Big World (1986)
Joe’s 3-Sided Live Album
Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Joe Jackson was pitching his record company on a three-sided live album. A&M: So… you’re saying you want a double album? JOE: (don’t forget to read in Nigel Tufnel’s voice): No… this will be a three-sided album. A&M: There’s no such thing. JOE: Sure… it’s more than a single, and less than a double. It’s three sides. A&M: What goes on the 4th side? JOE: Are you daft? There is no 4th side. It’s three-sided! It’s better than a single and not as expensive as a double. A&M: Joe, we’ve got someone from production on the line to explain how records are… JOE: What is wrong with you people? Don’t you get it? It’s three sides! —- 32 minutes later —- JOE: … and I want it to be live, but I don’t want to hear the audience, so we’ll tell them to be quiet during the show. A&M: Excuse us Joe, when does your contract come up for renewal? ——– The All Music Guide calls this “one of the best and most overlooked records of Joe Jackson’s career.” Amazon.
Wild West (4:37)
Right and Wrong (4:35)
(It’s A) Big World (4:44)
Precious Time (3:23)
Tonight and Forever (2:31)
Shanghai Sky (5:10)
Fifty Dollar Love Affair (3:38)
We Can’t Live Together (5:25)
Forty Years (4:26)
Survival (2:19)
Soul Kiss (4:44)
The Jet Set (3:50)
Tango Atlantico (2:58)
Home Town (3:12)
Man in the Street (5:05)
28 Comments
This was actually the first JJ album I bought or heard all the way through (the year was 1986 and I was about to graduate HS), purchased on the strength of having heard “Right And Wrong” on the radio. It didn’t sound like anything else on the radio at the time, that’s for sure. Over the course of the next few months I gobbled up his entire ouevre.
Sadly, that might be where my interest in JJ peaked, as subsequent releases largely failed to inspire, at least on a full album basis. Every CD has 3-4 stellar tracks but there’s a lot of self-conscious IMPORTANT SERIOUS ARTIST stuff drowning it out. The stuff that mixtapes (and now, of course, ipod playlists) were created for. But, yes, I heartily agree, this is an often-overlooked highlight in Joe’s album career.
I saw Joe on this tour at Poplar Creek(a venue long-gone) in Chicago. “Right and Wrong”, “Wild West” and “Home Town” were the best with “Forty Years” being my favorite. I’ll also agree that this was Joe’s last real commercial-style venture. Thanks for posting this and all of the other interesting songs, movies and comments on your site. I always look forward to what you will have next.
Is there a download possibility for JJ? Thanks in advance
Completely agree with you – this is a great Joe Jackson album (and I’ve had it since it was released initially.
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Jackson was outrageously talented and, like Costello – who he stylistically emulated in the late 70s – I thought he’d go on to have a long, diverse, high-profile career. It wound up being long and diverse, just not high profile, which I always thought strange. But then… as much as I liked this album at the time (recorded live before a dead silent audience), I didn’t buy any of his albums after this one, either. I can’t even explain THAT.
Roland Kirk did it first
You gotta expect that kind of thinking from a guy who plays three horns at the same time.
It’s a very different album, but The Three Sided Dream in Audio Color sure got a lot of play in my apartment late at night.
I think Johnny Winter did the first 3 sided album (Second Winter)…of Jackson’s 3 sided wonder, I remember reading that they recorded it direct to a vinyl pressing they way they used to cut records (or something along those lines).
JP, you are not far off the mark, Jackson pre-mixed, so when the gig was recorded, it went straight to DAT (or whatever they used in those days) so it was a true digital recordingwith nothing added or taken away. The audience was asked not to applaud untill after the songs had finished.
Yeah it was tough to be a JJ fan after Big World.. He followed it up with the instrumental, semi classical Will Power (which I grew to like) and the Tucker Soundtrack. But you missed a full on classic if you never made it to Blaze of Glory – My personal favorite.
I think this is his best album, and I’m a huge fan…
Brilliant artist, great album, wonderful show. I caught the Big World Tour at the UniAmp in LA, and the t-shirt still hangs in my closet. “Laughter and Lust” was his next great album after “Big World,” in my estimation, although “Blaze” was certainly great, as well. I caught the Blaze of Glory Tour at the iconic Wiltern Theater -in which I had seen movies, as a boy, in LA. Sadly, “Laughter and Lust” did not make it to Phoenix, where I had relocated at the time. JJ does not seem to like Arizona much, but I did catch the Volume 4 Tour in a 1500-seat venue, the night before “Afterlife” was recorded. I knew every lyric, except for the then-new “Citizen Sane,” which he treated us to. His most recent album, “Rain,” is magnificent. One song, “Rush Across the Road,” to me, is what Mozart’s work would sound like, if he were around today, and writing in a modern idiom.
This is indeed a great album. I was at Radio City Music Hall for the live stop on this tour. However, I strongly disagree that it was JJ’s last good album. Laughter & Lust, night and Day II, Night Music, Vol 4, Heaven & Hell- all great music. Even his last studio work, Rain, had more than its share of above average tunes.
I wish they would re-release the video from this album on DVD – I think it only ever came out on VHS.
I love this album. By the way, this entry’s been posted as a link on Facebook by the Joe Jackson Band Facebook account. Just so you know.
Thanks. By the way, Johnny Winters 2nd album was a 3-sided album too, among a few others
Without a doubt, his best record. I have ‘em all and many are very good…
@MVP It is out on DVD. I have it!
http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Jackson-Live-Tokyo/dp/B00005RZPP?&linkCode=wey&tag=fothloofha-20
Wow… I didn’t realize this album was so loved. Thanks for all the comments and interaction.
I attended the rehearsal performance at the Roundabout Theater as a guest of one of the crew doing the video. The requests to be a silent audience were not as annoying as they might sound from the previous comments. This was the 3rd time I had seen Joe and this one was certainly the most interesting. The band was really tight, even though it was a rehearsal. From what I remember “Man In The Street” was the only performance used from the rehearsal takes. This album remains one of my favorites because of that sneak peek.
Cool.
I saw a pre-recording show in Philadelphia at a club called Pulsations. It was an amazing show and the band was really tight. Jackson explained exactly what he was expecting from us. The audience was asked to be quiet during the new songs so that they could determine the necessary levels to premix the songs and they could be properly recorded. After they had run through all the new songs, he did another set of hits and other favorites.
Dear Willard, Thanks for this great post. I can’t seem to find the link (or is there one?). And belated thanks for posting links to the Latin Playboys (stream) and the Zappa “cover” bands. best Lawrence
oh p.s.
And the Alan Price O’ Luck Man recordings; much appreciated!
Comment 5
I wuz blind but now can see. Thank you.
Great album but fyi, A&M was always very supportive of Joe, so nothing close to the humorous invented dialog happened. Besides, all the music fit nicely on a single CD, W.
Regardless, great share!
This album fell within a series of classic JJ releases – Night & Day, Mike’s Murder (soundtrack), Body and Soul, Big World and Blaze of Glory (omitting the orchestral Will Power). I agree subsequent albums were spotty but still offered gems for those willing to stick it out (i.e. “The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy” from Night Music). Anyone who hasn’t heard these albums owe it to themselves to give them a listen. Strong writing, playing, vocals and arrangements.