I loved it. It really captured the essence of the British music hall style right down to the Cockney accent. It almost felt like a musical/concept album and one listen was not enough. A brilliant album from a most brilliant and beloved performer!
LIstened to it 3 times. I am really fascinated by Joe Jackson ability to write, arrange and perform music in such a different style. I think that this album is a real gem that is going to grow (like Jumping Jive) and I cannot wait to see it performed live.
I really hadn't picked up on the found songs being fiction. On one hand that bums me out but on the other that's an amazing facet to this experiment of his. Great review, I immediately turned What a Racket back on for yet another listen!
Thanks for featuring a review of Joe’s latest obsession. I find this release to be similar in scope to Joe’s The Duke album, which features his own interpretations of Duke Ellington’s compositions. I enjoyed The Duke upon release but no longer find myself going back for a listen. I’ve listened to the various tracks of Max Champion and find that I did not care for it. Joe serves himself first before the audience and pursues projects that appeal to his sense of musical creativity. That’s great. But not necessarily great for his fan base. Joe is aging, like the rest of us, and I do believe the heyday of his contribution to pop music has, by now, come and gone. What’s left are his own infatuations with music from a bygone era. Nothing wrong but he’s not going to attract a new fan base with this. Maybe Joe could care less. I’m more curious about the Stocker soundtrack Joe composed and would welcome a listen.
I totally agree with your observation about JJ putting his own preferences before his audience’s… The impression I have is that he tried one last time in Laughter & Lust to make an audience-friendly pop album, and when it didn’t hit it big, he pretty much gave up trying to please “the masses.” I’m lucky in that the Venn diagram of what I think is good music and what JJ thinks is good music has a large overlap, so I always look forward to his curve balls. They don’t always connect with me (like The Duke, which is my least favorite of his albums), but I still enjoy his willingness to put his own preferences first.
I believe the most sincere and dedicated artist creates the very best art he or she can, without regard to how well it may be received or whether it will appease any particular audience or fan-base. In this sense, Joe Jackson is as true an artist as anyone could ever hope to find. Most musicians don’t have anywhere near Joe’s talent and ability and are extremely limited in their output, (even though their output may be extremely popular and lucrative). There are also artists who create unique and challenging music, but they cave in to pressure from their record companies to stick with material that is more likely to produce sales. Joe once said in an interview that if he ever releases something that turns out to be a hit, it’s purely by accident. For his sake, I sincerely hope Joe has many more accidents. -Jeff
Appreciate your review of this! I was struggling with this album, the first of JJ's I didn't buy outright (partly as I wasn't a fan of Fool or FFwd and I was dubious of this concept), but your insights gave me more appreciation for it. Where would this sit in your overall ranking of JJ's albums?
That’s hard to say, partly because the album is so new, but mostly because it is so different. I don’t think it’ll end up being an album I come back to time and time again, but I do think it is a good album… I think, first, that I’d cut Mike’s Murder out (it’s a soundtrack, and I only included it to fill out the list to an even 20 albums), and then slot this album in around Rain, so it’s either at 16 or 17. I think.
Hi Nick. Many years ago Joe Jackson was on a radio show and talked about his love of David Bowie and how every Bowie album was different. This explains this album and the last 30 years of Joe's career! I'll listen to a few songs on Spotify but I won't be buying this. Not least because despite being a Londoner I have an aversion to mock cockney music hall. To be honest I've been disappointed with Joe too many times over the years to invest money in his albums. I will pay money to see him live as he is one of the best live acts I have seen. I was looking forward to your review of this as I found your career review a few weeks back for which I am preparing a lengthy comment. Take care,
I completely understand that a lot of folks aren’t going to just love this album. It took me a couple listens to finally get what everybody else probably gets immediately-that the music hall stuff is the means, not the end. I think I’d put this album up there with Will Power and Symphony No. 1 as albums that are enough of a departure that even staunch fans aren’t necessarily along for the ride.
@@LordGreystoke Hi Lord Greystoke. The spell for me began to be broken with Big World. Blaze of Glory I truly hated, and Laughter and Lust was ok in parts. At that point I decided not to collect his work. I do have some of the more recent albums. The one album I did get rid of was Blaze of Glory, I thought it was cliche ridden and embarrassing. Joe's habit of deciding he doesn't like some of his old albums I find insulting. For example I think Body and Soul is an album by a great talent and you can play Loisaida as you take my coffin into my funeral, but no, Joe says he doesn't like that album anymore. Even in his early days Joe seemed to have a unhealthy dislike for his audience and that seems to continue. However, he has given me a great deal of pleasure. I recommend A Cure for Gravity, a great book and should be read by any music fan through it I discovered I had a lot more in common with Joe, than just a name. No I'm not related.
I loved it, different yes, but isn't that what endears us to him. It took awhile to figure out that Joe was Max. There was a hint of it in the Sing You Sinners tour, I LOVED that part of the concert and that was where he seemed the most animated and enjoying himself on stage. Looking forward to seeing it in Santa Fe in June. That's the closest it will be to TX. Bless his heart I'm sure Texas in June is too brutal for him.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that he’ll do another swing through the States and hit SOMEWHERE in Texas… The last time I saw him was in San Antonio, and that date was added late toward the end of that tour, so my fingers are crossed!
Although it’s music hall style, if you listen carefully, the lyrics apply to current events/atmosphere. It is VERY typical of Joe to thinly veil societal commentary within his music. I also have to wonder if, overall, his choice to go back to this “antiquated” music style isn’t speaking to how society is, in many instances, seeming to go backwards- looking toward the “good old days”.
![Joe Jackson [Max Champion tour] @ Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles 06-25-24](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OawcI0ptU54/mqdefault.jpg)
![Joe Jackson [Max Champion tour] @ Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles 06-25-24](/img/tr.png)
I loved it. It really captured the essence of the British music hall style right down to the Cockney accent. It almost felt like a musical/concept album and one listen was not enough. A brilliant album from a most brilliant and beloved performer!
LIstened to it 3 times. I am really fascinated by Joe Jackson ability to write, arrange and perform music in such a different style. I think that this album is a real gem that is going to grow (like Jumping Jive) and I cannot wait to see it performed live.
I really hadn't picked up on the found songs being fiction. On one hand that bums me out but on the other that's an amazing facet to this experiment of his. Great review, I immediately turned What a Racket back on for yet another listen!
I was a dingus looking for Max Champion in Google for a days then to realize he's a fictional character😂
Great album !
Thanks for featuring a review of Joe’s latest obsession. I find this release to be similar in scope to Joe’s The Duke album, which features his own interpretations of Duke Ellington’s compositions. I enjoyed The Duke upon release but no longer find myself going back for a listen. I’ve listened to the various tracks of Max Champion and find that I did not care for it. Joe serves himself first before the audience and pursues projects that appeal to his sense of musical creativity. That’s great. But not necessarily great for his fan base. Joe is aging, like the rest of us, and I do believe the heyday of his contribution to pop music has, by now, come and gone. What’s left are his own infatuations with music from a bygone era. Nothing wrong but he’s not going to attract a new fan base with this. Maybe Joe could care less. I’m more curious about the Stocker soundtrack Joe composed and would welcome a listen.
I totally agree with your observation about JJ putting his own preferences before his audience’s… The impression I have is that he tried one last time in Laughter & Lust to make an audience-friendly pop album, and when it didn’t hit it big, he pretty much gave up trying to please “the masses.” I’m lucky in that the Venn diagram of what I think is good music and what JJ thinks is good music has a large overlap, so I always look forward to his curve balls. They don’t always connect with me (like The Duke, which is my least favorite of his albums), but I still enjoy his willingness to put his own preferences first.
I believe the most sincere and dedicated artist creates the very best art he or she can, without regard to how well it may be received or whether it will appease any particular audience or fan-base. In this sense, Joe Jackson is as true an artist as anyone could ever hope to find. Most musicians don’t have anywhere near Joe’s talent and ability and are extremely limited in their output, (even though their output may be extremely popular and lucrative). There are also artists who create unique and challenging music, but they cave in to pressure from their record companies to stick with material that is more likely to produce sales. Joe once said in an interview that if he ever releases something that turns out to be a hit, it’s purely by accident. For his sake, I sincerely hope Joe has many more accidents. -Jeff
Appreciate your review of this! I was struggling with this album, the first of JJ's I didn't buy outright (partly as I wasn't a fan of Fool or FFwd and I was dubious of this concept), but your insights gave me more appreciation for it. Where would this sit in your overall ranking of JJ's albums?
That’s hard to say, partly because the album is so new, but mostly because it is so different. I don’t think it’ll end up being an album I come back to time and time again, but I do think it is a good album… I think, first, that I’d cut Mike’s Murder out (it’s a soundtrack, and I only included it to fill out the list to an even 20 albums), and then slot this album in around Rain, so it’s either at 16 or 17. I think.
Hi Nick. Many years ago Joe Jackson was on a radio show and talked about his love of David Bowie and how every Bowie album was different. This explains this album and the last 30 years of Joe's career! I'll listen to a few songs on Spotify but I won't be buying this. Not least because despite being a Londoner I have an aversion to mock cockney music hall. To be honest I've been disappointed with Joe too many times over the years to invest money in his albums. I will pay money to see him live as he is one of the best live acts I have seen.
I was looking forward to your review of this as I found your career review a few weeks back for which I am preparing a lengthy comment.
Take care,
I completely understand that a lot of folks aren’t going to just love this album. It took me a couple listens to finally get what everybody else probably gets immediately-that the music hall stuff is the means, not the end. I think I’d put this album up there with Will Power and Symphony No. 1 as albums that are enough of a departure that even staunch fans aren’t necessarily along for the ride.
Buying a disappointing Joe Jackson album is like accidentally buying the wrong flavor of Hagen Daas.
What JJ albums have disappointed you?
@@LordGreystoke Hi Lord Greystoke. The spell for me began to be broken with Big World. Blaze of Glory I truly hated, and Laughter and Lust was ok in parts. At that point I decided not to collect his work. I do have some of the more recent albums. The one album I did get rid of was Blaze of Glory, I thought it was cliche ridden and embarrassing. Joe's habit of deciding he doesn't like some of his old albums I find insulting. For example I think Body and Soul is an album by a great talent and you can play Loisaida as you take my coffin into my funeral, but no, Joe says he doesn't like that album anymore. Even in his early days Joe seemed to have a unhealthy dislike for his audience and that seems to continue. However, he has given me a great deal of pleasure. I recommend A Cure for Gravity, a great book and should be read by any music fan through it I discovered I had a lot more in common with Joe, than just a name. No I'm not related.
I loved it, different yes, but isn't that what endears us to him. It took awhile to figure out that Joe was Max. There was a hint of it in the Sing You Sinners tour, I LOVED that part of the concert and that was where he seemed the most animated and enjoying himself on stage. Looking forward to seeing it in Santa Fe in June. That's the closest it will be to TX. Bless his heart I'm sure Texas in June is too brutal for him.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that he’ll do another swing through the States and hit SOMEWHERE in Texas… The last time I saw him was in San Antonio, and that date was added late toward the end of that tour, so my fingers are crossed!
Although it’s music hall style, if you listen carefully, the lyrics apply to current events/atmosphere. It is VERY typical of Joe to thinly veil societal commentary within his music. I also have to wonder if, overall, his choice to go back to this “antiquated” music style isn’t speaking to how society is, in many instances, seeming to go backwards- looking toward the “good old days”.