Joe Jackson and his band, using money earned by Jackson from touring with the cabaret band Koffee 'n' Kream, began recording the album from autumn 1977 to spring 1978 in a studio in Portsmouth.[6] However, after producer David Kershenbaum heard a demo tape from Jackson, he signed Jackson to A&M Records in 1978, after which Jackson and his band quickly re-recorded the album. This was then followed by a tour to promote the record.
Look Sharp! was heavily influenced by reggae music, which, in a June 1979 interview, Jackson said he was "totally immersed in".[7] Jackson also sought to capture a spontaneous feel on the album; he reflected at the time, "A lot of the tracks are first takes and there are no overdubs, though we think now it is a bit thin. We wanted a bit more live band sort of sound. In retrospect you always feel there's something you can improve on. Next time 'round we'll feature the guitar a bit more".[7]
Jackson later spoke negatively of "Pretty Girls", saying, "It's all about pretty girls walking down the street and, Oh wow, isn't that a turn-on. In retrospect, it's kind of a stinker. It's embarrassing—ogling girls, I mean, that's kind of lame. It's just childish and silly and derivative, but I was 22 when I wrote it. Not everyone can be a prodigy!"[8]
Release
"Is She Really Going Out with Him?" was released as a single in the UK prior to the release of Look Sharp!, but it, as well as follow-ups "Sunday Papers" and "One More Time," failed to make an impact on the charts. Look Sharp! also stalled upon its initial release, but upon the re-release of "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" in Britain (as well as a single release in the US), the album grew in popularity, reaching the top #20 in America.[6] After the performance of the first album, the band quickly recorded a follow-up, I'm the Man, which has been described by Jackson as "Part Two of Look Sharp!" since its release.[9] The album was particularly well-received in Canada where it was certified platinum by November 1979.
Artwork
The photo used on the album's cover was shot by Brian Griffin on London's South Bank, near London Waterloo station. Upon arriving at the South Bank, Griffin noticed a shaft of light landing on the ground and asked Jackson to stand there: the whole process took no more than five minutes. According to Griffin, Jackson hated the record sleeve as it did not include his face, and vowed never to work with Griffin again.[10] Nonetheless, the album artwork became one of the nominees for the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.[11]
Some observers didn't understand the tongue-in-cheek nature of Jackson's choice of title and cover art—an early reviewer in New Musical Express said they "suggest an obsession with style" and sniffed that Jackson sported "a pair of white side-lace Denson winklepickers that are, unfortunately, not nearly as cool as he evidently thinks they are".[12] As time went on, journalists became more familiar with his youthful lack of interest in fashion, and The Face noted how most agreed with the general summation of him as a "sartorial disaster area".[13]
Look Sharp! has seen critical acclaim since its release. In a five star review, Rolling Stone compared the album to the best works of Jackson's contemporary Elvis Costello, commenting, "Though Jackson would never achieve Costello's cachet, his early work holds up alongside that of his rival."[16]John Rockwell in The New York Times picked it as the ninth best album of that year, stating that it was "Power pop at its refreshing best."[20] In a later review, Allmusic was similarly complimentary, stating, "Look Sharp! is the sound of a young man searching for substance in a superficial world -- and it also happens to rock like hell."[21]Paste named Look Sharp! the 17th best new wave album, with staff writer Mark Lore stating that it "ranks right up there with early records from another brainy, pissed-off songwriter called Elvis Costello, bursting with frustration and spazzy pop songs".[1]
Jackson's own opinion on the album was mixed, with the artist later claiming that I'm the Man and 2003's Volume 4 were better albums overall.[9][22] He later said on his website,
What can anyone say about something they did so long ago?! I'm not embarrassed by it, or not by most of it, anyway. It positively reeks of London 1978–79 and, well, it is what it is. I'm glad people liked it, and still like it, though I think some of that is nostalgia and a tendency to romanticise people's first albums, as though later ones must somehow be less 'authentic'. For a first album, this one's not bad, but I was only 23 when I made it and it would be pretty weird if I didn't think I'd done better things since.[23]
Alternative releases
Look Sharp! was re-released in 2001 with two bonus tracks, "Don't Ask Me" and "You Got the Fever", the respective B-sides of the singles "One More Time" and "Is She Really Going Out with Him?", originally released in May 1979 and October 1978.[3] In addition to the standard 12-inch vinyl release, the record was also released in a special package on two 10-inch discs that also included a Look Sharp! badge.
