracks: 18 Duration: 44:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Captain of Industry (overture) (02:32) 2 The Car of Tomorrow – Today! (01:34) 3 No Chance Blues (02:30) 4 (He’s a) Shape in a Drape (02:59) 5 Factory (01:08) 6 Vera (02:30) 7 It Pays to Advertise (00:41) 8 Tiger Rag (02:09) 9 Showtime in Chicago (02:46) 10 Lone Bank Loan Blues (01:11) 11 Speedway (02:41) 12 Marilee (03:03) 13 Hangin’ in Howard Hughes’ Hangar (02:37) 14 Toast of the Town (01:25) 15 Abe’s Blues (02:42) 16 The Trial (06:46) 17 Freedom Swing / Tucker Jingle (01:38) 18 Rhythm Delivery (03:23) |
 | Album: 10 of 36 Title: Blaze of Glory Released: 1989-04-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 57:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Tomorrow’s World (04:30) 2 Me and You (Against the World) (04:13) 3 Down to London (04:16) 4 Sentimental Thing (06:08) 5 Acropolis Now (04:20) 6 Blaze of Glory (06:08) 7 Rant and Rave (04:45) 8 Nineteen Forever (05:48) 9 The Best I Can Do (03:09) 10 Evil Empire (03:45) 11 Discipline (05:01) 12 The Human Touch (05:11) |
| Blaze of Glory : Allmusic album Review : A loose concept album about a second-generation rock & roller struggling to come to terms with maturity, Blaze of Glory holds together fairly well, as the story takes a backseat to individual songs. While that does mean that the concept is never fleshed out, the approach results in a handful of brisk, stylish pop songs -- including "Nineteen Forever" and "Down to London" -- that are more compelling than the story itself. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 36 Title: Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson Released: 1990-09-10 Tracks: 13 Duration: 59:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:35) 2 Fools in Love (04:23) 3 I’m the Man (03:58) 4 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 5 Jumpin’ Jive (02:41) 6 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 7 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 8 Slow Song (live LP version) (08:00) 9 You Can’t Get What You Want (’Til You Know What You Want) (04:53) 10 Be My Number Two (04:22) 11 Right and Wrong (04:35) 12 Down to London (04:16) 13 Nineteen Forever (05:45) |
| Stepping Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson : Allmusic album Review : Ever since Joe Jacksons debut album, Look Sharp, yielded his first single in "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" in July of 1979, which peaked at number 21 on Billboard (the album hit number 20), his career has seen him investigate a multitude of musical styles with clean-cut charm and poise. Jackson has dabbled in everything from reggae, disco, and soul to power pop, jazz, and even big band. Stepping Out covers 15 of his biggest singles, including his highest chart-topper, "Stepping Out," which hit number six on Billboards Top 40, from the suave sounding Night and Day album. The downhearted appeal of "Breaking Us in Two" appears here as well, along with the salsa- flavored "You Cant Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)," which reached number 15 and was the strongest track from 1984s Body and Soul album. Outside of his chart appearances, the rest of this hits collection holds up well. Jacksons voice is heard in wispy detail on "Fools in Love," while his humor and wit explode on "Im the Man" from the album of the same name. The live release entitled Big World from 1986 is spoken for with both "Right and Wrong" and the candid allure of "Hometown." This quick overview of Joe Jacksons most lucrative singles not only bookmarks each of his experiments in different musical varieties, but also proves that few artists can accomplish such a feat with unblemished dexterity. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 36 Title: Laughter & Lust Released: 1991-04 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Obvious Song (04:12) 2 Goin’ Downtown (03:05) 3 Stranger Than Fiction (03:40) 4 Oh Well (02:29) 5 Jamie G. (02:04) 6 Hit Single (03:37) 7 It’s All Too Much (04:29) 8 When Youre Not Around (04:02) 9 The Other Me (04:11) 10 Trying to Cry (06:35) 11 My House (04:26) 12 The Old Songs (03:32) 13 Drowning (05:09) |
| Laughter & Lust : Allmusic album Review : After the inappropriately bombastic arena rock of Blaze of Glory, Joe Jackson returned (somewhat) to his roots to deliver the most straightforward pop album in his career in Laughter & Lust. While Jacksons late-80s output is composed of intelligent, if often forgettable, adult pop/rock, Laughter & Lust feels almost like a snotty declaration of Jacksons pop skills. Hes "been there, done that" with pop music, and with Laughter & Lust he shows off just how effortlessly he can construct a commercially viable pop album. Nowhere is this more present than on the bitter "Hit Single," a tirade about the disposability of pop music and the publics inability to digest more than "just the hit single." But Jackson saves this inscrutable slap in the face of his fans by setting it to -- surprise -- a massive pop hook. And its that paradox that exists all over Laughter & Lust; songs like "Stranger Than Fiction" and "When Youre Not Around" sound so effortless, so catchy, so made for radio -- and yet you know that Joe Jackson constructed these songs just because he could, not necessarily because he wanted to. Its a testament as much to Jacksons abilities as it is to his ego, and Laughter & Lust became his not-so-subtle goodbye to pop music, as he would continuously foray into "serious" music from here on out. Still, for a fan who can see past the attitude, Laughter & Lust does deliver more bang for the buck than any Jackson album since Night and Day, simply because Jackson really does know how to construct a good pop song, even if hes condescending while doing it. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 36 Title: Night Music Released: 1994-10-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Nocturne No. 1 (04:00) 2 Flying (02:48) 3 Ever After (04:42) 4 Nocturne No. 2 (04:07) 5 The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy (05:18) 6 Nocturne No. 3 (04:28) 7 Lullaby (06:20) 8 Only the Future (04:54) 9 Nocturne No. 4 (06:14) 10 Sea of Secrets (05:26) |
 | Album: 14 of 36 Title: This Is It: The A&M Years – 1979–1989 Released: 1997-02 Tracks: 37 Duration: 2:36:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:35) 2 Fools in Love (04:31) 3 One More Time (03:19) 4 Sunday Papers (04:23) 5 Look Sharp (03:26) 6 Got the Time (live) (04:45) 7 On Your Radio (04:04) 8 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 9 Dont Wanna Be Like That (03:45) 10 Amateur Hour (04:10) 11 Im the Man (04:00) 12 Tilt (02:48) 13 Someone Up There (03:51) 14 One to One (03:23) 15 Beat Crazy (04:18) 16 Biology (04:35) 17 Jumpin Jive (02:43) 18 Whats the Use of Getting Sober (When Youre Gonna Get Drunk Again) (03:48) 19 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (A Cappella version) (live) (04:36) 20 Another World (04:13) 1 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 2 Chinatown (04:28) 3 Real Men (04:04) 4 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 5 A Slow Song (07:02) 6 You Cant Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 7 Not Here, Not Now (05:30) 8 Be My Number Two (04:24) 9 Happy Ending (03:38) 10 Wild West (04:35) 11 Right and Wrong (04:35) 12 Hometown (03:12) 13 Precious Time (03:24) 14 Me and You (Against the World) (03:50) 15 Down to London (04:16) 16 Nineteen Forever (05:45) 17 The Human Touch (05:10) |
| This Is It: The A&M Years – 1979–1989 : Allmusic album Review : This Is It! The A&M Years is a double-disc, 37-track collection covering Joe Jacksons commercial and creative heyday. Over the course of two discs, This Is It! runs through all of his biggest hits -- "Is She Really Going Out With Him?," "Its Different for Girls," "Steppin Out," "Breaking Us in Two," "You Cant Get What Want (Till You Know What You Want)" -- plus a number of significant album tracks and lesser-known singles, making it a comprehensive retrospective of Jacksons pop-oriented work. While its unfortunate that the compilation stops just short of his last pop album, 1991s Laughter & Lust, because it was released on Virgin Records, the great majority of his best work is here, making it a perfect choice for fans who want something more -- and better assembled -- than Greatest Hits, and those who dont want to dig as deep as the actual albums. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 36 Title: Master Series: Joe Jackson Released: 1997-09-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:09:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 2 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 3 Real Men (04:04) 4 Happy Ending (03:38) 5 Jumpin Jive (02:42) 6 The Harder They Come (03:55) 7 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:39) 8 You Cant Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:53) 9 Me and You (Against the World) (03:50) 10 Breaking Us in Two (04:47) 11 Dont Ask Me (02:43) 12 Mad at You (06:05) 13 Sunday Papers (04:19) 14 Tilt (02:46) 15 Five Guys Named Moe (02:32) 16 You Got the Fever (03:38) 17 Rant and Rave (04:48) 18 Out of Style (03:00) |
 | Album: 16 of 36 Title: Heaven & Hell Released: 1997-09-02 Tracks: 8 Duration: 50:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prelude (02:59) 2 Fugue 1 / More Is More (05:32) 3 Angel (07:10) 4 Tuzla (feat. vocal: Joy Askew, vocal: Dawn Upshaw & Radio Croatia and the Avatar Rainbow Coalition) (07:37) 5 Passacaglia / A Bud and a Slice (feat. vocal: Brad Roberts & Judy LeClair) (08:38) 6 Right (feat. drums: Dan Hickey, drums: Kenny Aronoff & plastic bucket: Jared Crawford) (04:41) 7 The Bridge (05:59) 8 Fugue 2 / Song of Daedalus (07:55) |
| Heaven & Hell : Allmusic album Review : Joe Jackson continues his flirtation with "serious" music, which began with Will Power, released in 1987. However, Jackson has not lost all of his pop sensibilities. There are a few moments on Heaven & Hell when the listener gets a hint of Jacksons pop expertise. This album utilizes both pop and classical musicians, including Suzanne Vega, Jane Siberry, Brad Roberts, Joe Askew, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Kenny Aronoff, and Dawn Upshaw. The theme of this album is the "seven deadly sins," with a composition dedicated to each. For diehard Jackson fans, this release may be heaven; but to casual fans, it will feel more like purgatory. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 36 Title: Symphony No. 1 Released: 1999-10-04 Tracks: 4 Duration: 43:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 First Movement (17:17) 2 Fast Movement (07:05) 3 Slow Movement (09:01) 4 Last Movement (Variations) (10:14) |
| Symphony No. 1 : Allmusic album Review : No one who has been following Joe Jacksons more recent career will be surprised that he has produced Symphony No. 1, nor will they be surprised at its contents, especially if they have heard his previous instrumental works. In his liner notes, Jackson immediately defends himself against the charge that this cannot be a symphony since it is not being played by a symphony orchestra, but rather by a ten-piece ensemble featuring jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard and rock guitarist Steve Vai. Certainly, the symphony form has been altered structurally in the 20th century, but one of the defining characteristics has remained that it is a work for a large group, and in that sense, Jacksons composition does not qualify, even though he multiplies the number of sounds through the use of electronic keyboards and computers. By "symphonic in structure," he seems to mean that it is a work in four parts in which various musical ideas are explored. Fair enough, and, in fact, in this sense Symphony No. 1 is somewhat traditional, with its second, fast movement and its third, slow movement, which develop several themes, culminating in a last movement that draws them together. Jackson is unusual largely in the kinds of sounds he employs, sounds more familiar in rock and jazz. But leaving aside the question of whether or not Symphony No. 1 is a real symphony, it does function, as Jackson says he intends it to, as program music, tracing a life from childhood to old age. One may or may not think of that narrative while listening, but one feels it, from the way the music slowly emerges in the first movement to the simplicity and confidence of the final one. In this sense, Jackson is both an optimist and a still-young composer; an older one might not have so hopeful a view of old age. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 36 Title: Summer in the City: Live in New York Released: 2000-05-16 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Summer in the City (01:46) 2 Obvious Song (04:24) 3 Another World (05:02) 4 Fools in Love / For Your Love (06:36) 5 Mood Indigo (04:23) 6 The In Crowd / Down to London (07:26) 7 Eleanor Rigby (03:12) 8 Be My Number Two (03:22) 9 Home Town (03:58) 10 It’s Different for Girls (04:01) 11 King of the World (03:45) 12 You Can’t Get What You Want (03:30) 13 One More Time (03:34) |
 | Album: 19 of 36 Title: Night and Day II Released: 2000-10-24 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prelude (01:57) 2 Hell of a Town (03:18) 3 Stranger Than You (04:16) 4 Why (03:54) 5 Glamour and Pain (05:59) 6 Dear Mom (04:12) 7 Love Got Lost (06:59) 8 Just Because (04:45) 9 Happyland (05:12) 10 Stay (05:46) |
| Night and Day II : Allmusic album Review : The first Night and Day album by Joe Jackson is an absolute pop music masterpiece. The "sequel," appropriately entitled Night and Day II, like the first, is an homage to New York City. The sequel musically quotes the lilting keyboard lines from Jacksons biggest hit, "Steppin Out," several times, making one long to hear the original on Night and Day. Highlights included "Glamour and Pain" and "Happyland." Marianne Faithfull makes an interesting guest vocal appearance on "Love Got Lost." Jackson is still angry, but hes no longer a young man and as always his anger is tempered by a wry sense of humor. The songs on Night and Day II are not as easily accessible or memorable as the original, but this is still a great album and Joe Jackson is still the man. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 36 Title: The Collection Released: 2001-02-05 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:15:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Nocturne (04:19) 2 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:35) 3 Happy Loving Couples (03:07) 4 Fools in Love (04:31) 5 Friday (03:35) 6 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 7 Mad at You (06:32) 8 Kinda Kute (03:33) 9 Tuxedo Junction (05:22) 10 Another World (04:08) 11 Target (03:50) 12 Steppin Out (04:14) 13 Breaking Us in Two (04:48) 14 Be My Number Two (04:22) 15 You Cant Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 16 Soul Kiss (04:46) 17 Tonight and Forever (02:31) 18 Me and You (Against the World) (03:54) |
| The Collection : Allmusic album Review : Preparing a retrospective of an artist as eclectic as Joe Jackson is no easy task. After releasing two literate, angst-ridden rock records at the dawn of the 1980s, he seemed poised to usurp the throne occupied by Elvis Costello. Instead, he opted out of the blossoming new wave scene and developed a signature blend of jazz, Latin, classical, rock, and swing. Spectrums new collection is an adequate addition to the Jackson compilation canon. Hits like "Stepping Out" and fan favorites such as "Happy Loving Couples" sit well in a mix both familiar and surprising -- the track "Target," from 1982s Night and Day, appears on no other anthology -- making The Collection a nice introduction for the curious, and a treat for longtime fans. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 36 Title: Steppin Out: The Very Best of Joe Jackson Released: 2001-05-22 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:35:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:36) 2 Sunday Papers (04:21) 3 One More Time (03:17) 4 Got the Time (02:53) 5 Look Sharp! (03:22) 6 Fools in Love (04:23) 7 On Your Radio (04:03) 8 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 9 I’m the Man (03:58) 10 Friday (03:36) 11 Dont Wanna Be Like That (03:45) 12 The Harder They Come (03:54) 13 Enough Is Not Enough (03:07) 14 Beat Crazy (04:15) 15 One to One (03:23) 16 Biology (04:31) 17 Someone Up There (03:47) 18 Jumpin Jive (02:42) 19 Real Men (04:04) 20 A Slow Song (07:02) 1 Another World (04:00) 2 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 3 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 4 Memphis (04:00) 5 You Cant Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:52) 6 Happy Ending (03:38) 7 Be My Number Two (04:21) 8 Right and Wrong (04:35) 9 Home Town (03:11) 10 Precious Time (03:23) 11 Down to London (04:16) 12 Me and You (Against the World) (03:50) 13 Rant and Rave (04:47) 14 Nineteen Forever (05:45) 15 Obvious Song (04:12) 16 Stranger Than Fiction (03:42) 17 The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy (05:16) 18 Stranger Than You (04:17) |
 | Album: 22 of 36 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Joe Jackson Released: 2001-09-25 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:36) 2 Sunday Papers (04:21) 3 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 4 Beat Crazy (04:18) 5 Jumpin Jive (02:42) 6 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 7 Breaking Us in Two (04:55) 8 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 9 Be My Number Two (04:21) 10 Right and Wrong (04:35) 11 Hometown (03:12) 12 Nineteen Forever (05:45) |
 | Album: 23 of 36 Title: Two Rainy Nights: Live in the Northwest Released: 2002-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:07:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Prelude / Hell of a Town (07:06) 2 You Cant Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (03:04) 3 Happyland (04:46) 4 Stranger Than You (04:19) 5 Another World (04:19) 6 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (04:17) 7 Home Town (05:31) 8 Real Men (04:42) 9 Stranger Than Fiction (04:09) 10 Glamour and Pain (05:36) 11 Target (04:05) 12 Just Because (04:10) 13 Got the Time (03:18) 14 A Slow Song (07:39) |
 | Album: 24 of 36 Title: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2003-12-02 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:41:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fools in Love (04:23) 2 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:36) 3 One More Time (03:19) 4 Sunday Papers (04:21) 5 I’m the Man (03:58) 6 Come On (03:29) 7 Kinda Kute (03:32) 8 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 9 One to One (03:23) 10 Pretty Boys (03:41) 11 Mad at You (06:02) 12 The Harder They Come (03:55) 13 Beat Crazy (03:22) 14 Jack, You’re Dead (02:47) 15 Jumpin’ Jive (02:41) 1 Another World (04:00) 2 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 3 Real Men (04:04) 4 A Slow Song (07:02) 5 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 6 Cha Cha Loco (04:46) 7 Be My Number Two (04:22) 8 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 9 Happy Ending (03:38) 10 Is She Really Going Out With Him (a cappella) (04:19) 11 Jumpin Jive (live) (02:35) 12 (He’s a) Shape in a Drape (02:59) 13 Nineteen Forever (05:45) 14 Stranger Than Fiction (03:41) 15 Stranger Than You (live 2 Meter Sessies) (04:29) 1 Cosmopolitan (04:35) 2 1-2-3- Go (This Towns a Fairground) (03:00) 3 Laundromat Monday (03:31) 4 Memphis (04:44) 5 Moonlight (04:19) 6 Zemeo (11:05) 7 Breakdown (03:59) 8 Moonlight Theme (03:33) |
 | Album: 25 of 36 Title: The Very Best of Joe Jackson Released: 2006 Tracks: 30 Duration: 2:01:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fools in Love (04:23) 2 Is She Really Going Out With Him (03:35) 3 One More Time (03:17) 4 Sunday Papers (04:21) 5 I’m the Man (03:58) 6 Come On (03:29) 7 Kinda Kute (03:32) 8 It’s Different for Girls (03:42) 9 One on One (03:23) 10 Pretty Boys (03:41) 11 Mad at You (06:02) 12 The Harder They Come (03:53) 13 Beat Crazy (03:20) 14 Jack You’re Dead (02:46) 15 Jumpin’ Jive (02:43) 1 Another World (04:00) 2 Steppin’ Out (04:24) 3 Real Men (04:04) 4 A Slow Song (07:01) 5 Breaking Us in Two (04:53) 6 Cha Cha Loco (04:47) 7 Be My Number Two (04:22) 8 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:53) 9 Happy Ending (03:39) 10 Is She Really Going Out With Him (a cappella) (04:19) 11 Jumpin’ Jive (live) (02:35) 12 (He’s a) Shape in a Drape (02:59) 13 Nineteen Forever (05:43) 14 Stranger Than Fiction (03:41) 15 Stranger Than You (live 2 Meter Sessies) (04:29) |
 | Album: 26 of 36 Title: Tonight & Forever: The Joe Jackson Collection Released: 2007-07-23 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:29:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One More Time (03:19) 2 Sunday Papers (04:21) 3 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:36) 4 Look Sharp! (03:22) 5 Fools in Love (04:31) 6 On Your Radio (04:03) 7 Kinda Kute (03:32) 8 The Band Wore Blue Shirts (05:08) 9 Friday (03:36) 10 I’m the Man (03:58) 11 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 12 Someone Up There (03:51) 13 Beat Crazy (04:18) 14 Biology (04:31) 15 The Harder They Come (03:55) 16 Jumpin Jive (02:42) 17 Whats the Use of Getting Sober (When Youre Gonna Get Drunk Again) (03:48) 18 Tuxedo Junction (05:24) 1 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (a cappella version) (04:36) 2 Steppin Out (04:15) 3 Another World (04:13) 4 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 5 A Slow Song (07:02) 6 Cosmopolitan (04:35) 7 Memphis (04:44) 8 You Cant Get What You Want (til You Know What You Want) (04:56) 9 Be My Number Two (04:21) 10 Happy Ending (03:38) 11 The Verdict (05:33) 12 Right and Wrong (live) (04:34) 13 Tonight and Forever (live) (02:31) 14 Soul Kiss (live) (04:46) 15 Home Town (live) (03:12) 16 Nocturne (04:18) 17 Nineteen Forever (05:45) |
 | Album: 27 of 36 Title: Rain Released: 2008-01-29 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Invisible Man (05:07) 2 Too Tough (04:37) 3 Citizen Sane (04:20) 4 Wasted Time (05:10) 5 The Uptown Train (05:46) 6 King Pleasure Time (02:47) 7 Solo (So Low) (05:55) 8 Rush Across the Road (05:21) 9 Good Bad Boy (03:18) 10 A Place in the Rain (05:20) |
| Rain : Allmusic album Review : Joe Jacksons 2003 album, Volume 4, found the songwriter reunited with his original backing band for the first time since 1980, and it was his best and best-received effort in years, with Jackson stepping away from the grander conceits of his work as a "serious" composer and turning back to the pithy but literate pop tunes that had long been his forte. Jackson promised that the reunion with his original band would be a one-off, and technically hes kept his word on Rain -- this album was cut as a trio, with Jackson backed by bassist Graham Maby and drummer Dave Houghton from the original Joe Jackson Band, but without the presence of guitarist Gary Sanford. Minus Sanford, Rain is a bit smoother and more refined than Volume 4, and its a far cry from the scrappy new wave-inspired rock of Look Sharp! and Im the Man, but it does show that Jackson learned something from his experience with Volume 4 -- hes better with clever pop songs than trying to write orchestral pieces, and Rain balances sophistication and edgy smarts with a winning mixture of grace and confidence. Jacksons melodies recall the polish and imagination of his work on Night and Day, and his piano work is exceptional here, but the compact arrangements keep the music from getting too florid for its own good, while Maby and Houghton add just the right amount of color and keep the songs moving at a brisk but comfortable pace. Jackson also supplies much of his usual tart wit as a lyricist, pondering his own retreat from A-list stardom in "Invisible Man," taking on photogenic "non-conformists" with "Good Bad Boy," and examining the ups and downs of hedonism in "King Pleasure Time," but Jackson also allows his romantic side to surface here, and "Wasted Time," "Rush Across the Road," and "Too Tough" contemplate love and relationships with a perspective thats mature and honestly heartfelt at the same time. Theres less of an air of willful nostalgia about Rain than Volume 4 and the live set Afterlife, but its still a potent reminder of Joe Jacksons lasting strengths as songwriter and bandleader, proving he hasnt run short on ideas nearly 30 years after releasing his debut. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 36 Title: Classic Joe Jackson Released: 2009 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:09:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:36) 2 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 3 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 4 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 5 Real Men (04:04) 6 Happy Ending (03:38) 7 Jumpin Jive (02:42) 8 The Harder They Come (03:55) 9 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 10 Me and You (Against the World) (03:50) 11 Dont Ask Me (02:44) 12 Mad at You (06:06) 13 Sunday Papers (04:21) 14 Tilt (02:46) 15 Five Guys Named Moe (02:30) 16 You Got the Fever (03:38) 17 Rant and Rave (04:48) 18 Out of Style (03:00) |
 | Album: 29 of 36 Title: At the BBC Released: 2009-01-26 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:28:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One More Time (03:05) 2 Got the Time (02:57) 3 Fools in Love (04:40) 4 Im the Man (04:04) 5 Look Sharp! (04:12) 6 Cancer (07:06) 7 Real Men (04:23) 8 Breaking Us in Two (05:13) 9 Fools in Love (07:54) 10 Chinatown (04:54) 11 Target (01:44) 12 T.V. Age (05:03) 13 Its Different for Girls (04:15) 14 Tuxedo Junction (05:53) 15 Steppin Out (04:44) 1 Sunday Papers (05:22) 2 One More Time (02:51) 3 Friday (03:50) 4 Its Different for Girls (03:41) 5 Dont Wanna Be Like That (03:36) 6 Happy Loving Couples (04:24) 7 Im the Man (04:28) 8 Got the Time (03:21) 9 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (05:10) 10 Come On (03:29) 11 On Your Radio (05:05) 12 Another World (04:51) 13 Sunday Papers (05:26) 14 Look Sharp! (04:27) 15 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (04:20) 16 Steppin Out (04:51) 17 A Slow Song (08:30) |
 | Album: 30 of 36 Title: Collected Released: 2010 Tracks: 55 Duration: 3:43:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fools in Love (04:23) 2 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:39) 3 Look Sharp! (03:22) 4 Got the Time (02:53) 5 Sunday Papers (04:21) 6 Its Different for Girls (03:44) 7 I’m the Man (03:58) 8 On Your Radio (04:03) 9 Get That Girl (03:02) 10 Tilt (02:46) 11 Biology (04:31) 12 Mad at You (06:02) 13 Beat Crazy (03:22) 14 One to One (03:23) 15 The Harder They Come (03:54) 16 Jack, You’re Dead (02:47) 17 Jumpin Jive (02:42) 18 Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby (04:59) 19 Five Guys Named Moe (02:33) 20 Whats the Use of Getting Sober (When Youre Gonna Get Drunk Again) (03:48) 1 Another World (04:00) 2 Steppin’ Out (04:22) 3 Real Men (04:04) 4 A Slow Song (07:39) 5 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 6 Cosmopolitan (04:29) 7 1-2-3 Go (This Towns a Fairground) (03:01) 8 Laundromat Monday (03:26) 9 Cha Cha Loco (04:46) 10 Be My Number Two (04:22) 11 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 12 Happy Ending (03:38) 13 Not Here, Not Now (05:29) 14 Will Power (instrumental) (05:52) 15 (He’s a) Shape in a Drape (02:59) 16 Nineteen Forever (05:45) 17 Down to London (04:16) 1 The Human Touch (05:11) 2 Me and You (Against the World) (03:50) 3 When You’re Not Around (04:02) 4 Stranger Than Fiction (03:40) 5 Glamour and Pain (05:59) 6 Happyland (05:12) 7 Too Tough (04:37) 8 King Pleasure Time (02:47) 9 Come On (live) (03:28) 10 Right and Wrong (live) (04:34) 11 Big World (05:06) 12 Forty Years [live] (?) 13 Home Town (live) (03:12) 14 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (a cappella version) (04:36) 15 Jumpin Jive (live) (02:35) 16 Summer in the City (?) 17 The In Crowd / Down to London (07:26) 18 Stranger Than You (live 2 Meter Sessies) (04:29) |
 | Album: 31 of 36 Title: Live Music Europe 2010 Released: 2011-06-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 59:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tomorrows World (05:37) 2 Another World (04:23) 3 Still Alive (04:18) 4 Chinatown (05:41) 5 Sunday Papers (04:36) 6 Cancer (05:36) 7 Girl (05:19) 8 Inbetweenies (05:14) 9 Scary Monsters (03:23) 10 Got the Time (03:27) 11 Steppin Out (04:51) 12 A Slow Song (06:42) |
 | Album: 32 of 36 Title: Live at Rockpalast Released: 2012-03-30 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:31:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 On Your Radio (04:59) 2 Another World (05:11) 3 Sunday Papers (05:33) 4 Look Sharp! (04:23) 5 Breaking Us in Two (05:12) 6 Is She Really Going Out With Him (04:20) 7 Target (02:43) 8 TV Age (05:09) 9 Tuxedo Junction (05:57) 10 Steppin Out (04:45) 11 Beat Crazy (04:10) 12 One More Time (03:08) 13 A Slow Song (08:37) 14 Uptight (01:36) 15 The Tears of a Clown (01:54) 16 Im Gonna Make You Love Me (02:58) 17 How Sweet It Is to Be Loved (02:25) 18 Heatwave (03:07) 19 Uptight (01:30) 20 Im the Man (05:21) 1 Friday (03:57) 2 Mad at You (04:09) 3 Kinda Kute (03:29) 4 Out of Style (03:04) 5 The Harder They Come (03:59) 6 Fools in Love (04:37) 7 Is She Really Going Out With Him (06:14) 8 Dont Wanna Be Like That (03:55) 9 Cancer (06:38) 10 Real Men (04:47) 11 Cosmopolitan (04:35) 12 Beat Crazy (04:12) 13 Motown Medley: Uptight/Tears of a Clown/Im Gonna Make You Love Me/How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You/Heatwave/Uptight (15:15) |
 | Album: 33 of 36 Title: The Duke Released: 2012-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Isfahan (05:03) 2 Caravan (06:01) 3 I’m Beginning to See the Light / Taking the ‘A’ Train / Cotton Tail (03:34) 4 Mood Indigo (04:04) 5 Rockin’ in Rhythm (03:28) 6 I Ain’t Got Nothin’ but the Blues / Do Nothin’ Til You Hear From Me (05:14) 7 I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) (04:48) 8 Perdido / Satin Doll (04:49) 9 The Mooche / Black and Tan Fantasy (05:26) 10 It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) (05:11) |
| The Duke : Allmusic album Review : Joe Jackson is a sophisticate, and thats his blessing and his curse. Early on in his career, Jackson made it obvious he wanted to be more than just another clever pop songwriter in a skinny tie, and his ambition to experiment with other sounds and textures led to fine and adventurous albums like Night and Day and Big World. Unfortunately, it also resulted in botched orchestral experiments like Will Power and Night Music, and though hes shown a knack for swing-era jazz in his soundtrack work (particularly on his score for Francis Ford Coppolas Tucker: The Man And His Dream), his compulsion to prove hes more than some guy with good hooks truly gets the better of him on 2012s The Duke. The Duke finds Jackson experimenting with the music of Duke Ellington, reinterpreting a number of his compositions in styles that stray far from the original arrangements. In his liner notes, Jackson says "The only thing I tried to avoid was imitating or competing with the master," and while thats admirable as philosophy, his "everything including the kitchen sink" approach to rethinking these great songs doesnt work so well in execution. In an arrangement dominated by electric guitarist Steve Vai, "Isfahan" sounds like a demonstration of some gizmo being sold at Guitar Center, while "It Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint Got That Swing)" wrestles with both swing and electronics with no clear victor, and the clunky sounding synthesizers Jackson adds to several numbers make the album sound as if it was recorded in the dire days of the 80s, not a nostalgic effect that favors Ellingtons melodies. Jackson has brought some fine musicians to collaborate with him, and Christian McBrides bass, Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompsons drumming, and Regina Carters violin are in fine fettle throughout, while Sussan Deyhims Farsi translation of "Caravan" is a cleverly exotic touch, and Sharon Jones nails "I Aint Got Nothin But the Blues" with guts and panache. But most of the time, Jacksons new arrangements of Ellingtons compositions dont serve the songs so much as they betray the arrogance of a musician who wants to show us how he can bring this music into the present day while ignoring many of the qualities that made it timeless. Duke Ellington was a man with remarkable creative ambitions who also understood the virtues of simplicity; Joe Jackson clearly follows his hero in the former category, but the latter lesson has been lost on him, judging from The Duke. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 36 Title: Steppin’ Out: The Collection (The A&M Years 1979–89) Released: 2014-09-29 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:19:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One More Time (03:19) 2 Is She Really Going Out With Him? (03:35) 3 Sunday Papers (04:21) 4 Got the Time (02:52) 5 It’s Different for Girls (03:44) 6 I’m the Man (03:58) 7 Beat Crazy (04:14) 8 Mad at You (06:04) 9 Jumpin’ Jive (02:41) 10 Real Men (04:04) 11 Steppin’ Out (04:17) 12 Breaking Us in Two (04:52) 13 Memphis (04:44) 14 You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) (04:54) 15 Be My Number Two (04:22) 16 Right and Wrong (04:35) 17 Hometown (03:12) 18 Down to London (04:16) 19 Nineteen Forever (05:45) |
 | Album: 35 of 36 Title: Fast Forward Released: 2015-10-02 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:11:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fast Forward (06:03) 2 If It Wasn’t For You (03:39) 3 See No Evil (04:08) 4 Kings of the City (05:23) 5 A Little Smile (04:00) 6 Far Away (04:03) 7 So You Say (02:52) 8 Poor Thing (03:32) 9 Junkie Diva (05:39) 10 If I Could See Your Face (04:20) 11 The Blue Time (05:32) 12 Good Bye Jonny (05:42) 13 Neon Rain (03:35) 14 Satellite (04:24) 15 Keep On Dreaming (04:18) 16 Ode to Joy (04:17) |
| Fast Forward : Allmusic album Review : Joe Jackson is a gifted pop songwriter who clearly believes that isnt enough for him. Jackson has been pushing at his own boundaries for decades, embracing jump blues, cool jazz, and swing in the 80s, abandoning pop for classical and symphonic music for a few years in the 90s, and reworking a set of Duke Ellington pieces on 2012s The Duke. Jacksons ambition is as great as his talent, but his talent has always been best served writing intelligent pop tunes, and his most earnest efforts outside the form have also demonstrated just where his skills wear thin. 2015s Fast Forward suggests Jackson is trying to reach a middle ground with this material, delivering a set of intelligent, sophisticated pop numbers that also leave room for him to experiment with a range of stylistic approaches. Jackson blocked out an unusual strategy for making the album; Fast Forward was recorded in four parts, with Jackson cutting four songs each in four different cities, with a different set of musicians accompanying him for each of the four sessions. Jacksons refined melodic sense and straightforward but splendidly executed keyboard work dominate the performances regardless of his surroundings, and while he has some impressive talent joining him here -- Bill Frisell and Brian Blade in New York, Stefan Kruger and Stefan Schmid of Zuco 103 in Amsterdam, Greg Cohen and Earl Harvin in Berlin, and several members of Galactic in New Orleans -- above all, this sounds like Joe Jackson, complete with his arch wit, polished songcraft, and intelligence that only occasionally dips into stuffiness. (Its worth noting that the tracks with Galactic boast a bigger and stronger swing than the rest of the album, and Frisell contributes a superb guitar solo on an unlikely cover of Televisions "See No Evil"). Predictably, its Jacksons smarts that get him in trouble here, in particular on an overwrought version of the German cabaret tune "Good Bye Jonny" and "Far Away," an attempt to evoke the thoughts of a troubled child that sounds like a song from some unfinished Broadway musical. And "Junkie Diva" is a needlessly pitiless attack on Amy Winehouse; one would think being dead at 27 would be punishment enough. But the sizable majority of Fast Forward finds Joe Jackson in excellent form, singing as well as he did in his salad days and leading his various combos with intelligence and cool enthusiasm. If this isnt quite up to the standards of his 80s high-water marks like Night and Day and Big World, it comes close enough that longtime fans will find plenty to enjoy, and some bits that will challenge them. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 36 Title: Fool Released: 2019-01-18 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Big Black Cloud (06:01) 2 Fabulously Absolute (04:14) 3 Dave (05:03) 4 Strange Land (05:41) 5 Friend Better (04:51) 6 Fool (04:59) 7 32 Kisses (04:28) 8 Alchemy (06:50) |