Post by Pete70s on Mar 17, 2007 11:44:19 GMT -5
I'll probably kick myself later for not doing an Irish artist, in honor of St. Patrick's Day. But who is there other than U2, Van Morrison and Sinead O'Connor?
Anyway, I came up with a perfect idea for a (non-Irish) contender to profile, and had to do it right away! So here he is:
Joe Jackson
Like Robert Palmer and Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson came out of England in the late 70's, first charting at the height of Disco's popularity with an ever-changing style that would make him uncategorizable. Unlike Palmer and Costello, though, Joe never did a video that would make him an MTV icon, or be the critics darling that would make him a Hall Of Famer.
What Joe Jackson did, though, was consistantly make good records throughout the 80's, always adding new influences to his style. He flirted with punk on "I'm The Man", new wave on "Look Sharp", swing on "Jumpin' Jive", slick adult comtemporary jazz on "Night & Day" (which spawned the massive hits "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us In Two"), world music and jazz on "Body and Soul" (which featured his last top 40 hit, "You Can't Get What You Want ('Til You Know What You Want)"), and straight ahead rock with "Right and Wrong". He would later do classical music in the '90s, recieving a Grammy award for "Symphony No. 1".
David Ian Jackson was born in England in 1954 and would study composition at London's Royal Academy of Music. Wanting to move in a more pop/rock style, he signed with A&M records in 1979, and immediately had a hit with "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" His appearance was more of a throwback to crooners such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, which may have hurt his marketability somewhat in the age of New Wave.
By 1985, however, the hits had dried up, but Joe would continue to record music, exploring various styles, to this day.
Unfortunately, today he is not as remembered or revered as his contemporaries. I used to have a joke when I worked in a CD store, "Hey, look! Micheal Jackson's DAD made albums!!.. And he's WHITE!!!" Sadly, though, the name "Joe Jackson" today conjures up images of the abusive patriarch of the Jackson family, rather than the talented artist who was a radio staple throughout MTV's formative years.
Anyway, I came up with a perfect idea for a (non-Irish) contender to profile, and had to do it right away! So here he is:
Joe Jackson
Like Robert Palmer and Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson came out of England in the late 70's, first charting at the height of Disco's popularity with an ever-changing style that would make him uncategorizable. Unlike Palmer and Costello, though, Joe never did a video that would make him an MTV icon, or be the critics darling that would make him a Hall Of Famer.
What Joe Jackson did, though, was consistantly make good records throughout the 80's, always adding new influences to his style. He flirted with punk on "I'm The Man", new wave on "Look Sharp", swing on "Jumpin' Jive", slick adult comtemporary jazz on "Night & Day" (which spawned the massive hits "Steppin' Out" and "Breaking Us In Two"), world music and jazz on "Body and Soul" (which featured his last top 40 hit, "You Can't Get What You Want ('Til You Know What You Want)"), and straight ahead rock with "Right and Wrong". He would later do classical music in the '90s, recieving a Grammy award for "Symphony No. 1".
David Ian Jackson was born in England in 1954 and would study composition at London's Royal Academy of Music. Wanting to move in a more pop/rock style, he signed with A&M records in 1979, and immediately had a hit with "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" His appearance was more of a throwback to crooners such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, which may have hurt his marketability somewhat in the age of New Wave.
By 1985, however, the hits had dried up, but Joe would continue to record music, exploring various styles, to this day.
Unfortunately, today he is not as remembered or revered as his contemporaries. I used to have a joke when I worked in a CD store, "Hey, look! Micheal Jackson's DAD made albums!!.. And he's WHITE!!!" Sadly, though, the name "Joe Jackson" today conjures up images of the abusive patriarch of the Jackson family, rather than the talented artist who was a radio staple throughout MTV's formative years.
