BCB 100 - The Jam

geoffcowgill · Postby **geoffcowgill** » 07 Jul 2006, 17:01

Before buying a Best Of several years ago, I think I'd probably only ever heard "Town Called Malice" before. At any rate, that was the only song of theirs I'd registered hearing. Of course I'd heard "Start!" when it was called "Taxman," but I guess that doesn't count. And now I don't have more than that Best Of and the Modern World/All Mod Cons twofer, so I shouldn't really comment on their albums maybe. I wouldn't be surprised if All Mod Cons were to remain the favorite even after hearing all of their records. Despite a few useless tracks, it seems to do the whole Jam thing to perfection in a number of places. Yes, I do quite like the sound of the band much of the time, though, and I think Bruce Foxton is to take a lot of the credit for that. "To Be Someone", "Down In The Tube Station" or "Absolute Beginners" (love those irrepressible horns) are probably my favorites.

Heck, I'll go ahead and commit.

Favorite Album - All Mod Cons

Favorite Song - "To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)"

The Prof · Postby **The Prof** » 07 Jul 2006, 17:04

I hope you are not suggesting that Absolute Beginners is on All Mod Cons.

Tom Violence · Postby **Tom Violence** » 07 Jul 2006, 17:05

Fantastic band, one of the very best. All 6 albums (maybe not 'Modern World, not so keen on that one) are fantastic. And all the non album singles and b-sides. Very high quality and quantity of material put out in a short space of time.

Album: All Mod Cons

Song: Wasteland or Saturday's Kids

Clippernolan · Postby **Clippernolan** » 07 Jul 2006, 17:07

Album: Sound Affects

Song: "That's Entertainment"

Phil T · Postby **Phil T** » 07 Jul 2006, 17:27

Album: All Mod Cons

Track: In The Crowd

I listened to In The Crowd when it came out and thought "this is brilliant, it's all dissolving into psych. I'll watch this lot with interest...". I expected some sort of psychedelic 'second coming'.

But didn't Weller, the awkward sod, go the route of insipid fifth rate soul instead? Which really pissed me off at the time. Put me off him for years.

geoffcowgill · Postby **geoffcowgill** » 07 Jul 2006, 17:33

Classic Prof wrote:I hope you are not suggesting that Absolute Beginners is on All Mod Cons.

Nope. Just referring to favorite Jam tracks in general.

Johnny Fartpants · Postby **Johnny Fartpants** » 07 Jul 2006, 18:21

One of the best British bands of all time, without a shadow of a doubt. A peerless singles band who packed in when they were right at the top.

Album: Setting Sons
Song: Private Hell

Matt Wilson · Postby **Matt Wilson** » 07 Jul 2006, 18:23

The greatest UK band never to have made it in the US.
A broad statement, tis true, but probably accurate.

toomanyhatz · Postby **toomanyhatz** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:17

Boy, I sure loved them when they were around- Bixhenry and I were fans pretty early on- but maybe Weller's erratic career since has taken a little of the luster off. Nonetheless, before the limp soul took over, they sure were one hell of a rock and roll band. And that rythm section had a lot to do with it, whatever Weller may think.

Album - Setting Sons
Song - Dreams of Children. It and Going Underground- another great song- is their best single by a large margin.

Tom Violence · Postby **Tom Violence** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:26

8/10 In the City
6/10 Modern World
10/10 All Mod Cons
10/10 Setting Sons
10/10 Sound Affects
8/10 The Gift

Is my scores on the doors. Everything after needless to say does not fair quite as well.

Tonto Papadopoulos · Postby **Tonto Papadopoulos** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:30

Johnny Fartpants wrote:Song: Private Hell

i much prefer the dig the new breed! version.

as for their best album, i'd instinctively have said all mod cons were it not for the fact that i played it a couple of weeks ago and found it strangely unsatisfying. maybe i just wasn't in the mood. setting sons is a great - if flawed - record and the gift is hugely underrated.

as of right now i'll go for:

album: the gift

song: town called malice

Tonto Papadopoulos · Postby **Tonto Papadopoulos** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:32

toomanyhatz wrote:Song - Dreams of Children. It and Going Underground- another great song- is their best single by a large margin.

that's just silly.

Snarfyguy · Postby **Snarfyguy** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:41

Album: All Mod Cons

Song: Strange Town

Oddly, I have Setting Sons and Sound Affects at home but I've never played them. Maybe because they have such awful titles...

Tonto Papadopoulos · Postby **Tonto Papadopoulos** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:43

Snarfyguy wrote:Album: All Mod Cons

Song: Strange Town

Oddly, I have Setting Sons and Sound Affects at home but I've never played them. Maybe because they have such awful titles...

they are bad puns - rest assured, the music is much better than the humour in the titles. you really should play them, chris.

toomanyhatz · Postby **toomanyhatz** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:45

The Giraffe wrote:
toomanyhatz wrote:Song - Dreams of Children. It and Going Underground- another great song- is their best single by a large margin.

that's just silly.

Why?

The Prof · Postby **The Prof** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:45

Pretty Boy Floyd wrote:8/10 In the City
6/10 Modern World
10/10 All Mod Cons
10/10 Setting Sons
10/10 Sound Affects
8/10 The Gift

Is my scores on the doors. Everything after needless to say does not fair quite as well.

I think The Gift is a bit of an underrated album. 9/10

Album - All Mod Cons
Song - Strange Town

Though When You're Young is the archetypal Jam song. Full of the joys of young life with a warning that you'll have the stuffing kicked out of you by the time you're older

Six String · Postby **Six String** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:51

One of the biggest dissappointments in my musical life was listening to that first Style Council ep after The Jam split up. The Jam was easily my favorite band of that era. Their energy was hair raising. So imagine my shock when I heard Long Hot Summer. I think I read a review before I bought it but I bought it anyway because Weller had not really disappointed me up to then. I have never bought another thing by him sinice then.

Favorite album - Sound Effects
Favorite song - tough call but Going Underground or In the City.

Jon K · Postby **Jon K** » 07 Jul 2006, 19:59

Another hard one to whittle down top one album and song. Oh well here goes although I will no doubt change my mind in around half an hour

Album: Sound Affects
Song: A Bomb In Wardour Street

PENK · Postby **PENK** » 07 Jul 2006, 20:12

I've never really liked the Jam, which is weird, because I just realised I actually like all the songs I've heard, eg the singles. My favourite one of which is That's Entertainment.
I should probably give them a proper listen at some point.

Tonto Papadopoulos · Postby **Tonto Papadopoulos** » 07 Jul 2006, 20:25

toomanyhatz wrote:
The Giraffe wrote:
toomanyhatz wrote:Song - Dreams of Children. It and Going Underground- another great song- is their best single by a large margin.

that's just silly.

Why?

obviously, it's all subjective in the end but i'd say they've done a lot of great singles, many of which are as good as or better than those two, especially "dreams of children".

i remember i once did a critique of "town called malice", for example, on here or mojo (can't remember which). it's long lost but i'll attempt it again right now:

Better stop dreaming of the quiet life -
cos it's the one we'll never know
And quit running for that runaway bus -
cos those rosey days are few

this ordinary existence can really get you down but that's what you're stuck with. accept it, this is real - this is what you have to deal with.

And - stop apologising for the things you've never done,
Cos time is short and life is cruel -
but it's up to us to change
This town called malice.

but then again, yeah, it might seem somehow futile and life-sapping but that doesn't mean we should just give up - buried by our own mundane existence. maybe we do have some control over our own destiny.

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

lost dreams of old loves and a time when everything seemed possible - a time when the future was exciting, exotic even, maybe. a time when you had hopes for something better than what you ended up with. something better than this.

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.

remember when you felt attractive? when you were a catch? when your heart raced and you blushed when your friends mentioned his name?

when did that end?

Struggle after struggle - year after year
The atmosphere's a fine blend of ice -
I'm almost stone cold dead
In a town called malice.

but all of that was another life, wasn't it? you were stupid to even think it could possibly happen, really.

A whole street's belief in Sunday's roast beef
gets dashed against the Co-op
To either cut down on beer or the kids new gear
It's a big decision in a town called malice.

this england you were born in isn't the england it claims to be. "land of the free?" do me a favour. you're stuck here with that guy who's always in the pub - that guy you married, the one who said he loved you - while you worry yourself sick about doing the best for your kids.

The ghost of a steam train - echoes down my track
It's at the moment bound for nowhere -
just going round and round

i used to have plans, dreams, whatever. i used to be optimistic. what happened?

Playground kids and creaking swings -
lost laughter in the breeze

[this is the most poetic couplet he ever wrote] but there is still romance and hope and possibility in the world - it's just not in me anymore. it's in the innocence of my children - in their smiles and their security and their expectation. i've let myself down but i won't let them down.

I could go on for hours and I probably will -
but I'd sooner put some joy back
In this town called malice.

no matter what, i'll keep fighting. maybe it'll be worth it in the end.

======================

fuck, it's one of the greatest songs ever written, that song.