🎵 AotW Joe Jackson - BODY AND SOUL (SP-5000)

[LPJim]

Joe Jackson
BODY AND SOUL
A&M SP-5000

A1 The Verdict 5:31
A2 Cha Cha Loco 4:47
A3 Not Here, Not Now 5:27
A4 You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) 4:50
A5 Go For It 4:18
B1 Loisaida 5:33
B2 Happy Ending 3:39
B3 Be My Number Two 4:18
B4 Heart Of Ice 6:53

• Published By – Pokazuka Ltd.
• Published By – Almo Music Corp.
• Mastered At – A&M Studios

Credits

• Bass – Graham Maby
• Drums – Gary Burke
• Engineer – Rik Pekkonen
• Guitar – Vinnie Zummo
• Keyboards, Violin – Ed Roynesdal
• Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
• Mixed By [Mixdown Assistant] – Dan Nash
• Producer – David Kershenbaum, Joe Jackson
• Producer [Production Coordinator] – Jeremy Darby
• Saxophone, Flute – Tony Aiello
• Technician [Digital Recording System] – Frank R. Dickinson, Jr.*
• Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Michael Morreale
• Vocals – Elaine Caswell, Ellen Foley
• Vocals, Piano, Saxophone, Written-By, Arranged By – Joe Jackson

Entered the Billboard Top 200 on April 7, 1984
Peaked at # 20 and charted for 29 weeks
Reissued as SP/CD 3286

JB

 

[Rudy]

This is an amazing sounding, demo-quality album, both on vinyl and in digital. It was recorded primarily live (as an ensemble) with minimal overdubs and all of the natural reverb of the venue. While it might not be everyone's cup of tea, it expands on the direction Jackson took with Night and Day, and Mike's Murder. No guitar, but keyboards, brass and percussion. Great playing all around.

 

[70sFan]

Rudy,

I have to totally agree with you. Joe Jackson's Body and Soul had to be one of the greatest albums of the 80's. I too loved Night and Day and Mike's Murder.
I do believe the recording was digital, which was exciting back then. I had it on cassette and CD. On Body and Soul, "You Can't Get What You Want" is perfection. I truly love the lyrics to "Be My Number Two". How honest, sad and real and painful. Joe is amazing!

 

[Mr Bill]

Categorically, Joe Jackson can't be pigeon-holed. This one goes well with his previous album, Jumpin' Jive.

I recall when Night & Day zipped up the charts with its "easy listening" "adult-contemporary" feel I was in my local record store and an elderly couple pulled out his first two LPs and were excited, "ooh look! He has OTHER albums!" Oh what I would've paid to see the looks on their face when they dropped the needle on I'm The Man or Look Sharp...

--Mr Bill

 

[70sFan]

Categorically, Joe Jackson can't be pigeon-holed. This one goes well with his previous album, Jumpin' Jive.

I recall when Night & Day zipped up the charts with its "easy listening" "adult-contemporary" feel I was in my local record store and an elderly couple pulled out his first two LPs and were excited, "ooh look! He has OTHER albums!" Oh what I would've paid to see the looks on their face when they dropped the needle on I'm The Man or Look Sharp...

--Mr Bill

I used to manage a record store on Long Island when these all were released. I actually have an autographed copy of Look Sharp. What I remember was the die hard punk customers discovering the easy listening flavor of Night and Day and getting their friends into it. Joe had and has a coolness factor that can appeal to anyone.

 

[Rudy]

I lucked out and bought the 2-10" version of Look Sharp, which came with the button tucked into the upper corner. (And I wish I had bought the 2-10" Police Reggatta as well.)

@Mr Bill, could you imagine them hitting Beat Crazy, with something like "In Every Dream Home, A Nightmare"? Look Sharp though is quite catchy, so you never know how someone might react to it.

Those "old folks at home" might have enjoyed Skafish...

 

[Rudy]

I should say that I do sometimes find Jackson's catalog to be a little uneven and not always to my liking, but, I do really like and respect his desire to try different musical styles to get his message across. He has been all over the map since then, even revisiting the Joe Jackson Band on the Volume 4 and Afterlife albums.

I know I'm maybe one in five on the planet who really like the Will Power album. I know the hype sticker mentions it being an "instrumental" album but the compositions are more geared towards classical. He did come up with classical training, so having read his bio, the album does make sense from that standpoint. But it definitely was a distinct change from Big World, which was the first to reintroduce the rock guitar to his band since Beat Crazy.

 

[Mr Bill]

The song "Evil Eye" from Beat Crazy has one of my favorite lines in that it references an IRS artist:

"I've got The Cramps on the Stereo"

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

The song "Evil Eye" from Beat Crazy has one of my favorite lines in that it references an IRS artist:

"I've got The Cramps on the Stereo"

--Mr Bill

Classic line! "...ster-eee-oooh"

 

[Bobberman]

This album plus "Night and Day" and "Mikes Murder" are my Top 3 all time favorite Joe Jackson albums. Lots of variety and different styles. And I love the Instrumentals he does

 

[Ed Bishop]

I've always (well, after the first two albums) found JJ to be interesting, sometimes exceptional but also erratic and restless; still, for me this is one of his better ones (well, after the first two albums).