# Joe: The Forgotten Jackson **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529 "2009-11-30T23:15:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/1 "2009-11-30T23:15:08Z")
Just thought I’d remind everybody he existed and was even popular for a time. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/2 "2009-11-30T23:17:04Z")
As in “We are Stepping Ou-out”? I played that on Youtube just last week. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/3 "2009-11-30T23:18:17Z")
I grew up listening to Joe Jackson because my mom always played his albums. I like him a lot. Some of his songs, like “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” sound like a prehistoric version of Weezer. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/4 "2009-11-30T23:28:59Z")
So we’re not talking about Shoeless Joe Jackson, I take it. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/5 "2009-11-30T23:29:36Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > So we’re not talking about Shoeless Joe Jackson, I take it. Say it ain’t so! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/6 "2009-11-30T23:30:40Z")
Some TV commercial or another has been featuring one of the Look Sharp! songs lately. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/7 "2009-11-30T23:37:41Z")
Saw him a few years ago when he toured with Todd Rundgren and Ethel. I’m a huge Todd fan, but he was phoning it in this time, and Joe Jackson turned in a great performance and reminded me just how talented he is. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/8 "2009-12-01T01:34:30Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Some TV commercial or another has been featuring one of the Look Sharp! songs lately. “One More Time”–is being used to advertise the return of Taco Bell’s Cheesy Gordita Crunch. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/9 "2009-12-01T01:37:44Z")
It couldn’t have been easy raising Michael and Latoya ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/10 "2009-12-01T01:40:48Z")
Joe Jackson’s Jumping Jive remains a big favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/11 "2009-12-01T01:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > “One More Time”–is being used to advertise the return of Taco Bell’s Cheesy Gordita Crunch. The campaign was originally going to use “Everything Gives You Cancer” but it didn’t test well with focus groups. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/12 "2009-12-01T02:17:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The campaign was originally going to use “Everything Gives You Cancer” but it didn’t test well with focus groups. Oh yes, that did make me laugh out loud. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/13 "2009-12-01T02:20:49Z")
Ah, yes, Joe Jackson. I was a big fan senior year of high school and freshman year of college. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/14 "2009-12-01T03:28:47Z")
I like “Sunday Papers.” That Joe, wrote some top tunes. “Stepping Out” is another classic. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/15 "2009-12-01T12:13:40Z")
The “Stepping Out” concert was one of the best I’ve ever seen. The man can definitely put on a show! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/16 "2009-12-01T13:01:15Z")
I absolutely love him - his first couple of albums, where he pushed Graham Maby’s bass to the front and had the guitar player Gary Sanford play those edgy, high, small chords - all in service to super-great pop songs? I was addicted. At, I think \*\*Exapno Mapcase’s \*\*recommendation, I just finished Joe’s memoir [A Cure For Gravity](http://www.joejackson.com/writings.php) (link to JJ’s website). It covers his childhood up to just about to break it with Look Sharp - interesting and insightful about his evolution as a person and musician - while at the same time it clearly holds back, only alluding to some salacious topics like sexual ambiguity, etc. The thing about Joe Jackson is that he is a musician first - and one who happens to be able to work across a variety of genres at a very high level. Tons of respect - and most of his music really holds up well. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/17 "2009-12-01T15:24:25Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I grew up listening to Joe Jackson because my mom always played his albums. I like him a lot. Some of his songs, like “Is She Really Going Out With Him,” sound like a prehistoric version of Weezer. Are you trying to be funny, whippersnapper? Seriously though, when I hear the name Joe Jackson I only ever think of the musician. Even during the whole Michael Jackson drama all I felt was disgust that such a scumbag could have the same name as a legend. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/18 "2009-12-01T15:34:26Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I grew up listening to Joe Jackson because my mom always played his albums. Thanks a BUNCH, youngster! > [@](#): > > …his first couple of albums, where he pushed Graham Maby’s bass to the front… Loads of fun bass lines in there for any player. Sunday Papers really rocks at the end. In law school, I was on a rec hoops team called “5 guys named Moe.” I was Slow-Moe. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/19 "2009-12-01T18:43:51Z")
“Mother doesn’t go out anymore, just sits at home and rolls her spastic eyes” always makes me laugh when I hear it. I got his greatest hits CD a few years ago. A couple of my favorites that haven’t been mentioned yet are “It’s Different for Girls” and “Breaking Us in Two”. I think he’s an excellent musician. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529/20 "2009-12-01T20:39:19Z")
It was hard for me to believe that Big World was a live recording, everything prearranged and pre-engineered to record a master with studio quality sound with a live-audience feel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-the-forgotten-jackson/519529.md?page=2)