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After charging through "One More Time," "Wild West," and "You Can't GetWhat You Want (Until You Know What You Want)" at a punishing clip, one mightexpect the soft-spoken Joe Jackson to shift to a lower gear. Instead, theone-time musical prodigy, pub band pioneer, and now eclectic composerrevisits one of his even faster, earlier hits, "On Your Radio." If mostperformers risk monotony with such a move, Jackson's quiet charisma in this1986 performance encourages pleasurable surrender and, in his more maturematerial, careful attention to his uniquely marbled tones, rhythms, andcolors. Steeped in the influences of swing, Latin music, classical composition,and melodic balladry, Jackson is full of mix-and-match surprises, such as adelicate re-imagining of "Steppin' Out" and a growling, funky "Soul Kiss." Thisis a pure delight, from start to finish. Special features could be more special,however: a Jackson discography would have made sense with such a far-reachingplaylist. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great snapshot of a genius composer
This concert was filmed during a tour supporting one of my very favorite Joe Jackson albums - "Big World." It was actually the first JJ cassette (showing my age here!) I ever bought. I got it at a national retail chain for [money amount]! But I've loved it ever since and it fostered what would become a strong affection for the man's music. Being a songwriter myself, the "Big World" album was very much like the things I writing for my own band at the time, I felt I'd discovered a kindred spirit in Joe's music. Unfortunately, "Big World" was not a huge success in the U.S., so for years, I've spent a fortune acquiring import CDs (and wearing them out, having to buy more), never dreaming that I would ever have the opportunity to see any footage from this tour.

Well, it's not just footage. It's an entire show, unedited and complete. Many of the songs from "Big World" were included, as well as all of Joe's hits of the time. Afficianados will enjoy the version of "Steppin' Out," which is similar to the one on Joe's live 2 CD set. At a slower, more melancholy pace, the song takes on a completely new atmosphere. The "Jumpin' Jive" medley, containing three songs culled from the album of the same name, is another treat. The reserved Japanese audience seems to please Joe to no end. They are attentive and appreciative, unlike the American and European audiences who insist upon whistling and caterwauling throughout performances. The combination of the tight band, incredible composition and respectful audience make this one of the most enjoyable concert films I've ever seen.

Another good thing about it is the quality of the production. It - thankfully - lacks the whole moving-camera-cinematic-effects that we've come to expect from concert films since the eighties. I have a wonderful Elton John DVD ("One Night Only") that is just beautiful, but the sweeping camera angles and economy of motion take all the realism away from the performance. With this DVD, you honestly get a sense of being there. The cameras (I think there are four angles altogether) focus with news-camera quality on the details of the sparse stage from the cups on Joe's piano to the pop-marks on Gary Burke's drums. The total effect is one of genuine credibility. It's as if you're sitting there yourself.

Get this now and enjoy it!

Great show! Wish the camera work and sound were better.
2 channel Dolby sound. That's all. But that doesn't make it a dealbreaker, though. It is rare nowadays to find Joe Jackson live video performances, and this is one of the better ones out there. Great playing from his 3-piece band, though if you've heard his double live album that features some tracks with a much larger band, you know what you're missing!
Read some of these other reviews of this disc. They are right on the mark. Good, fun concert, but not with the superior sound we DVD fanatics have been spoiled with.

Where's the rest?
A previous review indicates that this DVD incorporates a "complete" show. If that is the case, I wish Joe Jackson had videotaped a show from earlier in the "Big World" Tour. I caught the tour in Vancouver, where he played an unabridged "Cancer," a long, spacey "Chinatown" and a version of the then unreleased "Acropolis Now" that brought the roof down. I can't complain about the material he did record, but I wish I had a more complete memento of that wonderful tour.

At His Peak
The perverse Joe Jackson finally found the perfect audience in the typically inert Japanese. After all, he recorded the Big World album (from which this tour video comes) in front of an audience that wasn't allowed to clap until a few seconds after the songs were over.

While the sound quality isn't the greatest and the camera work is at times amateurish and stiff, Joe Jackson Live In Tokyo represents the artist at his peak. Big World is his best CD and is (for some reason) out of print. Here are great versions of Soul Kiss, Right & Wrong, Jet Set, and Survival found nowhere else.

From the LP to the CD, then the short laserdisc "The Big World Sessions" and now Live In Tokyo, I now have four documents of Joe Jackson circa 1986 and wouldn't have it any other way.

For Joe Jackson fans everywhere.

Great show, but DVD could be miles better
Joe Jackson Live in Tokyo has always been one of the better concert videos on the market. Rather than relying on special effects, the focus is on the performer and the songs - the presentation of which is straightforward. Though the between-songs banter is unusually subdued (because the comments are being translated for the Japanese audience by an offstage interpreter), the concert is presented in its entirety, without gimmicky editing or other visual tricks.

The emphasis here is on songs from the "Big World" album, but several other Joe Jackson favorites are also here, among them "You can't get what you want (till you know what you want)", "On your radio", a beautifully re-arranged "Steppin' out", and "Sunday papers" (renamed "Monday papers").

The performances are excellent throughout. Though the tour started out with Vinnie Zummo on guitar, Tom Teeley steps in and does a marvelous job; if you weren't aware of the mid-tour personnel change, you wouldn't even notice (and probably won't anyway - I don't, and I was at one of the earlier shows).

Overall, the DVD is pretty good, but two areas are in significant need of improvement. (1) The picture quality could be much better; lots of blockiness is evident in the darker areas of the screen, and is often distracting. (2) The audio could also be better. The PCM tracks are a bit harsh-sounding, and listening fatigue is likely should you have the volume cranked up at first; some of the upper midrange frequencies should have been attenuated slightly for a slightly warmer mix. The Dolby 2.0 tracks have a better overall sound, but the mix lacks the definition of the PCM tracks.

It's too bad that A&M/Universal didn't get the VideoArts Japan folks (who originally produced the video in the first place) to handle the DVD transfer; the results would have been much better.

On the other hand, for just a little bit more than the price of a CD, you get just under two hours of a fine concert by an often-overlooked artist. From that perspective, this disc shouldn't be missed. But don't get rid of that VHS copy just yet. ... Read more

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Joe Jackson's reputation as a sort of post-punk crooner comes across inthis 12-video collection from the decade of his heyday, 1979-1989. His firstvideos for the New Wave-ish tunes "I'm the Man" and "Different for Girls" arecharming in their primitive, pre-MTV style, while "Steppin' Out"--Jackson'sbiggest success, with a keyboard-based hook to die for--is a prime example of anearly '80s "concept video" without a real concept.Of the dozen videos on this collection, five of them are simply live performanceclips (including those for his other two hits, "Is She Really Going Out withHim" and "You Can't Get What You Want ('Til You Know What You Want)"), whichbegs the question of why complete concerts weren't released separately. Also,with the whole thing clocking in at a mere 50 minutes with absolutely no extras(no credits, chronology, or discography, and not even a 5.1 remix), only rabidJoe Jackson fans need apply. --Kevin Filipski ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A "Must Have" for Joe Jackson fans!
As a long time lover and follower of Jackson's musical career, I couldn't wait to own this one. He is not often seen on music video, but his performances are colorful. Nice balance of older to newer videos (from "I'm the Man" to "Blaze of Glory", basically a 10 year period--the "A&M years"). For even a casual Joe fan--BUY IT. For a fan to introduce others to Joe Jackson, I would recommend the "Live in Tokyo" DVD instead, as he is at his best in live performances rather than music video.

He's Still the Man!
This DVD is a lot of fun, and brings back some great memories. It is wonderful to see Gary, Dave and Graham strumming, pounding and plucking along to some of the best songs of the late Seventies "New Wave." If you love Joe Jackson as much as I do, buy it! The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because it isn't long enough.

Almost Perfect
What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't even aware that this was on DVD, but I snapped it up as soon as I did. I only have a few complaints: First, "Breaking Us In Two" is nowhere to be found on this DVD. Second, it appears to have been mastered from an NTSC conversion of the original PAL footage, so there is some "dot-crawl" noticeable in some of the video panning. Since this is a Region 0 DVD (or so I've been told), I'm wondering why they didn't master it from the PAL originals. Oh well, small complaints. While I'm still disgruntled that there are no serious various-artist DVD video compilations from the 80s, I'm happy to find what I can, when I can. This one's a keeper.

Not Just Another Pretty Face
For Joe Jackson fans, this DVD is an essential purchase. Joe Jackson's concept videos are very rare, and they're all collected here. The best of these, and the most recognizable, is "Steppin' Out." Joe is in a posh hotel room, composing a song at the piano. The maid is cleaning in the next room. She takes an evening gown out of the closet and clutches it to her, dreaming of a night on the town. Scenes of New York City are interspersed with Joe playing piano in a ballroom, the maid now wearing the gown and dancing with the man of her dreams. In the concept video for "Nineteen Forever, " Joe Jackson is made up as an elderly man, looking through old photographs. At one point, he looks through a peephole in the wall and sees himself on stage as a teenager, wearing a wig and an Elvis-style gold suit, with a trio of plump ladies singing backup. The visual style reminds me of the movie "Eraserhead," and yet this video manages to make sense!

Of the live songs, I like the acapella version of "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" the best. The vocals and arrangement are unique and sound great. Both "Hometown" and "Right And Wrong" are live versions originally found on the video "The Big World Sessions." Sorry to say, that video is now out of print. "You Can't Get What You Want ('Til You Know What You Want)" is the only live version duplicated on the "Live In Tokyo" video, which was recently released on DVD. Add in some early live performances and a few more concept videos unavailable elsewhere, and you have a highly collectible Joe Jackson DVD.

You won't see these videos on MTV or VH-1
"Steppin' Out-The Videos" sounds like raw deal; ...for 50 minutes of material. This DVD has no bell or whistles. It's essentially the same as the VHS edition. But since the VHS edition is out of print, you're stuck with the DVD. The videos from Joe Jackson's early years are actual videos--crude, low-budget productions. Vids like "I'm the Man" (taped in what looks like the streets around Covent Garden in London) and "Mad at You" capture the spirit of very early 1980s music video. These two videos, despite their grainy, crude quality, are fun to watch. "I'm the Man" and "Mad at You" seem less contrived than "Steppin' Out," a skin-deep concept video. The nighttime shots of 1982 Manhattan are sort of nostalgic (e.g. the Pan Am building, the Citicorp Center, 60s style crosswalk signs, an old FDNY ambulance). The storyline--of a hotel maid dreaming of a night on the town with a handsome guy--is pretty dumb. The best video is "Down to London." This is the rare case where the video (scences from a working class London pub interspersed with shots of a chic sushi bar and Piccadilly Circus), is actually better than the song. The rest of the video contains mostly live filler. I recommend "Steppin' Out-The Videos" on the sole basis of "I'm the Man," "Mad at You," and "Down to London." The rest is [no good]. And the video for "Steppin' Out" will surely disappoint. Buy the DVD just to see how bad it is (and to image how brilliant it could have been). ... Read more

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Joe Jackson's 25th Anniversary concert special is as delightful and surprising as the eclectic composer-performer's earlier Live in Tokyo. Despite the mood of career celebration, the live show looks like just another day at work for Jackson, who is less interested in reviving note-for-note old hits as in freshly re-arranging and re-discovering the soul of his repertoire. Witness the sinewy, funky enchantment of "Another World"; it's as if one is hearing this through-the-looking-glass tune anew. "Real Men" is built around an unlikely alliance of folk dirge and clipped, rhythmic energy--it's classic Jackson, pulling flavors from different menus and awakening the audience to an old song's perpetual immediacy. Even the chestnut "Is She Really Going Out with Him" playfully checks the original's pity-party petulance with an elegant Latin purr, while Jackson's percussion-heavy band makes one see steam rising from "Hell of a Town" and "Just Because." Highly recommended, and not just for Jackson cultists. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Don't let them put you off
Frankly I'm not sure what some of these reviewers are on about... I'm only glad I didn't let them deter me from buying this dvd.

artistically driven
I believe the artistic way the DVD was filmed and the cut to interviews gave us an understanding of Joe and his brillance as an musical artist. Great show!!! I loved it.

big disappointment
Sorry, this isn't really a concert, it's some songs interupted by interviews. There's barely a complete song on the whole DVD. The interviews are actually very interesting. Joe Jackson is one of those people who never settles into a rut. I always like to hear his opinions, he's a real free thinker. I just wish there were some complete songs on this DVD. Also, the recording quality of this DVD is almost poor. All I can figure is that the recording companies are afraid that if the DVD is too good, people won't but the cds. I have a couple "live" DVDs where all the songs are interupted by interviews. I saw one show from this tour and the sound was just stunning. I think Joe must put a lot of effort into rehearsing and getting his sound "just right" for live shows. Too bad that more of his music didn't make it to this DVD.

This could have been a better DVD
I'am a big Joe Jackson fan, and I saw him on tour 6 times. This DVD is good, because it contains an interesting interview with JJ, because it has a section with The Man himself reading a chapter of his book "A cure for gravity", and because the "Nigh and day II" songs are well played.

Unfortunately, on the musical side, this DVD contains only part of a show and not all the songs are equally well arranged. The musicians are really good, (expecially the delightful Allison Cornell, which is a talented artist), but there are songs that heavily suffer from the lack of a guitar in the group (expecially "You can't get what you want"). The "night and day II" songs are well played (astounding the vocals from Allison on "Glamour and pain") but the other (few) songs are not arranged in their best form.

I think that, given the huge JJ production along the years, this DVD has too much missing material.

Besides that, the continuous sound of percussions (not a Sue Adjoupulous fault, obviously) gives each song a very similar flavour (even where it isn't fitting, like on "Real men"), and this is a little annoyng.

I am glad to hear that JJ is now on the road with a drum/bass/guitar/piano line-up.

So .. if you already know Joe Jackson this DVD is for you, but if you are new to the man try the "Live in Tokyo" tour(VHS or DVD) or the "Laughter and lust" tour (VHS), instead of this.

[Living in Europe I have a complaint to do: why the DVD "Live in Tokyo" from the "Big world" tour is not out coded for region 2, too?]

Why is this so bad?
This is just an awful DVD. For starters, the sound quality is inexcusable and represents absolutely no production care or effort whatsoever - think bootleg quality (one fave part of mine takes place in the second verse of Real Man when Jackson is playing the piano and you hear all band and absolutely no piano, none). If that weren't enough, the video quality is inconsistent and poor. Finally, the content is so limited that in the end you're sure that you've ended up with the salvaged parts of a failed production effort; one which should have been scrapped.

I saw this tour in San Francisco and thought it was mediocre to begin with. I was prejudiced though: One year prior I saw Jackson at the Bottom Line in New York where he played only with Burke and Maby, parked his butt behind a piano, and gave one of the best live performances I've ever seen (that mini-tour is captured on the Summer In The City:Live In New York CD).

A concert on DVD can be nothing short of spectacular: James Taylor's Live From the Beacon, Dave Matthews Band's Listener Supported, and many others take full advantage of this incredible medium to use unprecedented sound and video quality to create a truly unique experience for the viewer. Why then are there so many horrible concert DVDs? Because some concert DVDs are about a process dedicated to capturing the live experience and therefore consider elements such as appropriate equipment, great sound production, video production, lighting, direction, editing, mastering, and other things which cost money. Other DVDs are just about getting the artist onto a DVD as cheaply as possible to make some quick cash. Nobody is asking for producers to break out Scorcese and crank out another Last Waltz, but if anyone thinks consumers aren't going to see through the process of showing up midtour and filming a few nights of a band's performance without further forethought or preparation, well then, they're just wrong.

(...) ... Read more