Joe Jackson - Night and Day

When this came out in '82 it was an odd duck, and frankly I really had no time or stomach for Mr. Jackson. Of course, with time I came to know the error of my ways, and I will freely acknowledge the near genius level of Joe Jackson's best work. I'd be lying if I said everything committed to the grooves resonated with me, but boy howdy, his hit to miss ratio is pretty impressive.

Night and Day reunited Joe with producer David Kershenbaum, who helmed those first two killer records, Look Sharp! and I'm the Man, back in 1979. Times had changed and rather than move forward, Joe deliberately went back in time for inspiration, starting with his 1981 release Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive, a cover album of old classics. Night and Day was as much a jazz record as it was a sophisticated pop album. As much as I missed guitarist Gary Sanford, I'm not sure how he would have fit (but I still think he'd have added some great flourishes). However, longtime bassist Graham Maby was still around, and his work is wonderful. Throughout the album, it's the use of percussion that really anchors the album. Many of the songs feature Sue Hadjopoulos on congas, bongos and a host of other instruments, along with drummer Larry Tolfree. It's pretty cool.

For me, there are some parallels between this and Donald Fagen's The Nightfly, both coming out in 1982, with Joe's album dropping several months before the fall release of Mr. Fagen's album. This was likely just a nifty coincidence, but it was interesting that in '82, before people had put away their skinny leather ties, Joe had already moved on.

Night and Day, as the back cover states, was written and recorded in New York City (and all us Luddites were sitting around a campfire listening to Asia's new album, dismissively waved our hats to clear the air as if someone had farted, "NEW YORK CITY!") as if this declaration was supposed to magically infuse the recording with magic fairy dust. Well, whether it did or not is up for debate, but the album was certainly an interesting exercise in musical alchemy.

I've been listening to this, I mean really listening to it, and this is a special kind of weird, and I'm bewitched. This was still Joe Jackson. I know there's a lot of jazz and Latin-infused percussion, but this is layered over Joe's biting lyrics, and the feeling this is still rooted in new wave and punk is palpable. It actually surprised me when it clicked. From the opening song "Another World," the crossfades to the next song keep the momentum going. The biggest surprise was how much I welcomed hearing "Steppin' Out" when the song crept in over the fading notes of the previous song, "Target." It was a song I never really liked, but I always appreciated the complexity of the music, but this time it got me right in the feels.

Flipping over from the night side, the day side kicks off with "Breaking Us in Two," yet another song that was familiar, but again wasn't a song I was overly taken with. Even now, my prior prejudices are layered on top of my listening experience. It's like the little devils on my left and right shoulders - they're going at it, but for the most part I'm just sitting back and ignoring them and listening to the song.

I'm still trying to figure out "Cancer." I'm not sure if it's a nihilistic pastiche of jibber jabber or if Joe was simply tired of being told that everything you do will kill you. For a throwaway, there's a lot going on musically ... I suppose this was for the people who claim they don't listen to the lyrics. "Real Men" is a more difficult song to unravel, and frankly my processing ability has never really been my strong suit. It's an interesting and yes, thought-provoking song, and feels as poignant now as it was over forty years ago. The album ends with "Slow Song," and it's a fitting closer.

The songs on the second side are not braided together in the same way as the songs were on the night side. It's a subtle change from the threaded continuous experience, with each song standing starkly alone. It actually caught me off guard as I was expecting things to flow in a similar manner. I suppose, being exposed to the light of day, the songs were meant to be articulated moments. Kind of cool, or I'm likely just reading into it ... after all, most albums are just a collection of songs. One ends, another begins. The contrast between the two sides here was literally night ... and day.

I've given this a few spins, and I have to admit I am quite partial to the first side. There was something about the songs and music that really worked for me. It was a cohesive listening experience. The day side was more challenging, both lyrically and more stark musically ... at least that's how it feels after it's over. I'll play both sides, of course, but under the cover of darkness.