This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
You’re not seeing double. I did just review a new Joe Jackson live album a few weeks ago. But I’m not repeating myself; Afterlife is the second Jackson concert album to come out in less than a month. And this one — not the subpar competitor Two Rainy Nights — is the one fans have been waiting for.
The superb 13-track Afterlife was recorded during Jackson’s 2003 triumphant reunion tour with his original band. So not surprisingly, it’s mostly a nostalgic affair, highlighted by energized, spot-on versions of early crowd-pleasers like One More Time, Look Sharp!, Beat Crazy, Fools In Love, Sunday Papers and Got The Time, along with a few tracks from the studio reunion disc Volume 4 to round out the set. You could quibble that there are a few too many new tunes, or that some classics like Is She Really Going Out With Him? and I’m The Man are MIA (presumably because they were issued last year on a live EP included with Volume 4). And you might be right. Even so, Afterlife could be the best live album Jackson has issued — at least this month.
