Night and Day II

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Night and Day II

Studio album by Joe Jackson

Released

2000

Professional reviews

All Music Guide link

Joe Jackson chronology

Summer in the City: Live in New York
(2000)

Night and Day II
(2000)

Two Rainy Nights
(2002)

Night and Day II is an album by Joe Jackson, released in 2000, in a revisiting yet seemingly "inverse" style of his famous Night and Day. The songs are about New York lifestyle, seen by different characters.

While the original Night and Day, released in 1982, takes an often satirical look at the "downfalls" of big city life via songs like "TV Age", "Cancer" and "Real Men", Night and Day II is a commentary that steps into the dark side of inner city living as seen though the eyes of a cynical New Yorker (Joe Jackson lived in New York at the time) and seemingly never glances up to seek a lighter tone. Hell of a Town and Stranger Than You (the 'featured' song of the album) display a biting sarcasm of New York City life, along with lyrics from songs like "Just Because":

My hovel needs a barricade
My pants need an alarm
Need some non-alcoholic whiskey
and some Giuliani charm

making a wry commentary on Rudy Giuliani's mayoralty.

This "reflection" of the original Night and Day album can be seen in many forms: from the cover (the artwork from 1982's Night and Day features a white background while the photograph from 2000's Night and Day II is a dark nighttime shot taken from within a New York City cab), to the perceived presentation order of each song's motif (Night and Day feels as if the listener is being taken on a journey, via the song motifs, from daytime to night while Night and Day II presents a sensation of moving from nighttime to day ("Glamour and Pain" to "Love Got Lost" demonstrates this fully as "Glamour and Pain" deals with a prostitute's lamentations while "Love Got Lost" is mostly placed during Marianne Faithfull's fictitious working day)).

The final song of the album, "Stay", might seem to be somewhat disconcerting upon reflection - Joe Jackson left New York to return to England in 2003.

The music is built with significant contributions from Graham Maby (bass), and Sue Hadjopoulos (percussion). Also featured are the string quartet Ethel, and three guest vocalists: Iranian diva Sussan Deyhim, drag performer Dale De Vere, and the legendary Marianne Faithfull.