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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where you get what you want, when you know what you want, December 29, 2004
Joe Jackson was one third of the angry young men triumvirate of the British New Wave, standing alongside of Graham Parker and Elvis Costello. But while he may have never received the critical accolades that have held Costello's career in the spotlight for so long, or the maintained the energy of Parker, Jackson has managed to build an incredible, varied body of work. This two disc set encompasses every phase of Jackson's restlessness. From the hyper-active skinny tie pop of the first two albums, to the New York influenced sophistication of "Night and Day" and "Body And Soul," to his erratic but always interesting later material, it is all covered in this set's 38 selections.
Jackson can also claim to have stroked some major old school influence. "Is She Really Going Out With Him" was one of the first of the genre to crack the American Top 40. His debut, "Look Sharp," remains a songwriter's tour-de-force, all energy and crunch with a stunning array of stylized hooks. The darker "I'm the Man" followed suit, with a more expansive lyrical view and one of his early (but terrific) ballads in "It's Different For Girls." The restlessness was already beginning to take hold, and the dub-frenzy of "Beat Crazy" found Jackson striking out in all sorts of directions. A reflection on his past ("Jumping Jive") marked time till he could sort out his next move (along with taking up residency in NYC).
The result was the sophisticated, swinging pop of "Night And Day," Jackson's most fully realized album. From the elegant dance single "Stepping Out" to the knowing ballad "Breaking Us In Two," this was where Jackson made the transition from his new wave past to pop craftsman of the first order. The follow-up, the more urbane "Body And Soul" bordered on pretension though, Jackson's ego was beginning to show. That album did yield one great single in "You Can't Get What You Want," but like the other ballad here ("Be My Number Two"), the album felt more like style than substance. "Big World" suffered from the same pretensions; Jackson wanted to record an entire album with a live audience, but then forbade them from making any noise in the process. It made for a couple interesting and spontaneous songs (best represented here by "Right And Wrong"), it also sounded stuffy and forced.
After that, there were a couple attempts to return to his roots ("Nineteen Forever") and a concept album or two. Of those, "The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy" (from "Night Music") stands out as one of the finest story songs Jackson has ever written. But it was obvious he was running out of ideas, as the telling title of the "Night And Day II" CD would show. That doesn't mean Jackson had gone flat, the songs on the second disc stand up fine on their own. (And the recent "Volume 4" CD is a strong return to form.)
"Steppin' Out: The Very Best Of Joe Jackson" offers a couple bonuses. Jackson took a swing at the reggae classic "The Harder They Fall" as a single/EP and a non album track, "Enough Is Not Enough," makes its CD bow. "Memphis," the great single from the movie soundtrack of "Mike's Murder" graces disc two. All in all, a very strong collection from an artist who's best work not just stepped out, but stands up to the tests of time.
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The raw and the cooked., July 17, 2001
So you only know three or four Joe Jackson hits and you're wondering if you really need 38 of his songs in your collection. It's worth considering, because his "raw" period from 1978-80 is filled with witty but obscure rockers like "Friday," "Look Sharp," and "Beat Crazy." A classically trained musician, Jackson was adept at providing glimpses of his vast musical vocabulary in the context of tight, focused, deceptively simple rock. Not an easy feat.Then came his 1982 signature album "Night & Day," in which he got his lyrical skills, jazz and Latin influences, and pop melodies working in near-magical harmony on "Another World," "Stepping Out," and "Breaking Us In Two." After that, he made a stab a Jim Steinmanesque musical melodrama on "Happy Ending," and then...the fire seems to have fizzled. I assume Jackson wasn't trying to make us snicker with the song title "Be My Number Two," but even if you get past that, you still have the banal, poor-man's-Billy Joel music to deal with. Most of the remainder of Disc 2, recorded between 1986 and 1991, is composed of the exquisitely played but terminally boring stuff known as adult alternative. He sounds more like Andy Rooney than angry young man. However, the newest song in the compilation, "Stranger Than You" from 2000, shows Jackson finally shaking out the cobwebs, regaining his sense of humor and melodic gifts. Regardless of whether you like all the songs on this compilation (and you'll probably like a lot of them), there's no denying that Jackson's fascination and fluency with a wide variety of musical styles will take you on an interesting sonic journey.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic, August 5, 2003
By A Customer
Joe Jackson deserves more recognition than he gets. He really is a remarkable artist who defined "new wave" music in the 1980's and continues to march to his own drum. This CD is an excellent (and generous) compilation of his best work. His lyrics and arrangements are superb. Joe Jackson is an exceptional live performer. If he comes to your town or city, don't miss him! I highly recommend this album.
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