#56
March 14 1984
Joe Jackson
Body and Soul
4.25 out of 5
Highlights:
Cha Cha Loco
You Can’t Get What You Want (Til You Know What You Want)
Go For It
Happy Ending
Be My Number Two
Disappointment. Malaise. Regret. Loss. Indecision.
I met Joe Jackson once. He came cross as angry and very bitter. Such a vastly talented guy who seems so freaking unhappy. He also seems to know how talented he is. So much so that he feels he can traffic in any style he wants. This is done to superb effect in his New Wave offerings (Look Sharp & I’m the Man) to lesser success in ska & punk (Beat Crazy), perfectly in jive jazz (Jumpin’ Jive) and I was less thrilled by his Gershwin take (Night and Day).
Which brings us to the smoky Vegas casino of Body and Soul. More often this sounds like your grandfather’s record, no doubt that’s what Joe is going for. 15 year olds are not his target audience here, the straight out of the 60s retro cover, washed out orange, cigarette and saxophone resplendence is aimed square at Uncle Joe’s heart.
And the music therein backs that up. Joe’s in great voice here, his band is spot on, the music is crafted like he stepped out of the Great American Songbook. At times it’s a little (or a lot) too calculated. But if you listen to it back to back with The Style Council (which I did) it makes for a nice duo).
With Body and Soul, Joe really proves that he is what he believes he is and that will be borne out again on a future record, Big World, a personal favorite.
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