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Beat Crazy

( 1980 Albums )

Background
Critical reception
Track listing
Personnel
Charts
References
External links

C O N T E N T S

Beat Crazy Jackson Joe

Rank: 100%

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Beat Crazy is the third album by Joe Jackson, released in October 1980 and credited to the Joe Jackson Band.

Martin C. Strong (2025). 9781841950174, Mojo Books. ISBN 9781841950174

It was a relative disappointment commercially, peaking outside the Top 40 in both the UK and the United States, with its singles failing to record chart. One reason for the reduced sales in the U.S. may have been that the group did not tour to support it there. Nevertheless, the Joe Jackson Band was successful and concert tour extensively. This would be the last studio album released by the Joe Jackson Band's original line-up until 2003's Volume 4.

Background

Beat Crazy was intended to be a stylistic departure from Jackson's first two albums. However, as he recalled, the band lacked a clear direction during the recording. Jackson later stated that he felt the record "didn't really work". He explained,

Musically, the album saw the band take in reggae and ska influences as seen on songs such as "In Every Dream Home", "Mad at You", and "Pretty Boys".

Critical reception

Upon its release, Andy Gill of the NME was negative in his review, calling Beat Crazy a "pretty lame apology for an album, and absolutely nowhere as regards thinking dance music". He concluded, "It masquerades as a series of meaningful meta-musical musings on rock 'n' roll and youth culture in general, which comes down to little more than a couple of hip references/dedications, and the sort of vague, purposeless social-realist songwriting we've come to expect from Jackson."

Track listing

All songs written, arranged and produced by Joe Jackson.

Personnel