happy 52nd, indeed. Joe is a huge influence and a near-HOF songwriter in my book.

as a high schooler in '83, i tried to get scalped tickets for his Night & Day tour in Berkeley but couldn't afford the $35 they were asking. damn. but i did wander backstage somehow and, before i got kicked out, got to meet Graham Maby, who is the most consistantly excellent bass player/backup vocalist i've seen; in 5 or 6 shows i've attended over the years, he never once missed a note or sounded off. a true pro.

saw 'em Big World tour at the Greek in Berkeley. great show. during Right & Wrong, some guy in the audience paraded the aisles with home-lettered cardboard signs with slogans such as 'cartoons' and 'ideology'. big fun. 

saw Blaze of Glory tour. good album. Gary Burke's drum sound on that album is God.

saw Laughter & Lust tour. another good one, if a bit polished.

also checked the Night & Day II tour at Luther Burbank in Santa Rosa, with Sue Hadjopoulos on percussion and guy named Roberto Ramirez on drums; the sound and songs were heavily Latin-y, even downright wetback as some here would say.

saw the reunion band at the Fillmore a few years ago - showed up late looking for a scalper but someone GAVE me a ticket. free. yeehaw!

i like how he likes to rearrange older material; artists often screw it up or somehow suckify 'em, but Joe does it in a way that makes them very fresh but still really enjoyable. and i'll always remember him on the cover of CREEM magazine @ 1980, with the heading Joe Jackson - the geek speaks! :)

hard to beat the first 5 albums, Look Sharp is still an indispensable classic. that angry young man rock - mmmm. love him!

(Post Script: listened to him all day. thanks, Cassandra!)