You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)
Jumpin Jive
Steppin Out
No longer available domestically, here reissued to coincide with Joe's 2005 U.K. tour. Disc one contain 6 tracks from the Beat Crazy tour 1980 + 5 from the Night And Day tours 1982/83. Disc 2 contains 5 songs from the Bod... more »y And Soul tour 1984 and 6 tracks from his Big World tour 1986. Mercury. 2005.« less
No longer available domestically, here reissued to coincide with Joe's 2005 U.K. tour. Disc one contain 6 tracks from the Beat Crazy tour 1980 + 5 from the Night And Day tours 1982/83. Disc 2 contains 5 songs from the Body And Soul tour 1984 and 6 tracks from his Big World tour 1986. Mercury. 2005.
"One of the best rock musicians, and one of the most underestimated. Jackson can do any music style he wants, and do it good. Listen to the 3 versions of "Is she really going out with him" - there's a good demonstration to that. This dbl. CD album takes us to his best years, 1980-86, from the beginning in England to the breakthrough in America. From his days of punk rock to the acoustic-jazz oriented music. This album is better than "Summer in the city" (although Summer is a-5 star album too), and much more richer, and I wish I could have more of JJ live, cause the man doesn't stop to surprise me. Anyway, this is the time to mention 2 more great albums of his, besides the well known "Night and Day" and "Look sharp!": try "Big world" and the soundtrack of "Tucker" (don't try the soundtrack of "Mike's murder" that sounds like the weakest side of "Night and Day"). If you are bored by the uninspired musicians today, try JJ. You won't be sorry."
The best "taste" of what Joe Jackson is about.
John S. Harris | 10/16/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I did not usually like Live albums, you lose alot in the translation, but this one really captures Joe Jackson's ability to snare the imagination of those that were there. He includes songs from all parts of his tours throughout 6 years of touring. At the risk of sounding like a syrupy record reviewer, this album is as close as you can come to being able to step out, look sharp and reach back to the fun times when music was not pressed out of the same cookie cutter. Hey, I fell in love with my wife to Slow Song...we actually used it to dance to at our wedding. That is about as sentimental as I get, so this must have something to it!!! Enjoy..."
Unique Approach To A Live Album Will Appeal To True Fans
Eric R. Last | San Bruno, CA United States | 11/19/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
""Live 1980-1986" is assembled like 4 separate live E.P.s rather than a traditional live album. Each of the two discs presents two different tours, so four are represented in total. Each tour gets 5 or 6 songs. The bands are different for each tour so it's easy to trace the evolution in Jackson's approach to music making. Casual fans may be put off by the fact that the versions of his two biggest hits are all quite different from their original studio incarnations. He gives three different takes on "Is She Really Going Out With Him", and frankly, none of the three appeal to me nearly as much as the original. On his other big hit, "Steppin' Out", he slows the song down dramatically, and the result is hypnotic - it's my second favorite cut on the album. My favorite is "Fools In Love", which is played at a slow tempo similar to the original, but is fleshed out and stretched out to over 7 minutes. Most of the other tracks stick closer to their original arrangements, but with some interesting variations, such as the punchy horns added to "Sunday Papers". I think this collection is a great souvenir for the true believers, but I think those with only a casual interest in Jackson's music will find it unessential."
He makes the old stuff sound new
John S. Harris | Memphis, TN | 12/24/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With this 2-disc set Jackson has taken many of his old classics and lesser-known tunes and given them new arrangements. He might "jazz up" and rock tune, speed up a slow song, or at least make the orchestrations more lush and "big" sounding. Some highlights are a version of "You Can't Get What You Want (Til You Know What You Want)" that is peppier than the original, a bouncy horn section added to "Sunday Papers", and a general spirit of fun that comes across best with live peformance, no matter what song. He has one of the tightest touring bands you'll ever hear, perfectly at home playing big-band jazz, rock, ballads, or a blend of all three. Just because Jackson stopped charting singles in the early 1980's doesn't mean that he should be forgotten by us. It's a fun record to listen to, and with around 90 minutes of material there's plenty to please just about anyone."