OK, I know there are a big number of Jam fans out there. The Apple Music Store has a collection called The Sound of The Jam with 20 songs, including the 4 that I know offhand - In The City, The Eton Rifles, That's Entertainment, and Town Called Malice. The full track listing can be found here. It's only $10, and The Jam are a band that I feel like I should know more than I do. Is this a decent primer or should I be looking for something else?
I'd say that the best intro is Snap, but I'm not even sure that's available. This will give you an idea of what they sound like, though, and for $10, it's pretty good. It looks like it gives you a pretty good idea of how their sound evolved, too, which is important. They're one of my all time favorite bands, but I don't like their last couple of albums as much as the earlier ones (though I still like them enough to have kept them).
You're right - their last couple of albums were pretty bland....The Gift & Sound Affects. Unfortunately these albums are more well known for the hit singles within these albums. Due to the popularity of Snap! and its many hit singles in the UK, to the casual listener the Jam were regarded as a hit singles band, an incorrect labelling, of course. Bear in mind that the actual Snap! release is a double album compilation BUT many songs were omitted from the CD version (well, at least the cd I saw many years ago..) Obie, after you get that "greatest hits" album and if you still want to sample them more, I'd suggest "Setting Sons" and/or "All Mod Cons". Those were classic albums ! A must for every Jam fans...
Yeah, if it's still in print, "Snap" is excellent, and if I remember, it's in chronological order as well. It's funny that this thread came up today, as last night I was just telling someone a funny story about the only time I saw The Jam live... It was on "The Gift" tour, and they were playing the old War Memorial in Trenton, which at the time was kind of run down and not a very popular place for rock shows. I invited a friend of mine to go with me who was really not into the "hipper" music of that time...in fact I think his favorite band then was The Rossington-Collins Band (!!!). Anyway, we had really great seats in the center front, and had all-access passes, which my friend had never had before. A couple times, he incredulously asked me if "all-access" really meant he could go where ever he wanted to go in the venue, and I told him that he could. So all during the opening act (the excellent Bush Tetras) he spent most of his time just wandering around testing his new superpowers...and the fact that this guy was about 6'7" made it easy for me to follow him from my seat. I watched him stand behind the soundboard, he walked behind the t-shirt table, and walked around to the stage door where he disappeared for 5 minutes, then reappeared at our seats with 3 Heinekens and a banana (!!!), just because he could. His final test of the pass came between sets, just after the Tetras' gear had been cleared from the stage. He walked down the center aisle, walked right onto the low stage, picked up Bruce Foxton's bass, slung it around his shoulder, and struck a pose (no doubt fueled by 2 of the 3 free beers). He put the bass back on it's stand, calmly walked off stage, and nobody said a word. That was the coolest thing I think that guy's ever done in his life.
The two funniest things I'll read all day, without a doubt. Re: The Jam. I'd agree with Setting Sons. Just buy that and see if you dig it. Great record. And if you do like it, then you'll end up buying a few more albums and not have the "best" songs duplicated on a compilation. Also: Anyone else ever notice that the drummer Rick Buckler bears a disturbing resemblance to Alan Sheaer?
The Style Council was also great, at least up until The Cost of Loving (do I have that title right?). That sounds like a good intro to the Jam, Paul Weller just toured the States also, I believe. Tony (who had a Style Council poster on his wall)
i still have a copy of snap on cassette LOVE IT!! - of course, someone stole my import CD copy of style council blue, which has the superior version of the best thing
The CD version of Snap is called "Compact Snap." Here's the song list (thank you Amazon.com) 1. In the City 2. All Around the World 3. Modern World 4. News of the World 5. David Watts 6. "A" Bomb in Wardour Street 7. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight 8. Strange Town 9. When You're Young 10. Smithers-Jones 11. Eton Rifles 12. Going Underground 13. Dreams of Children 14. That's Entertainment 15. Start! 16. Funeral Pyre 17. Absolute Beginners 18. Town Called Malice 19. Precious 20. Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow) 21. Beat Surrender Great collection. The Jam have always been one of my favorite bands. I have no idea how many of their casettes I've lost in the "party zone" back in the 80s. My favorite studio releases were "All Mod Cons," "Sound Affects," and "Setting Sons." What is it about soccer fans and the Jam? Almost everyone I know who likes the jam likes soccer, and vice versa.
oh, and for the Paul Weller fans out there, a complete discography of everything he's ever done, from The Jam, The Style Council and as Paul Weller, can be found at http://www.paulweller.com/index.shtml Now I know what music to blast on my stereo at the next tailgate. I'm bringing every Jam CD I own.
Paul Weller is my favourite lyricist, along with Morissey and ...(surprise)..Billy Joel (his older stuff). (There are a few new acts who've written pretty commendable stuff; but still lacks the strength and texture of Weller and Morissey. ) The Jam has produced so many brilliant tracks; any die-hard fan should memorize the lyrics to "That's Entertainment"! Here's a snippet of a sone, "Wasteland"... "...and when or if the sunshine's riding on our once...once beautiful features, we smile but only for seconds, for to be caught smiling is to acknowledge life, a brave but useless show of compassion, and that is forbidden in this drab and colourless world..." Brilliant stuff !!
I have always been a huge Jam fan, going back to my days as a Vespa riding, parka wearing mod in the early eighties. I could not say enough good things about this band. Anything you pick up by them is good. The first album, In the City is a little raw, and as they progressed they got more soulful and poppier. And though very different from the Jam, his TSC and solo stuff is also very good and worth checking out. Brings back so many good memories when I hear the Jam.
I would recommend "Snap!" also as a good "Start!" . Other than that, unlike some of the other Jam fans here, I am really fond of "Sound Affects." That's probably my favorite Jam album. But really, you can't go wrong with any of their albums. If you can still find them in print, I would get them all. Amazon lists most of them here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/42533/ref=m_art_dp/104-7752378-6487101 Many are imports, but they're still reasonably priced.
Get Snap, I never noticed any Jam songs being explicit, but that's what the macmusic.com is showing. "That's entertainment" was used in an Adidas commercial if that helps. Just get it.
Awseome and important band. Just listen to Precious and you'll see why the Stone Roses were formed. Also does anyone know if Paul Weller (Jam or Style Council) played on the Young Ones(they often had musical guests at time-i remember Amazulu etc)