CD Reviews

Joe Jackson

Rain | Rykodisc

By BRETT MILANO | April 1, 2008

3.5 Stars

Just as Elvis Costello invariably makes his greatest albums with the Attractions/Imposters, Joe Jackson always sounds best when at least some of his original quartet are on board. He keeps the rhythm section this time, but his own piano replaces Gary Sanford’s guitar as the lead instrument. The recent full-band reunion Volume 4 was a small triumph, but Rain may be even more satisfying, since it’s the best work Jackson has done with a line-up that’s not strict-rock-band. Which isn’t to say this doesn’t rock — it just does so without guitars or anything electric save Graham Maby’s bass. Here’s where Jackson’s early-career bluster finally merges with his latter-day sophistication. Bacharach-style pop is the touchstone, but touches of jazz, classical, and even punk work their way in. And on “The Uptown Train,” he evokes his beloved New York City without having to hire a roomful of percussionists. Long-time fans will be happy to hear him take another jab at the latest crop of popstars (“Good Bad Boy”) and deliver the kind of slightly neurotic love ballad he’s always excelled at (“Rush Across the Road”). And on “The Invisible Man,” he finds a nifty metaphor, equating his post-hit career with the afterlife. When the spooky verse gives way to a fist-waving chorus, it’s a definite Look Sharp! moment.

JOE JACKSON | Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville | April 7 | 617.931.2000

Related: Forced exposure, Start with some Spice, DJ Kicks: Hot Chip, More

Topics: CD Reviews , Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Joe Jackson

Comments

Add a Comment

view all

[ 11/21 ] Sara Tavares @ Berklee Performance Center

[ 11/21 ] Mystic Chorale @ Tremont Temple Baptist Church

[ 11/21 ] Terence Martin + Danielle Miraglia @ Old Ship Coffeehouse

[ 11/21 ] Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra @ Emmanuel Church

[ 11/21 ] Enter the Haggis @ Center for Arts In Natick

ARTICLES BY BRETT MILANO

REVIEW: MICHAEL JACKSON | BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR: HISTORY IN THE MIX | July 01, 2009
Personally, I'm fascinated by Michael Jackson, who may be the only truly deviant artist in modern pop: who would you really find scarier in a dark alley, him or Marilyn Manson?

THE DRESDEN DOLLS | May 27, 2008
No, Virginia ranks with Elvis Costello’s Taking Liberties as a B-sides/leftovers album that turns out to be more fun and more revealing than a thought-out official release.

NO BULL | May 19, 2008
There was nothing campy or kitschy about Herb Alpert’s local appearance this week, and in a way that’s a shame.

MUCK AND THE MIRES | April 15, 2008
If Phil Spector could produce the Ramones, then Kim Fowley can produce Muck and the Mires, local faves whose sound has always been two parts Ramones to five parts British Invasion.

JOE JACKSON | April 01, 2008
Joe Jackson always sounds best when at least some of his original quartet are on board.

See all articles by: BRETT MILANO

Most Viewed

Most Emailed

WE'RE KILLING THE OCEANS
I meet world-renowned undersea photojournalist Brian Skerry at Legal Seafoods, across from the New England Aquarium, where he's the explorer in residence. He orders a chicken Caesar salad.

REVIEW: THE BLIND SIDE
It’s tough for any self-respecting critic to refrain from joyously tackling a Sandra Bullock movie — so it’s a good thing The Blind Side isn’t one.

REVISITING THE GREATEST HARVARD-YALE GAME
It takes some doing to make Harvard look like an underdog in anything. But Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29 — Kevin Rafferty's 2008 movie (out now on DVD) and new book (released this past month) about the famous football rivalry — does just that.

REVIEW: PLANET 51
The opening for the latest animated kids’ fantasy is promising — but it’s for another movie.

INTERVIEW: GABOUREY SIDIBE
"While reading the book, I realized that I knew this girl in so many different people. Not just girls but boys, and not just black people but white and Asian and Indian."

WE'RE KILLING THE OCEANS
I meet world-renowned undersea photojournalist Brian Skerry at Legal Seafoods, across from the New England Aquarium, where he's the explorer in residence. He orders a chicken Caesar salad.

REVISITING THE GREATEST HARVARD-YALE GAME
It takes some doing to make Harvard look like an underdog in anything. But Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29 — Kevin Rafferty's 2008 movie (out now on DVD) and new book (released this past month) about the famous football rivalry — does just that.

TAXING CATHOLICS
Should the Roman Catholic Church, and the various subsidiary groups and organizations that exist under its umbrella and operate at its direction, be entitled to state- and federal-tax exemptions?

GROUP EFFORT
If you're inclined to play punk rock, chances are you've got a self-esteem problem. It's not an æsthetic that attracts the well-adjusted. Exhibit A: Mark Lind. As bassist and frontman of the Ducky Boys, he's opened for Rancid, U.S. Bombs, and Flogging Molly.