Big World

Big World
Live album by Joe Jackson
Released March 1986[1]
Recorded 22 January 1986—25 January 1986, at the Roundabout Theatre, New York
Genre Pop/rock
Length 60:27
Label A&M
Producer David Kershenbaum
Joe Jackson chronology
Body and Soul
(1984)		 Big World
(1986)		 Will Power
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]

Big World is a 1986 live album by Joe Jackson.[1] The album was recorded in front of an invited audience at the Roundabout Theatre in New York City on 22–25 January 1986. Jackson's intent was to capture the excitement and spontaneity of a live performance, but without any noise from the crowd. The audience remained silent during the recording as per Jackson's request, so we do not hear any applause. In the manner of a remote broadcast, the music was mixed live from microphones on each musical instrument and sent directly to a stereo digital tape recorder. Unlike most remote recordings, no post-recording mixing or overdubbing was performed.

The LP release was a double album, but only three sides had music. The unrecorded fourth side's label proclaims "there is no music on this side", and the record had a groove that quickly led to the inner so no damage could be done to the stylus if you accidentally placed that side on the turntable.[1] The cd release contained the same 15 tracks on one disc.

The front cover of the album features the phrase "Big World" in French, Persian, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Dutch, Korean, Thai, Russian, Irish Gaelic, Armenian, Hindi, Hebrew, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic and Polish. The back cover features the same phrase in Vietnamese, Swedish, Swiss German, Turkish, Spanish, Swahili, Italian, Danish, Finnish, Welsh and Hungarian.

The album included an eight-page booklet which included the lyrics to all fifteen songs and recording information in English, German, Japanese, French, Italian and Spanish.

Contents

Track listing

(NB. The track sequence differed between the LP and cassette releases). All songs composed by Joe Jackson.

Side One

  1. "Wild West" – 4:37
  2. "Right and Wrong" – 4:35
  3. "(It's A) Big World" – 4:44
  4. "Precious Time" – 3:23
  5. "Tonight and Forever" – 2:31

Side Two

  1. "Shanghai Sky" – 5:10
  2. "Fifty Dollar Love Affair" – 3:38
  3. "We Can't Live Together" – 5:25
  4. "Forty Years" – 4:26

Side Three

  1. "Survival" – 2:19
  2. "Soul Kiss" – 4:44
  3. "The Jet Set" – 3:50
  4. "Tango Atlantico" – 2:58
  5. "Home Town" – 3:12
  6. "Man in the Street" – 5:05

Personnel

Band

Production

Charts

UK Albums Chart[3] U.S. Billboard 200 Chart[4]
#41
#34

References

  1. ^ a b c Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 485–486. ISBN 1-84195-017-3. 
  2. ^ Allmusic review
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 274. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
  4. ^ "Allmusic ((( Joe Jackson > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4574/charts-awards. 

External links

Joe Jackson
Main albums
EPs
The Harder They Come
Live albums
Big World · Live 1980/86 · Live in New York: Summer in the City · Two Rainy Nights · Afterlife · Live at the BBC
Classical albums
Soundtracks
Singles
Compilations