Short Reviews [Joe Jackson / Todd Rundgren / Ethel - 2021 - "State Theater New Jersey 2005"]

What I have here is a recording of Joe Jackson, Todd Rundgren, and NY-based string quartet Ethel. I really was not sure what to expect from this, and I am sure the people there that night did not either, as while I thought all acts would be playing together onstage, I wasn’t aware that each would have an individual set and they would only come together for a few songs at the end. This means we start with a series of classical pieces from Ethel, which is very clever but not what I would expect at a rock concert. I played this part once and then found myself skipping the first five numbers and I would expect many others to do the same. To be honest, I was not sure what to expect from Jackson either and thought I would probably listen to his songs and then skip smartly to the main attraction, so I was amazed at just how good this section was and how much I enjoyed it. It has made me totally rethink my opinion on Jackson, (I used to see him on Top of the Pops but don’t own any of his material), as he is a very good pianist indeed and has some fine songs. He also has a strong rapport with the audience who react strongly when they recognise one of his songs. He plays all the hits, from “Steppin’ Out” to “Different For Girls” and “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”, and the 11 songs he performs are an absolute delight. The crowd are well up for it, and on the last song they all happily shout “where?” at the correct moment, with so much force that Jackson even loses it as he chuckles. From an all-piano set we get Todd, the wizard, the true star. He kicks off with “Love of the Common Man” on a 12-string, and after a few more numbers in that vein we get “Compassion” with him now sat at the piano. The highlight of his set is probably “Hello, It’s Me” with his delicate vocals as he gets into falsetto, accompanying himself on piano. The last of the four sections finds everyone on stage, and “While My Guitar Gently Sleeps” is a delight, with the string section rocking along, Joe on piano and Todd on electric. The finest version ever recorded is of course the one by Yellow Matter Custard but this is still mighty fine. This available as a 2 CD and DVD set, and I am sure fans of both Jackson and Rundgren will find this a long overdue release.