Joe Jackson - Look Sharp! I'm the Man

Joe Jackson was never near the top of my list of favourite artists - he wasn't on it at all. Back in '79 I remember actively disliking "Is She Really Going Out With Him" and didn't think much of the new wave reggae stuff that was coming from across the pond. Time would slowly wear me down and I'd be able to listen to it without having to swallow down breakfast. I vividly remember the turning point for me - it was 1986 when three sides live, or as it is officially known Big World came out and I heard "Home Town" that was it for me. Something in how that song was structured and the meticulous way the guitar was played just laid me out. I'll also admit I wasn't as excited about the rest of the album, but I would listen to it at least.

A while back I found in the bins a great copy of Night and Day and I figured it was time to go back and revisit some of my  musical prejudices. I was enthralled by young Mister Jackson and found myself having to re-evaluate some long held opinions. Not long after I was flipping through the what's new section in the clearance bins and I found copies of his two 1979 releases. Look Sharp! and the hot on its heels follow up I'm the Man. I was pretty stoked to be able to sit and hear what this young man and his band had been up to, and see what I had missed in being so narrow minded in my musical tastes.

Both albums were produced by David Kershenbaum, and Joe had the same core band help with the arrangements: Gary Sanford on guitar, Dave Houghton on drums, and Graham Maby on bass. This only enhanced the consistency between the two albums, and truly did make them seem like two parts of a whole. Although from what I've read Joe Jackson himself has referred to I'm the Man as a more mature work and his favourite of the first three records. Kids, they grow up so fast.

From a commercial perspective, the nod goes to Look Sharp! With the one two punch of "Sunday Papers" and "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" being the two songs that got the most attention, but the whole album is very tight and just bristling with restrained energy, except for "Throw it Away" where the band takes off the governor and let's loose. It's fantastic. The whole album sounds remarkably fresh. Shame I didn't let myself get into this when it would have meant more. Lyrically this a lot of fun too, as young Joe seems to eschew the standard boy meets girl and all the moaning and groaning about unrequited love. It's too bad the copy I found didn't have liner notes, but I more than got my dollar's worth here. Reading up on this one it's interesting to see that it was a bigger deal here in Canada than a lot of other jurisdictions. I had always assumed it was a big deal everywhere.

I'm the Man dropped in the fall of 1979, and I really don't remember much about it. I do recall seeing the cover, and thought it was cool. I honestly didn't know he had released his follow so soon after his debut. The nice thing about the copy I found, in addition to being in amazing shape, was the lyric sheet on the liner was there. So I'm reading along, sort of, while this plays and I jot down my meanderamblings.

Musically this really is a continuation of Look Sharp! The band is again solid and really propel things along. Admittedly, I'm sort of waiting to see what jumps out as the big song, and I think the problem with that is I'm looking ahead instead of staying in the present. Having said that "It's Different For Girls" comes on, and this is really the first time I've really paid attention, and this is awesome. Joe doesn't write flowery love songs. This is a great song.

What the hell is wrong with you tonight
I can't seem to do anything right
Wanted to be sure you're feeling right
Wanted to be sure we want the same thing

You can also tell he's just a kid here too, as this is the kind of shit that will get you into real trouble. Still, it's a lot of fun. 

The next song up is the infectious "I'm the Man" that makes "Throw it Away" feel subdued. I guess it was a hit here in Canada (midway up the top 40 apparently), but I don't really remember it, but this is a lot of fun. Lyrically this is hilarious, I think the best line here was "I had a giant rubber shark and it really made a mark, didja looka looka loka llokit alla blood." that is gold, I'm really glad I have the lyrics.

Coming into the home stretch now.  As this moves along I can sort of hear what Joe means by this being more mature than Look Sharp! but I don't think it's maturity - it's confidence. The band sounded great on the first one, and sounds more sure footed here, and there are times when they let loose to the point where you think chaos will surely follow, but they never let things descend to the point where things fall apart. You can also hear more of the jazz infused chord changes and nods starting to slip in to the songs. "Amateur Hour" while not a song that really stands out, has the seeds of what you'd hear more of in later albums.

Having spent the afternoon in the basement playing the albums back to back a couple of times, I had a lot of fun. I can finally admit I like Joe Jackson, and that I had done old Joe wrong in my youth. 

While this may not have done as well as the debut, it was still a pretty big deal in Canada, and went gold. Apparently in addition to being polite, we also have good taste (Not me at the time, but I'm trying to make amends).

Sorry Joe. You really are the man.