The Jam, for many of us, occupied that vast middle ground between the passion of The Clash and the fury of The Sex Pistols. With Weller's brilliant lyrical output and the talent of Foxton, Buckler, and Weller as a unit capable of producing solid music as the vehicle, The Jam became hit-makers. The legacy of The Jam is a short one. With a catalogue of only six albums recorded between the years, 1977 to 1982, Weller and the boys left more than a handful of hits.

With their socio-political consciousness and a musical penchant for punkish pop and a working class attire mixed with an affinity for Mod styles, The Jam found a place in the heart and soul of not only Britain but America as well. After their demise, Weller went on to produce a synth pop concoction in a band called Style Council. But it was The Jam that left the mark which creates the need for compilations such as this collection of singles and B-sides.

This set of singles is an incomplete one given the fact that The Jam wrote more than 18 high charting songs. While you'll find the more endearing songs of their career on this compilation including the recognizeable "Town Called Malice", The Sound of The Jam contains only nine of their singles. The rest of the disc is fleshed out with B-sides, many of which were so good they could have been excellent choices for radio.

Which brings us to the choices of songs. You cannot go wrong with the selections of "Town Called Malice", "Going Underground" (their first number one), "Beat Surrender", and "Start!". But inclusion of "Eton Rifles", "In the City", and the Ray Davies penned "David Watts". But many of the B-sides explored on this disc present a more melodic side of The Jam, showcasing Weller's ability to write songs that blended the punk core of the band with softer edges. This is demonstrated in "That's Entertainment" and "Liza Radley".

The Sound of The Jam also includes a bonus in the inclusion of "Tales From The Riverbank", previously issued only as a fan club recording.

The Jam was a band that was full of surprises. From their meteoric jump into the music scene of England and their trans-atlantic stretch onto American turntables, they became the choice of a discriminating audience. That audience allowed Weller to speak for them from the stage and that same audience paid back the band with a strong allegiance.

This set pieces together 20 songs total with an excellent 16 page booklet that puts together a rich set of photos and credits. An essay written by Dennis Munday, The Jam's A & R manager for most of the band's career, expertly capsules the history of the band.

If you loved The Jam back 'in the day', this is a good set. Of course, it isn't definitive but it never meant to be. It intends to serve you a wonderful mix in just one disc. And it does so admirably. The Jam rocked. Putting this disc in your player will remind you just how much. If you don't remember The Jam because you're too young, come and find out where many of today's punk pop bands learned their craft, whether they know it or not. The Jam IS that important.

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The Jam
The Sound of The Jam

Released: February 25, 2003
Origination Year: 2003
Time: 61:41
Tracks: 20
Produced by: Various
Engineered by: Various
Compiled by: Dennis Munday
Mastered by: Gavin Lurssen at The Mastering Lab,
Hollywood, CA
Style: Studio Compilation
Format: CD
Enhancement: None
Label: Polydor Records
Website:

In The City
Away From The Numbers
The Modern World
David Watts
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)
Mr Clean
English Rose
The Butterfly Collector
The Eton Rifles
Thick As Thieves
Going Underground
Start!
Liza Radley
Pretty Green
That's Entertainment
Tales From the Riverbank
(Fan Club Version)
Town Called Malice
Ghosts
Beat Surrender