Joe Jackson – Body And Soul

One of the very first albums recorded, mixed and pressed (on CD) in DDD, that is to say completely Digital : the sound is breathtaking !

Wow! I have a new demonstration disk for sure!!! The staging and dynamics on the record are off the charts. It’s a pleasure to listen to the music and how well this makes my system sound at the same time. Well done!

Had this vinyl record ever since it first came out in 84'. Even though the recording itself is digital, the transfer to vinyl outshines my CD copy by an order of magnitude. Demo Quality vinyl record, just listen to 'Be my number two' - when the drums kick in it leaves you with know doubt.

Not only one of Joe’s best this is also one of the best sounding records made too. Up to this point you could safely buy his entire back catalogue but from here on in he took an ever changing path, always interesting but probably safe to say to clever for mass market appreciation. So much so that people forgot what a great songwriter he was.

I first bought this album in 1990 on the A&M Master Series CD and it sounded great, not just that, the scope of the material is broader than it's mighty predecessor Night & Day, which I love but I thing the complexity of the arrangements on Body & Soul is more mature and finds Jackson at his artistic peak. I eventually picked up an original LP copy in 2004 and that sounds fantastic. It was a digital recording from 1984 but because of the way it was recorded it has aged well and does not have that predictable Eighties stamp on it. I also love the story in the sleeve notes and Jacksons cheeky lifting of a classic LP cover by Jazz Saxophonist Sonny Rollins. The whole package is probably what I would call the perfect execution of a musical project; great audio, just check out the drums on this album, great songs with great dynamics, superb arrangements and soundstage, and finally great mastering with low noise and instruments that punch you from the well balanced mix. I sold the CD in 2006 I think, (I know, and I don't even drink or dabble in drugs!), I think I was on a vinyl crusade but this album was made for CD because of the very quiet ages. I can look back now and safely say formats are formats and one is not necessarily "better" than another, in fact they are designed to serve the music but in saying that, I bought the CD again last month and I decided to buy the 1997 remaster, after all I have the Night & Day Deluxe Edition from 2004 and that sounds superb. I did think they would do a deluxe Body & Soul but I'm still waiting! But anyway, the 1997 CD edition is not a bad sounding copy, while there is noticeable compression it's still not over the top, but, but and I say but, it is laced with pops every few minutes and it's not the disc because my copy is mint, zero scratches on the playing side. So does anyone else have this and can they hear it? Is mine a one-off? The pops are not loud or do they cause skipping but they are there and they are in the same places every time so it must be a fault on the master, but they are annoying and take from the listening pleasure of one of my favourite albums of all time!