Steppin' Out: The Very Best Of Joe Jackson CD

Recorded between 1979 & 1991. Includes liner notes by Scott Schnider.

In the late 1970s/early '80s, Joe Jackson was one of the quintessential "angry young men" of New Wave, who brought skinny ties and chip-on-shoulder sentiments to rock & roll with a surfeit of verve. Along with Elvis Costello and Graham Parker (and less-famous names like Tom Dickie and D.L. Byron), Jackson married the urgency of full-on rock & roll to the personal perspective and literary sensibility of the singer/songwriter, as documented on his definitive anthology, the double-disc STEPPIN' OUT: THE VERY BEST OF JOE JACKSON.

Matched only by Costello for mercurial eclecticism, Jackson successfully flitted from style to style throughout his career, even though he might have lost some of his core following along the way. One can easily discern his evolution over the course of this collection. The frenetic, punk-inflected "Got the Time" and "I'm the Man" give way to the jump blues of "Jumpin' Jive" and the grand piano balladry of "A Slow Song." Disc Two finds Jackson at his most satisfyingly expansive on such early-'80s cuts as "Another World" and the title tune. And if the latter-day songs meander slightly, it's just further evidence that Jackson was ever the artistic seeker, who never settled into a rut and never stopped looking for new modes of expression.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

2 Cds. 38 Tracks, Incl. Post A & M Years

Compilation producer: Mike Ragogna.

Engineers include: Norman Mighell, Dan Gellert.

Personnel: Joe Jackson (vocals, harmonica, accordion, melodica, piano, celesta, keyboards, vibraphone, xylophone, cymbals, tom tom, bells); Tom Teeley, Rick Ford, Vinnie Zummo (vocals, guitar); Sue Hadjopoulas (vocals, flute, xylophone, congas, bongos, timbales, percussion); Joy Askew (vocals, keyboards); Graham Maby (vocals, percussion); Drew Barfield, Curtis Rance King, Jr., Ellen Foley, Al Weisman, Nikki Gregoroff, Pete Hewlett, Elaine Caswell (vocals); Gary Sanford, Ted Leonard (guitar); Ed Roynesdal (violin, vibraphone); Todd Reynolds , Mary Rowell (violin); Dorothy Lawson (cello); Tony Aiello (flute, saxophone); Dave Biteli (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Chris Hunter, Steve Elson (alto saxophone); Michael Morreale (trumpet, flugelhorn); Tony Barrero (trumpet); Charlie Gordon, Annie Whitehead (trombone); Nick Weldon (piano); Larry Tolfree (drums, timbales, percussion); Jim Skiathethis, Gary Burke, Dan Hickey (drums).

Liner Note Authors: Simon King; Scott Schinder.

Photographers: Charles Reilly; Greg Gorman; Tim White ; Lawrence Watson; Laura Levine.

Arranger: Joe Jackson.

Personnel includes: Joe Jackson (vocals, harmonica, accordion, melodica, alto saxophone, celeste, synthesizer, vibraphone, xylophone, percussion, cymbals, bells, programming, sequencing); Rick Ford (guitar, bass, background vocals); Vinnie Zummo, Tom Teeley (guitar, background vocals); Gary Sanford, Ted Leonard (guitar); Ed Roynedal (violin, vibraphone, programming); Mary Rowell, Todd Reynolds (violin); Ralph Ferris (viola); Dorothy Lawson (cello); Tony Aiello (flute, saxophone); Sue Hadjopoulos (flute, xylophone, bongos, congas, timbales, percussion, bells, background vocals); Dave Bitelli (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Pete Thomas, Chris Hunter, Steve Elson (alto saxophone); Michael Morreale (trumpet, flugelhorn); Raul Oliviera (trumpet); Charlie Gordon (trombone).

Producers include: Joe Jackson, David Kershenbaum, Ed Roynedal, Dan Gellert.