"Stranger than Fiction" is a song by English singer-songwriter and musician Joe Jackson, released in 1991 as the lead single from his ninth studio album, Laughter & Lust. It was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Ed Roynesdal.[2]
Critical reception
Upon its release as a single, Alan Jones of Music Week commented, "Lighter than his latter work, 'Stranger than Fiction' is oddly reminiscent of the Hollies. Probably not a hit, but a mouthwatering taster for Jackson's forthcoming album."[3] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "His first Virgin release and what a smash song too! Jackson has returned to pop. The chorus will be whistled from every grocery shop to every petrol station all over Europe."[4] Jane Downing of the Sunday Sun picked it as her "gem" of the week and commented, "Joe's a top rate artist but his singles don't do too well. But then again, neither [does] anything that's remotely melodic."[5] Barbara Ellen of New Musical Express described the song as "not bad" but added that "yet another whirl around low-rent suburbia is not quite what the 'kids' are into at the moment".[6]
Marcus Hodge of the Cambridge Evening News gave a mixed review, stating, "It's intelligently arranged, fresh and buoyant, but all the brass stabs and big production remind us that he's really from a different era."[7] Andrew Hirst of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner felt it "lacks the tuneful sting to scratch too deep beneath its cheerfully witty veneer".[8] Jon Wilde of Melody Maker was critical, calling it "sub-Costello gripe".[9] Steve Duffy of the South Wales Echo awarded two out of five stars and commented, "Joe not at his jaunty best, apart from the odd line. This has a marked American (yawn) influence."[10]
