All Mod Cons
The Jam
1978
Album Summary
All Mod Cons is the third studio album by the British band The Jam, released in 1978 by Polydor Records. The title, a British idiom one might find in housing advertisements, is short for "all modern conveniences" and is a pun on the band's association with the mod revival. The album reached No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart.The album was reissued in the United States in 1979, with the song "The Butterfly Collector" replacing "Billy Hunt".
WikipediaThe Jam were in love with the Who, and influenced the Police and the Clash. This 3rd album was the first of three brilliant 5 star albums, culminating with Sound Effects, with Setting Sons sandwiched in between.
I have no idea what this might be… “All Mod Cons” is ok, like a smoothed-out punk song or something. I can’t quite get into the stuttering tempo. But there are promising elements here. “To Be Someone” appeals to me quite a bit more. I’m warming up to this. Love the lyrics about a fallen rock star. Really good! “Mr. Clean” seems to be how the singer is angry at an office coworker. Interesting and catchy! “David Watts” continues the sort of odd tempos. And the song is intriguing… Is this a be careful what you wish for song? I’m not sure but I do like it. “English Rose” is a surprisingly tender song. I love the singer’s voice and the water and what I think is a great love song for England. I wasn’t expecting this but like it a lot. I love the music and lyrics of “In the Crowd” - and what’s this?! A warning about the government and media?! Interesting… and goes all psychedelic guitar at the end. This is a contender for my favorite track of the album. “Billy Hunt” is another catchy song with more cleverly descriptive lyrics. A threatening bionic man reference?! I like this. “It’s Too Bad” is a great little breakup song that’s quite happy sounding. Very enjoyable. “Fly” is a really great love song! The tender parts intersperse with exuberant outbursts. I love this song. There seems to be some hints of The Who or something in here. Wonderful! “The Place I Love” I love! ‘Not within a yard of those trendy do’s.” Is this song about hiding out with your pets? Really good song. “‘A’ Bomb in Wardour Street” seems to be protest song with a beat you can dance to. Clapping! I can get into this. “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight” is a great song. Terribly disturbing about a poor guy getting attacked in a tube station. Really good, and disturbing… I think I’m on the verge of loving this album. A second listen is in order but I find The Jam’s lyrics so vivid and the disjoints in the music held together with such great talent that I think I may love this album… …………………………………. My second listen really did cement my love of this album. After the third listen, I’m loving every song - even the first track which took me a few listens to warm up to. These lyrics have depth and paint vivid pictures. The Jam takes on class and society… with a sound blending dashes of new wave, The Who and The Kinks into something pretty special. I love this album!
Never listened to a full album by The Jam before (only greatest hits) and it did not disappoint. Very much a coming of age album and craft wise very much where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were with Damn The Torpedos. English Rose is superb, David Watts also. The best track for me is Down At The Tube Station at Midnight. Weller’s lyrics are outstanding and bassist is so underrated. Always been a massive fan of Weller’s. One of of best artists around, always evolving.
They were pretty decent before this one as well, but this is where it really took off. It's the start of a brilliant run of albums with Setting Sons and Sound Affects coming after this. Especially love the last tracks on here; A' Bomb in Wardour Street and Down In The Tubestation At Midnight.
really like this. 60s/70s brits are the best. just look at those outfits!? gives me jam in a field vibes. dope guitar work.
Down In The Tube Station At Midnight's not only a fantastic finale but a useful reminder that most of the preceeding songs compare unfavourably. The big tumbling beat is there, as are Weller's sandpaper vocals and featherwight punk politics for city types--but the hooks, urgency or clarity to turn them into songs to remember are a rarity.
ett riktigt bra album. Down in the tube station at midnight är en av de bättre låtarna jag hört på länge.
Some fantastic songs and something of a ‘coming of age’ album given their less than impressive second album ‘this is the modern world’. Stand outs include ‘to be someone’ and the classic ‘English rose’. Loved Billy Hunt live too
Love the mod revival movement. Cool mix of punk and early rock. Strong album start to finish
Like a combination of punk and pub rock interspersed with some very pretty tunes. Thoroughly enjoyed this album.
There is cowbell, and I really enjoyed this album. I never heard of this band so its been a pleasant surprise.
Sounds like something Jess and Rory would have liked. I enjoyed it. Would listen again.
#79 - The Jam - All Mod Cons Apparently this album catapulted Paul Weller into the consciousness of the UK. Despite not having any major hits it's got bite, anger, class issues and is a great listen. This is how I imagine London in 1978 (sorry Woking).
The Jam (and Paul Weller) is a band I know about; but don’t really know their music aside from a few songs. I mostly know them from influencing most of the bands I grew up listening to. Hearing this now you definitely hear where every Oasis song is ripped off from, but also the stems of New Pornographers and Paraquet Courts. For good reason too. This album absolutely rips. A little over half an hour and doesn't overstay it’s welcome. Killer tracks David Watts English Rose
My favorite Jam album and one of my favorite albums, period! The 3 album run of All Mod Cons, Setting Sons and Sound Affects, is as good a three album run of any band, ever. This is the album where The Jam sound and Paul Weller's song writing reached their zenith. To Be Someone, Mr. Clean, In The Crowd, "A"Bomb in Wardour Street and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight are all incredible songs that alone would make this album worthwhile, all together they make for one of the best albums of the 80s, indeed of any decade. No band ever communicated more vividly what it was like growing up British. Maybe that kept North American fans at arms length, but for me if their lyrics and themes ever became TOO British, the musical interplay is universal and these three kids were the epitome of tight. A no-brainer 5 star album from my perspective.
It's The Jam m8. Clear Beatles influences dotted which I'd not noticed before. Down In The Tube could well be the best British track of all time.
One of my all-time faves. I bought this at the time and played it constantly so of course it gets maximum stars. I guess it's aimed at predominantly young angry men in 1978 but it's still fresh and poetic, raucous and rocky even now. It has real classics - 'Down in the Tubestation' and 'English Rose' which are suprisingly poles apart but even the 'fillers' are gold: 'Fly' is the least listened track in Sp*tify but again IMO one of the best tracks on the album.
This band is “The Beatles” if they were punks, and I have no problem with it. None at all. 5 Stars
The Jam: great singles throughout but also a real album band who made a string of 5-star albums including this one.
Un dels discos més creatius en un dels períodes més creatius. És la sublimació del so de The Jam en la seva primera etapa. I aquesta sublimació és d'una excel.lència i exuberància gairebé màgica
This is a brilliant album, not a bad song in the lot. What I enjoy about it is seeing how the Jam is evolving musically, to a more nuanced and sophisticated sound. The punchier style the band developed on their first two albums is still in there, but it has matured, with confident, melodic hooks, and surprising forays into psychedelia and jazz-pop. Paul Weller's ability to craft a lyric has developed tremendously here too, with vivid imagery and sly social commentary. I could listen to this all day. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, It's Too Bad, In the Crowd, Fly, To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time), English Rose, Mr. Clean, All Mod Cons, David Watts, 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street, The Place I Love, Billy Hunt
I had never heard them before and it is awesome! It’s like, in between the clash and cars. It’s great.
Love this album. Inventive musicians playing great songs with Smart lyrics.
This is such a snap shot of late 70's English life. Weller's story telling is backed up by a very tight band. Song after song - it sounds like a Best Of.
Heard this plenty of times, so another easy 5 from me. David Watts, Down in a tube station, Bomb in wardour street are highlight tracks LOVE THE JAM AND PAUL WELLER <3
I’ve never really understood what the whole “mods and rockers” thing was, but maybe you had to be there at the time. As far as I know, the only song by The Jam that I already knew is A Town Called Malice which doesn’t appear on this album. And my dad will take any opportunity to tell anybody that he once smoked a joint with Paul Weller when he used to work festivals. Songs I already knew: none Favourite after listening: To Be With Someone (Didn’t We Have A Nice Time), Down In The Tube Station At Midnight Overall: 9/10 I might not understand the whole mod scene, but the album definitely stands out as great many years on. It definitely doesn’t feel like an album from 1978 as many modern indie bands still sound very similar to this. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight certainly sounds like it could have been released within the last decade. Bruce Foxton has some excellent bass riffs throughout, and I absolutely intend to learn some of them myself to play at home, and maybe pretend that I’m in the know and totally understand what a mod is.
1978?! Wow - the audio quality on this is sublime. And the songs are really catchy! New fan of the Jam.
Knew the Jam but didn't know any of the songs here, but what a great album. Very of the time but not in a detrimental way. 4.6
Definitely one of those "I've done myself a disservice by not listening to this before" moments. One of the things I'm most looking forward to with this project is finally addressing some of these blind spots. Both The Jam and Paul Weller's solo stuff are things I've long been aware of but never really taken the dip on, save a compilation appearance or two from Weller that I don't recall disliking, but also never liked enough to push me deeper. This album rips! I'm pretty sure 25 years ago me would have enjoyed this immensely as well. I didn't take any sort of listening notes since I was cooking for the family while I listened to it, but I absolutely loved it from start to finish and will definitely be revisiting it again, likely tracking down a vinyl copy and eventually dipping deeper into their catalogue. The version on Stupify has the UK and original US track listing, which features "Billy Hunt" instead of "The Butterfly Collector." While I enjoyed the whole album immensely, I found myself particularly enjoying the back half of both sides the most, especially "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" and "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" to close out the album.
VOE VITTU!!! VITUN HYVÄ ALBUMI SAATANA MUTTA MITÄ NÄYTTÄÄ SIVUSTON GENRET!! NEW WAWE, PUNK VOE VITTU!!! TUO PUNK NEW WAWE LEIMA TULEE JÄÄMÄÄN PERSEESEEN KUIN POLTTOJÄLKI TAI AATUN ISONENILLE TEETTÄMÄT NUMEROSARJAT!! JA SEURAUKSET VIELÄ PAHEMMAT!!
Wow, another one I was not expecting to love so much. I gave a previous album of theirs three stars but this is an easy five. Very solid work and ahead of its time.
Wow! I sort of knew most of the tracks but have never played the whole album so had never associated the songs with each other. As a whole the effect is oretty stunning. Makes me want to go back to 1978 and hear for the first time in context.
I like the catchy hooks and melodic pop-punk. To me, this LP sounds a bit like early Who, but there’s also a Motown influence, and Weller apparently listened to The Kinks for hours to aid his creativity. The song-writing is strong, every song sounds like it could be a single, so even with three instruments you don’t tire of the sound quickly. Ballads like “English Rose” and “Fly”, very unusual for a punk band, hint that Paul Weller would be exploring different musical avenues in the future.
4/13 Some great melodies coupled with an interesting lead vocalist, plus the raging edge of British youth. Standout Tracks: Mr. Clean, English Rose, It's Too Bad, Fly, Down In The Tube Station
Why don't my notes save???? Anyways, I like this! Got some post punk elements to it and sounds very reminiscent to parquet courts
I really enjoyed this album and look forward to checking out more of their work.
Awesome melodies and catchy harmonies. Snotty punk feel at times with smooth vocals. Very enjoyable. Best songs: In the crowd, it’s too bad, down in the tube station at midnight.
Some solid jams here. Nice classic rock feel without a lot of cliche. Hard to give it a 4 when I've given the Beatles some 4s, but I think I'm here for it.
Big fan of The Jam. I like when bands don't try to hide their Britishness.
I've never gotten too deep into the Jam, but this is an outstanding album. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight is an all-time classic. 4 stars.
Ok, this was great - not really what I was expecting - more melodic and with greater depth. Loved the Kinks cover! Fave track - either "To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)" or "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", but more listens might bring out other contenders...
Good British rock, but that's about all I can say: it didn't stand out to me as anything too unique or interesting
Muy buen album, en el que el grupo se sacude el punk de los primeros, notándose el cambnio de Weller. Pero molan más los primeros
Wow this was good and fun. I couldn’t define Mod, but this is that. I like it.
Listening to this album made me listen to "decent days and nights" by futureheads for the first time in 15 years. Love that song. Love the sound..... all started by The Jam
All Mod Cons plays like an update of the early Who with a side of early Kinks for the punk era, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The music here is stripped down to the essentials, like the cover photo of the album. The arrangements are highly specific and well thought out, without any extra fillagree. It's mostly guitar, bass and drums, with the occasional keyboard part. The band is super tight. The overall effect is like an army made bed--you could bounce a quarter off of it. So much so that when the band incorporates field recordings of the subway or the beach into the music, it's a bit jarring. Still, songwriter Paul Weller manages to work an impressive variety of grooves and moods into these songs. The level of craft here is so high and the arrangements and performances so careful, that it almost feels wrong to call this punk. It feels more like classic rock with the energy of punk. I guess the other think that makes it punk is the lyrical content. I was only half paying attention, but it struck me that the songs were mostly about the sort of alienation and anger that was common in late 70s Britain. Anyway, even if this isn't my thing personally, I have to give credit where credit is due. 4/5
This is the music my dad grew up on, OG English punk. Down In The Tubestation At Midnight is a nostalgic tune for me cos dad played it and would sing it when I was a kid. 4/5
Good album, I hadn't ever really listened to them before. Favorite song- English Rose
All Mod Cons - 6 To Be Someone - 7 Mr. Clean - 7 David Watts - 7 English Rose - 8 In The Crowd - 8 Billy Hunt - 7 It's Too Bad - 7.5 Fly - 6 The Place I Love - 8 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street - 8 Down In the Tube Station At Midnight - 8