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.

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...

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.

Bungo the Mungo · Postby **Bungo the Mungo** » 07 Jul 2006, 21:13

The Giraffe wrote:fuck, it's one of the greatest songs ever written, that song [Town Called Malice].

It's great, yes. I love it when you (or anyone else for that matter) post comments like that.

Quaco · Postby **Quaco** » 07 Jul 2006, 22:02

The Giraffe wrote: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?

You still are. That's why I love you.

Beno · Postby **Beno** » 07 Jul 2006, 23:11

I'm going to be a dissenting voice to this I love in. To be fair I only know them through greatest hits comps and All Mod Cons but for me, whilst they are good, they just aren't that special.

The Kinks do the '"stories about English life" thing much better and plenty of bands are better at injecting punk/new wave energy. Maybe the combination of the two is what is so highly rated but I'm not totally convinced.

Looking at similar acts I'd say that Elvis Costello was a far better songwriter, in fact far better all round.

meetthesonics · Postby **meetthesonics** » 07 Jul 2006, 23:17

Best album: Sound Affects
Best song: Monday