Joe Jackson

[G Man]

For whatever reason I just thought of Joe Jackson, went onto grooveshark and dialed up the Look Sharp album, playing right now. Great stuff from the late 70s, early 80s that doesn't get much playtime these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SPogGqCgeM&feature=fvwrel

[Turdus]

The bass tone on "Look Sharp", and "I'm the Man" is phenomenal. The bass in that video appears to be a real Fender. There are other videos, from the same period, where he's using an Ibanez. Has a P bass pickup, closer to the neck than a normal P, a jazz bass pickup at the bridge, and block markers. I'm pretty sure it's what he used on the records.

[unfun75]

Love that song.

[Hamerhack]

Heard this one on the radio a couple of Fridays ago.

love the bassline.

[a.bandini]

I'm the Man has always been an incredibly cool song.

I always loved the line "Skateboards, you know I almost made them respectable." Still makes me chuckle.

[velorush]

He gets a lot of airplay on the "80's on 8" Sirius channel - always liked his music.

[elduave]

Just recently began delving into JJ beyond hearing ISRGOWH on the radio in the 80's. Really good stuff!

[Mark]

under rated and one of my favs

[JohnnyB]

I have a double LP of his I've never played. I'll have to give it a spin. I liked his songs that got airplay in the '80s.

[RobB]

JJ. Now, here's an artist who actually earns the definition. Two punky, wave-ish, angry records and does a complete turn-around with his third lp. Paul Weller did a similar turn after The Jam split and, come to think of it, so did Robert Plant. The early 80's were an interesting time for "rock band" frontmen who took a chance with their musical direction and did something different. I, admittedly, didn't appreciate these turns at the time and it took me years to "get it."

Jam/"Setting Sons"

Graham Parker/"Squeezing Out Sparks"

JJ/"Look Sharp", "I'm The Man"

Stiff Little Fingers/"Nobody's Heroes"

E Costello-Attractions/"Live at the El Mocambo" had as much an impact on my musical development as Zep, Motorhead, Sabs, Purple and all my usual fave heavies of that time. Great micro-period for all kinds of music, IMO.

[lincsman]

A very Under rated singer\song writer,Stepping out is just Class, A true Classic

Seen him Live in Chester (England) in the late 80's ,and I still think to this day how good the band were

[Willie G. Moseley]

"Mad At You" was a great song and a great early video; ditto "Steppin' Out". There was a live version of the latter song that came out many years later was almost unrecognizable due to the much-slower tempo and alternate intro. Cool fretless bass sound on that live tune as well; for some reason I'm thinking it might have been Pino Palladino.

+1 that Jackson's an "artist" as opposed to an "entertainer" or "musician"

[MCChris]

I have a double LP of his I've never played. I'll have to give it a spin. I liked his songs that got airplay in the '80s.

You'll be glad you did. It's a good one!

[G Man]

I also remember as a young teenager getting turned onto swinging jazz from Joe Jackson via his Jumping Jive album, which is still a fun listen.

[killerteddybear]

"Mad At You" was a great song and a great early video; ditto "Steppin' Out". There was a live version of the latter song that came out many years later was almost unrecognizable due to the much-slower tempo and alternate intro. Cool fretless bass sound on that live tune as well; for some reason I'm thinking it might have been Pino Palladino.

+1 that Jackson's an "artist" as opposed to an "entertainer" or "musician"

That was Joe's left hand - he's a killer pianist!

+1000 that he's an artist. He's tried on several styles over the years and done them well (although I can't say Symphony #1 excited me).

He's in my top 5 personal faves list.

and +1 on Big World. Truly good stuff, and recorded as a 'live' album (one take in a club).

[Bloozguy]

When I owned a small studio back in the early 80's "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)" and "Be My Number Two" were considered by many people to be nearly the "holy grail" of recording technique. Killer horn section (RCA 77DX ribbon mics of course), bass guitar and guitar solo in the first one. An enormous 9' 6" 97-key Bosendorfer Imperial grand piano on both of them. Drums on "Be My Number Two" were recorded in a huge stone room in a 120 year old Masonic Temple in NYC. Sax and violin doubling each other at the end. Awesome sound with very little use of outboard effects.

Still play the "Best Of" disc regularly to this day

[zenmindbeginner]

The call and response with the drums and piano in the middle breakdown of Look Sharp is sick. Sunday Papers is another really good song from that album.

As a little kid, I thought he was black which is one of the highest compliments I can pay a white singer... he had a low midrange warmth and lots of body to his voice, that I didn't hear from other "pop" singers.

I'll have to agree with Steppin' Out too. Steppin' Out is IMHO, the perfect pop song. In my top ten favorite songs of all time. I am instantly transported back to 1982 (one of my favorite years) when I hear the first few bass notes. I could swear that the bassline is from a Roland TB-303, which would have been brand new at the time... I have a pretty good ear for 303s (I've seen bass players play it live, but they just seem to emulating the 303). The other hit from Night and Day is just another drop dead gorgeous song with a killer synth lead solo.

Yes, Joe Jackson is a genius. I wish I had a similar voice, but all I got was similar looks and none of his height.

I absolutely do NOT Look Sharp!

[atquinn]

...As a little kid, I thought he was black which is one of the highest compliments I can pay a white singer... he had a low midrange warmth and lots of body to his voice, that I didn't hear from other "pop" singers...

Inconceivable!

Anyway, I've always been impressed by Joe Jackson even though I don't have any of his albums. When I found out the same guy did "You Can't Get What You Want" and "I'm the Man" it was hard for me to believe. And then he branched out further from there!

-

Austin

[serial]

"Look Sharp" is never far from regular rotation in my world. GREAT album all the way through. Title track, ISRGOWH?, Happy Loving Couples, "One More Time", etc...

[rj2858]

Loved Joe Jackson!

And as mentioned earlier, the change in directions isn't something too many artists could, or would try to, (or have the soul to), pull off.

The "Night and Day" album was fantastic, though I've wondered every time I've heard "Breakin' us in Two", if Joe hadn't been listening to Badfingers' "Day After Day" a few times before sitting down to compose. It's got some familiarity to me.

[stobro]

I have 19 of Joe's CDs in my collection, including his latest Duke Ellington tribute. My band covers a couple of his songs- "We Can't Live Together" from Big World and one of the live versions of "Fools in Love" with a bit of the Yardbirds' "For Your Love" squeezed into the middle. I wish we could do more of his stuff.

[tommy p]

I'm going to have to look back into his stuff. The only full album of his I have is Jumpin' Jive, but my band did pick up Is She Really Going Out With Him recently. Cool chords in that one.

[cmatthes]

"Look Sharp" is one of my favorite albums of all time - just. a great, solid disc all around. I kinda lost interest after "Steppin' Out" stuff, as Rob B. mentioned, he pulled a Paul Weller.

[Sentinel]

I have all of his albums and I just love his music. Perhaps not the earliest albums so much, though.

"Blaze of glory" is his best album imo.

[jwhitcomb3]

"Look Sharp" is one of my favorite albums of all time - just. a great, solid disc all around. I kinda lost interest after "Steppin' Out" stuff, as Rob B. mentioned, he pulled a Paul Weller.

Agreed. I bought several of his albums after Night and Day but none of them stuck with me. Even Night and Day hasn't aged as well as his first four. But Look Sharp is a classic.