He's the man

VH1 Classic once again gives me something to post about, something that feeds my new obsession with Joe Jackson.

Last night they showed a BBC Crown Jewels performance by Joe. Judging from the material, the band, and Joe's youthfulness, I'm guessing it's from the very early 80s. Watching this program gave me a new respect for just how good Joe Jackson and his band were back in the day (and still are, but in a different way). They blasted through songs from their first two albums, and played with an energy one can only find in punk rock concerts. If Joe were dressed differently, spiked his hair, wore ratty old clothes, he and his band might have been punks. I was just so awed by how much Joe put into his singing and performance. He sang with conviction, jumped around the stage, and even drank a little beer in between songs. His band mates played wonderfully, and it's a shame they aren't better known.

One song stood out for me: "I'm The Man." It's vicious, powerful, melodic, and sounds just as good as anything Elvis Costello and the Attractions have ever done. Here's a video of it from another show: