Angry Young Funks (Greatest Hits - Jam)

Member Name: Science

Product:	Greatest Hits - Jam
Date:	16/01/01 (131 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Perfect sign of the times

Disadvantages: none

For those unaware of the Jam the greatest hits is the album for you. It shows the easy development of their sound through the difficult years at the end of the 1970's and the beginning of the 1980's. The Jam may have held a sound and image somewhere between the sixties mods and the seventies punks, but they were something different. Yes they were angry but the anger had more than awareness, it had purpose and direction as highlighted in All around the World the second track on the album.

Those years marked a recession in Britain, the public were angry and the young musicians of the time were vocally and musically telling the story of how it was to live at that time.

The socio-political comment is a driving force through most of the tracks, while the music stays fast and furious in songs such as "The Eton Rifles" - a song about the "out of work" march through Windsor when the public school boys of Eton sneered and fought the unemployed demonstrators shooting at them with their air rifles. The classic "Going Underground" bubbles with a typically solid Jam bassline cut open with screeching Guitar Chords and Paul Weller's forceful vocals.

While the content of the lyrics remains pretty similar you notice subtle changes in the music over the years. The sound definately takes on a funky edge with tracks like "Start!" breaking along with twanged guitar and plucked out basslines. And more carefree tunes like "Absolute Beginners". Then you have a genuine classic in "that's Entertainment" with strumed guitar flowing through a beautiful melody.

"a Town called Malice" is another great starting with that familiar mod bass then layered with swinging beats and the unmistakable Hammond organ over the top, classic to the core!

Towards the end we see that Weller is moving musically towards the Style Council though the song
s are still definately Jam songs. "The Bitterest Pill" is a yearning song with female backing vocals highlighting the musical development of a very talented group. The album finished with "The Beat Surrender" a joy filled track and perfect before picking up the first Style Council album....that is if you want to....

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