A double-disc live collection,
Live...1980-1986 manages to effectively trace the development of
Joe Jackson's diverse career. Drawing from four different periods in the songwriter's career -- with each period featuring a new backing band --
Live captures
Jackson with his original new wave trio, a 1983 quintet that was dominated by keyboards, a horn-driven group from 1984, and a 1986 quartet that specialized in straight-ahead rock & roll. The resulting album highlights his musical diversity, not his songwriting, which means the record is more intriguing as a historical document than as casual listening ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine