Customer Reviews

Big World

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not that anyone asked, but this is my "desert island" record. I think many music fans sometimes entertain themselves by trying to figure out which of their CDs they'd keep if someone put a gun to their heads and made them choose just one. This is it for me. It's not only a great record, but it also pulls off the rare feat of being stylistically diverse without being unfocused. It truly is an "aural travelogue." Joe employs seemingly every musical style he's ever performed or been even remotely interested in. All are done well and with flair, and serve what seems to be the point of the album: to take the listener on a journey through Europe and Asia --whether eating food from a Chinese street vendor in the title track or pondering the clouds of a "Shanghai Sky," or taking a back alley tour through Amsterdam in "Fifty Dollar Love Affair" and lamenting the lessons not learned from WWII in "Forty Years." His post punk roots are revisited on "Survival" and "Jet Set," which mentions more international locales and mocks the American tourists who want their exotica packaged like a Disney attraction. "Tango Atlantico" lurches along drunkenly and features some of the most bizarrely inspired lyrics on the record, referencing a lady dancing with a general while flashing victory signs and smoking cigars. There's the shoulda-been-a-hit "Hometown," including a great melody (that manages to be upbeat and melancholy at the same time) and probably the most nakedly sentimental lyrics of Joe's life. You get the piano-based swing of "Soul Kiss," the pure pop of "Tonight and Forever" and "Precious Time." There's piano ballads, guitar rock, power pop, a musical homage to "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"(on the outstanding opening track "Wild West"), accordions, mandolin and on and on. And I could go on and on, but I digress. In all, fifteen tracks of unadulterated creative bliss, sure to keep you company for years to come when stranded on a deserted isle. This baby's out of print (again), but doggone it, get it any way you can. This IS the same guy who hit the charts with "Steppin' Out," but there's a lot more to the man than that. Easy for me to say, but I believe no one's musical education is complete without hearing this album. How's that for an overreaching statement? And I stand by it.

This bad boy has been out of print since the early 90's, and that's a crying shame. Thankfully, I was able to find a used CD in the early 90's and have kept it close to my heart since then. This album and a half shows the brilliance of Joe in all his incarnations. Catchy finger-snapping Joe is represented by "Fifty Dollar Love Affair" and the still-apt lyrics of "Right and Wrong." Joe's brilliant piano playing is showcased on "Shanghai Sky" and "Forty Years." And just to show he can do it all, there's the pop perfection of "Hometown," which is a song that every person with a soul can relate to. Take out a loan at the bank, beg in the streets, but do what you have to do to get a copy of this masterpiece!

I'm not a huge Joe Jackson fan, in that I don't own anything by him except this album and Night & Day. But what I have heard I love. And this album is stunning. First off, I love the atmosphere of the whole thing. Recording this live, but with no audience reaction, was a great move. There's an intimacy on this album that is lacking on many albums from the same period. But a great sound is nothing without great songs, and this album has them in spades. I must say that while I like the "poppy" side of Jackson, I LOVE the introspective and deep part. That is well represented in cuts like "We Can't Live Together," (great backup vocal harmonies on this one) "Forty Years" and "Home Town." Listening to "Home Town" makes ME long for my childhood home, even though some of the things Jackson mentions in the song have nothing to do with my childhood. It's just that powerful a song.

On the more uptempo side, there are other all-time great pop songs like "Wild West," "(It's A) Big World," "The Jet Set" and "Tango Atlantico."

Most artists struggle to put together a consistently excellent album that stretches 15 tracks and more than an hour. Jackson excels, and I am never bored listening to this disc. The only song at all I'm not really thrilled with is "Soul Kiss," but it is by no means a detraction from this great set.

As others have mentioned, this album is currently out of print. So by all means, do whatever you have to in order to secure this album. It is absolutely worth it. This is easily one of the best albums of the 1980s, and it is criminally overlooked.

Joe Jackson crafted his most labored, serious album in 1984's Body & Soul, so it's no surprise that he made a complete turnaround for its follow-up, Big World. Instead of delving deeper into jazz, Jackson pared his lineup down to a basic guitar, bass, and drums rock combo and recorded all of Big World live in front of an audience in a move to avoid the over-production that bogged down records of its period. Interestingly, Jackson insisted the audience not make a sound during the recording, so this doesn't sound like a live album, except in the spots where Jackson's voice wears a bit thin. And, running over 60 minutes and across three record "sides," Big World is a sweeping album, shifting from a more accessible first side to an experimental middle and closing out with a more aggressive third side. It works, since Big World is the most raw and immediate record of the middle part of Jackson's career. But listeners expecting another Look Sharp! won't be impressed, as this is still a much more serious, concerned Jackson than before. As the title of the album suggests, Jackson is tackling big issues, such as global cultural differences, Reagan-era politics, yuppies, and relationships -- from romantic ones to those you hold with your roots, as on the reflective "Home Town." At times, it works marvelously, and at times the songs are too ponderous and minimal to make any impact. But the best moments, like "Right and Wrong," "Tonight and Forever," and "Home Town," establish Big World as one of the best and most overlooked records of Joe Jackson's career.

Big Joe Jackson fan here. The 1986 release "Big World" still caught me by surprise however. Joe brings it all together here for a remarkable album filled with songs that should have been huge hits for the lad. Joe mixes his insightful lyrics filled with political themes and slice of life tidbits together with some of his best melodies ever committed to tape. All recorded live (the audience was instructed to keep quiet until the signal was given) the production values are killer and the band is extremely tight and well rehearsed. "Forty Years" stands out to me as the track that sums up the album best, however "Right and Wrong" "Man in the Street" and "Jet Set" put you squarely in the middle of the Reagan-era hypocracy and excess of the neuvo rich, and Jackson takes note of things and spins an inteligent answer to this low point of American-led culture of the "screw you, I've got mine" mindset.A good companion to this release was the then-VHS release "Big World Sessions" where we get to see and hear some of the albums compositions. Long since out of print (both, I believe) they are two truly great recordings. I own them both. Find both if you can.

I had this album on cassette before CD's were all the rage. This was the first tape I played in my first car. The fact that it is recrded live to two track tape so that no overdubs could be done, is one of the more ambitous undertakings for an artist full of ambitous projects. I just purchased it used, and I can't wait for it to get here. I have been searching for this CD for years. It has always been unavailable or outrageously priced. Finaly i found a copy not overpriced all though it is worth alot more than I paid. Every song on this disc is pure gold.

One of my all time favorites, and absolutely one of the best albums of the '80s. It's hard to believe a CD this great would go out of print, but search around and you can find it. It will be time well spent.

Joe Jackson and his band make some great '80s pop music here, while touching on a diverse collection of musical styles. And, they still manage to be witty and sophisticated (lyrically and musically.) All of this - without synthesizers, drum machines, or synth drums. Maybe that's why the music doesn't sound nearly as dated as much of the music from that time.

I won't go into individual highlights, because this ones all highlights!! I will add this is one of the finest sounding live albums you'll ever hear. There's a crisply recorded natural live sound without a lot of audience noise. I put this right up there with Gabriel's Secret World Live and GD Live Dead as one of my favorite live albums.

Shawn

It is hard to believe that we are coming up on the 20th anniversary fo the release of this fine album. I just recently bought a german import of this disc available at another online retail outlet.Listening to it, almost twenty years later, was like hearing from a wonderful old friend. I like this album for many reasons. I think this album shows our hero Joe maturing a little bit yet pulling it back from his flight of fancy with "Day and Night". (another great record if you ask me) The songs are great and they actually mean more to me now that I am an old fuddy duddy. I am almost 40. Lots of reviewers here will tell about how great the songs are and will go into detail about everyone I would like to say something about the production. There are alot of records from the eighties that have not stood the test of time in my opinon because of their production. I suppose their will always be someone who will wax nostalgiac about eighties production values but I respectfully disagree. All those "bell" like synths? Over-miked drums? OY! Have you actually listened to a record by The Outfield or Mike and the Mechanics lately? All that over production was one of the things that led to the popularity of grunge and hip-hop. I find it ironic that Hip-Hop is by and large completely over-produced these days. That's why it has lot alot of it's original charm and energy. But I digress. Joe Jackson was way ahead of everyone on this record all of it was recorded live to a TWO-TRACK recorder before a silent audience. Listeneing to it now it has not dated one iota! It still sounds fresh and crisp. Plus all the tunes kick ass! And so this leads me to the title of this little review. I think a 5.1 dvd audio mix would be a great way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this great album. I have the feeling if this album came out today it would get rave reviews. Oh well, until that day I will listen to my import. And if you have made it this far in my review, take care and rest assured that there are others like you out there.

This is a recording that I originally bought on vinyl when I was much younger and have had in heavy rotation for the past 20 years consistently.

That alone is a fairly amazing statement, but the live recording of this album (CD, whatever) captured Joe at a point where he mastered images and music well.

I was a big fan before this and after, but none of the other recordings have stayed with me for 20 years.

Everytime I travel to China or see a sunset beautified by smog I can't help but think of Shanghai Sky.

It may be the most delicate song I have ever heard!

This wasn't my favorite JJ CD, but it's well done. Nice concert recording without the noise of the audience getting in the way of the music. Also, I believe, many of the recordings on here are original, and not to be found on any of JJ's CDs except here. Recorded in 1986, so what you hear is what you get, and it's pretty good.