Sound Affects

p466. 1980. 4 stars. Quality Thatcher era Brit pop/rock. Great tunes and sharp lyrics, with a knowing glance back to the 60s. Short, sweet and on point. And "That's Entertainment" is a work of genius. Point deducted for filler, but on the whole this is excellent. More evidence that Weller was a better songwriter than Costello.

1038 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming."

Super ultra energetic and a brilliant fusion of the middle point between post-punk and new wave. "Start" sounds like a funky "Taxman".

Didn't do anything for me. Shame because has a great cover.

Pretty. I liked that’s entertainment.

Another classic.

gud

Najradšej od Wellera mám dobu, ktorú strávil so Style Council.

Wait, really?? This is Punk?? Doesn’t sound like the other Punk albums on this list. It honestly just kinda sounds like Soft Rock to me. This is album 100+ that just sounded pretty generic and repetitive and I’m going to have to pull a better review out of thin air and come up with something interesting to say about it other than “it sure does exist”. Ok, I’ve got something. So, the frontman for this band is Paul Weller. He’s got a solo album on this list that I’ve heard already. I honestly loved it, more than this that’s for sure. I gave his solo album a 4, and ironically mentioned that he was in 2 other bands that I’d never heard of before, one of them being The Jam. Evidently, that album is much later into his career, and I prefer it to this by a fairly good bit, but I can certainly see the evolution between here and then as well. So between his solo album and the 2 The Jam albums, there are 3 Paul Weller adjacent or direct albums on the list in total. I’m a tad irritable today, maybe I would have appreciated it more had this not been the third day in a row where I didn’t have power in the house, but I digress. It came back on at the end of the day, so I actually had a little longer to listen to this one than the last 2. The intro to “Start!” reminds me so much of “Taxman” by The Beatles. So much so that I had to look it up and, oh, ok, the entire song is just a big homage to that song. That makes it easily my favorite song on the album. The more I end up listening to this album, the more I like it. It’s still waaaaaaay too repetitive and generic, but it’s not bad. Still a mid 3 for me. But I can’t say I’m the most excited for their other album on here. It’s just a tad underwhelming as a whole. I love Paul Weller though. He can do no wrong. I’m just going to go celebrate my power finally coming back after 3 days and likely forget that I ever listened to this album at all pretty quickly. It’s not bad, it’s just not amazing either, and that’s the best thing I can say about it. It’s a pretty good length though. At 35 minutes long, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, repetition and all. Liked it, didn’t love it though, and likely won’t love their other one, but time will tell. That’s the beauty of this project. There’s always time to wait for more from a repeat artist, good or bad.

I really like The Jam

It's not bad but I feel like every song is the same

Producing a great album takes a LOT of work. Like a film, or a novel, there are a mindboggling number of details involved in the production, and some artistic vision or intention needs to organize or unite the components (songs, scenes, chapters). Paul Weller is/was a tremendously gifted songwriter; one of those mysteries of the universe who seemed to spew opioid-level hooks while others spent careers trying to squeeze out one memorable idea. But the Jam's catalogue suggests that, maybe because of that gift, he never had any need to develop the hundreds of other skills involved in producing a great album, and he either didn't trust or didn't meet anyone who had those skills. There also seems to be no one involved who had that overarching vision for an "album." So the Jam's releases always strike me as collections of singles, rather than great singular artistic accomplishments in their own right. (Compact Snap!, as the best of these collections of singles, to my ear, is their best album.) The Jam also suffer from the same stylistic shortcoming as, say, AC-DC or CCR: they have three song structures and they just keep dumping new words and melodies into the three repeatedly. I've owned this album since the late-80s and listened to it hundreds of times. That's Entertainment is a masterpiece; as good a Rock and Roll song as there ever was. And there are ear worms scattered all about the remaining track. But as an album? I don't get swept into any sustained narcotic delirium, don't lose all track of time and place, like I will listening to a masterful album or brilliant novel. I sense no connection between the songs and no overarching musical point of view or intention. Just the same sound (an interesting sound, to be sure) over and over, auditioning melodies in groups of two or three. (Then again, I feel the same way about Gang of Four - only without the same regard for the songwriting. So maybe I just don't love the precision angly-jangly sounds like I love the shambolism of a Television, Wire, or Damned. Who knows?)

The list has been a treasure trove of forgotten (by US standards) early punk and new wave. Need to bring these guys into my regular rotation.

That’s Entertainment stands out, but the rest seems a bit tired after four previous albums with the same flavour.

oh hello paul weller. we love you paul weller. but i’m sorry cause this left me disappointed. sorry paul weller. also my favourite actor once played a character that’s also called paul weller. coincidences. ha-ha. 3/5

I liked this. Not surprising as I like this type of music and Paul Weller pretty well.

no me gustó la voz medio me quedé dormido en mitad del álbum, realmente también no puse de mi parte jejeje, creo que no agregue ninguna canción a mi playlist aunque tuvo momentos interesantes lo escucharía como álbum pero ninguna canción individual.

Mid

I think 3.5. I enjoy it, but would I add it to a listening list? No.

A really solid British Mod/New Wave album that I liked a lot! It's just kind of very solid music - groovy with some really fantastic melodies that never made it a chore even if I do think it is kind of samey-sounding - and the fact that it's only 35 minutes means it doesn't overstay its welcome. And 'That's Entertainment' is incredible.

Well would you look at that, I didn't hate the sound affects at all. Good on you The Jam, good on you.

i'll give this a 5/10 I really don't remember this album much, which is a clear indication of the quality of this album. Not memorable but not terrible

Everyone knows which song is the best here... rest of the album is fine but not of the greatness I would have expected from this list.

I definitely listened to this album and in 24 hours I completely forgot what it sounded like.

Okay album.

está bueno, es tranqui, no me voló la cabeza pero bien

Cool shit

I’ve never listened to an album by The Jam before, but I’ve liked a bunch of their songs. I was excited to listen today. Overall it was a record that I liked, with some songs even a bit more. The only one I knew was That’s Entertainment and I have played that many times. Other standouts were Monday, Start (total rip off of Taxman but I didn’t care) and Music For the Last Couple.

Quite a good band with whom I had little familiarity. They have a nice kind of sharp, jangly lo-fi pop sensibility that lies sort of halfway between the sound of The Kinks (a cover of whose "Waterloo Sunset" is on the deluxe edition of this album, alongside a cover of "And Your Bird Can Sing") and that of, I don't know, Public Image Ltd. or something. Curious to dig into some more by them.

If you're going to own one Jam album, this is the one to get. Paul Weller aka The Modfather is one of the great songwriters but underappreciated in the US. His songs here are very good but not necessarily better than the albums before or after. What makes Sound Affects stand out is the band is more confident, and after four albums it's well earned: more mature as players and more adept at using the studio as an instrument. They know what they want to say and how to say it, resulting in a fully realized and self-contained aesthetic. It's basically a skilled update of 1960s psychedelic guitar pop with contemporary/punk lyrics. The right balance of the core trio with occasional horns and keyboards to augment but never confuse you about their identity as a band. That's Entertainment is an all-world classic and a perfect example of the phenomenon of a brilliant tune that practically wrote itself: “It was so easy to write. I came back from the pub, drunk, and just wrote it quick. I probably had more verses, which I cut," Weller told Mojo in 2015. “It was just everything that was around me y'know. My little flat in Pimlico did have damp on the walls and it was fucking freezing.” But for me, when I was a 1980s teenager my favorite on here was the edge-y Scraping Away. Now my favorite is Boy About Town. ♥️♥️♥️

Given the wealth of Paul Weller-related albums in this collection, I feel like this one should have been the only Jam album included. I actually found "All Mod Cons" a more entertaining album than I'd expected, but I'll admit it doesn't seem all that different from "Sound Affects", and the latter includes their immortal hit "That's Entertainment" (although strange that "Start" was the lead (and only?) single when the album was released). The rest of the album has fairly classic Jam-sounding tunes (albeit a bit monochromatic aside from the first half of "Music for the last couple"), and the sort of Kinks'-style channeling of British everyman lyrics that seem to go down sad and dark paths far from a village green; the highlights for me were "Pretty green", "Start" (even with the borrowed Beatles lead-off bass line), "That's entertainment", and "Scrape away". I kind of wish the Style Council album isn't still ahead for me--this album seems like the pinnacle of Weller's musical career and would have been a nice ending point.

Loved this back in the day, rediscovered it about 15 years ago, and played it so much my 3rd husband told me I had to stop. Sadly, divorce followed and I'm still sorry about not returning his Van Halen pin. The Jam? Je ne regrette rien.

Very meh. I dont like The Jam and Paul Weller, he's a legend in his own imagination. So saying I didnt turn it off, I hurried a few tracks along but heard bits of it all.

I'm not big on the new wave punky stuff in general. This was just alright. Though I got an education. I heard Helicopter and the Sainsbury's advert - which I had no idea was The Jam - so I've learned something. It's fine, nothing terrible, nothing to really grab me. I'd not turn it off in a hurry.

7/10 Start! and That's Entertainment are awesome - the rest is good to ok

Decent enough. Quite liked early jam. This one is OK

Solid. Couple really nice songs.

3/5

Power Pop Babay!! Not actually super memorable lol

I have listened to this record hundreds of times. It is, for me, a perfect record. Putting aside that Paul Weller is an asshole, this is the moment when the mix of confidence, arrogance, musicianship of all members, came together to create a mix of memorable songs. The nitpickers will point at the similarities of some of the songs from past records but looking at the timeline these were a natural outgrowth of the Setting Sons sessions and some of these sounds will end up on The Gift ( See Dreams of Children). This was the record where Weller tried to break free from the sonic myth of those first 3 records which owed a debt to The Who and the Beatles but on Setting Sons those influences are highlighted with the Beatles taking center stage. Start! is a minor transformation of Taxman. The songwriting is first rate with That’s Entertainment, Man In The Corner Shop, Set The House Ablaze and Boy About Town being highlights. As I had the U.S. version first, that track order is the one I prefer, opening with Start! followed by Pretty Green and Monday. Look, in my less than humble opinion, The Jam were one of the best bands of all time and in my top 5. This is a no skip record and a classic. 5/5

Another certified classic from the Jam, chock-full of biting social commentary and witty lyricism. I'm really starting to get into the Mod side of punk rock, with these guys in particular incorporating more funky stylings into their music, making quite a few of the songs rather danceable. The messages here still ring true, you can't wrong with a bit of Paul Weller, however it's a shame this is the last I'll hear from the Jam on this list. Still, it's going in my ever-shifting rotation, and that's all that matters here. Favourite track: Set the House Ablaze Least favourite track: Boy About Town

I'm not sure why I don't like the Jam more. They're fine but don't excite me. This was good, it had a couple of the Jan tracks I already know and like on it but nothing else stood out hugely.

I've never really understood the acclaim that The Jam has gotten, I mean, they are fine, but that's about it. This is fine. That's the review. Mid 3.

I gave this a few playthroughs over the weekend, and despite a couple decent tracks, I'm not really feeling it overall. It doesn't necessarily do anything wrong, per se... but maybe that there's the problem: it doesn't really do much of anything at all. Dat bass, tho! Like 'Sulk', I'd probably give this a lower rating if this 1,001 universe consisted of only post-punk/new wave albums, but even meh post-punk is still better than the countless honky-tonk, noise-rock, prog, jazz, blues, folk, nu metal, gangsta rap, Radiohead torture sessions I've been put through.

I liked it for the most part. I just didn’t love it. If i heard this live at one of their shows when they were in their peak, it would have hit differently.

More British post-punk! It's good but I'm not sure the Jam earned 2 albums on this list.

This had some ingredients I usually like, but didn't really capture me - great bass though!

This is really good. Never gave this band the time of day but I really dig it

Bof…. On ne révolutionne pas la musique

Average af

This album almost too seamlessly transitioned from the Lightning Bolt album. Though I am rarely a fan of the British 80s rock band, this album at least had some nice tunes. I'll throw it a rounded up 3 just because it overcame my biases.

Maybe I have had a run of bad albums, but I didn't hate this thing as much as I probably would have. This feels though like a generic British band that "borrowed" other British bands' sounds and didn't do anything too exciting with it. 2.5 stars rounded up.

This rules. For whatever reason all but their hits fell through the cracks for me but this album is 100% my shit.

The only thing keeping this from a five star is that it doesn’t have Going Underground on it.

4/10

Maybe feeling generous having been so uninspired of late but this has a lot going for it. RYM: N Saved a song: N

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to. The bassist here deserves lots of credit.

The Jam is one of the bands I rarely listen to on my own. Then every time I’m compelled to listen to them, I’m like “what am I even doing?!?!?? This is amazing!!!” Yeah I love this album a lot. I need to listen to it more. That baseline in pretty green… that’s such a good intro. Monday expresses a feeling that 15 year old me really wanted a song to express, and it constantly gets stuck in my head. Those two songs really sound like the jam to me. They’re definitely not the best songs by this band. They’re not even the best songs on this album. But they’re so amazing, and they set the stage so perfectly for what the jam is. The best songs are: 1. that’s entertainment, which is a song I ADORE. That last verse, “two lovers kissing amongst the scream of midnight / two lovers missing the tranquility of solitude,” it gives me chills every time. It’s so so good. 2. Dream Time That mystical opening, with the sudden switch into the quick guitars and signing… ohhhh it’s so good. That chorus is so fantastic as well. “I saw the lights and the pretty girls and I / thought to myself what a pretty world” maaaaaan this album rules.

Sound Affects was actually a very fun album and quite a bit better than i was expecting. I initially didn't get a very good first impression of it as i thought that it was just gonna be a very thin sounding album with not much going for it. But it actually ended up being a very fun punk record and definitely different sounding enough from all the other Paul Weller stuff and generally better sounding than both his solo work and his stuff with the Style Council, The guitars were easily the main show stealer as they were fast, frenetic, heavy enough and all that good stuff. This album was a super nice surprise and one i'm glad i got to hear before i died. Best Song: Set The House Ablaze Worst Song: Pretty Green

Solid album, although I don't know if it was just my copy but the production sounded very tinny and echoey. It really reduced the clarity of the musicianship and made it harder to understand the lyrics, but the stuff that I did understand was great.

Jeg elsker Sound Affects!!

Lyder overraskende nok mere punk end den sidste vi havde med dem. Rigtig fed!

Not for me.. found it pretty boring... Very smol 3

15/07/2026 I was happy enough with this album. It was good enough for me. Spotify listeners: 1.6 million

Couldn’t get into it

It was fine treat stars

4/10 Okay but something I won't relisten to

It's alright, I kind of enjoyed it.

Great

New wave stuff. Heard it before without recognizing a song. Background music uneventful. Nothing memorable.

2026.07.12.

The Jam – Sound Affects (1980) On Day 199, I reached the final doorstep of the 200-album milestone with a decent listen. Right off the first check, I really liked the overall energy of the record and found the production capability to be remarkably well-layered. Going into it, it turned out to be a great punk album, though it didn't hit quite how I was expecting it to based on traditional styles. The tracklist brought some immediate familiarity, as I recognized a few songs that I already knew from my personal Punk playlist, specifically "Set the House Ablaze," "Music for the Last Couple," and the aggressive rhythm of "Scrape Away." However, during the actual album session, I found myself drawn much closer to "Start!", which easily became a major highlight. It's a rock-solid, high-energy project that keeps the momentum completely steady. A strong 4/5.

Instant 5 stars, love The Jam. My only complaint is that it was too short, those 35 minutes flew by

I’ve been iffy about the jam before, but this had some great songs on it!!

That’s entertainment indeed. I like The Jam a lot. Solid tunes fun to listen to.

Listened before?: nope Pretty Green - 3/5 Monday - 4/5 But I'm Different Now - 3/5 Set the House Ablaze - 4/5 Start! - 3/5 That's Entertainment - 5/5 Dream Time - 3/5 Man in the Corner Shop - 4/5 Music for the Last Couple - 3/5 Boy About Town - 4/5 Scrape Away - 4/5 Average score: 3.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nada demais. Não chamou minha atenção.

Not their best work but a couple of good tracks

I love this album !!!

Perfectly adequate

Cool, but not memorable

This is a good album and the Jam is a good band. However, I think the book could have just had this album and not All Mod Cons. This is the better album and the Jam is not so good, or so important, that it needed to have two albums included in the 1001 albums you must hear before you die. Still, good album.

# Album Name: Sound Affects # Artist: The Jam # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: good listen. Goes off in places though. Two banging tracks in thats entertainment and start. # Top Tunes: Different now / start / thats entertainment / house ablaze # Would I listen to it again? Yes

All fine and well, but I find the Jam albums to be completely forgettable. Aside from hits that are big and I've been hearing elsewhere, I really struggle to remember anything from this listen. Kind of hard to give it a fair shot. Should be right up my alley but something just never really clicks. Neutral for the lack of really being able to say anything about it.

Interesting but every song sounds kinda the same

Okay

This was perfectly fine. Sounded a bit like Dad punk, if that’s a thing. The songs had plenty of energy, but a lot of it was pretty generic and blended together by the end.

Decent 80’s rock. Heavy on the drums in most songs and very upbeat throughout the album. The songs could use some help lyrically but this was an interesting listen overall.

Pretty generic and bland. It’s a turkey sandwich. Interchangeable with so many other bands and albums.

I hate everything about this, except the music. I hate the band name, The Jam, what the hell is that?? They aren't a jam band, so is this just a practice album? Informal jam session?? It's dumb, that's what it is. The album name. Sound Affects. Get it? Isn't that clever? Lame. Album art. Okay I dont hate that, but I'm on a roll here. It's kinda generic I suppose...nah that's a reach. Album art is fine. Music, I can't hate it because is so damn generic and mundane. Kinda like a ham sandwich, it's good but it's just a ham sandwich. That's what this is, ham sandwich plain on white bread. What annoys me most is they spent all their energy coming up with a clever name and album title, then dialed it with the actual music. That really steams my clams. Now excuse me, there are some kids on my lawn I need to shake my fist at.

Bit of a snoozer with some great bass lines.

Clam jam son

Great album 4/5

enjoyed but also can’t differentiate this from a lot of the other rock albums i’ve got

Pretty good

Najs

Kul allt som allt!

Jovars!

This was a mostly fun, easy listen. Liked House Ablaze and Last Couple best.

It feels like they’re borrowing a ton from other British albums on this. Not sure if that’s the point, but Start! Has the Taxman bass riff, and Scrape Away is similar to The Clash.

Good album, good songs.

Boppin bass

Best Song: Man in the Corner Shop This was not enjoyable and has zero relistenability for me. But, like most of these types of things I'm not going to yuck on someone else's yum, maybe there are Jam-heads out there that love this album. So I will be kind with a 3/5 for my Jam-head friends.

Incredibly catchy album. The bass in this album is otherworldly. A classic album through and through. Perfect mixture of (post) punk and new wave. Favorites: Pretty Green, Monday

Pretty good

Good album

I don't understand what people like so much about this. It feels so uninteresting, sparse, and entirely not memorable. I don't know what the hell changed between All Mod Cons and this one, but man The Jam sounds pretty lousy. Not a single catchy lick or moment of vocal prowess. Fave track: - That's Entertainment

It's a bit surprising to me that this album is considered punk, because so much of it feels so bland. You can see some of the punk inspiration in the song structures, melodies, and lyricism, but the production is so flat and sterile that it ends up sucking the energy out of the music. Beyond that, a fair number of these songs feel a bit too predictable and low-energy for rock music of this era, and the mixing is noticeably uneven, with Paul Weller's vocals being buried beneath the bass and drums. It's a shame, because there are some flashes of brilliance here. The stretch of songs of the middle, in particular Set the House Ablaze and Start, manage to overcome the sterile production thanks to their raw energy, and Weller's talent for sticky hooks and trenchant observations make That's Entertainment a must-listen. Plus, in spite of how much they overwhelm the mix, there are some truly great basslines on this album. Unfortunately, these high points only further highly how dull a significant portion of Sound Affects is.

I love the Jam - I even admire the sheer audacity of their Beatles rip-off, Start. And then they follow it up with That’s Entertainment to prove that Paul Weller is a truly great songwriter, even when he’s not cribbing from other people.

I didn’t care for this at all. This album is all vocals and bass guitar with a bit of skritchy guitar around the edges and dude can barely sing. The songs are structurally weak with what sounds like endless verses with no choruses and few hooks.

I liked this album for this particular genre. It has a thin line to cross to be trite. But I liked Start and a couple of other cuts.

Whole lotta UK 70’s / 80’s rock & punk on this list.

You know, don't really know what I was expecting from this album. I had a vague idea of what I thought The Jam were (Maybe like a bluesy artrock or something?), but 70's post-punk (ish) rock influenced by The Beatles isn't what I had in mind, although it makes total sense. As far as 70's post-punk goes, this is probably the best one I've gotten so far. It's not so far up it's ass trying to be "true art" like some of the other albums I've gotten (Fear of Music and The Idiot), that it works for me. Especially a song like Set the House Ablaze. Some of the album does sound a tad dated to my ears (Especially when they're shamelessly ripping off The Beatles, particularly on the track Start! where it's just straight up Taxman), but it never sounds unpleasant. In the end, quite an enjoyable listen.

I'm always happy to get a record like this where it's just 3 guys making music. Look at the Personnel section on Wikipedia for this and compare it to almost any album in the last 20 years. This is three guys playing instruments, a producer, engineer, and a handful of people who made the cover and sleeve. I wish we would go back to that. The record is good too! Great instrumentation and well played. I love the bass tone on this record. There's something about how the bass sounds in these late 70s/early 80s punk/post punk/new wave records that can make or break the whole thing and this is a good one. I would definitely grab this record in the shop and play it when I needed something fun to listen to while I was cooking dinner. 4/5

Meh

alberto thesis before the meltdown

"That's Entertainment" is a fantastic new wave track- esp. that cool reversed guitar that pops up sparingly in the background (and on a few others). The rest of the album? S'okay. No bad songs. I do really like Paul Weller as a singer and the instrumentation is good, but paling in comparison to the Police who they are often compared with.

Wasn’t quite feeling it, I knew Thats entertainment already

Actually really good, some catchy stuff on here I wasn’t expecting to like but I ended up like saving half of the songs Will be back 4

I heard it yesterday and today nealry all of it is forgotten. Not a goof sign. Some sort of pop-punk of the early 80s. Not bad, nothing special either.

I’m surprised that I don’t know this band as I am very familiar with punk bands and similar genres. This is why I’m doing this- to discover new bands like this. I liked this album. It has good bass lines. I really liked Boy About Town, Scrape Away That’s Entertainment, and Set the House Ablaze.

Perfectly fine but was very background music and didn’t really make that much of an impression.

Was never a big fan of The Jam and this didn't convert me. Pretty good though - would have been a 3.5 probably if we did those.

Found it a little bland. Start! and That's Entertainment stood out. It was interesting that a couple of tracks really made me think of 70's Bowie

Not a bad album. kinda reminds me of Public Image but with a more garage rocky sound to it.

deambulando por las calles de un montevideo ochentero siendo un adolescente ávido de experiencias. Muchas veces la música nos entraba primero por los ojos .Y recuerdo con claridad a este grupo de puncks .Sentados en la vereda ,los mhoicanos,las tachas, las botas militares ,las caras de aburrimiento y desidia.Tenian una botella de vino y un disco de the jam.Hoy leyendo la letra de "esto es entretenimiento" entiendo lo atemporal y global de la música.

Yeah this was ur list creator loving UK rock, but hey, it’s not half bad.

Greetings, Paul Weller, While I personally prefer your later work on the Style Council, this more British punk sound is not bad to listen to at all. It's not a groundbreaking album, but it seems to come from your heart and your creative, fun side, which I appreciate a lot. Thanks, Some guy from Australia in his 20s.

Favorite Track: Man in the Corner Shop Least Favorite Track: But I’m Different Now

Surprisingly boring

Pretty cool

4/5

Let's see here ... "post-punk", oh. Hmm, yep. To quote King Crimson's Indiscipline, "I do think it's good [...8 minutes of funky, angular noodling ...] I like it!"

Good stuff, but not for me.

Not bad but I feel like there's better examples of this style on the list

Enjoyable melodic rock with several highlights (That’s Entertainment and Start!). For a relatively short album I would have happily foregone Scrape Away as it didn’t match the relatively strong standard of the rest of the album

I liked this. Obviously “Start!” and “That’s Entertainment” were the standouts, but I also liked “Set the House Ablaze”, which sounded familiar - like a more recent band sampled it, or ripped off the riff, but I can’t think who it is. The rest of the tracks were fine, if not quite as exciting as the aforementioned, and the whole album was tight and concise.

This was alright. Obviously some stand out singles, but away from those, I liked the reggae-tinged Music For The Last Couple, and I really enjoyed Man In The Corner Shop too (when it got going). Ultimately though, this was just fine - I'd happily listen to it if I heard it, but wouldn't seek it out. A classic 2.5 for me, but I'm rounding up. 3/5

Decent stuff, Start! a particular favourite

Rock executed very well with some classic tracks. "That's Entertainment" stands out. I see why The Jam have come out of their era and stood the test of time

Mediocre

é um puxadinho de pós punk, e tá tudo bem não é ruim, mas achei bem mais do mesmo na lista parábens banda the jam!!

pô bem puxadim prum post punk, umas linhas de baixo bem interessantes melhor do que o outro deles que apareceu aqui, bem bacaninha!

kinda lit

4,5 sterren... the Jam was en is nog steeds geweldig!

The Jam feel like a band I should like, but, apart from the odd song, they never really do it for me.

In which Paul Weller, in the proper English tradition, measures out his life in coffee spoons. Or rather, as he puts it on "Dream Time": "my love comes in frozen packs." Weller captures the peculiar feeling of life in a consumerist culture - of having a vague understanding that you're *supposed* to be important (else why all the advertisers trying to influence you?) and yet knowing deep in your bones that you absolutely aren't. I started to chastise them for burying the vocals too deep in the mix on "Set the House Ablaze" but then kept listening to the insistent rhythm figure that *really* signifies and thought better of it, because *of course* you can't hear the guy trying to talk class warfare in the pub. Seems like the best you can do is live in your own little delusional world of self-importance ("Boy About Town"). And "That's Entertainment" feels even more prescient now that literally everything has been collapsed into a form of amusement - *circenses et circenses*. Bruce Foxton's bass is a star throughout. Almost perfect.

noises and sounds... yes. why so many Britt albums on here???

UK 80's rock with seemingly some punk influence. Far from being a unique sound on this list, but I still enjoy this genre a lot. "Monday", "Music for the Last Couple" and "Scrape Away" I think are highlights. This album never gets too high or too low, but it doesn't overstay it's welcome either. Some strong basslines and the vocals are enjoyable.

Ihan mukavan kuuloinen levy. Ei kuitenkaan mitään niin speciaalia että nousisi nelkkuseen

Tämmöstä perus rittimeininkiä, ei jaksa.

Kivoja ralleja plus ohan se viihettä on kova.

Kyllähän jamittelut aina maistuu. Itselle ollut aina vähän semmonen greatest hits -bändi, vaikka kovana Oasis-päänä pitäisikin varmaan olla tutustunut enempi. Hyviä biisejä levyn täydeltä, ja mukavaa kuunneltavaa.

helicopter is a straight lift of the fourth track here

Not my style

1001 albums and more then half of them are from this fuck ass rock bands, I can't do this.

Owned it since the ‘80’s. IMO, the very best pop-punk, new-wave, brit-rock band. Hard to place the genre. Uniquely individual in style and sound. Young Paul Weller had it dialed. yet to nearly everyone’s disappointment, he tossed it away. Fucker. Love this album. Tip to tail, a true gem.

Good because The Jam, but didn't tickle my joy bone too much.

Gosto mais do The Gift dessa banda

6/10

Solid 3 but the album kind of fizzled out at the end. It's really remarkable how much it sounds like modern indie spiky guitar music, obviously a massive influence 20 to 30 years after its release. Always been a fan of Paul Wellers solo work so nice to revisit the Jam every now and again.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm finding out that I'm into post punk. Whatever that is.

Well okay!

Both albums from The Jam on this list start out so poorly that I totally expect I’ll hate it before the first song is even over. Glad I stuck this one out, though I didn’t think it was as strong as All Mod Cons. My favorite tracks were “Monday,” “That’s Entertainment,” “Man In The Corner Shop,” and “Boy About Town,” which will probably be stuck in my head for the rest of the week. Even at just 35 minutes this felt a little long, but not in a way that made me want to rate it lower. An okay album with some pretty decent songs.

Not really interested in this sound

Meh eighties post punk

I sure love generic UK rock bands

Very fun and punchy record

Quality pop songs, catchy riffs, but it feels like there's something missing for me to call it a great album. Like I enjoyed each of the songs for the most part, but it didn't feel like it was contributing to anything, not greater than the sum of it's parts.2.5 rounded down because I can't recall any one specific song that stood out.

Extremely English sounding band with exactly the kind of music I would expect from a band in England in the 80s. I feel like I have heard it before, done by other bands and better. Not something that resonated with me att all.

Upon hearing it again, I have heard the song That's Entertainment. I like it. This whole album is just a new wavey post punk moshposh of songs. Nothing of it is really grabbing me.

80's pop punk maybe? Alright. Not my style, nor will it stick with me, but nothing to hate on

Solid brit rock album. Didn't feel like it pushed the envelope in anyway but enjoyable listen.

I originally had this album generated on day 10 before I joined a group and I gave it a 4/5. I haven't revisited this since it was originally generated, but I really should have! They've got a post-punk sound with a lot of pop sensibility and some clear influences from bands like the Who and the Beatles (Start! straight up sounds like Taxman). I thoroughly enjoyed this one for a second time.

Good album with some great highlights 4*

Prior to this, my experience with The Jam started and ended with that Paul Weller solo album, which I unfortunately hated. I am pleased to report that Sound Affects is *much* better. However, I would like to rib the band a little for their listed influences on this album. They claim to be influenced by Revolver (by The Beatles), which is funny because that's like saying you are influenced by the electric guitar; it's true, but it's completely unhelpful. They also claim to be influenced by Off The Wall by Michael Jackson, which is funny because I don't hear it on this album *at all*, but I certainly do hear it on Paul Weller's *much* worse solo album. Honestly, Sound Affects sounds most like a kind of pop-grounded, polished post punk album. It wears the simplicity, and angularity, and chunky basslines well. I wouldn't say this is a radical transformation on the sound, but it is a really solid collection of songs. It's a thoroughly enjoyable listen, and it *does* make post punk work really well as pop music without sacrificing the genre's identity. A lot of these songs are really good, but Set The House Ablaze and Scrape Away are probably the best. They really lean into the slight darkness and quirkiness that can come with post punk, and it makes for a really cool palette when combined with the rest of what this has going on. Anyways, in short, this is really good. Call it a high 3.

Nothing really memorable tbh. Music for the last couple really confused me at the beginning.

Sounds like something I would like but what’s up with the guy sounding off-key half the time?! Not bad but I’d rather just listen to the clash

Nope

Very interesting - should listen more of The Jam

I fucking love The Jam.

fine

Kind of at a loss of what to say about it. I think it’s 5 stars but there’s always something that holds me back from saying it is. I’m gonna go with my gut?

No lo he acabado de escuchar

Fast and fun. High 3

One of their best albums

So many indie bands that I grew up with in the 2000s owe tonnes to The Jam. They know how to write a slightly dangerous sounding pop rock hit, writing with an edge but that’s also whistleable - not an easy balance to strike.

The Jam is a surprise hit for me today, love the vocals, guitars and overall sound - solid 4!

5/10

That album is really something. I enjoyed every second of it and am quite impressed who sharp it sounds.

Not bad, but pretty generic Brit pop for the era. Maybe this stood out more in 1980.

Not really my thing but has its moments. it's absolutely hilarious to me that they essentially took Taxman and just made it worse 5 / 10 Best track/s: Scrape Away

High energy 80s vibes

This album didn't blow my hair back but at least it didn't blow it forward either.

Good

The Jam only released great albums.

Another one of those albums I had no problems with, but it ended being little better than white noise to me.

Somewhere in here is a great 5 song EP

There was a good album in there somewhere

Cool album!

Аффекты по ушам

Enjoyed this. Probably the best we've had of that style/era so far..

Fantastic!

It was fine but not super memorable for me

Decent rock album. It’s got a sharp, punchy sound and enough energy to keep things moving, but I wasn’t blown away by it either. “Start!” was the one that jumped out right away, mostly because that bass line sounds like it’s lifted straight from “Taxman” by the Beatles.

um i cant listen to this im nauseous today

mun Albe ufhole. Kei Ziit für so mittelmässigi fürz. Hans 3 mal versuecht zlose aber het mi nie Catched. Isch meh luhne abhängig aber grätschemer mal wider mitme 2 dri.

Au da: Cha mir guet lose aber nix bsonders guets.

A sound and style that sets them apart. A sensational album. Already was saved in my Spotify and a vinyl couple is in my collection.

One of the more inventive and interesting Brit post-punkish groups! Made me question why I hadn't heard of them before this album.

Good album! Classic rock enjoyed it!

This is true punk. Would love this set at CBGB’s. That’s Entertainment

Sorry, no more fucking Paul Weller thanks

Nope.

Bon album! Le début un peu compliqué, mais au fil de l’album, les bons morceaux arrivent : Boy About Town, That’s Entertainement, Music for the last couple. Cool! 3.5/5

Not familiar with the short lived Jam, but I like ‘em. Also never heard of anyone wishing it was Monday, but oh well. Musically the Jam is solid, all songs well composed. Impressive threefer with Set The House Ablaze, Start!, and That’s Entertainment. (3.1*s) Using the Beatles’ Taxman riff was a clever idea to boost sales in the eighties. Got a little bit of The Cure sound on That’s Entertainment. Clever album title - Sound Affects.

Been a while since we heard from Paul Weller on the list and he's better as a member of The Jam than solo or as a very unstylish council member. Heard of the band but surprised I hadn't heard this album before. Sound Affects has an effect. The songs are quick and catchy. English rock with a punk influence. Got a Psychedelic Furs-Bowie sound. Nothing totally epic but I liked the whole thing with "Start!," "That's Entertainment" and "Scrape Away" leading. This must have had some influence on the later indy-alt bands from the UK. I will be running this one back in the future and will look into some other releases from The Jam...3.7 stars.

Apparently this Paul Weller guy has his fingerprints on a lot more music than I was ever aware of. Pretty cool to see his name keep popping up on this list through a variety of bands and musical styles. While I've enjoyed some of his other work that has been featured, The Jam's Sound Affects is probably the best so far. This album was a pretty solid listen with a handful of enjoyable tracks. Seems like they were ahead of their time as I was surprised to see this was released in 1980. It it felt like a preliminary to the popular 90's britpop sound with something Bowie-esque about it. I liked a lot of the pieces they were working with and might check out some more from The Jam. Good stuff. 3.04 stars

One thing that I have to keep reminding myself when I get albums like this is that it's not 1001 amazing albums, but 1001 albums you need to listen to. This is a perfectly fine bridge between punk and new wave as an example of that it makes sense to be on the list.

Pretty green - 4 Monday - 3 But i'm different now - 3 Set the house ablaze - 4 Start! - 4 That's entertainment - 4 Dream time - 4 Man in the corner shop - 3 Music for the last couple - 2 Boy about town - 3 Scrape away - 3

i've heard worse

Kept two songs

Did not finish. Found boring and uninteresting.

I’ve heard that the jam are very influential but I don’t know who was influenced by them. I did notice in the first three songs on this album they stole riffs from the Sex Pistols and the Beatles. I liked Music for the Last Couple and Scrape Away, the rest was kind of forgettable but not bad.

Solid, down the middle dad music (complimentary)

I've never quite 'got' The Jam before - they're regularly heralded as masters of their craft and pioneers of the era but they've always given me the cheese-vibe. This album is great though, they really found their groove and it's big on funk. Much much better than I anticipated

Better than I remembered.

A bit plain, but I like them.

The Jam. Not completely up my street but not too bad. never heard any of the songs on this album before

I knew I was going to enjoy this, but I didn’t realize how much. There’s real brilliance here. Excellent album.5/5

great energy post punk, mad bass driven tunes, not the most diverse pallete but the sound they go for is immaculate, kind of ambient kind of weird ear candies, the vocalist sometimes reminds me of damon albarn is that... is that taxman??

The Jam have never moved my needles, but "Sound Affects" was pretty good overall. Definitely an album I can see myself putting on again - forceful, with a mix of the Who, the Beatles, and Elvis Costello. Good stuff. THREE STARS

Just another generic album with an aggressively British vocalist The album does sound quite good at times; I thought the drumming was particularly great and there’s some pretty catchy bass lines in there (though they definitely ripped off the Taxman base lines for Start lol). The album was pretty short and I think there’s just enough variety to keep me invested all the way through Not a fan of the vocals as previously mentioned, I do think there’s such a thing as “too British” for my tastes. Even though there’s some solid instrumentation, the sound as a whole just feels so damn generic. I don’t think there’s any catchy melodies or any individual moment that made me stop and say “damn that’s cool.” It’s gonna be one of those albums where you ask me about it in about a month and I’ll have no idea who you’re talking about. Better forgettable than bad at least

I just don't get why you'd want to be completely deriviative of music from 2 decades ago. The bass lines are really fun (except when they blatantly steal from the Beatles,) but my god the vocals are terrible. Terrible British bellowing.

1980 English band showing off elements of punk, ska, and other British stuff. Not great. Not awful. A product of its times.

I liked the sound of this album from the moment I turned it on. What's keeping this album from a 5 is the fact that nothing stood out entirely on this album, all I can say is that I enjoyed it and that's about it.

What I like the most here is all the various styles these songs go for. They're all still easily categorized as pre-80's New Wave punk, but they're clearly trying to create their own sound. I know that sounds pretty "no duh," but I'm thinking back to other UK punk albums I've heard, particularly the debuts of the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and neither of them change up their styles as much as this one does. That's even acknowledging The Clash's dive into reggae and knowing what they'd go on to do with their future albums. I can absolutely see why this album has been compared to Revolver. And I wanna point out, too: the bass is fantastic. I don't typically notice bass as often as I should, but man, it was so good here. All in all... Man, I don’t know. I'm feelin' a good 4 on this thing. And, like, I can't put my finger on why I'm holding this thing back from a complete 5... It just feels right, you know? And believe me, it's a very high 4. It's just... Yeah, I'll say it again, it's good stuff. No more, no less. And I don't know what else to say besides that, so... Yeah! Good jams from The Jams.

In one ear out the other did not enjoy

Good

Apart from 'That's Entertainment' and bits of other songs on the album that veered off from the overly familiar frenetic amphetamine fuelled choppy rhythm, this album, like all their albums really, didn't do much for me. Weller's vocal style seems at odds with the 'edgy' instrumentation; some might say it works because of that but I prefer the likes of The Fall's raw instrumentation Mark E. Smith's jarring delivery. If you want urban post punk acerbic renditions of council estate inner city angst, there's no better band than early Fall. But I digress, Weller went on to form The Style Council, which says it all really. Even with his working class background, he just comes off as a middle class grandad with pipe and slippers, even when trying to be down with the ordinary folk. Probably why he's still alive though, unlike Smith.

British tilt strikes again. But kinda interesting album I guess.

Un álbum bien perron pa caminar por la calle sintiéndose un rockstar. Me gustó mucho “scrape away” por ese rebote que generaba con el bajo. En general las canciones son muy buenas para el género.

Good

Englischer 80er Rock. Ich kenne keines der Lieder, aber ist angenehm zu hören. 3/5

I give up, genres mean nothing to me /j

On the day I was listening to this album, I felt out of body and lost, just drifting about my job. I anticipated Sound Affects maintaining a much higher level of energy across its runtime, but it ended up being more low-key than I would have though. The sounds of the album run across the spectrum of English rock sounds, with some songs sounding ahead of their time in terms of musical ideas and production techniques. However,ni did struggle to click with the work; the we're sometimes mixed frustratingly low in these songs, and there were more than a few songs which broke into some tangential musical movements which lost me. There's an interesting fuzziness to the vocals which makes them stand out, and I love the unique songwriting and production choices made throughout, such as the strange diner and buzzing fly intro on Music For The Last Couple. Still, the font half doesn't interest me as much much as the higher energy back half, which is able to pull away from the weirdly lo-fi and muddy sound of the earlier tracks. Highlights: Start!, That's Entertainment, Music For The Last Couple, Boy About Town, Scrape Away

Really loved it! It's definitely within the 'generic British rock band' type of music, but it was so fun nonetheless. Can't really explain why it sounds so addicting to me since it's definitely nothing extraordinary, but I like it a lot.

Started out as hot garbage, but then got a lot better Listenable enough

So good! Bass and drums are real standouts, but all of it really fits together seamlessly. One of the highlights if 1980.

I never got The Jam. Sure, it’s fine but it’s not very exciting - I know the singles but literally everything else I could live without, though. Have to say that this may be the most bass-forward album I’ve ever heard - it’s the anti-…And Justice For All!

This is not for me but it was fine, I guess.

3.5

I was lucky enough to have found the Jam in the early 80s. Though I was raised on what is now (usually) referred to as classic rock, I became aware of "alternative" bands fairly early (mid-80s) and I've been a lover of indie music since. The Jam is/was a god-send, even if I don't believe in deities. Thank the universe then. 5 "I saw the light" stars.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Start!, Man In The Corner Shop Has a couple of good/playlist-worthy songs on it. Start! sounds very very similar in song structure to a famous Beatles song - maybe you've heard of it before - Taxman. I actually went back to listen to Taxman to hear just how similar it is. Obviously its not a literal cover, nor is it a sample (I think) but its definitely the same drum beat and very similar guitar riff? It's almost bizarro world-esque. Anyway, that's not necessarily a dig, imitation being the highest form of flattery and all that. It's just amusing to watch people in the YTM comments argue over it. Beyond this amusing tangent, the album is fine. I guess it's refreshing to listen to a band that I've never heard or heard of, and know none of their songs. That's always nice, to hear and discovery truly new music. What else is there to say? It was not groundbreaking. It was not revolutionary. It also wasn't mundane or boring.

oh wow i dig it

This one was a surprise hit for me. First time listen that got better as the album went on. Great mix of early punk with new wave sympathies.

first listen not that interesting to me

I listened to Sound Affects right after Blondie’s Parallel Lines, and the difference is striking. While Blondie feels polished and commercial, The Jam’s album comes across as sharper, more inventive, and lyrically engaging. It’s strange how one band achieved massive international diffusion, while the other remained largely confined to the UK despite delivering something far more interesting

I like how it sounds

meh

a chill listen

80’s soft punk, never heard and was glad to listen !

Like a discount XTC. I certainly didn't dislike it, but it didn't really do that much for me. Melodies a little forced, the mixing a little off.

Disgust turns to apathy as yet another British rock band from the 80’s appears on my feed. Apathy turns to dread when I read that the frontman of this group went on to be in The Style Council, a project I despised upon first listen a few weeks ago. This group sounds better, but only marginally. While nothing here is offensive or unlistenable, few and far between were the times I felt like I’d remember a song or melody by lunch time today. This list feels less like 1001 albums you should listen to and more like a look into the record collection of a gen X white british guy. 2/5

i for one am shocked to learn that the best british invasion album by like a mile came out in 1980. paul weller's songwriting muscle and creativity on here beats the snot out of pete townshend at his own game...so in-tune with the base-level strength and appeal of the music while augmenting it in ways that can be surprising and left-field but never feel condescending somehow??? literally every track leaves some kind of unique impression, and the band just digs their claws into every second of it. on top of all of that its got that vivid Urban Atmosphere, that mix of lots of physical space for your body and increasingly claustrophobic spiritual space for your sense of self that just creates that endless loop of building up and releasing mountains of tension. and then they just slap That's Entertainment in the middle of an already 100% consistent tracklist like are you serious man???? leave something for the rest of us!!!! the fact that ive never heard this before is a crime, what an obvious masterpiece lmao

This album is a product of its time with authentic sound and beat

I remember the Jam existing but that's about it. I was in high school in 1980 - so you'd think this would be right up my alley - but I don't really remember any of their songs. I feel like there was that one kid in school who had a Jam t-shirt - but not sure - maybe that was in college. I listened 3 times through... I now realize I do remember "That's Entertainment" from the radio - but it never really grabbed me back when it was new and still doesn't. Wow - the bassline in "Start!" (a song which I had never heard before) is not just inspired by "Taxman" by the Beatles it's a straight ripoff. On paper, you would think I would really like this band. Clearly some inspiration from the Beatles, somewhat socially conscious/critical lyrics like the Kinks, high energy punky/new wave sound with similarities to The Police and Elvis Costello and The Clash. I can also see how they likely influenced bands like Blur that came later. But for some reason most of this is not really clicking for me. I do like the groove of "Music for the Last Couple" and so I "liked" this on Spotify. I also "liked" the songs "Monday", "Man In the Corner Shop" and "Scrape Away". It looks like "Scrape Away" and "Last Couple" are 2 of the least liked songs on this album, so not sure what I am missing here. I've got different ears I guess. I went back and looked at all of the other albums that I like that came out in 1979/1980 - there was SO much better stuff out there than this - even if you only compare to British bands such as The Pretenders, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Joy Division, Pink Floyd, The Cure, Joe Jackson, Led Zeppelin, The Police, The Psychedelic Furs, Squeeze, UB 40, and The Kinks themselves. Either way, glad I listened and now I have 4 more "new to me" songs in my rotation. Liked songs on Spotify: 4/11 Rating: 2/5

some cool stuff going on here. diverse range from pop to punk to ska-adjacent. i was worried this would be a dud based on the year and album cover but it’s pretty solid

Really solid post punk! Not sure it’s on the pantheon but really enjoyed it.

Another old friend. Though I admit I don’t feel as strongly about it today as I used to.

6.56/10

there were sounds

Amazing

nice

I liked this, but didn’t love it. I’m sure it was an intentional choice, but the vocals often got lost in the mix. There are some really cool basslines on this album.

Honestly mid. Not bad enough for me to want to skip a track, but it would be really be fine as a background noise only. Some tracks sound like the previous one, and overall the album doesn't seem to experiment at all.

- This is hit or miss for me - I like a bunch of the songs (including, of course, "That's Entertainment"), but it can feel very knock-off versions of other music like the Clash, PiL/Sex Pistols, and Bowie (and the Taxman Beatles tune). I hear some Blur in there, too, but of course this came first. - I like Paul's voice and the instrumentals throughout, especially the drum and bass (though the tone of the bass was a little too horn-like) and the random effects that show up. The guitar isn't really as enjoyable to me because I don't really like the thin tone of it. - The albums has good flow and is a good length - none of the songs go on too long except Set The House Ablaze.

Vilken inspiration för typ all britpop. Som en brygga mellan Beatles och Blir. Weller är en fantastisk låtsmed, men insatserna och produktionen gör att det känns gammalt. Jämför med The Police! En trea

Iconic band of course, I only ever owned All Mod Cons back in the day so it's good to hear this today, Two great singles, Start and That's Entertainment, but there's a lot of other cracking material to explore here too.

jao, dosta dobro! još jedno ugodno iznenađenje, premda sam između trojke i četvorke nekako, dat ću četvorku. sigurno ću još koji put preslušati, možda mi se još više svidi

Nice little whimsy English rock album. Good for the work flow in the background. I appreciate the constant drive of the album. The bass is loud in the mix, but totally not an issue as it adds to the overall vibe. 3.6/5.0

*1980. British rock. *Sounds similar to David Bowie style. *Not memorable at all, but was a pleasant and quick 35 minute listen. RATING - 6.5/10

YES

Toca hoy nuevamente banda histórica, que solo ubico de nombre. El disco arranca con una base de bajo brutal y el tono inglés para cantar y relatar historias tan típico de esa época. Disco punkie simpaticón, con bases de bajo hipnóticas. Gracias y hasta mañana.

Ok album, one it two decent the rest a bit forgettable

Genuinely do not remember a single thing about this

Pretty cool!

I nice little Brit rock gem that I was not familiar with. Tight guitar rock songs with good melodies and an occasional hook. The production is uneven in spots, but overall a solid album.

When the album began, I was like, “Hell yeah, some more post punk new wave whatever!” But I grew bored with the album quickly. It’s not bad, just too samey for me. It’s a little better than a 2.

Very mediocre

Keek hier erg naar uit na toch wel een vrij lange reeks aan platen buiten mijn vertrouwelijke sferen. Deze plaat ziet de van origine punk band steeds meer verwijderd raken van die roots, en het zet flinke stappen naar de powerpop en new wave sound van de opvolger van twee jaar later, 'The Gift'. Daarmee zinspeelt het ook wel een beetje op een onvermijdelijk einde van The Jam, waar de scheurtjes toch wel bij veel punk bands bestonden rond het jaar 80 toen hun moedergenre in populariteit inleverde. Daarmee wil ik niet perse zeggen dat dit album een ongemakkelijk transitiealbum is van een band waarvan de sjeu er bijna af is. Sterker nog, ik denk dat ze best comfortabel klinken en geen moeite hebben om na 'Setting Sons' nog meer meer de post-punk golf mee te surfen. Het is eigenzinnig genoeg om op te vallen (zie de psychedelische sounds) én tegelijkertijd typisch Brits, wat toch wel belangrijk was om een sterke identiteit te vormen rond 1980, te midden van een wijdverspreide identiteitscrisis in de rock wereld. De plaat blinkt niet uit in individuele hoogtepunten, los van stonecold britpop classic 'That's Entertainment', maar de liedjes vormen een solide geheel. Het voelt soms aan als The Kinks als ze waren opgegroeid in de 70s. Tegelijkertijd had ik gehoopt op iets meer punch, zeker na Gang Of Four-ish dance punk opener 'Pretty Green'. Zeker geen hoogvlieger vergeleken met veel andere albums van dit genre, maar wel een project die laat zien dat de turbulente periode niet voor elke band onoverkomelijk was. 7/10 Highlights: Pretty Green That's Entertainment

Ik had twee luistersessies nodig om dit album goed te kunnen doorgronden en recenseren. Het is geen rechttoe rechtaan punkplaatje. Wat maar weer aangeeft hoe snel de echt rauwe punk ook weer uit was. OG punkbands konden eigenlijk maar één boze pijl afvuren. Daarna moest het wel volwassener, complexer. The Jam is daar erg goed in geslaagd. Met name door Paul Weller volgens mij. Op Sounds Affects hoor je dat terug. Ik vind de baslijnen erg lekker en de nummers zijn divers, energiek en passen goed bij elkaar. That's Entertainment laat even op zich wachten, tussendoor vind ik Monday een slechte track, maar zo midden op de plaat is dat wel echt het hoogtepunt. Het is een soort mix tussen de slaggitaar van Johnny Marr en de zang van Michael Stipe. Eigenlijk is Sound Affects best een R.E.M. achtige plaat. Wat ik hier als compliment bedoel. Leuk! Ik duik nog even verder in the Jam... 8/10 Highlights Pretty Green That's Entertainment

Good! And I like the album cover

Muy bueno.

A perfect 3-star record. Nice to listen to while it's on, completely forgotten when it's not. New band for me - would be happy to listen again, if I ever remember to think of them.

2.5

I didn't enjoy this as much as the other Jam record I previously had. Vocals reminded me heavy of Dead Kennedys

Gear: 64 Audio Duo Artwork: 🖼️🖼️🖼️ Production: 😌👂🧈 Music: 🫆❓🕵️‍♂️ Rating: 💷💷 (💷)/5

It was ok, nothing really remarkable for me besides the last song on this album, which I heard before, and I kind of liked more than the rest.

nice jam album with a couple good strong songs