Aural Fixations

THE JOE JACKSON BAND
Volume 4
(Restless/Rykodisc)
Joe Jackson has always been the red-headed stepchild of the late 70s punk/new wave movement. Forever compared unfavorably to Elvis Costello and Graham Parker (as if the three artists had anything in common outside of writing their own songs, being British and putting out albums in the late 70s), Jackson supposedly has never lived up to the admitted brilliance of his 1979 debut album Look Sharp!, a deserved signpost of new wave songsmithery. If you listen to rock historians, most of them seem to believe Jackson peaked extremely early, and outside of the occasional flash of inspiration (such as "Steppin' Out," his 1982 hit single), has willfully chosen to follow a path of self-indulgence and forbidding experimentation designed to appeal to no one but himself.

What horse feces. The classically-trained Jackson may be a restless musical soul, eager to blaze a trail in whatever direction appeals to him, but that can just as easily be called ambition rather than self-indulgence. He may stray beyond the boundaries of the rock & roll form, but that seems less pretension than an honest desire to explore the limits of his own talent. His compositional skills rank with the finest melodicists of the rock era; his sheer musicality nearly always saves him when his reach extends beyond his grasp. His 80s work in particular proudly stands the test of time; 1982's Night and Day, 1984's Body and Soul, 1986's Big World and 1989's Blaze of Glory—possibly his masterpiece—stand as a creative run to be envied by any artist, especially if his 1988 double live set Live 1980/86 is taken into consideration. Frankly, his artistry was far more consistent in quality than that of either Costello or Parker during the same time period. Though his records in the 90s seem to have drifted into a wilderness that appears hewn for aimless wandering, there is always at least one song per LP that stands with his best. It's past time his place in rock history was re-evaluated and the worth of his best records recognized. Fortunately, his brand-new album Volume 4 provides more than enough impetus.

Recorded with the original Joe Jackson Band (guitarist Gary Sanford, bassist Graham Maby, probably the most underrated electric four-stringer in rock, and drummer Dave Houghton), with whom he recorded Look Sharp! and other LPs, Volume 4 is an absolutely smashing return to consistent form. Not to the sound of the old days, mind you—these four musicians are different now than they were then and not interested in merely reliving the past. The records made by this combination of players—particularly Look Sharp! and I'm the Man—had the sound and style of young turks turned loose in the studio for the first time. The brashness and aggression of youth can't be easily duplicated, and the revived Jackson Band wisely doesn't try. The compositions have grown more sophisticated, the playing looser and more relaxed, the sardonic jabs more apt to slice cleanly like a samurai's katana than stab wildly like a psycho's axe.

The opening track "Take It Like a Man" is a good example. It's a straight rocker, with a driving rhythm, an easily-appealing melody and a trademark Jackson jab at a moronic would-be lover. But a closer listen reveals more under the surface: Houghton's attack incorporates the push-pull of bossa nova into its assertive drive, while Maby's groove owes as much to dub reggae as rock or pop. Jackson's pounding piano line sports a startlingly lyrical touch that's as much Keith Jarrett as Jerry Lee Lewis; Sanford's fiery strumming acts less like the song's vanguard and more like the glue that holds it together. The dismissive venom of the lyric is almost a throwback to the days of "Happy Loving Couples" or "Fools in Love," except that Jackson uses his words less as blunt instruments and more as throwing knives. It's the kind of comeback tune that recalls just enough of past glories to perk up your ears, but with plenty of new ideas to blow away any hints of nostalgia. (more)

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