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Conosciuto ai più per il pop ultrasofisticato di "Night And Day", Joe Jackson cominciò la sua carriera solista con questo eclettico gioiello, uscito nel 1979 per la A&M sotto la felice produzione di David Kershenbaum, probabilmente una delle poche persone al mondo incapaci a pronunciare correttamente il proprio cognome.
Accostato, giustamente, al primo Costello, il Nostro non disdiceva digressioni ska, rockabilly e reggae (in dosi omeopatiche), attirandosi così oltre all'amirazione di numerosi pub-rockers, anche quella di chi consumava freneticamente i primi due Lp dei coevi Police.
Chiudono il quadro (musicale) alcune sonorità new wave, obbligatorie all'epoca, che rendono il disco frizzante ed attuale ancora oggi.
La varietà dell'opera è ben sintetizzata da canzoni come "One More Time", dal ritornello irresistibile, le ska "Fools In Love" e "Sundays Papers", la pseudo R&B "Baby Stick Around".
Gli estremi del cd sono da una parte le quasi-punk "Throw It Away" e "Got The Time" (l'apice del disco, rifattata successivamente, e bene!, dagli Antrax) e dall'altro la melodica "Is She Really Going Out With Him?", il singolo di Joe Jackson più gettonato nelle radio.
Le altre tracce, lontane comunque dalla mediocrità, hanno meno quarti di nobiltà.
In tempi come questi, dove la maggior parte dei gruppi si limita a coltivare più o meno bene il proprio orticello o a produrre interesanti ma indigesti crossover stilistici, è d'obbligo (ri)scoprire un'artista come Joe Jackson, uno dei migliori esponenti, insieme a Graham Parker e ai nomi sopracitati, di quello che potremmo denominare "art punk".
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 Sunday Papers (04:19)
Mother doesn't go out any more
Just sits at home and rolls her spastic eyes
But every weekend through the door
Come words of wisdom from the world outside
If you want to know about the bishop and the actress
If you want to know how to be a star
If you want to know about the stains on the mattress
You can read it in the Sunday papers, Sunday papers
Mother's wheelchair stays out in the hall
Why should she go out when the TV's on
Whatever moves beyond these walls
She'll know the facts when Sunday comes along
If you want to know about the man gone bonkers
If you want to know how to play guitar
If you want to know about any other suckers
You can read it in the Sunday papers, read it in the Sunday papers
Sunday papers don't ask no questions
Sunday papers don't get no lies
Sunday papers don't raise objections
Sunday papers ain't got no eyes
Brother's heading that way now I guess
He just read something made his face turn blue
Well I got nothing against the press
They wouldn't print it if it wasn't true
If you want to know about the gay politician
If you want to know how to drive your car
If you want to know about the new sex position
You can read it in the Sunday papers, read it in the Sunday papers
Sunday papers don't ask no questions
Sunday papers don't get no lies
Sunday papers don't raise objections
Sunday papers ain't got no eyes
Sunday papers don't ask no questions
Sunday papers don't get no lies
Sunday papers don't raise objections
Sunday papers ain't got no eyes
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Get your Sunday paper, get your Sunday paper, get your
Read all about it, Sunday papers
Get your Sunday paper, get your Sunday paper, get your
Read all about it, Sunday papers
07 Look Sharp! (03:22)
Big shot, tell you what
Tell me what goes on around here
Go on and get me in the corner
Smoke my cigarettes and drink my beer
Tell me that this world is no place for the weak
Then you can look me in the eye
And tell me if you see a trace of fear
You gotta look sharp
You gotta look sharp
And you gotta have no illusions
Just keep going your way looking over your shoulder
Okay, what you say
Tell me what they're wearing this year
Go on and laugh at me 'cause you don't see
That I got something going right here
Say I'm just a dreamer, say I'm just a kid
Well ace, shut your face
Maybe you will see or hear
You gotta look sharp
You gotta look sharp
And you gotta have no illusions
Just keep going your way looking over your shoulder
Big shot, thanks a lot
Gotta go, it's getting late
I got a date with my tailor now
Thanks for putting me so straight
Tell me how they robbed me blind on every street
But check your watch and wallet now
Before I go and you're too late
You gotta look sharp
You gotta look sharp
And you gotta have no illusions
Just keep going your way looking over your shoulder
Yeah
09 (Do the) Instant Mash (03:11)
In the supermarket there is music while you work
It drives you crazy, sends you screaming for the door
Work there for a year or two and you can't get to like it
I don't work in supermarkets anymore
It's so easy, it's so easy
Grab can, lift arm, stack can, turn around
It's so easy, it's so easy
Do the instant mash, do the instant mash
Do the instant mash, make an instant smash
Doin' the instant mash
In the Discorama there's a DJ tries to charm ya
They got flashin' lights to dance to if you're shy
Red for treble, green for bass, they're wired in sequence round the place
You wait till ten, then try take off your tie
It's so easy, it's so easy
Lift hand, flick wrist, drop hand, turn around
It's so easy, it's so easy
Do the instant mash, do the instant mash
Do the instant mash, make some instant cash
Doin' the instant mash
In the cinema tonight they sit and watch the robots fight
The human beings don't have much to say
Robots making lots of cash and all they eat is instant mash
Oh wouldn't you just love to be that way?
It's so easy, it's so easy
Heat it, beat it, eat it, turn around
It's so easy, it's so easy
Do the instant mash, do the instant mash
Do the instant mash, make an instant smash
Doin' the instant mash
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