Growing up in the late 70's and 80's was different then it is now. I mean way different. I took a class at college about the 80's. I happened be the only one that actually knew the 80's because I lived it. While most of my classmates were conceived in the 80's I was seven years old at the start of it. It was a funny class because everyone asked me all the time "What was like to be a 80's child?" The teacher mention all the inventions of the 80's and I of course laughed because I bought most of these products. Some of these products were CD's, Walkman, Personal Computer, Hairspray (and lots of it) MTV or cable for that matter. Everything that we talked about I had. The class was okay, but I really took the class to find out what I missed or the history of the 80's minus the pop culture stuff that I lived through.
We had a project assigned to us and of course we had "The Dream Team" group. I had a few of my friends get together and we choose music. We did not talk about the music that made the 80's, we talked about the stuff that was below the music of the 80's. This included Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, New York Downtown scene, Jazz, Rap, and other things. In the group we talked about all the Punk and New Wave stuff too. We let the other music group talk about the Power Ballads, the Michael Jackson, the Heavy Metal, and the stuff all of us remember the 80's for.
When we were in our study groups I talked about and the stuff I liked in the 80's. This included Joe Jackson. When I mentioned his name to the group one person laughed at me the other two just scratched their heads. I told him he was like a Cole Porter or Gershwin of the 80's. He had real instruments and played real music. He had some great song writing. He was New Wave and cool. Had strong songwriting and was an equal to Elvis Costello. For me Joe Jackson was some of the first stuff I heard growing up. My best friend was a huge fan. He had all his records and when he would pick me up from school he would blast Joe Jackson all the time and ask me to sing along. It was fun and a memory I will always love in my early life growing up.
The other day I was listening to the radio in the car and some guy played Joe Jackson. It was from this very album Night and Day. It was so exciting to hear it again after a long break. What makes night and day so special is that it's full of real music. There is no "power ballad" or corny love song. It's straight forward and fun. It just brings me back when real music was just that real.
Joe Jackson has put out some great albums too. This is not just one his album leading up to this album. The previous four are just as good. So try really something not 80's even though it is from 1982. Some of you know this stuff, others should listen and feel smart because you walk into a store and someone who is my age sees you looking at Joe Jackson. There might be a good conversation there. "When I was young in the early 80's I used to listen to Joe Jackson." Try it and enjoy! Classic all the way!
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Your first paragraph made me laugh since I was more or less 'fully-grown' when the 80s began. A college course in the 80s! That's hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I like your choice of 'Night and Day.' A fine album from an artist who seems to have been forgotten largely. Costello, Jackson and Graham Parker and a couple of others formed a late 70s-80s songwriting style that defined that decade for me. Now where did I put my Walkman and my TRS-80 computer? Maybe I'll throw an XTC album on the turntable and play a game of Pong or Space Invaders while I think about it. Or maybe I'll just fax my broker to buy some more shares of Digital Equipment Corp!
Night and Day is a classic. In my top 50 all time favorite albums. Oddly, at the time, when it was huge hit, I wasn't that into it. Not sure why, but years later I realized what a master Jackson is, and this this is his very best. Still play it all the time.
ReplyDeleteAKA/Rick