"Night and Day II" is the 15th studio album by Joe Jackson, released in 2000. It serves as a sequel to his 1982 album, Night and Day, revisiting its style with songs that reflect the New York City lifestyle through various characters.
While the original Night and Day offered a satirical perspective on the pitfalls of city life with tracks like "TV Age," "Cancer," and "Real Men," Night and Day II delves into the darker aspects of inner-city living. For example, "Happyland" addresses the tragic 1990 arson fire at the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx that claimed 87 lives, presenting a view shaped by Jackson's experiences as a cynical New Yorker at the time.
The album's cover features a dark nighttime image taken from inside a New York City cab, with the World Trade Center visible in the background, captured a year before the 9/11 attacks.
Musically, the album includes contributions from Graham Maby on bass and Sue Hadjopoulos on percussion. It also features the string quartet Ethel and guest vocalists such as Iranian diva Sussan Deyhim, drag performer Dale De Vere, and Marianne Faithfull, who lends her voice to the track "Love Got Lost."
