By: Edward Neering / Translation: A.C. Grootveld
Concert in Groningen/the Netherlands on 17th march 2019
Joe Jackson is on his “Four decade Tour”, 40 years of this musical all rouder. From bassy new wave to jazz, to Latin without guitar, to musical tops with the albums Big World And Body And Soul, classical music (Will Power) airy pop music (Blaze of Glory/Laughter and Lust), film music (Mike’s Murder) to Night Music. From there back to the roots of New Wave in Volume 4. And finally attacking the 21 st century with the albums Rain, The Duke (ode to Duke Ellington), the magnificent Fast Forward album and now the new recent album Fool.
Another World follows. Wonderful, Doug Yowell’s bright strokes on drums. Jackson’s four men formation is the best he has ever had. Fabulously Absolute is live even better than recorded on Fool. Then the splendid Strange Land about getting lost,
feeling lost in the big city(New York). Next: the audience is misled, the intro seems a version of Fools in Love on the live album Summer in the City, but happens tobe the robust Real Men. From Stranger than Fiction and Cancer we go to Citizen Sane from
the album Rain, according to Jackson his favourite. In my opinion it was the least song of the performance and a lesser album. My advice would be to skip this song and replace it by A Place in the Rain from the Rain album. This would be a good combination with the well performed Wasted Time.
According to Joe life is Fucked Up without friends and humor. He lets us know in Friend Better. For me one of the highlights is the live version of Fool from his latest album . From Sunday Papers we come to the cover song Steely Dan’s King of the World. I wonder why Joe chose to sing a cover at his 40 th jubilee. He has a never ending supply of good and best songs. Another highlight of his performance is Ode to
Joy from Fast Forward followed by the energetic, punky I’m the Man. Also great lyrics “And if you think you’re imuum, I can sell you anything! from a safety pin to a porkpiehat”
The anticipated encore is the original version of Steppin Out with ythe drum-bassmachine. It is the first time Joe plays it live in the Original version. Second is Time from the Look Sharp album and third and last again Alchemy, now for closing down. It was a very good performance with may highlights and Citizen Sane as the low point.
I do not care for Graham Maby’s bass solos. They
interrupt the flow of the performance. By the way Maby is one of the best bassplayers on this globe.
On April 4 I will go ot the concert at Utrecht Tivoli/Vredenburg. Maybe A Place in
the Rain will be replaced by Citizen Sane.
Edward Neering
Setlist:
Alchemy (Fool)
One More Time (look Sharp)
Is She really Going out with him (Look Sharp)
Another World (Night and Day)
Fabulously Absolute (Fool)
Strange land (Fool)
Stranger than Fiction (Laughter and lust)
Real Men (Night and Day)
Cancer (Night and Day)
Citizen Sane (Rain)
Wasted Time (Rain)
Friend Better (Fool)
Fool (Fool)
Sunday Papers (look Sharp)
King of the World (cover Steely Dan)
Can”t get what you want (Body and Soul)
Ode to Joy ( Fast Forward)
I’m the Man (I’m the Man)
encore:
Steppin out (Night and Day)
Time (look Sharp)
Alchemy (Fool)
