I'm the Man (album)

I'm the Man is the second album by English musician Joe Jackson, released in October 1979.[1] Released shortly after Jackson's breakthrough debut, Look Sharp!, I'm the Man saw Jackson continue the style of his earlier album. Singles from the album included "I'm the Man" and "It's Different for Girls", the latter of which was his biggest UK chart single, peaking at number five on the UK Singles Chart.[8]

I'm the Man
Studio album by
Joe Jackson
Released5 October 1979
RecordedMarch 1979
StudioTW Studios, Fulham, London
GenreNew wave, post-punk
Length38:03
LabelA&M
AMLH 64794[1]
A&M/PolyGram Records
214 794
A&M/Universal Records
493 089 (2001 reissue)
ProducerDavid Kershenbaum
Joe Jackson chronology
Look Sharp!
(1979)		 I'm the Man
(1979)		 Beat Crazy
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Record Mirror[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Smash Hits7½/10[6]
The Village VoiceC+[7]

I'm the Man was re-released in 2001 with one bonus track, a live version of "Come On". "Come On" was originally released as the B-side to Jackson's single "I'm the Man", also issued in October 1979.[1]

Background

On the album cover, Jackson appears in the guise of a particular type of petty criminal known in the United Kingdom as a spiv, a character who, in Jackson's own words, "always wears a gross polka-dot tie and a pencil-thin mustache, and he's always trying to sell you a watch or something like that real cheap. I think people always want to put a label on what you do, so I thought I'd be one step ahead of them and invent one myself - spiv rock."[9] Jackson later explained, that the spiv character is "a silly image that I thought appalling. It's not intended to be a new musical revolution."[10]

The album was quickly recorded to follow up Jackson's successful debut album Look Sharp!. Shortly after Look Sharp's release, Jackson speculated, "Compared to the first album, I think it's a bit more mature. It's getting more interesting as it goes along. The band is getting stronger. I think the band is gonna amaze people on the next album".[10] Since then, the album has been described by Jackson as "Part Two of Look Sharp!".[11] He later said on his website,

This is really Part Two of Look Sharp! – it was released less than a year later. I don't know how I even had the time to write and record a slightly more mature record, but I think it is, and the best of the first three.[11]

I'm the Man was also released as a 7" album (5 - 7" singles) in a package as 'The 7" Album' and included a poster.

John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls named the album as one of the ten albums that changed his life.[12] Carol Decker of T'Pau similarly praised the album as one of her favorites.[13]

Singles

Jackson pushed for "I'm the Man" to be the leading single from the album, and professed bemusement when it failed to chart in the US or the UK.[14] (It did reach the top 40 in Canada, peaking at #23.) The record label then decided on its own to release "It's Different for Girls" which went straight to the UK Top Ten.[14] Jackson later confessed: "I was amazed when that one was a hit."[14] The album's third single, "Kinda Kute", reached number 91 in Canada.

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Joe Jackson, except where noted. Produced by David Kershenbaum.

No.TitleLength
1."On Your Radio"4:01
2."Geraldine and John"3:14
3."Kinda Kute"3:33
4."It's Different for Girls"3:43
5."I'm the Man"3:58
6."The Band Wore Blue Shirts"5:07
7."Don't Wanna Be Like That"3:41
8."Amateur Hour"4:05
9."Get That Girl"3:03
10."Friday"3:36
2001 reissue bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Come On" (Live version. Written by Chuck Berry)3:29

Personnel
Musicians
Production

Covers
  • Silversun Pickups covered “I’m the Man” for the second season of the Netflix show “The Lincoln Lawyer”.

Charts

Album

Chart (1979-80) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] 81
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] 45
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17] 47
UK Albums (OCC)[18] 12
US Billboard 200[19] 22

Singles

Year Song Chart Position
1979 "It's Different for Girls" Ireland (IRMA) #4
1979 "It's Different for Girls" UK Singles Chart[1] #5
1979 "It's Different for Girls" U.S. Billboard Hot 100[1] #101

Certifications
Organization Level Date
CRIA – Canada Gold 1 November 1979
CRIA – Canada Gold 1 January 1980
BPI – UK Gold 29 April 1980

References
  1. Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. pp. 485–486. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  2. DeGagne, Mike. "I'm the Man – Joe Jackson". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Jackson, Joe". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  4. Sexton, Paul (13 October 1979). "No Nylons but a Tasty Album". Record Mirror. p. 16.
  5. Coleman, Mark; Randall, Mac (2004). "Joe Jackson". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 412–13. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. Starr, Red (18–31 October 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits. Vol. 1, no. 23. p. 29.
  7. Christgau, Robert (25 February 1980). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  8. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 274. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  9. Henke, James (17 May 1979). "Joe Jackson Puts His Best Shoe Forward". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (291): 22.
  10. Bocaro, Madeline. "My Interview With Joe Jackson - June 1979". madelinex.com. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  11. Jackson, Joe. "I'm the Man". joejackson.com.
  12. "Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik – The Ten Records That Changed My Life". Goo Goo Fans. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  13. "Carol Decker: My six best albums | Music | Entertainment | Express.co.uk". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. Stand, Mike (May 1980). "Joe Jackson: Indifferent To Joe". The Face. Retrieved 18 October 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
  15. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 151. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Joe Jackson – I'm the Man" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  17. "Charts.nz – Joe Jackson – I'm the Man". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  18. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  19. "Joe Jackson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
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