After The Jam dug themselves out of a musical hole with their previous release All Mod Cons (1978), they could at least maintain some confidence that their music was finally beginning to go somewhere good for all involved. This album was initially devised to be a concept album of sorts, but due to production deadlines and a creative struggle for identity, this was never finalised on this album. In any case, the band’s hard work on this album paid off with this album reaching #4 on the UK album charts within the first week of the release, and also with overwhelmingly positive album reviews. The album was produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and was recorded at Townhouse Studios and Shepherd’s Bush in London during 1979, eventually being released on 16 November 1979. The album cover art is a picture of the St. John’s Ambulance Bearers statue, which is now in the Imperial War Museum in London. The Jam were: Paul Weller (vocals and guitars), Bruce Foxton (vocals and bass guitar) and Rick Buckler (drums). Let’s take a listen to this album and we shall hear how it sounds today.

1. Girl On The Phone begins with a ringing phone, launching straight into a punchy and powerful tune. A really good song about a telephone conversation with a lady on the phone with a gloriously powerful and enjoyable Punk Music backing. No doubt that The Jam were influenced heavily by the Sex Pistols and The Clash’s efforts from around this time. Paul Weller sings and snarls his way through a good song about a super annoying lady who calls all the time. This is great and a decent social commentary on the whole thing. A simple, energetic and enjoyable tune throughout that sounds extremely cool to hear. The Jam made some good tunes, and this is proof of that. A very good start to this album. It ends with the sound of a distant woman’s voice on a call, before the call being ended.

2. Thick As Thieves begins with some good drum rolls and bass guitar playing, with electric guitar riffs entering. This is a good song that continues the story of this album, and Paul Weller describes a really good situation about the temporary nature of friendships in the modern world. Sadly, this is becoming much more commonplace over time. Regardless, the music present is very, very sweet to listen to. A really dramatic and cool listen about how things can change over time. Paul Weller is a Punk Mod poet. Nonetheless, a super interesting and aggressively punchy listening experience. An intelligent, articulate and wicked listening experience, The Jam surges through simple Pop/Rock with anger and malice. Towards the end is a structural change with the final lyrics being sung. An extremely cool and fresh-sounding tune, to this very day. This wraps up after just over three and a half minutes have passed.

3. Private Hell begins with some melodic bass guitar playing, launching into a fast and powerful song with electric guitars and drums. This sounds extremely good throughout, and the album has a theme of being darker and more menacing than previous efforts by The Jam. Paul Weller puts his individual personality throughout this album, whilst explaining things in a very much storyteller style. All in all, this sounds extremely cool. The music matches the lyrics very nicely, with straightforward and stripped-back music arrangements that sound extremely cool. The singing is not just simply Pop, Rock or Punk in orientation, but a good mixture of all three vocal styles. In the second half, there is a drastic music change before launching back into the story of the song at hand. Towards the end is a monumental and emotional build-up of sound. A good song about despair and misery. The delayed and treated vocals at the end are very nice.

4. Little Boy Soldiers begins with a guitar arpeggio and has Paul Weller singing nicely with a political statement that is very direct. This is a good tune summing up The Winter Of Discontent which lasted from 1978 to 1979 in the UK, and has The Jam’s take on it. A marching drum solo and other sounds break up this song soon into it, and this tune launches into an interesting and wonderful midsection about the destruction and failure of promises given to young men and women by armed conflict. Nonetheless, this does sound really cool. Soon enough, multitracked vocals and acoustic guitars follow with a climax leading into the next section of loud guitar music. Again, very cool and brilliant throughout to listen to. Obviously, Paul Weller has Socialist leanings throughout his music from his own political views. This ends prematurely with a sort of A Day In The Life by The Beatles styled conclusion, which is different, on a keyboard. This lasts for a while before concluding.

5. Wasteland begins with a straightforward drum beat and recorder and launches into a very unusual sounding song by The Jam. This, again, is a really great song to listen to, with additional instrumentation such as acoustic guitar thrown into the mix. Paul Weller sounds rather resigned here, and disappointed in the world around him. Again, The Winter of Discontent took the Socialism of the 1960s and replaced it with a decadent and decaying aftermath of Socialism in the 1970s, just as Margaret Thatcher was due to become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to kill Socialism. Regardless, this is a very good listen and points out that The Jam made an underrated and underappreciated effort on this album. Very sweet and awesome music to hear. Short as well, under two minutes in length. Worth hearing.

6. Burning Sky begins with some interesting backwards guitars, gong fade in and launches into a really quite good song with a good bunch of melodies, singing and music structure. This is another solidly good song to listen to, and The Jam is a great alternative if you thought the Sex Pistols were too aggressive and The Clash were a sell-out. Simple, melodic, punchy and excellent, this music certainly has lasted the test of time. Paul Weller articulates his thoughts and feelings very nicely throughout, and he is a star here. The hummed harmonies in the middle are different before this returns to the powerful and punchy song at hand. The build-up and melodic release of sound is really brilliant throughout. This is a very consistent and amazing song that sounds very, very good to listen to. One can hear exactly how good this music is, it is sensational. It wraps up with a cool conclusion and a gong hit.

7. Smithers-Jones begins with multitracked string sections and Paul Weller singing nicely over the top of it all. This is very much an Eleanor Rigby styled tune. Obviously, Paul Weller and The Jam had some definite music creativity within themselves. A beautiful, straightforward and sweet listening experience, this is exactly how the music of 1979 should have sounded. Which, here on this album, it does. A lovely melodic tune about a guy in question who gets fired, this is a sweet yet tragic listening experience. A sad and pretty tune about the concept of work as slavery, this is quintessentially British in its flavour. Brilliant, however. A great song.

8. Saturday’s Kids is back to the Rock Music at hand, with some simple riffing, which launches into a sweet and upbeat song that sounds wonderful and clever throughout. Again, Paul Weller is a very great and powerful presence musically. He articulates the struggles and difficulties of life back in the late 1970s, and he details and describes everything perfectly well throughout. With some chanting about rebelling against the system, this sort of attitude may have rubbed off on Rage Against The Machine somewhat. A neat and melodic piano and guitar solo section is here. Paul Weller is a wonderful and powerful songwriter on this song, and he makes great music overall. From start to finish, this is a great song to listen to.

9. The Eton Rifles was the main hit single from this album. It begins with supercharged guitars and rumbling bass guitars with some intricate drumming. This launches into an upbeat and awesome song that details civil disobedience and disorder throughout. A really wonderful and awesome tune to listen to, this is an anthem for the dispossessed in life. In any case, the melodies, singing and playing are all fantastic to hear. This is also one of the best tracks from this album, and it sounds decent and enjoyable throughout. There are some sweet guitar licks, powerful drumming and organ in particular that sound really quite good. Paul Weller sings with melodic energy and aggression throughout. This is the sort of music that fans of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and/or the Snatch movies will like to hear. The outro has a great and semi-Psychedelic sounding feel to it all. A very solidly good and consistent piece of music. Nice one, boys. This is a shining moment of this album.

10. Heatwave begins with some very 1960s sounding guitars and launches into a fantastic and sweet song that is like sunshine after rain. The music, power and energy throughout are really fine, fantastic and excellent. Paul Weller describes and details the youth and vigour that one has in their younger days. A saxophone is buried in the mix here alongside other brass section, yet it sounds very good as well. Short and sweet, this song is less than two minutes long as well. A decent conclusion to a great album that you can put on again and again. In any case, this music is a winner. Paul Weller and his bandmates play a nice and danceable-sounding song from start to finish. Great.

This is the best album from The Jam by far. Unlike All Mod Cons (1978), which was a close contender, and Sound Affects (1980), which was too experimental for its own good, this album does a good job of revealing a band at the peak of its craft. Paul Weller, in particular, shines bright as a singer, songwriter and musician, and he does his absolute best to showcase his hard work and craft throughout. This is one that the Punks will not wish to miss. Should you listen to this album? If you like simple, melodic and catchy guitar-based music, go for it. Fans of more postmodern styles of music may not enjoy this, however.

A very strong statement in the name of Punk.

9/10

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