Customer Reviews

Heaven & Hell

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

 

 

I'm over 65 and listen primarily to classical music and, to tell the truth, had never even heard of Joe Jackson. But a friend whose judgment I trust praised it so I took the plunge and bought it. I have to say that it knocked my socks off. I was expecting something pretentious and amateurish - as pop musicians' forays into classical music often are (remember Barbra Streisand's classical album?) - but it is a thoughtful, inventive, moving work. The classical musicians who participate clearly give their serious attention to the project, and for good reason: this is substantial music-making. Joe Jackson apparently had classical training and it shows. I have recommended it to several friends and they have all been impressed.

If you are a pop/rock/jazz lover wanting to broaden your tastes or if you are a classical lover wanting to try new things, this is for you. You'll find yourself reaching for it often.

This write-up may represent one of the longest delays between a purchase and a review. I purchased this CD in 1997, and I have listened to it repeatedly for over ten years.

The seven deadly sins have never been so perfectly portrayed as they are in this collection - Jackson borrows imagery from the Bible, Dante's Inferno, and Greek mythology -- crafting lyrics and music to evoke each of the sins. Jackson wisely uses his guest vocalists to heighten the effect of the musical mood: Suzanne Vega and Dawn Upshaw on "Angel (Lust)" contribute lovely and contrasting vocals and come-ons, while Brad Roberts (you may remember him from Crash Test Dummies) intones a wonderfully lugubrious baritone on "Passacaglia - A Bud and A Slice (Sloth)." The music here balances upon the precise intersection of classical and alt-rock music, and may appeal to fans of both genres. And while little seems to connect the stories on the individual tracks together, (apart from the over-arching theme and the musical arrangement), the album works best when listened to as a whole -- which, if you're like me, you'll want to do over and over again. Would make a good companion piece to The Juliet Letters by Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet.

Very encouraging, especially after the leaden "Night Music." This is a modern song cycle, based on the seven deadly sins; Joe's strong melodies are back, the arrangements are much improved, the guest vocals for the most part are well selected, and the idea behind the whole project is quite original. There's gluttony ("More is More"), lust ("Angel", embodied by Suzanne Vega, who I love, but she certainly seems uncomfortable in the guise of a hooker), greed ("Tuzla"--wonderful/horrible depiction of foreign civil war), sloth ("A Bud and a Slice", sung appropriately deadpan by the guy from Crash Test Dummies), anger ("Right", where that old Jackson bile comes back with a vengeance), envy ("The Bridge"--utterly gorgeous with Jane Siberry singing lead), and pride ("Song of Daedalus", which brings this to a fitting end). This is so well conceived from beginning to end. It's unfortunate that probably a lot of people who would appreciate this (classical music lovers?) will not be aware of it. It could easily be performed in a concert hall--there was a wonderful example of that on "Sessions on West 57th" on PBS, with Joe and most everyone else involved, I believe. Very worthwhile; with this, Joe has made the transition to a more "adult" music, if you will.

This is an incredible CD, and should be in every serious music lovers collection. Don't listen to this CD casually though. Give this CD the listen it deserves - put the headphones on, close your eyes, turn out the lights, and be prepared to be blown away. Take a good listen to Passacaglia / A Bud and A Slice. When was the last time you heard two bassoons on a rock icons CD (and hauntingly beautiful Bassoons at that)?

Joe Jackson has never colored between the lines. He is always breaking rules. I'm glad he continues to break new ground. Heaven and Hell is daring, punchy, and filled with great artists. Like Symphony #1, on first listen, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. On subsequent spins, I knew this was the real deal.

I first heard this disc as background music while doing something else; I found it difficult to get into and not very enjoyable. On a solo car trip a few months later, I gave it a more serious listen and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. The orchestration is original, the music is eclectic, the lyrics are delightful and thoughtful, and the overall effect is impossible to pigeonhole. I've liked all Joe Jackson's previous albums, and I hope this one represents a change in direction because I love it and want to hear more in this vein.

this a a very original and brilliant work. I would almost say that jackson shows signs of musical genius with this blend of musical styles, themes, and lyrics.

If a person is only familiar with the pop sounds of Joe Jackson, then they better open up their minds. With Jackson's classical training, he finally gets a chance to stretch his legs into a unique sound that is not quite classical, not quite jazz, and not quite rock. This work is a strong musical interpretation of the 7 deadly sins. 'Angel' and 'The Bridge' are slow and easy to listen to. 'A Bud and a Slice' is hilarious and has beautiful orchestration, as do the other songs. 'Anger' is a challenging bombastic sound of two drummers and an angry ...um...young?... man. I say listen to it 3 times, then make your decision. I think its worth every penny.

I've loved JJ since I'm the Man. There have been times when I loved the guy. And there have been times when I've been bored to tears (Willpower, Laughter and Lust, and Night Music). Heaven and Hell sat in my CD case for almost a year before I ever really got a good listen to it. I played it here and there and thought, "no big deal". Several weeks ago, on a whim I pulled out the CD just to give it a second chance. I haven't stopped listening to it. Every song is dead on. This is his most focused album...perhaps ever. And from a JJ fan...trust me...that's really saying something

Jackson's album here features numerous enchanting guests and an amazing variety. The composer didn't meld his topics into unintelligeble program music, but does justice to each of the 7 deadly sins.

I am not familiar with the corpus of Jackson's pop/prog music, and came to this cd as a disaffected rock kid interested in classical, but primarily what was fresh and new in classical as opossed to just what is "time-tested." I was a little worried that Jackson's work would stay too much on the surface for me. While it is more accessible than many of my other albums, I've found that's a good thing. What I love about this album is that it is unique. I would never mistake it for anything else in my collection, and I like to hear it. In fact, I like to hear it quite a bit. 'nuff said.