My favorite Joe Jackson
is the worst Joe Jackson.
His third album tanked
without a single
or a tour to support it
but Beat Crazy,
always hard to find,
has always been my prize.

The album knew
it was a step-sister,
admitting so
in the liner notes:
"This album represents a desparate attempt
to make some sense of Rock
and Roll.
Deep in our hearts,
we knew it was doomed to failure.
The question remains:
Why did we try?"

It’s a mix of different styles
experimenting further
than any of Jackson’s others to date.
"Battleground" uses the N Word
and "Crime Don’t Pay" claims
the very ironic opposite.
I love "Beat Crazy," the song
and Beat Crazy, the album.

Joe Jackson’s third
is not available for sale
as far as I can see.
To this day
Jackson may wonder
why he ever tried
for something so strange
but I hope he realizes
that sometimes, you just can’t survive
unless you get a little crazy.