The Loft

12" LP Recorded by Joe Jackson
called "Blaze Of Glory"
Release Date: 1989
A&M SP-8249

This, Joe Jackson's last album for A&M before a brief tenure with Virgin, was by far his best. Where many of his previous albums were somewhat uneven, Blaze of Glory is a strong work from start to finish.
Thematically, Blaze of Glory revolves around a slightly different version of the concept behind Donald Fagen's The Nightfly. However, where The Nightfly viewed the future through the eyes of a kid growing up in the fifties, Blaze of Glory follows that vision into adulthood, with the lessons of reality intact.

The first half of the album captures the dreams and ambitions of youth, from the starry-eyed visions of "Tomorrow's world" to the king-of-the-world bravado of "Down to London", with signs of trouble in paradise emerging in "Sentimental thing" and "Blaze of glory". (A side note: The instrumental "Acropolis now" will be familiar to those who saw Joe Jackson on his 1986 Big World tour.)

The second half depicts the struggles with frustration, anxiety, and even isolation that many encounter in the real world.
For me, the highlights here are "Rant and rave", "Nineteen forever", and "Discipline", though "The human touch" is one of Jackson's best slow songs. There's even a bit of political commentary to be found, in "Evil Empire".

This album was not a huge seller, but it has probably held up the best out of all his eighties albums. Unfortunately, it is now out of print and hard to find. If you can locate a copy, though, you'll find it to be well worth the effort.

Side 1:
1. Tomorrow's World
2. Me and You (Against the World)
3. Down to London
4. Sentimental Thing
5. Acropolis Now
6. Blaze of Glory