ALBUM: Night and Day (1982)
MVC Rating: 3.5/$
I’m pretty sure I bought this new as freshman in college at UGA. Maybe after all the Rolling Stones, Who and Allman Brothers blasting from my Reed Hall dorm room, I was trying for something a little more sophisticated. Joe Jackson was Elvis Costello with a piano.
Whereas Costello’s voice was tinged with irony and anger, Jackson’s voice had an undercurrent of irony and condescension. A little Steely Dan in there.
He had some hits, notably ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him’ (not on this album) and ‘Stepping Out’ and ‘Breaking Us in Two (both on this record). The album is jazzy. ‘Stepping Out’ is the sound of tinkling champagne toasts in Manhattan, which come with promise, but disappear after midnight.
“We are young but getting old before our time, we’ll leave the TV and radio behind,’ Jackson sings.
Nominated for a Grammy, this record’s another bargain in the used market. I saw it for $3 the other day.