Joe Jackson

[intedomine]

You can have your Michaels, Janets and Brownes, but I'll have my Joe...

This guy is a cracking songwriter. He's so much more than just Is She Really Going Out With Him. I'm still only familiar with his older stuff but Joe Jackson's tunes ooze with passion.

Love it. I love the feeling. I love the authentic yearning in songs like Home Town and Nineteen Forever, the snappy Sunday Papers and Right & Wrong, the truth in the lyrics of moving tunes like Real Men, It's Different For Girls and You Can't Get What You Want (Til You Know What You Want), the beauty of Be My Number Two, the bounce of Jumpin' Jive and I'm The Man .


Top songwriter....

 

[VintagePunk]

I agree, I absolutely adore his music. The earlier new wave, the more jazz-influenced material, the swing-type songs, the piano-based ballads, all of it. I haven't really kept up with what he's done in the '00s. I really should check it out.

He played at a smallish venue in this area early this year, and unfortunately, I couldn't go. I really hated to miss that show.

 

[LemonMelon]

I only have Look Sharp, but

 

[VintagePunk]

I only have Look Sharp, but

You do? That's awesome to hear. I doubt that many people your age have even heard of him, sadly.

 

[LemonMelon]

You do? That's awesome to hear. I doubt that many people your age have even heard of him, sadly.

Yeah, I'm a big Elvis Costello fan, so I heard people like Nick Lowe and Joe Jackson get name dropped numerous times. I just love that sound. What would you call it, pub rock?

 

[VintagePunk]

Yeah, I'm a big Elvis Costello fan, so I heard people like Nick Lowe and Joe Jackson get name dropped numerous times. I just love that sound. What would you call it, pub rock?

I don't think you can pin him down to any one genre, he's really explored a wide range throughout his career. If you're talking about Look Sharp! specifically, I'd say it's a hybrid of punk/new wave/ska.

 

[Bono's shades]

I love Night and Day, especially Real Men.

 

[U2isthebest]

I'm not gonna lie, until I was about halfway through the original post, I was thinking of Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family, and I was very confused.

 

[VintagePunk]

I'm not gonna lie, until I was about halfway through the original post, I was thinking of Joe Jackson, the patriarch of the Jackson family, and I was very confused.

There's also the outfielder for the Black Sox scandal...

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I only have Look Sharp, but

Me too. My cousin made me a cassette copy of it when I was maybe about 13, and I bought the CD while I was in college and forgot about it after awhile. A few summers ago I was living with my then best friend, and he played it in the car when we were on our way back from Boston. I had one of the worst hangovers I've ever had, and I think rediscovering that CD and really listening to it closely was the only thing that kept me from throwing up.

Both the friendship and my relationship with gin have gone south since then, but at least I'm listening to Look Sharp again.

 

[corianderstem]

I have a two-disc hits collection that I find very hit or miss, but I really like a lot of his songs.

Real Men is great (thanks, Tori Amos, for covering that song so I could discover the original as well!), and Steppin' Out is one my absolute favorite 80s tunes.

 

[LMP]

He did "Steppin' Out," right?

 

[No spoken words]

There's also the outfielder for the Black Sox scandal...

You're awesome.

 

[VintagePunk]

You're awesome.

I'm kind of a dork. I got all emotional at the HOF. I love baseball history.

 

[intedomine]

He did "Steppin' Out," right?

Yup

 

[LMP]

Yup

Fantastic song. I agree with you, good job here.

 

[bono_212]

I'm kind of a dork. I got all emotional at the HOF. I love baseball history.

I already said that you could be my step-mom if you wanted. You don't have to keep sucking up to me

 

[VintagePunk]

Breaking Us In Two, from the same album, Night Moves, is awesome too.

YouTube - Breaking Us In Two - Joe Jackson (HQ Audio)

I already said that you could be my step-mom if you wanted. You don't have to keep sucking up to me

What can I say? I'm a multi-faceted person with various interests and many lovable quirks.

 

[VintagePunk]

A few more:

YouTube - I'm The Man Joe Jackson Live

YouTube - Joe Jackson - It's Different For Girls

YouTube - Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him

 

[Salome]

saw him live in Belfast in a small venue last year
just Joe and his drummer + bass player (both from the original joe jackson band line up)
he tried out some songs from the excellent album Rain that was released early this year
one of the best shows I've been too

favourite songs:
It's different for girls, Slow song, Be my number two, Fools in love, Is she really ... , Nineteen forever, Biology, You can't get what you want ... , Rush across the road