Customer Reviews

Two Rainy Nights: Live in Seattle & Portland

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First off, this is a great CD, and if you don't have it...it's worth getting. What's irritating is that it's being sold as a "25th Anniversary Live" CD which would imply a live CD recorded during the tour last Fall. It's not. It's a repackage of the same CD Joe made available through his website a few years ago. Same CD, different label and new cover art.

Anybody who saw Joe Jackson live on his 25th Anniversary/Volume 4 tour realizes how vital and significant his live performances are. This album, previously available on his web site, is merely OK. It is a marginal recording, and the music lacks the incredible punch and power of the original Joe Jackson Band (which he toured with last year). Since there are better live JJ recordings out there, give this one a pass and buy a genuinely GREAT CD: JJ Live 1980/86. Now THAT is a live album!

This is a live CD that was previously available only through Joe's website. It's a seven piece band with two percussionists and two strings (violin & cello) so there is a heavy emphasis on those instruments and less of the rockin' Joe Jackson you might expect. The songs have been rearranged to fit the sound of these instruments as well. It's not a greatest hits but it does have a few along with a nice selection of album cuts. Of the 14 tracks my personal favorites are "Another World" (with some great bass playing by the immortal Graham Maby), "Is She Really Going Out With Him", "Real Men" and a decent version of "Slow Song" but the best of all is his very nice update of "Hometown" from the Big World album. Overall a pretty good album but it's strictly for hardcore Jackson fans.

JJ's best band was the N&D1 band, and his live album 1981-86 proves it. This album brings us a good version of "Is she really going", but the rest is nothing but a pale shaddow of the original from the 80's. I like JJ music enough to be hoenst and tell, that his N&D2 is not comparable to the original, and so that live album, that was made by N&D2 band. Dissapointment would describe very well my feelings.

As Vanarndt from allentown, nj states, this is the commercial in-store release of a terrific document that has been previously available through his website. If you have it already, do not be mislead into thinking this is new. However, Jackson is preparing other live and studio releases for this year to celebrate his 25 years being ignored by the pop mind-set. Pity, because he is far more compelling and convincing a writer than Elvis Costello, a 100% more genuine and a thousand times less full of himself than the Liverpudlian windbag.
There is an autheticity to Joe that is far removed from the smug calculated preciousness of MacManus. Joe never lost his punk vitriol, no matter how skilfully he embraced it in music. And he never had the delusional self absorption to dismiss and deride Ray Charles's contributions.
There is always an edge to Jackson, even in in the sentimental "Home Town", which strikes a resonating chord with anyone who sees something essentially lost in their place of remembered beauty. This set sparkles all the way through, and though taken from different concerts in different cities, it is a seamless and intimate presentation of some of his most terrific songs. There is everything to like about this set, so, if you hadn't picked it up before, do yourself a favour and do so now.