Wrightbuzz: Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson's studio and live albums. This chronological list from the Joe Jackson archive site matches albums I purchased over the years. Added some personal comments on the different albums. You can get more details at the Joe Jackson (musician) Wikipedia page. View the comprehensive album list at the Official Joe Jackson website. It includes guest appearances and collaborations.
	Look Sharp! was released during the New Wave era. The first single, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" became a hit. It's still one of my favorite songs and Joe has released a few different versions over the years. The songs on this album are short and edgy.
	I'm The Man was released in the same year as Look Sharp!. Similar musical style with quick, catchy songs. "It's Different for Girls", was Joe's biggest UK chart single, peaking at number five.
	Beat Crazy was not as successful as the first two albums. I remember hearing "One to One" on the radio and driving to get the record right away. Some songs on this album were edgy and had an angry feel to them. Many of Joe's songs have interesting insights.
	Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive is a collection of swing and jump blues numbers which were very different from Joe's prior sound. Didn't like it at first but it grew on me over the years.
	Night and Day reached the Top 5 in both the UK and US, Joe's only studio album to do so in either country. The songs "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us In Two" both did well on the charts. This album was a departure from Joe's first three albums. There was more emphasis on other instruments, especially piano. This is one of my favorite studio albums by Joe Jackson.
	Mike's Murder was Joe's first soundtrack. It has a few catchy songs with lyrics. The intrumental sections are good too.
	Body And Soul is my favorite Joe Jackson album. It contains a mix of pop, jazz and salsa influences. The two hits off the album were "You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)" and "Be My Number Two". The whole album is worth listening to. It definitely expanded my taste in music at the time.
Body and Soul Tour Jun. 1984	Tour: Body and Soul Tour Location: Boston Common, Boston MA (Jun 26) I don't recall much about this concert. Didn't keep track of things back in 1984!
	Big World was recorded live but you don't hear the audience. I liked the energy of the album even though the songs were quirky. It contains a mix of fast and slow songs.
	Will Power is my least favorite album. Didn't realize a new album had been released in 1987. Bought the album from a used record store, played it once and never listened to it again. This was Joe's first orchestral piece.
	Live 1980/86 is a collection of songs from four tours. Joe included three different versions of "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" and they were all great. The music was played by four different bands so the sound changes between each concert. This is definitely a fun album if you like the songs.
	Tucker is another soundtrack album. Nothing special compared to Mike's Murder. I never listen to this album.
	Blaze Of Glory is another great album if you are a fan of Joe's musical style. The song "Discipline" seemed clunky compared to the other songs. I normally skip over that one.
	Laughter & Lust is similar to Blaze Of Glory for being an entertaining collection of songs. I enjoyed "Hit Single" with its snarky lyrics. Many great songs on the album.
	Night Music contains a number of intrumental tracks. It is a slow moving album. We saw Joe Jackson when he toured for this album. He didn't perform these tracks live which was strange. They were just played while the stage was empty. It was my least favorite Joe Jackson concert.
Night Music Tour Nov. 1994	Tour: Night Music Tour Location: Orpheym Theater, Boston MA (Nov 30) Click here to see set list from the show. This was an okay concert. Started with a recording playing from the album, which seemed strange. Best part of the concert was the opening act: The Murmurs.
	Heaven & Hell is a concept album with a musical interpretation of the seven deadly sins. It does not contain radio friendly songs. Only listened to it a few times.
	Symphony No. 1 is another orchestral album. I didn't remember purchasing it but gave the CD a listen before writing this review. The album is nice if you are in the mood for some background music.
	Summer In The City is a fun collection of Joe Jackson songs and some covers. The album was recorded in New York City where Joe was living at the time. It was nice having some upbeat music since the last three albums contained semi-classical pieces.
	Night and Day II was a revisit to the style of music from the 1982 Night and Day album. It focused on the darker side of inner city living. Not an upbeat album but it contains many good songs.
	Two Rainy Nights was an "official bootleg" album. I remember this album because it was initally only available from Joe Jackson's website, released on his private label: Great Big Island. It contains yet another version of "Is She Really Going Out With Him".
	Volume 4 was the first album to feature the Joe Jackson band since 1980. It was Joe's first rock-n-roll album since Laugher & Lust. Was thrilled when this album was released because it was upbeat and reminiscent of the band's earlier work.
	Afterlife is another live album. It contains great versions of some of Joe's ealier hits. There is a cool combination of "Fools In Love" and "For Your Love".
	Rain was a good album. It was a little more mellow than other albums.
	Live Music was performed by the Joe Jackson Trio. It contains music from multiple albums and also three covers.
Live at Rockplast Feb. 2011	Live at Rockplast is a 2DVD + 2DC set with performances from 1980 and 1983. It contains music from multiple albums and covers. I purchased a copy in 2023. What a pleasant surprise finding new versions of songs when Joe was at his prime.
	The Duke was a tribute to Duke Ellington. I only listened to it once or twice. Not a fan of the songs on this album.
	Fast Forward is a collection of songs written about four cities: New York, Amsterdam, Berlin and New Orleans. Joe worked with different musicians for each location. It is a good collection of songs.
	Fool contains 8 songs, which feel reminicent of Joe's original sound. The songs are edgier than previous releases. The album was recorded right after he finished his last tour.
Four Decade Tour Feb. 2019	Got to see Joe Jackson perform songs from 4 decades of albums! (1979 - 2019) Tour: Four Decade Tour Location: Shubert Theater, Boston MA (Feb 13) Click here to see set list from the show. Joe Jackson and band put on a fantastic concert. He still sounds good compared to some other older performers we saw in 2018/2019.
	What A Racket! is another concept album from Joe Jackson. He performs songs written by a fictional music hall performer named Max Champion. This feels like something only Joe Jackson could pull off. Won't be part of my normal Joe Jackson playlist, but will get more listens than The Duke.