Old Enough to Forget

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 Grah...

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 a great copy of Night and Day in the bins, 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 havi...