Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
| 1. Take It Like A Man |
| 2. Still Alive |
| 3. Awkward Age |
| 4. Chrome |
| 5. Love At First Light |
| 6. Fairy Dust |
| 7. Little Bit Stupid |
| 8. Blue Flame |
| 9. Dirty Martini |
| 10. Thugz 'r' Us |
| 11. Bright Grey |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Volume IV finds Joe Jackson back where he belongs. In the late-1970s and early-80s, Jackson was a skinny-tied child of New Wave, peddling a wordy and venomous strain of pop and generally resembling Elvis Costello's even more anti-social cousin. During this period, Jackson and his tremendous backing group made three fine albums: Look Sharp!, I'm the Man and Beat Crazy. Jackson then wandered off the reservation, and kept right on going from soul to jazz to classical to film to books. Volume IV is where Jackson completes his circuit, reuniting with his original band and reacquainting himself with his original working methods (Volume IV is recorded live to tape).
What could have been a colossal self-indulgence proves a startlingly vital album. Volume IV is faithful to the ethos of early Joe Jackson hits such as "One More Time" and "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", built as it is from clattering drums, jarring guitar, hyperactive keyboards, snarling vocals and lyrics riddled with puns and double entendres. But Jackson is too clever to get suckered by nostalgia, and instead contemplates, with his usual wry intelligence, his middle-aged present from inside his old clothes; the best of the resulting songs, "Blue Flame" and "Still Alive", are as good as anything he's ever done. Indeed, the only clunker here is "Thugz R Us" proof, were it needed, that scathing social commentary and ska are not natural bedfellows. --Andrew Mueller
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is an amazing album from Jackson and the same line-up that created Look Sharp! and I'm The Man. And this sits incredibly comfortably next to those albums. Fueled by power-pop-punk ("Awkward Age", "Bright Grey"), jaunty bluesy rockers ("Still Alive", "Take It Like A Man", "Little Bit Stupid", "Dirty Martini") and emotive piano-based ballads ("Love At First Light", "Blue Flame") this album delivers what most Jackson fans have been yearning for for over twenty years. Somehow he's managed to sound not a day older too. Great stuff.
Try to get your hands on this double-CD version as the extra disc is 6-tracks of blistering live performances of old Jackson faves recorded in 2002 in the UK.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Joe's reunion with the original Joe Jackson Band is a triumph. His songs have matured and so has his voice, but he is still capable of strong cynical lyrics. Blue Flame is a sad attempt to reach out to a cold ex-lover, Awkward Age tells a 15 year old that Joe's still at an awakward age himself, and a Little Bit Stupid sounds not unlike the Sweet at their finest (including the line "we just haven't got a clue what to do!!"). The limited edition live CD, recorded on the warm up tour in the autumn, is well worth early investment. Catch them on tour in the early Summer, too!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A saw Joe Jackson live in London a few months ago. It was like taking a turn back to the late 70's. Some of his band haven't worn as well as he and he is still a bit miserable but the image of several men in their early 40's losing it to songs they hadn't heard performed live for over 20 years will stay with me for some time!!! This album has been worked in the same way as the early stuff, just better produced. If you like classic early "Angry" Jackson, you'll love this and the bonus live disc is a real treat too!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
More brilliant songs
It's taken me eight years to catch up with Vol 4. It's yet another set of brilliant observations of life by Mr Jackson, set to music, some of which I was already familiar with due... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Steve Keen
Great live bonus disc
Many new albums these days by major artists initially include a limited edition live CD or DVD to reward the faithful punter for parting with his cash as quickly as possible. Read more
Published on 7 July 2006 by Greg Farefield-Rose
hear hear!
I bought this album on the strength of the preceding reviews and only wish I'd got it when it was first released. Read more
Published on 9 April 2005 by "aroyle2"
Fantastic Joe Jackson Band
Having been a big fan of Joe Jackson since he released "Beat Crazy" album back in 1980, I have mellowed with his music, enjoying the moody Night and Day 1 and 2 and the more up... Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2004 by Rob Smith
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
