Sup up your beer and collect your fags (The Very Best Of The Jam - The Jam)

Member Name: yummy87

Product:	The Very Best Of The Jam - The Jam
Date:	20/07/04 (259 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: All the bands singles on one album

Disadvantages: None!

Back in the late 70?s and early 80?s Music had reached a new dimension. Punk had risen from the ashes of disco, and the music became loud, angry and frantic.

Paul Weller met Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckley while at school in Woking. The three spiky haired young men loved music and decided to form their own band in 1973. Although a Mod by heart, Weller was heavily influenced by the punk music currently dominating the music scene, and The Jam developed a style all of their own. Dressed in Mod suits, the group played an angry punk guitar, a booming bass guitar and rumbling drums while their faces conveyed little or no emotion during their songs. 1977 saw them being signed by Polydor Records, their first release ?In the City? hit the charts and they never looked back. Releasing an album of the same name, The Jam went from strength to strength and achieved a wide following.

In 1982, Paul Weller decided he was bored and decided to disband The Jam. Critics stated that he was committing professional suicide. The band were at their most popular, and were sitting at No. 2 in the charts, and Weller was still only in his early Twenties. However, Weller stood by his guns. He was never a fan of fame, and always preferred his privacy.

?The Very Best of The Jam? was released in 1997, and features all the single releases from The Jam?s career, set out in the order in which they were released. The album is difficult to find now, but www.play.com do sell it for the princely sum of £8.99. Amazon also stock copies, but expect to pay £11.99 if purchasing from them.

?In the City? had an angry punk sound, created by a guitar almost being scraped rather than played, , Loud and brash, the song tells of the frightening aspects of living in a metropolis and We
ller storms through the vocals in an angry and urgent fashion. The song is highly charged with emotion with Weller conveying his anger throughout in almost sneering at the state of the city. The song, originally released in 1997, only made it to No. 40 in the charts, but has now become almost a cult song with fans of the band.

?And I know what you're thinking, You still think I am crap
But you'd better listen man, because the kids know where it's at?

?All around the world? is another song following the punk theme, although in some places there are obvious Who influences. Foxton takes the vocals for the track, which was never included on any of the band?s albums. The music seems to take over, and the vocals struggle to make themselves heard over the instruments, but the song tells the tale of the band?s fascination with youth movements, and their outlook on the world in general. How much better things would be with youths took over the world and made decisions for the general public. The song made it to No. 13 in the charts when released in July 1977, a sign that The Jam were on their way. Young people identified with Weller and the rest of the band?s outspoken attitudes about the rulers of the country.

?The Modern World? was the song that first introduced me to The Jam. Released in October 1977, the single only managed to scrape to No. 36 in the charts, but I think sums Weller?s feelings up in a nutshell. The track begins with the line ?This is the modern world? shouted over the guitar and loudly played drums. Again, Weller shows his anger at the economy, and the world in general and states that he will never be told what to do, or will ever explain his actions to anyone. The Jam had found their rhythm with this track and although the lyrics are still angry, the riff is catchy
and the vocals become slightly softer than on the previous two releases. A classic.

?News of the World? was probably the low point of the band?s career. The slowing down of ?Modern World? was not repeated and the song tells of their feelings towards the World?s Press, and their anger at how people were portrayed by the media. The music takes a new direction. Although still lively and frenetic, there is a hint of a Clapton influence with some truly sublime guitar playing. The song was not received well by the critics, and the band set off to find another direction.

August 1978 saw the release of ?David Watts?, a song written by Ray Davies of The Kinks. Moving onto their Mod phase, the song tells of hero worship and the hope that one day instead of being the class failure, Foxton will grow up to be as successful as the school boffin David Watts. The song proved to the public that The Jam could sing, and veered away from their somewhat morose early offerings, sounding almost happy in places. Weller provides the ?Ba Ba Ba? backing track, and the keyboards add atmosphere to the song, which became a favourite for the band?s live sets.

?A Bomb in Wardour Street? was released as the B side to Watts, but achieved almost the same cult success. Stilted vocals are layed over a fast drum beat, but the track is dominated by the bass guitar in a tale of a bombing in one of the busiest streets in the city. Weller?s despair at the atrocities seen at the scene are conveyed wonderfully and his anger positively oozes through the lyrics.

?I'm stranded on the vortex floor, my head's been kicked in and blood's started to poor
Through the haze I can see my girl, fifteen geezers got her pinned to the door?

As soon as ?Down in the tube Station? began, ev
eryone knew this song was going to go down in history as a classic. Released in 1978, the sound of a tube train drawing into a station sets the scene for the song, which tells of a young man?s outing to the takeaway via the tube. He is beaten up by a gang of yobs who ?smelt of pubs and Wormwood Scrubs and too many right wing meetings?, and is left bleeding with thoughts of his wife, waiting for him at home. The longest track on the album, the song has a feeling of despair, as what started out as a normal errand, turned into a nightmare. A much quieter musical arrangement captures the mood perfectly and what sounds like a heartbeat can be heard over the track, conjuring up images of a man laying badly beaten, fighting for his life.

?I glanced back on my life, and thought about my wife
'Cause they took the keys - and she'll think it's me, and I'm down in the tube station at midnight?

?Strange Town? released in 1979, was undoubtedly one of the band?s finest moments. The song tells of an alien landing in the heart of London and has a beat unlike any other single. Told from the view point of the alien, the song is almost Ska-like in places and positively reeks of energy. The band make use of some strange musical effects as well as Foxton and Buckley providing a melodious backing track just before the onset of a magnificent guitar solo. Weller?s voice, although still raw, has developed a softer style in the track and the band prove that they are capable of veering away from the angry punk style that was their trade mark when they first came together.

?When you?re young? shows the band are growing up. They look back fondly to the days of their youth when anything seemed possible, and the world was their oyster. A fast song, full of energy, one can imagine the band scissor kicking their way through it on stage. Interspersed with attitude
played guitars, the track softens out with Weller?s vocals quietening as it progresses.

?The Eton Rifles? saw the band taking the rise out of the schoolboy set that dominated Slough. Reaching No 3 in the charts after its release in October 1979, the song begins loudly and has a cross between a Mod and a Punk beat. The song tells of the politicians who attended Eton and the effect that the school had on the many crass decisions made during their career. With Weller at his best, the lyrics are scathing, Foxton and Buckley providing a satiricial ?Hello-Hurrah? backing. An organ is used in the track, which seems completely out of place yet it seems to work.

?Going Underground? was the band?s first No. 1 single release and the first chords of the song prove that this will be yet another classic offering. The song tells of Weller?s disgust at decisions being made in the world at the time and although angry, the song has melody, with backing vocals being soft. Weller?s vocals echo in places, but by the chorus, the song will have the listener singing along caught up in the catchiness of the beat.

?As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
You'll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns?


?Dreams of Children? begins with an echoing guitar, before the frenzied drums and bass come in. Weller gets caught up in children?s false realism but finally snaps out of his nightmare and realises that the world is just as bad as when he went to sleep. A tambourine is used in this track, which softens it out nicely before the last verse where Weller sounds almost angelic.


?Start?, released in August 1980, propelled the band to the top of the charts once more. An almost military style drum opens the track, which sees the band veering again towards a Mod influence. ?
3;tart? can almost be classed a love song. The beat in the track is fantastic, and Weller strives to reach the high notes, proving that he is capable of singing more than morose lyrics. The drum playing is Buckley?s best, and the addition of maracas only adds to the ambience. Fantastic.


?That?s Entertainment? although reaching only No. 21 in the charts, can be classed as another of the band?s classic releases. The guitar takes the forefront in a track in which Weller casts his satirical eye over events in the lives of people that they class as entertainment. Weller?s voice is laden with emotion and is almost guttural in places, but the guitar takes centre stage for this track, one of my favourites from the band?s career.

?Waking up from bad dreams and smoking cigarettes - cuddling a warm girl and smelling stale perfume
A hot summers' day and sticky black tarmac - feeding ducks in the park and wishing you were faraway?

?Funeral Pyre? seems to transport us back to the early days of the band, with its beginnings being taken over by an almost Punk influence again. Read into the song what you will, there are many possibilities for Weller?s lyrics, but the track proves that he does not believe in love, and ridicules those that do.

?Absolute Beginners? brings in a brass band influence, which is an interesting variation, but unfortunately Foxton?s vocals spoil the overall effect of the song. One can?t help but think if Weller had provided the main vocals, the track would have been much more successful. Foxton sounds consistently out of tune, in an otherwise fine offering questioning whether dire decisions made by government officials could have been any different.

?A Town called Malice? reached No. 1 for the band again in 1982. An almost soul like beat starts the song, and there are hints of the S
;alvation Army present. Weller?s vocals are superb in the song, which tells of a town that has become marred by fighting and the decline of industry. Finger clicking abounds in the track, that is one of the Jam?s finest moments. More pop than punk, the song sounds as fresh today as it did twenty-two years ago.

?Precious? was released as a double A-side to ?A Town called Malice? and is totally different to any of the band?s other releases. The beat to the track is a fusion of funk, soul and mod, and sees Weller providing one of his most melodious vocals in the history of the band. Obviously in a new relationship, the song is about love, and lots of it. All encompassing powerful love, which Weller normally finds so difficult to sing about. One of the best tracks that the band ever released.

?Just who is the 5 o?clock hero?? sees the band almost go back to their roots. Transport us back to the angry young band who started out in the late Seventies, the Punk influence rears its head once more, but Weller?s vocals remain strong and melodious in this tale of a normal working man, who is constantly exhausted. The song bemoans the fact that Prince Phillip at that time felt the country should be working harder, and the tiredness and exasperation can almost be heard in Weller?s vocals.

?The Bitterest Pill? was released at the time Weller indicated that he was not happy with the band and needed to branch out into other avenues. With a soft opening, the song tells of a relationship turning sour, and Weller heaps scorn on the girl for leading him up the garden path. Female backing vocals appear in the song, which provide an interesting diversion, as do the addition of strings and orchestral influences.

The final single ?Beat Surrender? reached the No. 1 spot in November 1982, and heralded the end o
f The Jam. Going out with a bang, the track explored new ground, and sees Weller trying out the styles of his forthcoming band, The Style Council, on the unsuspecting public. Foxton?s vocals sound very Bowie influenced in this fast paced offering, again using trumpets, which urged the youth to follow their hearts and do as they believed, not what other people expected them to do. A fine end to a successful career.

The Jam will long be remembered as one of music?s pioneers. Weller et al became spokespersons for the youth, and were admired by the young, hated by the old for their outspoken attitudes on politics and life in general. The band had a knack for singing of realism, which so many people could identify with, but were too frightened to admit.

So what has become of the members of The Jam? Bruce Foxton has formed another band, Stiff Little Fingers, who have achieved minimal success. Rick Buckley has faded into obscurity, probably never to be seen again. Weller, however, has proved that he is more talented as time passes. After leaving The Jam, he formed The Style Council, who had a number of chart hits, but it is as a solo artist that Weller has made his money, and has accomplished more in his life than most people could ever dare to dream. The Jam will be remembered by most as one of the best bands to come out of Britain. The band was Paul?s grounding, and what a fantastic start to his successful career.

There are a great deal of people who look fondly back to the Mod and Punk era. ?The Very Best of the Jam? is an ideal album to buy to relive that period. It will transport the listener back to the days of spiky haired young men with attitude who felt a passion about the state of the world, and used their music as a sounding board.

Summary: