Summer in the City: Live in New York

1	Summer in the City 1:46
2	Obvious Song 4:24
3	Another World 5:02
4	Fools in Love/For Your Love 6:36
5	Mood Indigo 4:23
6	The In Crowd/Down to London 7:26
7	Eleanor Rigby 3:12
8	Be My Number Two 3:22
9	Home Town 3:58
10	It's Different for Girls 4:01
11	King of the World 3:45
12	You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) 3:30
13	One More Time 3:34

Barnes & Noble

On SUMMER IN THE CITY, rock sophisticate Joe Jackson steps out with a bare-bones piano trio to perform a batch of eclectic originals and covers that have marked and influenced his impressive 20-year recording career. Resting on the fluid grooves of bassist Graham Maby and the solid drumming of Gary Burke, Jackson tickles these 13 songs to life with his delicate, jazzy piano chops and some brave new arrangements of old chestnuts. For instance, a new rendition of "Fools in Love," from the 1979 album LOOK SHARP!, dares to abandon that irresistible reggae lilt in favor of a creeping bass line that suggests mystery as it segues into a contemplative verse of the Yardbirds' "For Your Love." It's a different take on some old favorites, but it works. Jackson also dips into other sides of his musical palette with a swingin', old-timey version of "Mood Indigo" and a cover of Steely Dan's "King of the World" that manages to milk the complexity out of the composition without weighing it down. His limp version of "Eleanor Rigby" we could have done without. Still, for Jackson fans who want to hear him in yet another setting -- that of the I-could-even-do-weddings-if-I-wanted-to! piano man -- SUMMER IN THE CITY offers another dose of his musical versatility. Steph Paynes

All Music Guide

The chameleonic Jackson is reunited with longtime bandmates Graham Maby (bass and vocals) and Gary Burke (drums) for this trio date, recorded live in August 1999. The opening "Summer in the City" promises much, and the album delivers. While the three don't always play to a song's strengths ("You Can't Get What You Want," for one, misses the full-band treatment), this release does showcase Jackson's piano and the group's interplay. The trio bounces through several Jackson originals, including "Fools in Love," "Down to London," and a medley including "Be My Number Two" and "You Can't Get What You Want," as well as classics like "Mood Indigo," "Eleanor Rigby," and the title track. On this album, Jackson proves not only that he has not abandoned classic pop songs or his own pop hits, but that he is performing them better than ever. Ross Boissoneau