Joe Jackson — Beat Crazy

I’m pretty certain I picked this up shortly after becoming enamored of Joe Jackson when “Night and Day” became such a big hit. Definitely bought it used, definitely bought it at Desertshore Records in Syracuse. For $4. So the album was released in 1980, but I probably got it in 1983 or so.

It never really stuck with me, though I like the title track. (And for that, I prefer the version that was on the “Live 1980/86” collection, which for me practically defined the summer of 1989.) Nothing from this ever made it onto any mix tapes. There’s nothing wrong with it, but coming from the sophistication of “Night and Day,” and listening to it against “Body and Soul,” it’s just a whole different thing, and for the most part it isn’t something that really points to what brilliant work he would be doing in the next few years.

But there are exceptions. “One to One” is a song that not only has a flavor of his later compositions, a little more human empathy, but its reference to “Vegetarians Against the Klan” turned out to be prescient. In 1980 we thought it was a joke. Turns out, we still need Vegetarians Against The Klan. Ugh.

Listening again, I found the A side to be fun and all; the B side less inspiring. Not an album that brings back any deep or amazing memories, but they can’t all be.