Joe Jackson: Night and Day II

Like a less hefty Meatloaf, Joe Jackson goes the Bat Out of Hell II route with this sequel to his most commercially successful album, 1982's Night and Day. Fans of Jackson's earlier ode to New York City are afforded moments of déjà vu. Pop hooks and programmed Latin rhythms abound, and the signature chords from "Steppin' Out" find their way into "Glamour and Pain" and "Stay." But Jackson has new tricks up his sleeve, including a potent string quartet and character-driven songs with vocals from Marianne Faithfull (on the darkly operatic "Love Got Lost"), Iranian singer Sussan Deyhim (on the no less elegiac "Why"), and transvestite protégée Dale DeVere (on the Pet Shop Boys-like "Glamour and Pain"). Still, it's Jackson who delivers the sucker punch with his bittersweet delivery on "Hell of a Town," "Stranger Than You," and the particularly barbed "Dear Mom." The sequel gimmick may not get Jackson another hit, but it should reintroduce people to an artist whose skills as a songwriter, composer, and performer are as sharp as ever. --Bill Forman