Joe Jackson Plays In The “Rain”
PERFORMER: Joe Jackson
The CD: “Rain”
Joe Jackson’s new CD, “Rain,” is a sublime collection of mature relationship songs in Jackson’s trademark style. If you’ve been a fan of his piano-driven music since his early days in the late 1970s, you can rest assured that this is pure Joe Jackson. It’s not one of his forays into other styles of music, like his swing, classical or soundtrack music. “Rain” is reminiscent of his 1980s work like “Night And Day” and “Big World” minus the rather dated synthesizers.
The songs on “Rain” are tunes that Jackson has been performing on his last two tours. The band is Jackson on piano, plus the original Joe Jackson Band rhythm section –Graham Maby on bass and vocals and Dave Houghton on drums and vocals. “Rain” was recorded in Berlin, where Jackson is currently residing, having abandoned New York City after they enacted a smoking ban in bars. Man, smokers sure do get touchy about that.
The subtext of the album is interaction between men and women — long a topic about which Jackson excels. “Invisible Man,” the opening track, is a virtual suicide note from a spurned lover. Jackson perfectly captures the desperation of a person who feels they have nothing to lose. The melody is irresistible and catchy, which works as a counterpoint to what could have otherwise been depressing lyrics.
“Too Tough” explores the dichotomy between a man being sensitive enough to fall in love with a woman who is only attracted to men who are “too tough” to fall in love with her. Like “Invisble Man” this song is a fine mid-temp piano song that shows Jackson is still in fine form vocally, some 30 years after his recording debut.
Other standout tracks include “Rush Across The Road” about reviving a long lost relationship; “The Uptown Train,” a jazzy little number that shows off Jackson’s piano skills and more than anything else, sounds like a Vince Guaraldi tune and “King Pleasure Time,” which recalls Jackson’s new-wave roots with a quick pace. The song itself is about the hedonistic inner self that we all have.
“Good Bad Boy” is another great up-tempo number with a dramatic vocal arrangement and a harsh piano line laid over a propulsive drumbeat. This tune is a bit of a departure from the relationship theme, but it’s a great driving song.
In stark contrast, “Solo (So Low)” is a slow piano-and-voice ballad with striking minor chord changes that create a real feeling of unease and despair. The lyrics capture the emptiness of being alone in a way that is both beautiful and hard to process: “So low, you stare into space. So low, scared to look a your face. Scared to find someone in the mirror that you can’t recall.” This song is a masterpiece, but one that may not bear repeated listening, unless you’re a member of the Sylvia Plath fan club.
The CD wraps up with “A Place In The Rain.” This film-noir-esque collection of scenes of a city at night is a vivid portrait of an aging couple. It’s really more of a coda to the sophisticated pop of Jackson’s 1982 classic album “Night and Day” than the 2000 sequel to that album was. The song is filled with killer lines like “It’s amazing what crazy can do.”
“Rain” is a true gentleman’s album — witty and sophisticated, elegant and touching. There’s not a guitar in sight, but it doesn’t need one. With this CD, Jackson reminds us why he was compared to George Gershwin and Cole Porter back in the early ’80s.
“Rain” comes with a bonus DVD that includes live performances of three songs, as well as interviews, multimedia and “Joe’s Guide To Berlin.”
– By Rudy Panucci
March 20th, 2008 at 10:27 am
[…] Also, I’ve been a busy boy of late. In case you missed them, here are links to my recent reviews of albums by Joe Jackson and Ringo Starr. If you were paying attention to NewSounds like a good little Gazzblog fan, you already read these! […]