Night and Day II is the 15th studio album by Joe Jackson, released in 2000. It is a sequel to his 1982 album, Night and Day. It is also a revisit to the style that album, featuring songs about the New York City lifestyle, seen through different characters.
While the original Night and Day took a satirical look at the downfalls of city life through songs such as "TV Age", "Cancer" and "Real Men", Night and Day II focuses primarily on the dark side of inner city living (the song, "Happyland", for instance, is about the 1990 arson fire at Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx that killed 87 people) as seen though the eyes of a cynical New Yorker, as Jackson lived in New York at the time.
The cover artwork is a dark nighttime shot taken from within a New York City cab, with the World Trade Center in the background, taken a year prior to 9/11.
The music is built with contributions from Graham Maby (bass), and Sue Hadjopoulos (percussion). Also featured are the string quartet Ethel, and three guest vocalists: Iranian diva Sussan Deyhim, drag performer Dale De Vere and Marianne Faithfull, who sings vocals on "Love Got Lost".
All songs written, arranged and produced by Joe Jackson.