[GuineaMcPig]

I'm going to a record store tonight and was curious about this band, especially since a lot of the new up-and-coming British acts cite them as an influence (Futureheads, Maximo Park, etc). Is "All Mod Cons" their best? What about "Setting Sons" or "Sound Affects"? Which would YOU recommend?

Thanks!

~Jordan

 

[zoboomofo]

Cool. I've only really listened to All Mod Cons and Sound Affects. Those 2 albums have the right feel for me - very diverse, uplifting and party-like. All Mod Cons I think has more blockbuster hits on it from ...Tubestation to English Rose To In The Crowd to The Place I Love. Sound Affects sounds more in-tune with today's retro bands (Set The House Ablaze has an almost dead ringer on the recent Bloc Party album.) There is more pop perfection on this cd with But I'm Different Now and the ska tune near the end, but there's appeal here for the less punk and more mature crowd. That's Entertainment is probably my favorite song here.

The style on these albums feels way more retro 60s than modern and punk music of the day. It gives a sense of warmth and innocence that is so nicely bottled on these cds. Either way you can't go wrong. They're short albums so why don't you pick up both?

Edit:
I've also read citings of The Gang Of Four as influences similar to those of the Jam. These guys slipped completely under my radar, but I'm going to pay them more attention too..

 

[VicAjax]

ahhh... the genius of paul weller.

i think the best place to start with The Jam is All Mod Cons. it's got the same punk feel as In The City, but with more distinctive songwriting.

all of their first five albums (except the second one) are great though.

and while some people hate their sixth album, The Gift, i think it has some of the best songs weller has ever written... and it's a sort rockin' precursor to weller's second band, Style Council. his solo albums are also supposed to be good, but i haven't heard any.

the guy is sort of worshipped in britain, and completely ignored in the states. a good friend of mine loves weller, lloyd cole and elvis costello, of course... the brit-pop songmasters.

 

[markl]

Having done an extensive study of their CDs, IMHO, your best bet is to run (don't walk) toward a copy of The Very Best Of from 1997 (UK import). Then you'll need the 1996 Collection to get the rest of the best (album tracks and B-sides). All the rest of the CDs out there sound like total CRAP, those are the only two worth having.

 

[ProleArtThreat]

In The City

I always preferred the rawer punkier side of Paul Weller and co.

 

[zoboomofo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl ...All the rest of the CDs out there sound like total CRAP, those are the only two worth having.

I hope that sound doesn't describe the content cos then them's fighting words. The only issues I've heard are lovely cuts from Polydor and MoFi.

 

[bjjp2]

This compilation is great.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=music

 

[markl]

I wasn't aware there were MoFi versions. I was speaking of the Jam compilations, there are a number of them out there. Between The Very Best Of from '97 and the Collection from '96 you have the vast majority of the Jam's best material, at least 50% of their entire output. There is a remastered Compact Snap! (which is sort of the definmitive Jam comp), but it's a limited edition on Rhino Handmade and very expensive. But it does have Bill Inglot's mastering, so it will sound great. The 1997 Very Best Of replicates the track listing of Compact Snap! almost exactly and costs much less and sounds great.

 

[zoboomofo]

Sadly the mfsl version of All Mod Cons / Sound Affects is out of print. At the time though, it was the only way to get any Jam cds in Van city fortunately.

 

[bong]

i have the MoFi Gold Disc. it's two albums on one CD, "All Mod Cons" and "Sound Effects." i don't have original discs to compare, so i can't really comment on the sound quality. other than that, it sounds quite nice.

All Mod Cons as a more punkier edge while Sound Effects has more varied arrangements and Paul Weller is really exercising his cynical lyrical style.

i have The Jam Greatest Hits for the longest time and it's an excellent collection of some of their songs. one could really track the band's focus from early punk songs to carefully arranged soul influenced rock. "In The City," "All Around the World," "David Watts," "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight," "Going Underground," "Eton Rifles," "Start!," "Funeral Pyre," "Town Called Malice," and "Precious" are all keepers.

oh... i would also agree that Jam fans would appreciate Gang of Four, although they are a bit more arty than The Jam. another album i could recommend in the same vein would be The Cure's debut album "Three Imaginary Boys" or the compilation album "Boys Don't Cry," which retains most of "Three Imaginary Boys" and substitutes a few album tracks for more popular singles at the time (ca. 1979).
and a tiny tidbit: the person of signed The Jam on Polydor (Chris Parry) was also the same person to sign Siouxsie and the Banshees on Polydor and also signed The Cure on his own indie label called Fiction. he also signed The Associates on Fiction.

 

[walkman666]

I love The Jam. I got what Bong has too (and a bong). I love that freakin mofi Jam double CD so very much! I think it's still for sale at Amusicdirect.com, too.

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products...at=&sku=CMF673

I paid like $20 4 years ago or so, and now it's $50, but it's a great recording and soon to be extinct. Nevermind by Nirvana is listed here at $125. I paid like $25. I had Who's Next, too, and I cracked it! Aaaargh. I got a few gold Doors one's as well.

-walkman