A Band For All Seasons (The Jam in general)

Member Name: marandina

Product:	The Jam in general
Date:	26/03/02 (261 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Outstanding Band of their day

Disadvantages: The earlier releases are raw

The vast majority of folks can map their lives by certain milestones along life's highway. Usually, the most vivid relate to music. In particular, one's youth can be re-created by simply putting a certain record on. Memories of certain events come flooding back and all you have to do is close your eyes and you're back there again. I'm no different and the band I associate most with my formative years is a 3 piece set called The Jam.

Like a lot of bands, the Jam came together as an idea in school. I mean what better way to pull the birds than form a group?

The late 70's were a volatile time for music with the advent of punk supposedly being the renaissance of the music industry. Prevalent in 77 were the Sex Pistols, the Clash and other movers and shakers that had set out to break the establishment. The Jam couldn't help but be influenced by all that was going on around them but they were quintessentially a rock band albeit initially accused of revivalism.

The Jam never really shook off their association with the Mod movement whose members gleefully jumped on The Jam gravy train to take over at later gigs with their fish tale parkers and bullseyes on their backs.

The band people came to know was made up of Paul Weller (lead guitar and vocals), Bruce Foxton (bass guitar, vocals) and Rick Buckler (drums) although Paul's brother John was originally intended to be more involved.

Paul Weller was the archetypal rebel who wanted socialism and world peace. Many of his songs reflected a social desire of betterment and examples are too numerous to mention. Typical of Weller was a reaction to an accusation of being a revivalist in his earlier days. A review from Caroline Coon in the Melody Maker which reflected on a Pete Townsend influence in Weller's guitar playing was met with the statement "How can I be a f*cking revivalist when I'm only 18?" He wrote it on a piece of card and subsequen

tly wore it down the pub.

One of life's great regrets is that The Jam only released 6 studio albums (excluding subsequent compilations and live releases). On the label Polydor records having been signed up by Chris Parry "In The City" was released in 1977. This was a raw rock production, which highlighted all of the band's rough edges. However, the energy of youth and a penchant for powerful tunes meant that the boys had arrived. The theme song from the album was a high-octane guitar blast heralding an anthemic feel to The Jam's underlying message. Highlights included "Away From the Numbers" and "Art School". To be fair, once signed by their new label, the premiere was something of a rushed affair with the record being strung together in just 5 days and the vocals supposedly recorded in a lift (or was Weller being tongue-in-cheek?).

For their second outing, the band packed their bags and headed for the countryside. The idea in Bruce Foxton's words was to "..go down to this rehearsal studio in the country, somewhere like Aylesbury, and try and bash a load of half baked songs into shape, the idea being that because we were in the middle of nowhere we wouldn't have f*ck all to do and be very productive. We just finished going up the pub every day because it just wasn't working." This was reflected in the quality of the album as it turned out to be the poorest of the offerings. However, there were some highlights from "This is the Modern World" including "The Modern World", "Standards" and the Wilson Picket cover "In the Midnight Hour".

As you'd expect, sooner or later controversy was inevitable in a time marked by it?s aggression. One night in a pub the band got into a fracas which resulted in Weller appearing in Leeds Crown Court. On his arrival he was greeted by the words "Paul Weller is innocent" chalked on the steps
. Pau
l was aquitted having had the publicity that rock stars crave for.

For me most bands seem to peak on their third album and in 1978 the group released the triumphant "All Mod Cons". Too many highlights to pick an individual track out so better to just include the playlist: All Mod Cons, To Be Someone, Mr Clean, David Watts, In The Crowd, Billy Hunt, It's Too Bad, Fly, The Place I Love, "A" Bomb in Wardour Street and Down in a Tube Station at Midnight. Not listed on the LP was also the wonderful "English Rose" which revealed a more reflective Weller capable of thoughtful ballads every bit as good as the more anthemic stuff. This LP was simply brilliant although it solidified their association with the Mod movement with the portrayal on the cover of Bruce wearing spats and the lads generally sporting sharp, 60's style clothes.

Maybe even worthy of the classic label but songs like "Down in a Tube Station" still get regular airtime on Virgin, this particular song painting a picture of a mugging on the London Underground. If you were going to buy any of the back catalogue, this is the one you should go out and buy.

Paul Weller was and is very much a pacifist and this was the theme of Setting Sons released in 1979. With a poignant cover of 3 soldiers set in a stone in a sombre huddle, this was a chance for Weller to speak out against the vagaries of war. All of the great work in All Mod Cons was consolidated in another storming production. Highlights included "The Eton Rifles" and "Little Boy Soldiers" which both carried a strong anti-war message decrying the futility of sending men to their deaths. The ironic lyrics of Eton Rifles showcased Weller at his best "Sup up your beer and collect your fags/There's a row going on down near Slough/Get out your mat and pray to the West/I'll get out mine and pray for myself."

The strength of this album
is indica
tive of the social conscience that Weller simply had to include in his songs. Depression was covered in Private Hell which talked about a mother who had lost contact with her kids and every day was a mundane affair "...The morning slips away - in a valium haze/and catalogues and numerous cups of coffee." It's a soporific tale of a middle-aged woman questioning her self worth and the point of a seemingly pointless existence.

1980 saw the retrospective "Sound Affects" hit the streets. The album cover was an inspired set of images that took the viewer from the cradle to the grave. The release had a 60's feel to it with strong tracks like the Beatles influenced "Start". This was a marginally psychedelic affair with "Pretty Green" and "Dream Time" showing a more opium hazed side to the band's thinking. Strong tracks litter this production including "Set The House Ablaze" and the almost unplugged "That's Entertainment". The latter was one of Weller's proudest achievements having been written in a moment of inspiration after having left the pub drunk. The song took the listener on a down to earth journey of would be musos having to slum it in caravans, writing songs against a backdrop of TV dinners and dogs barking in the early dawn.

The Gift was the final release in 1982. This showed that the band had learnt as they'd matured and called upon a black influence to take them in one final direction. Seemingly from nowhere appeared trumpets and saxaphones played by Steve Nichol and Keith Thomas respectively. In his own words, Paul "...wanted it perfect but settled for good, oh well."

This was a reprisal of all their collective energies and joyful renditions included "Precious" (drawing on "Papa's got a brand new pig bag" for inspirati
on), "Running on the Spot" and "Circus". "To
wn Called Malic
e" was Weller's obligatory reflection on a life dominated by council estates and a day-to day struggle. Surely some of his finest lyrics lit up a production that typifies what Weller was all about in his Jam days "...Rows and rows of disused milk floats/stand dying in the dairy yard/And a hundred lonely housewives clutch empty milk/ bottles to their hearts/Hanging out their old love letters on the line to dry/It's enough to make you stop believing when tears come fast and furious/In a town called malice." This is a stunning summation of a band that made it's mark and said the things it wanted to say whilst entertaining millions. Other notables amongst a breathtaking set included "Happy Together", "Ghosts" and "Just Who is the 5 O'clock Hero?". There wouldn't be much to call between this and "All Mod Cons" but if you prefer a more all round sound with a perfect blend of white and black musical culture than this may be the one for you.

Other significant events worthy of a mention include the singles that weren't included in album form. "The Butterfly Collector", "Strange Town" and the immortal "Going Underground" are all brilliant pieces in their own right. The latter was never intended as the A side release but a mix up during pressing meant that the double A "Dreams of Children" was relegated to the flip and the rest was history. Paul Weller playing "Going Underground" TOTP live in a pinny will always stand out in my mind as one of a banal show's greatest moments.

I suppose one of the sadder facts about The Jam is that they never conquered The States. They simply didn't catch fire over there despite touring. Maybe they achieved what they set out to which was in Rick Buckler's words "...to be treated
with RESPECT." Maybe that's exactly what they did.

The back ca
talogue is available
through the usual sources e.g. HMV.com amongst others. As far as I know, the albums have been re-released on CD format although this review is based on the original LPs and covers.

Paul Weller went on to form The Style Council with Mick Talbot and is still recording and touring as a solo artist today. This man is a musical phenomenon and maybe for those that didn't know where he came from, then you may have found this interesting. If not,thanks for reading anyway.

All the best.

Marandina

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