BOTW: Joe Jackson (no, not the creepy one)

Joe Jackson, what to make of you?  Apparently Apple hates you because even though I have your 2-disc greatest hits on my iPod, iTunes doesn't even list you on the artist sort.  And thus, it has probably been 4 years since I've listened to you.  His early stuff is FAN-tastic.  I don't go deep tracks on him and I probably only like about 25% of his greatest hits (not really into anything he's done since 1982), but I think those songs are so good that I'll spend my BOTW on him.

English guy, moves to New York in the '70s, gets involved in the punk scene, but takes it a different direction by throwing in some ska and jazz elements, as well as some tremendous singing/songwriting chops.  His biggest song "Steppin' Out" is notably jazzy and seems to stand out like a one-hit wonder on MTV, but going back a couple of years to his debut album Look Sharp! you'll find a trove of gems like this one:

One More Time

So how'd I end up buying his Greatest Hits?  Pretty much on spec.  I remembered Steppin' Out and thought that was a pretty good song and vaguely remembered a couple of others, but it was listening to this song from the "200 Cigarettes" soundtrack that hooked me. (By the way, KILLER soundtrack...check out this song listing):

http://www.amazon.com/200-Cigarettes-Music-Motion-Picture/dp/B00000HZPX

Just one of the prettiest, saddest songs I've heard.

It's Different For Girls

I like a couple of his earlier, punkier songs better than Steppin' Out, but I think the song is pretty cool, as is the video.  I remember as a kid thinking it was pretty cool to have a piano player come out with a pop song, and it still is pretty cool with the piano playing with the driving synth.  And the video I think captures New York pretty well.

Steppin' Out