The Jam Albums Ranked From Worst to Best
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- It's our monthly Patreon week: covering an artist that was selected through Patron voting. After a very close battle with OutKast, The Jam came out on top with a 1-vote lead.
Today, we're ranking their six studio albums.
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The Jam were an English mod revival/punk rock band during the 1970s and early 1980s, which formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, in the county of Surrey. The band released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1982, including four number one hits. As of 2007, "That's Entertainment" and "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" remain the best-selling import singles of all time in the UK. They released one live album and six studio albums, the last of which, The Gift, hit number one on the UK Albums Chart. When the group disbanded in 1982, their first 15 singles were re-released and all placed within the top 100.
While the Jam shared the "angry young man" outlook and fast tempo of the mid-1970s British punk rock movement, in contrast with it the band wore smartly tailored suits reminiscent of English pop-bands in the early 1960s and incorporated mainstream 1960s rock and R&B influences into its sound, particularly from the Who's work of that period and also drew influence from the work of the Kinks and the music of American Motown. This placed the act at the forefront of the 1970s-1980s nascent Mod Revival movement. With many of the band's lyrics about working class life, Jam biographer Sean Egan commented that they "took social protest and cultural authenticity to the top of the charts."
The band drew upon a variety of stylistic influences over the course of their career, including 1960s beat music, soul, rhythm and blues and psychedelic rock, as well as 1970s punk and new wave. The trio were known for their melodic pop songs, their distinctly English flavour and their mod image. The band launched the career of Paul Weller, who went on to form the Style Council and later his solo career. Weller wrote and sang most of the Jam's original compositions and played lead guitar, using a Rickenbacker 330. Bruce Foxton provided backing vocals and prominent basslines, which were the foundation of many of the band's songs, including the hits "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", "The Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice" mainly using a Rickenbacker 4001 or a Fender Precision Bass, as well as, on rare occasions, an Epiphone Rivoli.
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Thanks for watching! Let us know what you think of The Jam, how you rank their albums, and what you think of our lists by leaving a comment below.
Next week: Gene Clark
After that: Don Henley, Arcade Fire, Massive Attack
#TheJam #PaulWeller #AlbumsRanked #WorsttoBest
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I think Brits love the Jam for a couple of reasons.
1) They were ignored in America. They definitely should've had more of a career over there. That kind of establishes them more of a national treasure here.
2) They wear their influences on their sleeves.
3) They push the right buttons of many working class Brits. The two songs that some of the guys dismissed 'That's Entertainment' and 'Eton Rifles' are class anthems. As is 'Town Called Malice'.
absolutely spot on. great comment and summary of what the Jam / Paul Weller means to the Brits
Yep, from someone who was there, you're right, they were incredible live, fire and energy!
I don't think Brits gave a crap what Americans thought of Weller. He was distinctly British (critics called
him a Little Englander) and most important the music, like the Beatles was a brilliant snapshot of British life.
@@thomasmccormack9515 When a beloved British artist doesn't have the same success is the American Market, we know about it. British bands want to do well in America; after all, thats what their heroes from the sixties did and had to do to change the world. And not breaking America can add a gloss to them that they were too British to appreciate. We can have it both ways.
How many times was a town called malice used in movies? A zillion times...
Proud to see over 7k views ( and counting) for the Jam albums discography review: higher than Nirvana, Soundgarden , Alice In Chains, White Stripes listographies ( surprisingly for a US based channel)...hats off again to Jason ,Joe and Kramzer ( and the Patreon members) ..many thanks.. " the public gets what the public wants''.." a police car and a screaming siren", " quit running for the runaway bus cos those rosy days are few", " You've got to move in a straight line, you've got to walk and talk in four four time" , " I wanna say, i wanna tell ya, about the young idea"..The Jam for life
I don’t think Americans ever really understood the Jam. ‘A fun band, you don’t have to dig too deep’. Are you people kidding? Paul Weller was the spokesperson for a whole generation of British working class!! Seriously people, listen to the lyrics!…and I’m not even from the UK.
Thanks. Your comment is very much appreciated!
I mean...songs like Little Boy Soldiers and Private Hell are hardly fun-based lol...
The Jams success in England was formidable and really not transferable across the globe simply due to the fact that Weller was writing exclusively for the youth of his homeland and at no point did he ever attempt to pander to commercial success
Boy, that sure was some reserved general reaction even I hadn’t expected… 😱 The Jam were a fucking great band when they were at their creative peak: tight, urgent, sharp, clever, to the point- the ultimate power trio, come on! However, I do feel Weller‘s love for Soul wasn’t as fitting anymore on their final records, so he was better off with Style Council eventually… Plus, as excellent as their output was up until a point, I always saw them as more of a singles than an album band. Let them grow on you a bit, guys!
Hey guys. Don't comment much but been enjoying the discord, and had to leave one for this vid. The Jam definitely are one of my favourites and definitely are better than The Clash. I can see your points though. I think they are first and foremost a really fun band, but if you dig deeper into Paul Weller's songwriting, there's something really special there. That's Entertainment is one of my favourite lyrical songs ever, just paints an incredible picture of what it's like to live in the UK. Great job as always on the video
Agreed, and The Clash's Cut the Crap proves that The Jam were better. The Gift was a better finale. It might have some songs that stunk, but there are a couple of songs that are awesome.
I have The Jam as one of the great Singles bands, on a par with The Smiths.
Both Weller and Morrisey knew their pop history and wanted to treat singles as a separate art form taking great care to write decent b sides and ensuring their albums were not just stuffed with single after single.
The Jam albums suffered more than The Smiths in taking this line, hence in my opinion they never delivered that one killer LP.
All around the world, When you're young, Strange town, Going Underground, Lisa Radley, Butterfly Collector , Funeral Pyre would have raised any Jam album from good to great in my opinion. I think the singles have to be considered alongside the LPs to understand why The Jam for so many of a certain age were so cherished.
I agree, that's why 'Snap' is indispensable and the album that everyone loved when I was at School. :)
Completely agree
100% correct . Equal with the Smiths as a singles band for sure.
I think what you mean to say is that the Smiths are the equal of the Jam 😉
Interesting to hear people who don't know the Jam talk about them--the things being missed here 1) all of the records are full of allusions to other obscure mod music, so part of the experience is recognizing and enjoying and learning from the way those allusions are worked into something new (a little like sampling); 2) singles--album reviews as the basis for assessment might miss a major thing about the band. The Jam were a UK band through and through, so the singles didn't generally make it onto the LPs--these singles are all good and typically topped the UK charts--"Going Underground" was #1 the day it came out, a feat only achieved previously by The Beatles. 3) The influence on other bands--tons of lesser mod bands, and Brit Pop is virtually impossible without The Jam (and Television Personalities, the other major mod band of the era). 4) The lyrics. You need to really attend to them to realize the depth and sophistication, the original voice Weller developed in The Jam, a style of songwriting he never went back to.
i agree to an extent what you're saying. Jam diehards like you and me can see the holes in the analysis, the singles ignored, but i absolutely give these guys credit.( completely from a different generation and culture , although i don't want to make a thing of the culture difference . I know there are absolutely brilliant fans of the Jam all over the world Japan, Australia, and the USA who know every word and note of their music. ) I'm just happy to see the band highlighted for a new, maybe younger audience and i think these chaps were honest and respectful, in there appraisal... that's all you can ask for
All Mod Cons is one of the best new wave albums, along with This Year's Model. Still sounds great 44 years on...
100% Spot on.. You are so right sir,. All Mod Cons is a timeless classic
I also love joe Jackson's 1979 record
The Jam are way better than The Cure and The Smiths. More power, more depth, more creativity.
Definitely not better than the Smiths… not even in the same galaxy, really. - Joe
The Jam made a huge impact on me in the early 90s when I purchased their 1991 Greatest Hits compilation. Subsequently, I started picking up their proper albums. They never quite accomplished an outright masterpiece, aside from their awesome compilations, Snap! and Greatest Hits (because they feature most of the fantastic singles that don't appear on the proper albums), but they got really close with All Mod Cons and Sound Affects; perhaps they're "minor masterpieces", actually, and among my favorite albums of the late 70s/early 80s period:
1. Sound Affects - 4.5 stars
2. All Mod Cons - 4.5 stars
3. In the City - 4 stars
4. Setting Sons - 3.5 stars
5. The Gift - 3.5 stars
6. This Is the Modern World - 3 stars
Enjoyed hearing your views. First band I ever saw live on their Solid Bond tour, and still the best gig I've been to. It's tge old cliché, but you probably had to have been there to really appreciate how much they mattered to so many of us kids from the suburbs at that time. They were our generation's Kinks and they spoke about our situation, hopes and fears. For me, Setting Sons is their best album as Weller's lyrics in songs like Thick As Thieves and Wasteland are simply superb and show a maturity far beyond his years (and Foxton did a great job on Smithers Jones). However, my favourite song is the B side track, Tales From The Riverbank. Now you really need to do The Kinks and XTC discographies (not just Jason's one) and then Cardiacs for something completely different!
Joe was on fire this video: "The Jam just never came up, they're not really my jam," and "pretty green is pretty good." Always providing that dad tier humor, a true man of the people
Love all the guys, all funny in their individual way, (when Kramzer's on a roll, in good form ,he's hilarious ), but Joe's cynical older brother ( and he may not be the oldest of the 3) , "dad tier" humour as you put it is just gold. Their personalities elevate the channel for their fans
The Jam - Album Ranking.
7. Snap - 1983 - ( Compilation )
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Probably not included in the review by the TLM lads, but an absolutely crucial listen if you are new to their music. All the great non-album singles and most b-sides are on this record, "Going Underground" , "Strange Town", " Butterfly Collector" etc, are all here.
Studio Albums - Ranked
6. This Is the Modern World 1977 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unfairly panned at the time, some of the tracks are as great as anything off the debut, Has improved it's reputation over time .
Key Songs- Standards, Life From A Window, This Is The Modern World, In the Street Today
5. In the City- 1977 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Weller and Co still yet to establish their true sound, wear their Who love on their sleeves but deliver with bristling punk energy and exuberance
Key Songs- Away from the Numbers , Sounds From the Street, In The City, Art School
4. The Gift - 1983 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Jam's final statement and musically a clear nod to the soul/r'n'b direction Weller wanted to take. The instrumental 'Circus' and "Trans Global Express" don't work at all, but the rest of the album still showcase Weller's great melodic sensibilities and socially conscious lyrics ( "Town Called Malice "is clear evidence that you write can staunchly political lyrics which champion the working class to joyous , uplifting pop music.)
Key Songs- Town Called Malice, Precious, Happy Together, Running On the Spot, Ghosts
3. Sound Affects - 1980 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Weller wanted a more live sound on this record, and less of the guitar overdubbing he and Producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven did on the previous record "Setting Sons' and some of the subsequent singles. Also , Weller was interested in some of the psychedelic , sixties sounds he was hearing in some of the post - punk music of the time. Definitely the Jam's most experimental record and one of their best.
Key Songs- That's Entertainment , Man In the Corner Shop , Pretty Green, Monday, Dreamtime, But I'm Different Now
2. Setting Sons - 1979 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The concept album that Weller gave up on two thirds of the way through production ( "just couldn't be assed " he says with typical eloquence) , but this is still an absolute masterpiece of British rock/new wave/ mod , whatever the hell you want to call it.
The central songs are amongst the greatest ever written by an English song writer. The inclusion of the relatively lightweight cover of "Heatwave" does not dent the album's greatness one iota.
Key Songs- Eton Rifles, Thick As Thieves, Private Hell , Wasteland , Little Boy Soldiers
1. All Mod Cons- 1978 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Along with Setting Sons , one of the greatest British rock albums of all time , and one of the most influential . Blur's Parklife/Modern Life Is Rubbish, Arctic Monkey's first 2 albums, The Libertines, Manic Street Preachers, the list goes on, owe a huge debt to this record, in the same way Weller cites Ray Davies as his aesthetic and spiritual mentor for many of the songs here. And he does Davies proud. As English a record as you will ever hear but with universal themes , biting social satire and commentary delivered with great melodies, energy and nuance. Weller really lets his Woking (suburb just outside London where he was born) accent take over and really finds his true voice.
Key Songs - the Whole Album
Before I watch the video( and regardless of the outcome,) a massive thank you to the TLM guys for inducting The Jam, one of the greatest bands of all time, into the "TLM Artist of the Week " Hall Of Fame. I and many other members of " The Jam Army" out there will be eternally grateful. Thank you also to the very gracious , beautiful members of the TLM Patreon community who voted the Jam as Artist of the Month in the Monthly Poll with ( by all accounts ) an overwhelming margin 😊❤️
A very fine summary of these albums. Such a hugely influential band.
@@davidgagen9856 thank you ! 🙏Really enjoy seeing the love for this band in the comments
great recaps. I look forward to seeing your top 10 songs tomorrow. I am sure it will not be easy for you to par it down
@@ihavenoquarrelwithyou3249 thank you !..i don't think i'll be able to manage just a top 10, you're spot on ;)
Snap was not a recorded album. It’s a compilation of songs that were singles and from all albums.
1 Setting Sons 4
2 Sound Affects 4
3 All Mod Cons 4
4 In the City 3.5
5 The Gift 3
6 This Is the Modern World 3
1-3 pretty much interchangeable , enjoyed the video guys, great job
Great video as always, guys! I like The Jam but I think I prefer Paul Weller's 80s synth-pop group The Style Council. "You're the Best Thing," "Speak Like a Child," "It Didn't Matter," "Shout to the Top," "It's a Very Deep Sea," "The Paris Match," "Confessions 1 2 3," "Long Hot Summer," and "Confessions of a Pop Group" are all wonderful songs.
6K views so far for this tinny little English band from 100 years ago....love it. Successful week for the channel in my eyes. Thank you again TLM for at least spotlighting this great band ( most ) Americans won't ever get , and ( most ) British ( and some non- British , but not American ) fans hold dear to their hearts. This channel just rocks..lol
Hi guys, once again a nice work of yours. More or less I agree with your ranking. But ...
In my opinion the importence of the Jam are the lyrics and that makes them very british and that is as you mentioned one of the reasons they were not very popular in the US. Weller was a fine chronist of the ordinary life in the UK in the 70ies and early 80ies. Many people were unemployed the british industries were on downfall, especially the once mighty textile and car industry. And for the miners it was the begining of the end. There were again and again power off for some hours and in some branches the 3 day working week was in use. I've spent some time in South England as part of a student exchange program and was shocked how poor the majority was and how silly high the prices were e.g. for food. They selling apples by pieces and not per pound.
And the upper class still dreams of an Empire that was long gone.
That situation reflects in Weller's lyrics and that's the reason many see The Jam as great and important. Weller was a big supporter of the left wing party and the union and fought against the far right and fascist movement such as the National Front or the British Movement. This socialist support is often misunderstood particularly in the US were people think this is communism, which is wrong.
So anyway The Jam were an important band of my teens. In terms of music only Setting Sons is in my top 100, but is Bob Dylan mostly famous
for his music?
Keep on keeping on, boys. I'm looking forward for the next show.
Greetings from the old continent, Michael
nice comment. Pretty good summation as to why the Jam were so important to the youth of Britain back then
The correct order is: 1. All Mod Cons 2. Sound Affects 3. Setting Sons 4. In The City 5. The Gift 6. This Is The Modern World.
Grew up loving the Jam & I think Setting Sons and All Mods Cons are great albums. However for me they had the best run of singles ever, from Down in the Tube Station to Going Underground. Loved seeing them on TOTPs.
The Jam Albums - Ranking
7,.Snap ( Compilation ) 5 stars
Studio Albums
6. This Is the Modern World - 4 stars
5 The Gift : 4 . 5 stars
4. In the City : 4.5 stars
3. Sound Affects: 4. 5 stars
2. All Mod Cons 5 stars
1. Setting Sons 5 stars
Great choice by the channel and it's Patreon members. Very few ranking videos of this band on UA-cam which is strange considering they're clearly one of the greatest bands of the 70s-80s punk/new wave era.
Well done, Tastes Like Music. You went out the your comfort zone i feel. Kudos to you
You. Had. To. Be. There. The Jam were a lifeline in an age of hopelessness.......
The most consistent punk/new wave/power pop band ...all albums are good ...
100% brother. The greatest
Excellent choice , lads. Loved this band since I was a kid in the late 70s. Bought all their records and singles on release. Heartbroken when they split but with hindsight Weller did the right thing , and they remain in that wonderful new wave /punk time capsule where forever they stand for youthful energy, compassionate , intelligent social consciousness, great memorable rock/pop songs and the brilliant Mod aesthetic and lifestyle. The Jam forever. "Succumber to the beat surrender"
The Jam Albums Worst to Best
7 . This Is the Modern World 3.5 stars
6 In the City 4 stars
5 The Gift 4 stars
4 Sound Affects 4.5 stars
3 Snap : Compilation (yes i'm including it ) 5 stars
2. Setting Sons 5 stars
1. All Mod Cons 5 stars
You got it spot on Edward. 👍🏻
I listen to Paul Weller’s first two solo albums pretty often. His first is very good and Wild Wood is close to a 5 star album for me, and probably up Joe’s and Jason’s alley. And from Joe’s remarks about The Gift, it sounds like he’d dig The Style Council.
A lot of Paul Weller's solo stuff is good.
Totally agree. First 2 Weller albums are amongst the best things he ever did. And i think the sound and musicianship might be more to the TLM crew's liking , particularly Joe. Same with Style Council who were also a great singles band
@@franksidebottomjnr92 Shout To The Top was the first single I ever bought with my own money (11 years old). Showing my age here. Joe would like the Style Council I think, catchy 80s stuff but it still sounds different to a lot of other music of the time. Shout To The Top, Walls ComeTumbling Down and Long Hot Summer are classics
@@jasonjames6383 Long Hot Summer was my 83 song of the year . Classic. Their singles collection is probably as good as any of the big pop bands of the 80s but they do get overlooked unfairly sometimes.
@@franksidebottomjnr92 They're definitely overlooked and a little bit forgotten about unfortunately as they were probably as good as anything else around that time.
In my ratings, The Jam have one five star album and it will not appear today - the 1983 compilation Snap is not just a perfect portrait of the band but a document of an era in rock history. Definitive.
Otherwise, I have always liked the Jam more for their great songs (singles or B-sides) rather than albums.
Paul Weller's second coming with Style Council was interesting but not my cup of tea. His still ongoing solo career has a lot of great albums, he is a constant in my AOTY and SOTY lists.
Bruce Foxton was almost as substantial for The Jam as Weller, afterwards he contributed significantly to the second phase of the great Irish band Stiff Little Fingers (the Belfast equivalent to The Clash).
6. This is the Modern World 3,0 (The material of the two 1977 albums reduced to one 40 minutes disc would have suited them better.)
5. The Gift 3,0 (Maybe this was not really a Jam album but a foreshadow of Weller's ambitions for his future projects. Many years later now, it sounds much better than back in the day and would fit into the third phase of his career rather than the Jam's discography.)
4. Setting Sons 3,5 (The highs are higher than ever before but there were also filler tracks on an album of just 33 minutes.)
3. In the City 3,5 (Fully in the tradition of The Who, with stronger pop influences than any other punk band - if they really ever were punk at all. Like 60s albums this was a mix of the singles and some filler/covers.)
2. All Mod Cons 4,0 (The album to establish Paul Weller among the songwriters of the era who would remain relevant for the decades to come, the band left the constraints of punk and mod and created their own sound.)
1. Sound Affects 4,0 (A consistent album that presents the trio at the top of their power, for once the sum is more than its parts. Only the best song from that period is missing - Going Underground.)
I also love Snap. I loved loved loved that. I was beginning college at the time and I tried to dress exactly like Weller on the cover of that album. Sweet memories.
Brilliantly summed up. Loved the holy trinity like family. Like u say, their singles and b sides were on another level to what any other band did then or since. I have to say though, imo setting sons was their greatest album for reasons that wud take tok long to explain now.
I used to listen to The Jam quite a lot when I was a teenager, but it's been a while since I listened to them. I still think they were one of the best bands in the whole UK punk/new wave scene.
A funny story (it's at least funny to me) involving The Jam happened to me about ten years ago. My friend and I were visiting London and had a few beers in Hyde Park and decided to go to Camden because we'd heard they had good clubs there. We didn't know how far it was so we decided to walk and on the way we passed a record store and we went inside. I found In the City on LP and bought it, but I soon realized that it was a pretty stupid idea to walk around with an LP all night, so I hid it behind a trash can in some alley. Since I had no idea exactly where in London we were at the time, I thought I wouldn't see that album again.
Anyway, we went to Camden and stayed there until four in the morning or something. Since it was quite a long walk we took the bus back to our hostel (by this time I had completely forgotten the LP). After fifteen minutes or so on the bus, I felt nauseous and had to get off. I ran around the corner into an alley. Guess if I were surprised looking up and seeing a black and white photo of Paul Weller and the boys peeking through behind the trash can. I got my album and me and my friend walked the rest of the way back to the hostel. I didn't tell him the reason I got off the bus was that I felt sick, so he still thinks I have the best sense of direction in the world.
To this day it's one of the craziest flukes I've ever experienced.
My ranking of their albums:
6. This Is the Modern World (1977) ★★★½
5. The Gift (1982) ★★★½
4. In the City (1977) ★★★½
3. Setting Sons (1979) ★★★★
2. All Mod Cons (1978) ★★★★
1. Sound Affects (1980) ★★★★½
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
I'd be interested in your rankings of The Style Counsel and solo Paul Weller as well. Cheers 🍻
Great story . Love hearing stories from long time Jam fans.
@@franksidebottomjnr92 Thanks, man! Yeah, the comments here are in general a fun read.
Lots of people commenting on how the Jam were too British for American audiences, and while there may be truth in that notion, I wonder if the Jam's failure to break bigger in America is more a result of how crappy U.S. radio programming was in the late 70s and early 80s.
As I listen to the Jam it strikes me that they were not poppy enough for top 40 radio until later in their career. But album rock radio in the U.S., at least in the heartland, where I grew up, was even more conservative in its programming in the late 70s-early 80s than top 40 radio. Rock radio fed us a steady stream of "retreads" or "dinosaur" acts. The Stones classic hits, Led Zep classic hits, the Who classic hits, Bowie, the Doors, the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, CSNY, AC/DC, and so on. Nothing against any of these artists, many of them are among the all-time greats, of course, but new acts had a really, really hard time breaking into rock radio. Hell, the first Clash tune I ever heard was Should I Stay or Should I Go on top 40 radio! Rock radio where I lived wouldn't touch anything associated with punk or new wave, but rock radio seems precisely the correct format for early Jam songs. So maybe the UK/US split for the Jam is due to something more than them being too British. After all, the Kinks did pretty well in the U.S. once the ban on them touring this country was lifted. Just a thought.
I was obsessed with the Jam in my teens in the early '80s (I'm Australian), was a mod the whole lot. I've still got all their albums on vinyl and occasionally like to hear the odd track, but I've never revisited their catalogue so this was an enjoyable review. Having said that, Bruce Foxton remains one of my favourite bassists of all time. He basically makes just about every Jam song single-handedly. He attacked the bass like a rhythm guitarist but had tons of melody as well. Underrated.
Absolutely delighted that the Jam get a week of their own and are the artist of the week on the finest musical artist ranking /review channel in the universe.
Hope the guys find the discography enjoyable or at least , interesting. Regardless , the Jam are close to my heart, they're my soul , in my DNA. Weller is a God. Mods for life.
The Jam albums ratings
6 . The Gift 4.5stars
5 In the City 4.5 stars
4 This Is The Modern World 4 .5stars
3. All Mod Cons 4.5 stars
2. Sound Affects 5 stars
1. Setting Sons 5 stars
Special Mention ; Snap - The Jam Singles Compilation 5
The Jam are quite rightly legends in the 🇬🇧. All six albums are solid 👌. I rank them as # 1 Sound Affects # 2 Setting Sons # 3 All Mod Cons # 4 In The City # 5 This Is The Modern World & # 6 The Gift. Many of The Jam's best tracks are B-Sides. My favorite Jam track - The Butterfly 🦋 Collector was a B-Side. 👍
Respectable list!
Yep. Sound Affects is at the top of my list too, David 👍👍
@@6inchpianist Thanks ! I'd like to see Rob Walkers take on the 6 but I don't think he subs here - not many VC members do. Hope Schnee is on tonight !
Sorry guys, you really missed the mark this week. You admit you are not familiar with The Jam’s six album catalog but somehow you can pass judgement after a week of listening? This band, like many bands, take multiple listenings. Usually the best bands are like that. And as such, your comments, rankings and top 10 picks show that you guys haven’t taken adequate time for reflection. Not to centre anyone out in particular but sorry Joe as much as I agree with many your comments in other videos ( like your love for Kate Bush :) ) nobody who has taken anytime to reflect on these recordings would rank Sound Affects as their worst album. It would be akin to ranking Revolver or Abbey Road as the Beatles worst album.
6) The Gift
5) In The City
4) This Is The Modern World
3) Sound Affects
2) Setting Sons
1) All Mod Cons
I think they are a great band, certainly do not have a bad album, a like lot of their b sides and none album singles are great, and Sound Affects, Setting Sons and All Mod Cons are all masterpieces to me, great review as always guys 👍
Hey, guys. Thanks for taking this one on. Grew up a mod wanna be in Texas in the late 70s and early 80s (not common in those parts), and these guys were role models. Love the band and most of Weller’s follow on work. The taste in music and what was popular in the US vice the UK really started to split then. They (and Weller since) had success and a rep with the Brits not shared this side of the Atlantic. Our loss, I say. Anyway, I like your perspectives. Fair assessments.
Texas mod?
Hell yeah, cowboy
Nice to know there is somebody else in Texas who has even heard of The Jam. Assuming you are still here.
I used to DJ at UT's student radio station at the same time Britt Daniel was DJ'ing there. Pre-Spoon. He had a great show. He played The Jam frequently. No coincidence, those two observations.
@@burmajones803 I was at UT in early to mid 80’s (before the IT invasion and Antone’s was still on Guadalupe Street) and loved the student radio. Thanks for doing that
I always find it odd to listen to Americans discussing Weller as in the UK he is an institution. When his 2020 album “On Sunset” hit number one he joined McCartney and Lennon as the only artists to have number one albums in the UK for 5 consecutive decades, yet he remains so unknown states side after 45 years of brilliant music. Style council albums would be interesting to look at as well and deffinetly his 16 solo albums ! With The Jam you only get two thirds of their history by just sticking to the albums, they had so many stand alone singles including two number ones including the classic Jam track “Going Underground”. You have to listen to the whole picture to get the whole story , and The Jam were on a different level to The Clash in the UK !
Album Rankings I Would Love to See
The Moody Blues
Dream Theater
Opeth
Duran Duran
The Kinks
Cheap Trick
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Judas Priest
Motorhead
Saxon
Molly Hatchet
ZZ Top
The Yardbirds
Queensryche
Elvis Costello
All of these I would love to see
THE KINKS...DEFFO and xtc
I enjoyed hearing Joe using the phrase '...I think that's bollocks!' Definitely getting into the spirit of reviewing a British band!
Omg!!!! This makes me so happy to see! The Jam were BRILLIANT!
1. Sound Affects ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Setting Sons (tie) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. All Mod Cons (tie) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. The Gift ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. In The City ⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. This Is The Modern World ⭐⭐⭐
Joe.. omg… to each his own, I guess. We use completely different hearing apparatus... but at least your star system rankings are pretty great. Glad you liked the band!
great list. The Jam rule. I think the TLM guys made a fine attempt to at least try and understand this music , well out of their comfort zone i feel but they did great
Nothing really stood for me on Sound Affects, but it’s clearly their least Who/Kinks album, and doesn’t have the nice horns like the Gift. - Joe
@@komoleeray687 agree. Always get thoughtful commentary even if I disagree.
@@TastesLikeMusic I think repeated listenings reveal their most thoughtful (lyrically) and most mature (musically) album. Weller’s “Man In The Cornershop” “Monday,” and “That’s Entertainment” are gorgeous songs. “Scrape Away” a searing indictment of the pervasive negative conservatism of the Labour Party at that time. “Pretty Green,” “But I’m Different Now,” and “Start” are foot stomping bangers. Would easily make my Top 20 Albums of all time. (And I’ve got hundreds of albums and listened to much more.) The fact that you rank their catalog so highly is awesome. I’d love to hear what you think in a year or two… Cheers!
Your summation of The Jam's career at the end of the video was spot on. Having been around through the years The Jam was active I agree with your assessment.
They were a cultural obsession in the UK for at least the 2nd half of their short run. And it always seemed out of place for their modest output. They were the safe choice in the often-chaotic and sometimes difficult punk/post-punk world they came up in.
Setting Sons, Sound Affects and even All Mod Cons have moments where they seem to be about to break through but were never able to make a full album at that level.
While The Style Council was equally as patchy I enjoy their high points more.
Interesting , objective take on this band . Not everyone in Britain loved them but their was an obsession with them that fans ( me included ) and critics had with what they were about . I don’t agree with your summation of their “ modest output “ or your suggestion they were the punk “ safe option “ but I value your comment bringing a fair, counter-balance to the pure adulation someone like me had for them
@@deathfromabove77 I tried hard to get on board at the time. Thanks for your comment. The 'modest output' reads harsher than I intended. And perhaps the 'safe option' is the wrong choice of words. But as somebody who looks at '78-'82 as a high point in modern popular music (even though a lot of the good stuff was hardly popular), The Jam can be overshadowed by some of the more adventurous acts. But I am a huge Elvis Costello fan and like The Jam, he often looked back more than forward. The Snap album is one of the great singles compilations.
I too think the Style Council's highs are higher than the Jam's highs.
One of my favorite bands. I saw them live right before they broke up, which wasn't easy in the US.
My ratings.
6. Modern World- 3 stars
5. In the City- 3 and a half stars
4.The Gift- 4 stars
3. All Mod Cons- 4 and a half
2. Setting Sons- 5 stars
1. Sound Affects- 5 stars
Weller broke up the band to start the Style Council. The other two were gobsmacked by the decision. But in retrospect, as yall point out, Wellers songwriting was going in a direction not well served by the rhythm section by the end. It broke my heart at the time.
I think you are not right about The Jam not being like The Smiths when it comes to a singles discography thats stands apart from their album discography. They had the same (kinda 60's) approach to their singles as The Smiths. Most of their singles were stand alone efforts apart from their album work. I think you need the singles to get a full picture of The Jam. That said I like The Smiths (singles) more than The Jam. The Jam have a certain Britishness that's harder to get into if you didn't grow up in that country. The Smiths have a more universal appeal. It's definitely so in the lyrics of both bands. But as well in their music I believe. I would suggest an episode on bands like The Stranglers and Madness and a remaster of XTC and Squeeze to dive deeper into this kind of late '70's early '80s UK punk, postpunk and new wave era.
1. Sound Affects - 5 Stars
2. In the City - 4 Stars
3. The Modern World - 4 Stars
4. All Mod Cons - 3.5 Stars
5. Setting Sons - 3.5 Stars
6. The Gift - 3 Stars
To me, Sound Affects is the only great Jam album, with the others being in the 3-4 star range. Of those, I prefer the punkiness of the first two albums over the Kinks flavored All Mod Cons and Setting Sons. The Gift is my least favorite as it's a little too aimless and biggest departure from their sound.
This was a pretty enjoyable listen for me and I'll probably return to some of these albums.
1. All Mod Cons 22/25 ★★★★
2. Sound Affects 21/25 ★★★★
3. Setting Sons 20/25 ★★★★
4. In The City 18/25 ★★★ ½
5. This Is The Modern World 17/25 ★★★
6. The Gift 14/25 ★★ ½
I bought Sound Affects around 1981. It had a 45rpm single of Going Underground & Dreams Of Children taped to the LP jacket (which ripped the jacket of both the LP and the 45 when I separated them). I think Going Underground is their best song. I taped the two songs and LP and it was in constant rotation during my college years in the early/mid 80’s. Still love that group of tunes and is my favorite.
I recently bought their CD Box Set which I highly recommend as it has all the album tracks and singles.
I also recently purchased Live Jam and Dig The New Breed to get my live fix of the group.
I think I first heard of the group when I saw them on the SNL rip-off show Friday’s. They were great and I remember one of the Friday’s cast remarking that he didn’t know 3 guys could make so much sound.
great story. first record i bought of theirs was All Mod Cons when it came out, checked out the first 2 , bought every 45 they released, saw one of their shows at Wembley Arena , and they will remain in my heart til i'm gone. Seeing the comments on here such as yours, The Jam meant more to their fans than just another band.
1. All Mod Cons - 5* stars = all-time classic (after the underperformance of Modern World, Weller was up against it and the band were in danger of being dropped; with oblivion beckoning, Weller came up with a stunning set of songs)
2. Setting Sons - 5 stars (the only songs that keep this from classic status are the superfluous cover of Heatwave and the orchestral version of Smithers-Jones (band version much better). Weller's lyric writing reaches new heights - Wasteland, Burning Sky, Private Hell, Little Boy Soldiers - all brilliant)
3. The Gift - 4 stars (surprised no one mentioned Carnation - a brilliant song; only let downs are Circus and Trans-Global Express. Caribbean sounds have been an inspiration in Britain since the 60s and The Planners Dream needs to be heard in the context of ska, Steel Pulse etc)
4. Sound Affects - 4 stars (uneven but contains some of their best songs - Monday, That's Entertainment, Start, Boy About Town)
5. This Is The Modern World - 3 stars (love the Adrian Henri-esque lyricism of Tonight at Noon; Life From A Window hinted at Weller's songwriting potential - but too many poor even risible tracks (London Traffic))
6. In The City - 3 stars (Huge amount of punk-mod energy but the only great songs are In The City (the Sex Pistols ripped off the riff for Holidays in the Sun) and Away From The Numbers)
And yes, the fantastic run of singles and B-sides - that don't appear on the albums - does elevate their canon even further - Strange Town, Butterfly Collector, Liza Radley, Tales from the Riverbank, Dreams of Children, When You're Young, The Bitterest Pill.
great list.
Hey Graham - Nice list - i interpret the Heat Wave cover as sending a message to The Who - as you recall the Who covered that song in A Quick One . . .
@@NaughtyVampireGod I do like The Jam's version - just not quite the right song to end the album. I think I've read that it was added when they ran out of original compositions and were under pressure from the record label to finish the album.
@@chasingthebeat yeah. It does have a tacked on feel.
My ranking is almost exactly the same as yours. Nice list!
Maybe you need to be English to fully appreciate. And to be fair that’s not your fault 😂
Yes, you’ve done The Jam! Just started the video, looking forward to hearing how you perceive them
Thank you TLM! Just watched the video and my respect for all 3 of you has just tripled. Really appreciate the effort and thought you guys put into at least trying to understand this band and what they were about and gave really intelligent , honest perspectives on their music. Absolutely love you guys. Made my year
So excited 😆 really looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks of these extremely British lads. They were the biggest band for such a brief period here in the late 70s/early 80s but I realise they may be lost in translation when it comes to you guys in the US. If you need me to decipher for any lines in the songs just give me a shout 😂
Here are my albums from worst to best:
6) The Gift (1982) Their last hurrah. You could see where Paul Weller was heading musically (don’t mention The Style Council!)
5) This Is The Modern World (1977) their second album. They burst onto the scene earlier in the year but I find this album not as gritty as their first.
4) In The City (1977) What a debut!
3) Setting Sons (1979) Really great album apart from the random Heatwave as the last track. Very strange!
2) Sound Affects (1980) love this album and I’m sure we can forgive the rip off of Taxman 😉
1) All Mod Cons (1978) The most Jam sounding Jam album! My favourite by quite some distance.
Cheers! 🇬🇧🇺🇸
hi buddy !!! glad you had fun with this one!! i liked them! Cheers dear!!🐯🐯
@@bengalgangster Haha! So did 😂 Cheers to you too!
Seting Sons was the high-water mark for me - a near masterpiece - they built upon and improved what they were doing over the past three albums - didn't really love the change of direction after that but still always interesting . . All Mode Cons was second-place for me, a solid four stars . . . you are my Jam expert, Lou, so I am really looking forward to seeing your top ten songs 😀
@@NaughtyVampireGod 🤪 no pressure…!! 🤣
@@lubilou64 😁
I'm still a mod, I'll always be a mod, you can bury me a mod... Paul Weller
No man should have Cowboy Boots in his wardrope... Paul Weller
That's why Paul Weller is "The Modfather"
Keep you cowboy boot slander to England. We’re doing Gene Clark this week. - Joe
well enjoyed them but not a alltimer for me for sure
6 the gift 3.0 stars
5 sound affects 3.0 +
4 setting sons 3.5 Minus
3 this is the modern world 3.5
2 in the city 4.0 minus
1 all mod cons 4.0
no real lows or real highs here , but could change upon further listening
over/ under jam jokes today 10 [ take the over]
🐯🐯🐯🐯
We practically have the opposite lists
@@claytonkelley4921 well at least i wont see the tool here!l LOL
Hahaha yeehaw
hey 🐯 - well we agree on the bottom of the discography and close agreement elsewhere, but I have Setting Sons as a near masterpiece . . . will be interested to see your top 10 songs
hey naughty , struggling putting my list together so far
starting in 1988, I had a phase where all the UK punk was my jam. but what rose to the top for me was Wire, the Fall, the Damned, Stranglers,...I liked the Jam, but never loved them. I always liked their cover of the Who's "Disguises." enough to buy the single Funeral Pyre single ("Disguises" was the B-side). about the Batman theme: the Kinks played it live a lot as well as the Who. I think it's because that chord progression is a basic building block for 60s rock n roll. it's like the blues with a surf rock energy.
I first saw The Jam on Marc Bolan's TV show as a 12 year old. They were great. The first four albums in my list are essential. They have a fair number of essential non album singles as well. The Gift is the only album that I don't really enjoy aside from the singles on it.
1 - All Mod Cons
2 - Setting Sons
3 - Sound Affects
4 - In The City
5 - This Is The Modern World
6 - The Gift
cool list. The Gift has grown a bit for me over the years. There are still obvious flaws, and the you can kind of see the how restricted the band might've been if they continued along that soul music path that Weller wanted , hence why the split.. The Style Council were more of a successful crystallisation of those ideas.
Gotta give credit to the Tastes Like Music gang for taking on the British National Treasure that is the Jam , respectfully. You will have definitely earned cred points ( not that you were looking for any) with your British fans.
Liked based on liking The Jam AND the Frank Sidebottom moniker!
@@johnmavroudis2054 That's really fantastic !..it really, really is....👍
1. All Mod Cons (1978) 4.5/5
2. Setting Sons (1979) 4.5/5
3. The Gift (1982) 4/5
4. Sound Affects (1980) 4/5
5. In The City (1977) 4/5
6. This Is The Modern World (1977) 3.5/5
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
4.0 In The City (1977)
3.5 This Is The Modern World (1977)
4.5 All Mod Cons (1978)
4.5 Setting Sons (1979)
4.0 Sound Affects (1980)
4.0 The Gift (1982)
I wasn't exposed to these guys when I was young because they weren't that popular in my part of the world- but I sure wish I had been. To my ears, they came out of the box fully formed. In The City is mostly great if you ignore the two so-so covers (Slow Down, Batman Theme.) Their sophomore LP, This is the Modern World, is better than expected for being such a lightning fast follow-up. I'd echo the widely held view that their 3rd studio installment, All Mod Cons, is their greatest masterpiece (admittedly, with a small assist from The Kinks.) 1979's Setting Sons is the album that's grown on me the most. It might be Paul Weller's most consistent for songwriting. I've come to enjoy every track. The next release, Sound Affects, is a small step down from the previous two efforts. That album has its moments but doesn't break any new ground, sonically. Their final album, The Gift, is their most musically adventurous. It tinkers with multiple styles, most of which work. Paul Weller disbanded The Jam shortly thereafter, probably because he felt the group wasn't the right vehicle for the new musical direction he wanted to go in. Ultimately, I fall on the side that says The Jam's singles were more consequential than their albums. That said, I find every one of their albums worth revisiting. They may be considered a "throwback" band but I hear a good bit of innovation in their music as well- especially lyrically, where I think they're not only relevant to their time, but to all time. I can't guarantee these guys will show up in my all-time top 100, but they're definitely a strong candidate. The Jam continue to grow on me every time I hear them.
MY RATING SYSTEM:
5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs)
4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both)
4.0 = great (more than 50% is worth revisiting and it's an essential record for this artist/style - passes my "it'll make a fan out of someone who's new to this artist" test)
3.5 = seriously good (more than 50% is worth revisiting)
3.0 = nominally good (less than 50% is worth revisiting)
2.5 = decent (competent but uninspired - not worth revisiting)
2.0 = poor (difficult listen)
1.5 = awful (can't finish it)
1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse)
*Note: "Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few clunkers if the rest of the songs are good enough. Also, I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible I don't care to differentiate anymore.
All Mod Cons
Setting Sons
Sound Affects
The Gift
In The City
This Is The Modern World
Loved The Jam since I was a kid growing up in the UK. In my opinion they are more of a singles band, the compilation album “SNAP!”is fantastic.
Love The Jam, and Paul Weller in general. I tend to like punk best when it is cut with something else, which is why prime-era Clash is so great to me. They cut anything and everything with their version of punk. The Jam did a really fantastic job cutting punk with soul and R&B, and it just gives their stuff a leg up over straight ahead snarling punk for me.
1. Setting Sons
2. All Mod Cons
3. The Gift
4. In The City
5. Sound Affects
6. This Is The Modern World
Well said. From what I can tell in my limited hearing of them, the Jam expanded their musical palette on every album after the first two. Like the last three more than the first three, at least on initial listen.
Setting sons is brilliant no 1 for me
I'd highly recommend 'Extras', their compilation of B-sides and covers. It features The Dreams of Children, Tales from the Riverbank and The Butterfly Collector, three of their best tracks.
"Tales From The Riverbank" made a serious run at my top 10 Jam songs.
Extras is great , pretty definitive. "Snap" the compilation the band officially released just after they split is also great. Extras was released years later with even more b-sides, demos , covers etc
The 5 💿 Box Set Of The Jam - Direction , Reaction Creation compiles their entire studio recordings & some extra bits & is an excellent sounding set. Highly recommended.
I remember these guys from the late 1970s when I was a teenager and saw articles about them in Creem and Rolling Stone and Circus and Trouser Press and I knew I should listen to them to achieve some kind of punk cred but I never got around to it so I might check out your top picks this week.
It was a little over a decade ago that I went through my definitive Jam and Paul Weller phase. Along with his knack for a melody, it’s Weller’s lyricism that truly gripped me. I adore the localised themes of much of the music: ‘Saturday’s girls shop in Tesco and Woolworths’, ‘smelled of pubs and Wormwood Scrubs’ I find overly-Americanised music my British acts to be quite boring, often. The Jam were unashamedly British; and yes, I am aware they tapped into soul, etc. It’s just that, more often than not, Weller was seemingly channelling his inner Steve Marriott, or 60’s-era Pete Townshend.
totally agree with you. He never hid the fact the Marriott, Townsend, Davies were his spiritual mentors. You can also add Curtis Mayfield to that list as well. His love of soul became the dominating influence especially during the 80s and the Style Council of course.
"...and too many right wing meetings". Genius. That song puts you right there with him, so great.
First off... you can not argue about taste. What one individual finds appealing won't necessarily appeal to others.
While I enjoyed your comments one thing I seemed to have missed is that The Jam were/are quintessential English. Not British. But English. Weller is a poet. I'm not sure anyone outside of England will get what The Jam were about. Musically there were better bands, but The Jam were move than just a band, it captured a feeling, an emotion, a sense of " I know exactly what he means"..
To guys of my generation, Weller is a God... not just because his (their) songs were good but because they reflected our lifestyle, our experiences. Life growing up on council estate. Life is timeless, it swings along When You're Young.
I will ALWAYS be indebted to Paul, Rick and Bruce. For introducing me to The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces...again, all quintessential English.
Love your comment . Right on brother
So please tell me why you have to be English to love & appreciate Going Underground . . ? 🤔 Smithers-Jones? (which i realize wasn't written by Weller) . . . Hmm, let's see . . The Butterfly Collector which is actual poetry imo . . and on and on . .
Nice video. I disagree with a lot of your takes but I'm glad to have listened to your opinion of The Jam's back catalogue.
The Jam, in relation to the US, were stuck between invasions. The 60's invasion was huge and the 80's invasion was huge too. But The Jam came in between. They broke up in '82. They were just starting to make an impact in the US when they broke up. To suggest that The Smiths or The Cure are better is absolute nonsense. You might argue The Clash, but realistically, The Jam were better than The Clash as well. The Clash just made some better decisions at the time, such as supporting The Who and stuff like that. But bands like The Smiths and The Cure just had an easier route to the US because The Smiths came later and The Cure stayed together longer into the second invasion. If you give The Jam more than 2 weeks you'd see that lyrically and musically, they are far better than most British bands from the late 70's and into the 80's. They just arrived and left at the wrong time.
I loved them. I was in college then. The late 70's is my favorite musical era. I used to read the British music magazines weekly, and came to love Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello et al.
One more thing… You are absolutely right about the drumming. Rick buckler was a fine punk drummer, but he didn’t have the chops to play in the style that Paul was moving towards. That was one of the major reasons Paul ended the Jam. His next band, the Style Council, had an amazing 18 year old drummer, Steve White, who stayed with Paul right up until the mid-2000s.As a drummer, Rick’s shortcomings on the later albums were pretty apparent.
In a radio documentary later after their break up , Weller talks about the frustration he had with Buckler not having the chops as you say to help move the band's sound forward so you're spot on. Buckler was perfect drummer for the Jam sound of most of their discography but Sound Affects is where it started to fall down, and The Gift was the final straw for Paul
Paul Weller has written and sung 3 songs that have appeared on my Song of the Year lists so far:
That's Entertainment with The Jam in 1981
Speak like a Child - Style Council 1983
Wild Wood - Solo 1993
This is probably a unique hat-trick.
Another thing that I don't think has been mentioned on the channel is that Paul Weller plays guitar on 'And Through the Wire' from Peter Gabriel's 1980 'Melt' album.
The Jam have only appeared once on my top 10's - Going Underground - #7 in 1980
The meat and dare I say genius of the Jam is found in those 3 middle albums - All Mod Cons; Setting Sons & Sound Affects. The first two albums not in the same ball back and the final album was in retrospect the sound of a band breaking up. I’m hugely surprised that Joe placed Sound Affects last, slightly arbitrary opinion there, which I guess is what it’s all about though!
Really hope you guys checked the singles out because many of them I would expect to find on your top 10 lists. They kind of were like a 60’s band in that they kept many of their singles off of their albums
Well said!
I'm originally from Kensington and Chelsea in London. I live in a Med Sea country now.
I never liked The Jam. Certain songs off each album were reasonable.
Regarding direction you speak about. I think Weller was young and he couldn't make up his mind, whether to sound like The Small Faces. The Kinks. The Beatles. Anything Motown.
Most of my mates liked The Clash. Particularly London Calling.
You are a breath of fresh air on UA-cam.
They are, aren't they . . No one does what they do with this type of community . . . i already noticed some small channel copy-cats 😼 . . .
Have to disagree with you guys on the singles, I think the best Jam output is definitely the singles. The puzzling thing for me is the nose dive Weller's music took after leaving the Jam. My personal impression is he began shamelessly stealing from soul and rhythm and blues following his departure. The great guitar disappears only to be replaced by more horns, which is depressing in itself. Think his songwriting went downhill and he basically just turned into a cult figure, fighting against his back catalogue in a way which is very unappealing to me. The Jam was great for him. He should have kept them together and just tried harder. At least he scored a wife out of his second band lol. Also, the WAY he broke up the band is a rock and roll all time low imho. Having your Dad/ Manager break it to the other guys while you say nothing at all is one of the most classless things I've ever heard about regarding breakups. Makes Mick, Keith and Brian look like a love fest.
All due respect, I don’t think The Jam will ever be appreciated in North America! Their songs are all about life in Britain, whether politics or just the down-side to being young or working class in depressed times. Life was hard and their music was hard. The lyrics are local really, to be honest. In England and during these times as a kid the adrenalin & anger that these albums generated can not be underestermated and PW was so young when he wrote these songs. That said, it is really interesting to see people’s opinions from a different geographical view & generation really!
Going back over the video, Kramzer makes a good point about Buckler's drumming on Sound Affects and The Gift 'suffocating the songs" somewhat. In a radio documentary a few years after the band split, Weller mentioned his frustration at Buckler essentially not having the chops to help take the band's sound in the new directions he wanted ( psychedelia , soul etc) . Buckler complained about the drum parts he had to work on for the funkier songs on the Gift and Weller basically told him to "piss off home and practice more ,not my problem" .. lol
About 10 years ago, I explored a bunch of punk, post-punk, and New Wave bands. The Jam became my one of my favorite bands of that time. And yes great bass playing throughout the discography.
06) Setting Sons (2.5 stars)
05) In the City (3.25 stars)
04) Sound Affects (3.5 stars)
03) All Mod Cons (3.75 stars)
02) The Gift (4 stars)
01) This Is the Modern World (4 stars)
0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst
.5 stars - terrible
1 star - bad
1.5 stars - pretty bad
2 stars - fair
2.5 stars - meh
2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it."
3 stars - OK/decent
3.25 stars - pretty good
3.5 stars - good
4 stars - very good
4.5 stars - excellent
5 stars - streets of gold
notes:
* I have been aware of The Jam since I was a teen but never heard them until a few years ago. Actually, I have heard "A Town Called Malice" in movies and possibly elsewhere. Listening to all the albums for the first time, it did sound familiar when it came on.
* The Jam's sound is not very original. Quite derivative of the Who and the Kinks at times.
* The vocalist sounds like The Clash, especially early on (or maybe Clash vocals sound like The Jam - ?).
* The debut is punky pop/mod revivalist/pretty good rock n' roll. Good energy, but these songs have pretty much the same guitar sound and same style throughout. Lots of imperfect rhymes (which are admittedly quite common in rock lyrics).
* I found This Is the Modern World to be a bit less punk, a bit more sophisticated and quite a bit more tuneful. The cover of "In the Midnight Hour" is great - 5 stars.
* All Mod Cons has higher highs mixed in with a few not-so-great songs. The music is rather basic and repetitive at times. The cover of "David Watts" is way too similar to the Kinks' original version. The album also has the second song I rate 5 stars ("Billy Hunt").
* Setting Sons is too "sing-songy" for my tastes. The best way I can describe what I mean by that is that the songs sound like nursery rhymes or that they should be sung to children. "Girl on the Phone" is a little too "perky" for my tastes (so is the non-album single "Going Underground" from the same time period). The cover of "Heat Wave" is well executed, but it seems out of place for the album and out of place for the band. Give me the Martha and the Vandellas' version all day.
* I like the post-punk direction they take with some of the songs on Sound Affects. In particular, some of these tracks sound like the band Wire although a few of them revert back to the style of Setting Sons (and naturally, I don't care for those). "Start!" heavily cops from "Taxman," especially the bass and guitar solo. Points off for being too derivative.
* I really like the more soul/funk/R&B direction they took with The Gift. I think the musicianship is better on this album and I dig the cool effects. I'm a sucker for "bells and whistles" done well. There are horns on nearly every track but they all sound quite different. They hang together well as an album.
* They've also got quite a few good songs that didn't appear on their proper studio albums.
* Cheers mates!!!!!!!!
Your first is my last. We're back to normality again! Heh-heh.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Yes, and I'm quite aware my list is at odds with most.
@@179rich I'm pretty much in your corner vis-a-vis The Gift. I have it rated higher than most other people.
@@179rich I listened to that XTC All Along The Watchtower cover on my phone & saw you had a comment from 7 years ago on it - I had one from three.
Im with u Rich.Modern World is my favourite as well
Hmmm not the best reviews I have seen, but thanks for trying. Honestly saying the Jam singles that are not on the albums and only on par with the normal album tracks and one of them having a problem with Eaton Rifles a good a track as anything from The Clash and co. All Round the World, Strange Town (amazing song and arrangements), When your Young and Going Underground etc. Not to mention the great B sides like The Butterfly Collector and Tales of the Riverbank and I'm not from the UK to realize what a great band they were. A better band than The Smiths and Morrisey loved The Jam and covered one of the songs That's Entertainment which says it all. They are right about The Gift being one of their weaker efforts however All Mod Cons, Setting Sons and Sound Effects are amazing albums. Easily one the best punk/new wave/mod bands and a brilliant song writer in Paul Weller. Great live band too.
i give full credit to these guys for giving it a go, and if anything it might expose the Jam to some new listeners/fans maybe. I thought the TLM gentleman were at least honest and tried to be thoughtful and analyse the music intelligently. ( Because they're musicians / producers( i think) what they might not have understood about what Weller was saying for example , they approached it purely from a musical , sound ," do the songs/melodies grab me?" perspective ..it kind of demonstrates why i think the Jam will remain mostly an English treasure ( but also with dedicated fans scattered all the over the world who still love them to this day). ..and i'm at peace with that actually. They'll always belong to 'us" .."The Jam Army"( if that makes sense)
Not better than The Smiths. But good. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic The Smith maybe more instantly assessable because of the very British lyrics of The Jam. After a few lessons The Jam the better band as superior song writing and more variety. Great Story telling .
One more thing… I’d state that Paul Weller (in the 3-album run of All Mod Cons / Setting Sons / Sound Affects) is a flat out better writer than Joe Strummer, or any other bands of that era. I know you disagree, but to each his own. They, like The Kinks before them, refused to drop their fiercely British origins. Maybe it was because I latched onto them in my late teens ‘ early 20s, those albums meant the world to me and have NEVER lost their luster after countless plays. First time I ever heard Green Day, I remember saying “Somebody has been listening to The Jam!” There’s a reason they’re so revered by so many other bands. The more you listen, the greater the pull. Cheers!
sort of agree on your Weller/Strummer comparison in song writing prowess. But i also think they were slightly different song writers ( Strummer strength was his story telling and only really worked well with Mick Jones the real music guys of the Clash). Weller was very good at constructing tight, compact rock/pop songs which generally had real impact in a 3-4 minute structure. Weller's view was clearly more England and English characters, Strummer had a global view on politics , ideas etc ( particularly on London Calling and after )
@@edwardschuster4962 I think that's a fair reading. Cheers!
Really enjoyed this video , great concept having 3-man reviews and it works well .
Everyone to their own of course but your side of the pond never really “got” The Jam and I think your reviews reflect that a bit .
The Jam were always essentially a live band though I’m sure you are all well aware of that .
5*’s for your video . Many thanks 👍🏻
I was a rebellious teenager when the Jam started hitting the air waves and they were part of a movement and Paul Weller was God like to us Brits. I think you would have to have have lived in Britain at that time you would have understood how big they were. I once stood for 4 hrs to get tickets when Jam played UEA Norwich. And a mate once put it to me that Weller could sing a love song and sound as though he means it. English rose and fly are 2 examples. Down in the tube station is a love song of sorts. The Jam were huge here and Weller disbanded the others after 5 yrs to pursue other musical interests. It seemed like 10 year's they were around.
Absolutely spot on. The Jam Army for life.
Really enjoyed your opinions & points of view. You are right The Jam aren't in the top level of bands but for me that's one of the things that makes them special. They were three normal blokes who looked so cool made great music & didn't pretend to be anything other than what they were. They showed us a snap shot of late 70's early 80's Britain that we could all understand & relate to. The non album singles & b sides meant so much too. All Around the World, News of the World, Strange Town, When you're Young, Going Underground, Funeral Pyre, Absolute Beginners, The Bitterest Pill & Beat Surrender. All meant The Jam really did leave a Solid Bond in our hearts. I'm still miffed 40 years later that Rene & Renata or whatever they were called stopped Beat Surrender being the Christmas No.1 in 1982!
Weller once said that The Jam never made it in America but neither did The Small Faces or egg 'n' chips.
From what I gather, The Jam did not make much of an impact here in the states. I own a killer compilation called Snap! and it is SO good. I picked up Sound Affects along the way because I like the version of That's Entertainment on it better than the Snap version. I really like a few of Paul Weller solo albums from the 90s.
I have read a couple of times that it was felt that they were beginning to make some headway in the States just before they broke up. I think most of their albums just made it into the US top 200.
1. All Mod Cons - 5 stars
2. Sound Affects - 5 stars
3. The Gift - 4 stars
4. In The City - 4 stars
5. Setting Sons - 3.5 stars
6. This Is The Modern World - 3 stars
Swap 3 and 5.
@@dougmedina4619 yes, swapping 3 and 5 would make it exactly the same as my list elsewhere in the comments section.
I cannot believe how low Jason and Kramzer rated these classic records! Based on your 90s videos is it safe to say you believe Collective Soul > The Jam? Quite a controversial take.
hear what you're saying. The Jam are from our era so we kind of get what they're about. I think the TLM dudes did a great job , were thoughtful and honest about what they listened to which is all we can ask for. Collective Soul i don't really know , but obviously that's a band they connect , they're a bit younger than we are so that music meant something to them in the same way perhaps
Those two think modern stuff is as good as the classics. So no telling what they think. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic clearly dropped on their heads as babies!
The Jam are a great band.
I updated my rating system, I also do half stars now.
6. In the City - 3 stars
5. Setting Sons - 3,5 stars
4. The Gift - 3,5 stars
3. This is the Modern World - 4 stars
2. Sound Affects - 4,5 stars
1. All Mod Cons - 4,5 stars
Some of the bands you list as influences came around after the Jam, like REM
1. All Mod Cons
2. Sound Affects
3. This Is The Modern World
4. The Gift
5. In The City
6. Setting Sons
I ❤ The Jam, and Paul Weller in particular, all very closely ranked. 1/2 star seperates them
A Top 20 All-Time Fave Artist for me...
1 Sound Affects
2 Setting Sons
3 All Mod Cons
4 The Gift
5 In The City
6 This Is The Modern World
I hate Paul Weller's solo stuff, by the way.
And I still haven't forgiven him for blowing up The Jam in '82.
I really, really enjoyed this video. It’s interesting to hear three music lovers almost meeting The Jam for the first time. I understand your point about not including compilations but some of their very best songs were singles only (Going Underground, Absolute Beginners, Tales From The River Bank, Funeral Pyre). I agree with Kramzer’s order of albums, but I would add one more star to each of his ratings. I grew up with The Jam, loved them as a teenager. I don’t know how I would hear them if I encountered them for the first time now. Perhaps I wouldn’t rank them quite as highly. But it’s also something about the European/American thing. Having your level of love for music in Europe and not being familiar with The Jam would be impossible. They were literally the biggest band in Britain for a while, and every single they released was a hit.
I came here for a Style Council ratings video..who are the Jam??
Check out Paul Weller’s 1995 album Stanley Road.
I will. Its strange, I own the self titled, Wild Wood and Heavy Soul, but not Stanley Road
The Jam, my 2nd favorite band behind Roxy Music
Not forgetting what a great band live they were. I saw them a handful of times and each show delivered and some. That rush of energy from the crowd, as John Weller introduced them as “The best fucking band in the world”. First song BAM 💥 3 minutes later second song BAM 💥 and so on and so on and you left the venue hoarse from singing each lyric at the top of your voice. At aged 61 I’d go to a not happening Jam reunion and sing to the top of my voice dripping with sweat and loving every second.
I don't have a favourite Jam album. They're all pretty good. But I think it's criminal that none of them contain the band's best song "Going Underground".
That would've elevated an album to masterpiece status, rather than simply very good.
You should consider doing The Style Council and Paul Weller's solo stuff as well. All good wood.
You did a fine job in reviewing the albums. Like so many of the punk-era bands the Jam delivered more than the songs on their albums. The ideas, messages, themes, style, attitude, artwork, live shows all add up to much more than their recordings. Their ideas still resonate with me 40 years later and I've aped Weller/Foxton fashion into my 50s. The albums will grow on you especially In The City, All Mod Cons and Setting Sons. The energy, passion and power combined with hooks and great one-line lyrics of In The City sound more pure and life-affirming with every play. Turn up Away From The Numbers & Art School. All Mod Cons is a perfect expression of the band's Mod vision. You didn't what is likely their best song - Down In The Tube Station at Midnight. Setting Sons is a masterpiece. The depth of the compositions and finely crafted lyrics continue to grow in my heart. Their non-album track Going Underground is one of Punk/New Wave's best. Weller's uncompromising approach gives them a special place in their fans hearts despite the pain of their early break-up. The Kids Know Where It's At!
I PREFER THE STYLE COUNCIL,OUR FAVOUTITE SHOP AND THE COST OF LOVE😮❤
1. Setting Sons - 8 -> plays the best as an album, really good throughout
2. The Gift - 7.5 -> the middle ground for my notes for #1 and #3, moving in another intriguing direction
3. Sound Affects - 7.5 -> all about the highlights, which are some of their best songs
4. In the City - 7.5 -> Clash-like
5. All Mod Cons - 7.5 -> great ender, a little hit and miss but a style shift from the first two
6. This Is the Modern World - 6.5 - weaker version of the debut
For once I'll do a full list rating. Not difficult as
a) there's only 6 albums
b) they're one of my favourite bands
6. The Gift
5. This is the Modern World
4. In the City
3. Sound Effects
2. Setting Sons
1. All Mod Cons....a five star album for me and an all time classic.
Wasn't sure how this was gonna go when you kicked this video off but was presently surprised with the mainly positive comments (some highish 🌟 ratings)
For the short period of time they were together and the slim discography they were a big thing back here in the U.K.
Weller has since carved a very successful solo career out and might (might) be worth a Listography at another time?