Read Review of Look Sharp! [Remaster] by Joe Jackson (Rock)
Review Summary
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Joe Jackson's Look Sharp!: Splendidly Smart and Sarcastic Pop
Jan 14 '04 (Updated Jan 14 '04)
Pros Wonderful lyrics, catchy melodies, and truly and outstanding classic pop album.
Cons .
The Bottom Line You call yourself a fan of alt-pop and you don't have Joe Jackson's masterpiece? BLASPHEMY!
Full Review
Considering the availability of new, quality indie/alt/college pop music today it is strange to think that back when Joe Jackson made his debut in 1979 he was one of but a few truly talented and rather quirky singer/songwriters making an impact in a scene all but overflowing with synthesized new wave, post-punk, left over disco dance, and arena rock.
Early in his career, the native Englander Jackson was forced to follow in the wingtipped and bespectacled footsteps of Elvis Costello. But he was restless and despite releasing a pair of classic albums (Look Sharp! And I’m Your Man), Jackson tweaked his resoundingly pop style. Jackson didn’t want to be known for being a pop songwriter and instead turned around and throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s released a string of increasingly more adventurous albums. From 1981’s big band-bop-swing Jumpin’ Jive to self indulgent “serious” music on Will Power (1987) he tried it all and never managed to equal his early career success.
What Joe Jackson gave the world on Look Sharp! is a collection of incredibly infectious pop tracks. While he wasn’t content to be a pop act, it is what he was clearly best at. His debut is often cited as his best album to date despite the fact that more than fifteen other works followed. Look Sharp! is a classic. The songs are timeless are reflected in many of the current alt-pop bands and artists who in turn owe a great deal to this oft overlooked pop maestro.
Don’t know Jackson’s music? Don’t be so sure.
Look Sharp! boasts a bevy of outstanding songs not the least of which is the classic hit Is She Really Going Out With Him?. You know it, you love it. You can’t help but groove along with the instantly recognizable melody. Sparse guitars and drums drive the song, not to mention sardonic lyrics. And then there’s the fact that (damn it all) Sugar Ray remade the song for their 2003 album. In any case, you know the words but just in case you’ve forgotten:
Is she really going out with him?
Is she really gonna take him home tonight?
Is she really going out with him?
'Cause if my eyes don't deceive me
There's something going wrong around here
Around here
I wouldn’t ever call Joe Jackson’s lyrics on Look Sharp! profound, but they are intelligent and often sarcastic—both important element to really great pop music. The excellence of this album goes far beyond that one incredible hit single. Happy Loving Couples is equally as catchy with a classic pop melody yanked from the Beatles book o’ how to write a great song. Upbeat and chipper without becoming irrelevant, it is definitely one of the best offerings here.
Also amazing is the chunk-chunking pop sparkler Sunday Papers--a comment on the world’s incomprehensively strange fascination with celebrity. Who needs to leave the house when you’ve got the Sunday Papers. This acerbic slant is what draws me to this album. On the surface, Jackson’s songs on Look Sharp! are usually upbeat and appealing. But listen to the words…
Sunday papers don't ask no questions
Sunday papers don't get no lies
Sunday papers don't raise objection
Sunday papers don't got no eyes
Fools in Love is sprinkled with a bit of reggae swagger which breaks this album up a bit. It is cool, smooth, and entertaining at the same time, but with that said Jackson (of course) once again relates the lyrics in a sarcastic manner and then relates it back to all of us. To him, it seems that all people in love are fools—but that love is inescapable despite the fact that he sees it as self-destructive behavior. He gives listeners something to ponder while entertaining them.
Other particularly notable songs on the original master of Look Sharp! include Got The Time, Pretty Girls and One More Time. But listen to the whole album—it’s worth the time and effort. This is intelligent, masterful pop of the rarest variety. It hasn’t aged a bit and even today feels like something that could have been released yesterday just as easily as twenty-five years ago.
Look Sharp! was remastered in 2001. The addition of Don’t Ask Me and You Got the Fever brings the track number to thirteen. Both songs are absolutely wonderful. The former is a kinetic pop-punk song that fits nicely into the lineup. You Got the Fever is also fine enough with a great melody, guitars, and piano. But it just doesn’t strike me in as positive a way as most of the other songs.
In any case, I can’t help but whole heartedly recommend Look Sharp! to all fans of 1980’s pop music. But not just that, I have to recommend Joe Jackson’s debut to those who appreciate current incarnations of indie and alt-pop. This is one of the places it started folks…
Rating: 5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. One More Time
02. Sunday Papers
03. Is She Really Going Out With Him?
04. Happy Loving Couples
05. Throw It Away
06. Baby Stick Around
07. Look Sharp!
08. Fools In Love
09. (Do The) Instant Mash
10. Pretty Girls
11. Got The Time
12. Don't Ask Me
13. You Got The Fever
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