Great CD, but NOT a 25th Anniversary Live CD!
Glen Arndt | Allentown, NJ USA | 01/30/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"First off, this is a great CD, and if you don't have it...it's worth getting. What's irritating is that it's being sold as a "25th Anniversary Live" CD which would imply a live CD recorded during the tour last Fall. It's not. It's a repackage of the same CD Joe made available through his website a few years ago. Same CD, different label and new cover art."
Not his best outing, but OK for the Joe Jackson completist
fair_deal_guy | Prior Lake, MN USA | 04/23/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Anybody who saw Joe Jackson live on his 25th Anniversary/Volume 4 tour realizes how vital and significant his live performances are. This album, previously available on his web site, is merely OK. It is a marginal recording, and the music lacks the incredible punch and power of the original Joe Jackson Band (which he toured with last year). Since there are better live JJ recordings out there, give this one a pass and buy a genuinely GREAT CD: JJ Live 1980/86. Now THAT is a live album!"
Previously available only through Joe's website...
Stephen Cabral | New England | 12/04/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a live CD that was previously available only through Joe's website. It's a seven piece band with two percussionists and two strings (violin & cello) so there is a heavy emphasis on those instruments and less of the rockin' Joe Jackson you might expect. The songs have been rearranged to fit the sound of these instruments as well. It's not a greatest hits but it does have a few along with a nice selection of album cuts. Of the 14 tracks my personal favorites are "Another World" (with some great bass playing by the immortal Graham Maby), "Is She Really Going Out With Him", "Real Men" and a decent version of "Slow Song" but the best of all is his very nice update of "Hometown" from the Big World album. Overall a pretty good album but it's strictly for hardcore Jackson fans."