How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Good
Value for Money
Advantages:
Adrenaline rush
Disadvantages:
Too much like the Who
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
The Jam were always Paul Weller’s vehicle and bassist Bruce Foxton and drummer Rick Buckler were always seen as dependable sidemen, rather than stars in their own right.
Their first single, In The City, was released in April 1977 by Polydor and reached number 40 after an appearance on Top of the Pops; an album of the same name, which was quickly knocked together and released in May, made it to number 20.
The opening chords of the first track, Art School, echoed Out In The Street, the first track on the Who’s debut album My Generation (1965), indicating a major influence on Weller’s songwriting and guitar playing; he even chose to play the semi acoustic Rickenbacker guitars made popular by Pete Townshend in the Sixties. Weller’s early work, and some of the later material, was crammed with the jangling harmonies and brash lyrics of the Sixties groups the Woking schoolboy had discovered as an alternative to the contemporary glam rock scene he hated.
The album also included a straight rendition of The Batman Theme, and was a lively affair, although it did echo the Who throughout. It was an accusation that was to dog the band throughout its life, but they did provide some memorable blasts of rock during the emergence of new wave in the late 70’s.
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How does it rate alongside the competition
Good
Cover / Inlay Design and Content
Satisfactory
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