The guitar-free ensemble leaves space for Jackson to fill with his well honed piano chops and, along with the crackling performances and tight, imaginative reworkings of both well known and under-the-radar material, gives this live release a leg up on his previous ones.

— review by Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter (US), 31 May 2011

You’d think that the bare-bones approach would not do the full band recordings justice. Not so. In fact, Jackson’s full voice and gorgeous piano playing is nicely complemented by Graham Maby's bass/backup vocals and Dave Houghton's drums/backup vocals... so much so that you don’t miss the guitar. This is a power trio in every sense of the word.

— review by Paul Barrel, website Innocent Words (US), 2 Aug. 2011

The arrangements are sparse but satisfying, and while the tenor isn't as forceful as the band during its 1980's prime, Live Music ... is such an unexpected pleasure that I'll even forgive the absence of "Is She Really Going Out With Him?"

— review in Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine (CA), Sep. 2011 (4/5 stars)

Jackson's studio albums have sometimes been cloistered affairs, but Live Music welcomes all corners.

— review by Sam Adams, Needle (CA), Aug. 2011 (3/5 stars)

Perhaps this isn't as vigorous as the Joe Jackson Band in their '80s prime, but they're still plenty energetic, never failing to entertain on a set of songs that still resonate some 30 years later.

— review by Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com, 2011 (3/5 stars)

His version of The Beatles' "Girl" and "Still Alive", a Steely Dan-esque song from his 2003 album Volume 4 that's redone in a Latin-esque style here, may be the disk's highlights. Like with most live albums, though, this one isn’t for novices. Those who don’t know the original versions should seek them out before acquiring this. However, for longtime fans, this is a surefire treat.

— review by Matthew Berlyant, The Big Takeover (US), 22 June 2011

The album sounds great. All of these musicians play their asses off at every turn, and Joe sounds absolutely fantastic. But none of these tunes surpass their studio counterparts, and that pervasive feeling of "Why in the hell does this album even exist?" has dogged me during every single play of this album thus far.

— review by Marc, website The Real Congregation (US), 16 June 2011