Silversun Pickups
“I’m the Man”
New Machine Recordings
Released in 1979, “I’m the Man” found Joe Jackson at the peak of his New Wave and punk heyday. This was before his experiments in jazz and Latin music. “I’m the Man” is a ferocious ball of pogo-power energy.
Watch some of Jackson’s live renditions of “I’m the Man” during this period on YouTube, and you’ll see the rock-star swagger and snotty attitude that defined this stage in his career.
Silversun Pickups cover “I’m The Man” for Season Two of Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, and they capture the speed and jumpy hooks of Jackson’s vibrant single. That’s not an easy feat. New Wave had a transcendent howl that’s often not equaled in today’s indie scene. Although many try.
Silversun Pickups have an impeccable enough discography that this remake will simply be seen as a fun exercise that the group effectively pulled off. It’s terrific.
