I don't think any band gets less appreciation than the Jam. Just taking a listen to music today, you can hear their influence everywhere. The Strokes, The Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Against Me! all owe their careers to the sound that Paul Weller and co. created decades ago. And listen to "Set The House Ablaze" and tell me that's not a Bloc Party riff. It's amazing how bands this good go unnoticed.
Paul Weller's new album comes out this week, and it's a good one. Thirty-five years later, this guy is still rocking and showing all his underlings how it's done....correctly.
Here are the 11 Best Songs By the Jam:
1. In The City (In the City)
2. Private Hell (Setting Songs)
3. A Town Called Malice (The Gift)
4. I Got By In Time (In The City)
5. Set The House Ablaze (Sound Affects)
6. In The Street Today (This Is The Modern World)
7. Down In The Tube Station (All Mod Cons)
8. Boy About Town (Sound Affects)
9. Heatwave (Setting Sons)
10. The Place I Love (All Mod Cons)
11. The Modern World (This Is The Modern World)
Buy Paul Weller's new solo album, Wake Up The Nation, now!!
I have a strong affinity for Sound Affects as well... it being the first LP of theirs I ever got, along with the Beat Surrender EP.
ReplyDeleteI think my top 10 would be slightly different:
1. All Mod Cons/To Be Someone
2. Beat Surrender
3. Town Called Malice
4. The Gift
5. Art School
6. Saturday's Kids
7. Man In The Corner Shop
8. Thick As Thieves
9. That's Entertainment
10. Ghosts
There are two songs on The Gift that would have to make my list... Carnation and Just Who Is The 5 O'Clock Hero, but I like your list a lot. You didn't make many obvious choices.
ReplyDeletethe jam is one of those bands where a top 11 doesn't really do them justice. Very hard to narrow down their best tracks.
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ReplyDeleteExcellent lists guys. Paul was not on any Rolling Stone list. Totally overlooked. And you forgot to mention The Hives. Here's my list too.
ReplyDeleteArt School
(The first album was the best, in my opinion)
Going Underground
In the City
Town Called Malice (Great lyrics, groovy bass)
Set the House Ablaze
Smither’s Jones (with strings)
That’s Entertainment
Non Stop Dancing (Paul’s only real lead solo)
Ghosts
But I’m Different Now
Beat Surrender
Cheers!
Smither's Jones (with strings) defiantly makes the top ten. That said I just can't pick a favorite song by the jam.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose just 10 it would be these (in no particular order - although Going Underground, That's Entertainment & Man In The Corner Shop have to be three of the best songs ever written by an English songwriter....)
ReplyDeleteDown in the tube strain at midnight
going underground
man in the corner shop
thick as thieves
ghosts
carnation
beat surrender
little boy soldiers
town called malice
That's entertainment.....
I Got By In Time
ReplyDeleteLife From A Window
The Combine
Here Comes The Weekend
Wasteland
Burning Sky
Tales From The Riverbank
Liza Radley
Dreams Of Children
Absolute Beginners