Much like its predecessor ‘In Japan’, ‘Like To Get To Know You Well’, the second long form visual release from Howard Jones to be released in 1984, spent far too many years stuck in a VHS limbo as far as UK audiences are concerned. It was given a Laserdisc release in Japan, but would be over thirty years later that the show would finally make its hi-def debut in Britain. Eventually brought to the deserving fans via Cherry Red Records’ extensive HoJo reissue programme which has yielded – among other things – huge box sets of ‘Humans Lib’ and ‘Dream Into Action’, and a lavish 5CD set of BBC related recordings, the long overdue reissue goes the extra mile by coupling the original video material with a full CD soundtrack for the very first time.

Although the visual elements of the gig, filmed at High Wickham Town Hall, aren’t always particularly striking – the minimalist two man show featuring Jones alongside early collaborator, mime Jed Hoile, plays quite similarly to ‘In Japan’ at times – it actually feels a little more “gig like” and less “cold” than its predecessor due to what appears to be slightly more intimate surroundings. In addition, now that the visuals can be enjoyed without having to squint through an analogue fug, it’s obvious that Howard is really enjoying the experience to play for his home town crowd. For those with fond memories of Howard’s early appearances on Top of The Pops, there’s likely to be some entertainment gleaned from Jed throwing shapes somewhere between ballet and improvised kung fu during ‘Hunt The Self’, donning his trademark chains during ‘Conditioning’ before throwing himself around the stage and doing an acutely embarrassing Scottish dance, and appearing in a split appearance – part mime, part businessman – during a great take of ‘Equality’. Regrettably, the DVD still only features nine tracks from the show, and in the age of huge TV sets, blu ray and 4K presentations, the limitations of the source materials are sometimes evident, the effort made to give the source material the best possible send off is still commendable.

The DVD is a welcome release, certainly. However, ‘Like To Get To Know You Well’ actually comes into its own via the newly released CD, giving the fans that something extra for their collection. Since it actually features the full concert, by filling in the gaps, the fifteen performances on the audio disc make for a more satisfying experience. Even without the visuals, the atmosphere captured at this gig is superb.

It’s immediately clear that Jones is in a fairly playful mood, as immediately after taking the stage and setting the synth loop for ‘Hunt The Self’, he cheekily breaks into the vocal for ‘New Song’ for the audience’s amusement, making for an awkward musical marriage. As the verse of ‘Self’ quickly takes shape, the performance shares a huge energy, and the remastered audio from Cherry Red is especially punchy, boding well for the next hour. Sliding into the soon-to-be-released ‘Pearl In The Shell’, the energetic feel doesn’t drop; in relation to upcoming studio recording, this is a little different, with HoJo juxtaposing punchier bass notes with a looser rendition of the main riff, but the essence of a superb single is more than clear. The lesser played ‘Always Asking Questions’ presents something that feels a little more special, and with an audio loaded with slap bass synth notes contrasting a flowing vocal, it comes close to sounding like a peak deep cut from the early catalogue, It’s definitely more interesting than the studio recording from ‘Humans Lib’.

Clearly understanding that a good live set needs a change of pace from time to time, the piano ballad ‘Don’t Look At The Rain’ – at this point, still unreleased – offers something that feels a little more sophisticated, and despite Howard’s obvious nervousness when making a stage announcement, he appears to take on a mood of suitable calm once this solo performance hits its admittedly gentle stride. A slight case of nerves is actually preferable to the over-confidence that comes through when Howard introduces ‘Equality’. Tapping into the song’s themes of fighting prejudice, he tells everyone that it “doesn’t matter if you come from Japan or High Wycombe…or whether you’re Black, White or Yellow…” Ouch. Forty years after the fact, referring to people as “yellow” feels incredibly uncomfortable; particularly so, given the nature of the song itself. Nevertheless, the rendition of the song that follows hits all the right spots emotionally, with the high octane rhythm hitting at breakneck speed, the main riff sounding like an anthemic theme tune for an 80s TV show. In addition, a few of the more aggressive vocals have even more of a natural impact, helping it to become a highlight of a great gig.

Elsewhere in a set covering the key points of Howard’s first two releases, you’ll encounter solid renditions of the classic ‘What Is Love?’ and the still new ‘Like To Get To Know You Well’, an extended ‘Conditioning’ which mirrors the earlier Japanese gig by inserting an atonal keyboard solo and cheeky Scottish jig as a centrepiece, and the always welcome ‘New Song’, which really benefits from some extra piano, as per the ‘New Song (New Version)’ studio recording, soon to be released on ‘Howard Jones: The 12” Album’. The only time this live show genuinely misses the mark is during the then brand new ‘Bounce Right Back’, since the rapped vocals sit rather awkwardly, and decades on, sound genuinely dated. Although still the set’s weakest link, this plays better from the DVD, since the visuals feature HoJo and Jed in film noir garb, offering something a little more theatrical, which distracts from the music in a rather welcome manner.

The more playful aspects of this show are very clearly felt once more at the beginning of the encore when HoJo breaks into the opening riff of ‘New Song’ a second time – resulting in audible squeals of delight from the crowd – to then sing ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High’ rather tunelessly over the top, before the end of the show appears to be derailed even further by a rambling story regarding Ruth, David and Dennis, a trio of friends that have an awkward relationship resulting in one of them buggering off to Stoke and one of them becoming a “pyramid polisher in Egypt”. For the outsider, this has the potential to wear thin quite quickly after first listen, but the crowd are interesting: they can be heard very clearly shouting along with key points of this shaggy dog tale, showing how this home town crowd are hardcore followers who’ve been to dozens and dozens of Howard’s early shows. Bringing everything back into sharp focus, ‘Humans Lib’ plays like a classic slice of synth pop years on, bringing a largely great set to an epic close.

For those who’ve bought other Howard Jones reissues – and particularly the expanded ‘Human’s Lib’ – and for those who’ve treasured the original ‘LTGTKY’ VHS tape forever, this will be considered a priority purchase. In terms of important milestones in the early Howard Jones catalogue, it has arguably arrived about fifteen years later than it deserved; but, that said, it’s hard to find fault with most of what’s offered here. Much like the earlier 2026 archive release ‘Live At The Marquee’, there’s a great energy captured at this show, and, as such, fans will consider this CD/DVD combo to be more than worth the upgrade.

July 2026