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Rating: "Dai diamanti non nasce niente... dal letame nascono i fior...".
The line by Fabrizio De André, now as indelible as a slogan, is also a kind of theorem, and it can be applied to music as well. If 2 + 2 equals 4, it means that something good must have inevitably come from punk as well, of course "after," not "during."
Joe Jackson is not the most illustrious example of a true musician rising from the ashes of the movement that aimed to destroy music, glorifying the decay, cacophony, and distortion. Yet, he is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic, primarily for how, driven by a kind of repulsive push from his past, he reached shores diametrically opposed, realms bordering on the magical balance of jazz.
An ordinary troublemaker could not have even dared to explore these territories, but Joe Jackson was a musician, who ended up in the foul basements of punk by mistake, and it was easy for him to come out triumphantly in the mid-'80s with two masterpiece albums, which, as if by coincidence, bear the titles of two standards from classic jazz: "Night And Day" and "Body And Soul".
The latter is undoubtedly the closest to jazz, and in at least one case, the proximity becomes a crossover: it’s the beautiful instrumental ballad "Loisaida", with instrumentation like a large orchestra in the style of Gil Evans, hypnotic piano, and chilling sax that revive great classics like "Round Midnight" (and that’s saying something!).
For the recording of this album, Joe Jackson enlisted a band whose names (Vinnie Zummo, Tony Aiello, Michael Morreale) recall Al Capone's gang, but they sound excellent, as does the faithful bassist Graham Maby and Joe himself on piano. Moreover, the chosen location for the recording (wood-paneled) and the recording techniques (only two traditional microphones) reveal an almost obsessive desire to achieve a "true" sound, where the voices of the instruments remain as they are, a perfectly understandable goal after past intoxications of bad and distorted sounds.
The goal is fully achieved, and it can be especially felt in the booming drums of the epic and majestic "The Verdict", in the explosive finale of "Be My Number Two", sweet ballad for piano and voice until that point, in the irresistible rhythm and the bubbly horns, à la Earth Wind and Fire, of "You Can't Get What You Want". They are almost always excellently crafted tracks, with the added value of this "authentic sound" that is truly perceivable, even on CD. The old passion for Latin rhythms comes alive in "Cha Cha Loco", with its echoing "Baile!" that invites you to keep moving.
The taste for original and refined creations is exalted to the maximum in "Heart Of Ice", which, like the well-known Bolero by Ravel, starts from a subdued background rhythm to reach a triumphant finale (although, it must be said, without copying the Ravel’s rhythm or melody).
A great record: it's a shame that a few years later Joe Jackson fell victim to his exaggerated ambitions, starting to write Chopin-like nocturnes, string quartets, and even what seems to be a symphony. Bah.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 The Verdict (05:33)
Did you do me right?
Did I do right by you?
When I bared my soul it seems you did not hear
Can this be true?
Am I fool to fight?
I could do just what you say
But I'm following my heart and that takes me another way
It's not easy when there's no one one giving prizes at the end
Waiting in the wings
Wishing that the band would start to play
As the show begins
Wonder what the critics have to say
Waiting
Waiting
For the verdict
Some people live so fast
They're so scared of getting old
Some people keep on working
All they do is line their graves with gold
We don''t know what happens when we die
We only know we die too soon
But we have to try or else our world becomes a waiting room
Would you testify for me?
I think I'd do the same for you
Waiting in the dark
Waiting for the phone to ring all day
My witness disappears
Wonder what the jury has to say
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
Waiting
02 Cha Cha Loco (04:46)
You've tied the knot
Don't bite the hand or it won't feed
What she ain't got
Is sure to make sure you don't need
You can't go back
You've booked the band
So take your partner by the hand
Baile
Enjoy the food - so many courses
Baile
Enjoy the dance - they don't shoot horses
Baile
Cha cha loco
You like the dress
It's out of mothballs once a year
The good champagne
Tomorrow night it's back to beer
But now you're here, you'll dance all night
But never get the steps quite right
Baile
Enjoy the food - so many courses
Baile
Enjoy the dance - they don't shoot horses
Baile
Cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Cha cha cha loco
Baile
Enjoy the food - so many courses
Baile
Enjoy the dance - they don't shoot horses
Baile
Cha cha loco
08 Be My Number Two (04:22)
Won't you be my number two
Me and number one are through
There won't be too much to do
Just smile when I feel blue
And there's not much left of me
What you get is what you see
Is it worth the energy
I leave it up to you
And if you got something to say to me
Don't try to lay your funny ways on me
I know that it's really not fair of me
But my heart's seen too much action
And every time I look at you
You'll be who I want you to
And I'll do what I can do
To make a dream or two come true
If you'll be my
If you be my number two
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Other reviews
By DavidWillpower
"Joe Jackson is the greatest chameleon in the history of pop music."
"'Body and Soul' was released the following year and is a nice work, although it doesn’t make you shout ‘miracle’ like 'Night and Day.'"
By Jaco2604
"Joe Jackson managed to create a light album, very simple and direct... the arrangements reach the ear with incredible subtlety."
"Studying Private Law with this song in the background was a metaphysical experience... It was like reading the manual immersed in the Rio Carnival."
