Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Favourite tracks: all mod cons; Mr clean; English rose; down in the tube station at midnight
Before I spin this, can we talk about the album cover for a second? I mean, WTF? It's up there (down there?) with The Teardrop Explodes' Kilaminjaro cover in the "let's make the band look as awful as possible" category. Terrible lighting, awkward composition, the most boring room in history. Who the hell came up with this? It leads me to wonder... how terrible is the music within? Let's find out. Well, the music is a WHOLE lot better than the cover. I heard familiar elements reminiscent of Joe Jackson, The Who, Tom Petty (there's a song he released the same year as this called "When The Time Comes" that sounds just like a line in the first track here)... and more. So yeah, this was really good. I know I heard some of The Jam back in the day, but somehow they passed me by completely. This was solid from front to back — short snappy tunes, chock-full of melodies and hooks and a sense of freedom and fun that's hard not to like. I've been dishing out a lot of 5s lately, and this was nudging up that mark, but it was maybe a little loose in spots — or maybe I'm being stingy. Dunno, but another I'll put into rotation to dig more deeply into.
I've always had a thing for Paul Weller's voice and this early raw sound especially. This gets four stars for the nostalgia it evokes but also it was the beginning of something in British pop.
Rythm, guitars and vocals seem to be just right. Definitely not masterpiece but I guess enought for 4
4/5
That's my Jam! Elska þessa nýbylgju. Alltof margt fólk hér á Íslandi sem veit ekki einu sinni af þessari hljómsveit.
All Mod Cons by The Jam is a pivotal album that solidifies the band's status as one of the key figures in the British punk and mod revival movement. Released in 1978, it showcases The Jam's evolving sound, blending punk energy with melodic hooks and insightful lyrics. Tracks like "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" and "A Bomb in Wardour Street" encapsulate the band's social commentary and frustration with the state of society. The album's production is tight and polished, highlighting the band's tight musicianship. While some tracks may not reach the same heights as the standouts, All Mod Cons remains a significant release that captures the spirit of the era and stands as a testament to The Jam's enduring influence.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Sound Affects, but I still added it to my library and will definitely listen again!
It was okay - 70's British rock. I'd listen to it again if someone wanted to, but I'm not going out of my way to listen to it again
I don't think I knew any songs by The Jam going in. It reminds me most of the Clash and Elvis Costello. Not amazing, but a solid album with catchy songs, none of them bad, really. Favorite track: David Watts
Decided to listen to this one purely off of the band name. Opening riff sounds punk inspired, but the production is crisper and a bit more glam. Love the bass tone and the harmonization -- solid title track. To Be Someone is a head nodder. Shiny guitars (call to The Police) with some thick bass lines. Mr. Clean keeps things rolling along nicely. David Watts actually reminds me of a Sufian Stevens song mixed with Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads. English Rose switches pace for a more tender song. Actually its quite pretty. In The Crowd is fine enough. Really I'm just hanging onto the bass through this one. Song starts to devolve into something that sounds like a Hendrix outro -- not hating it. Kind of let this drift into the background, but I enjoyed what I heard for the rest of the album. The last two songs were both really strong; especially the bass work on Down in the Tube Station. I had never heard of these guys before today and will now be diving deeper into their collection. This is a great album start to finish. Lacks a certain magic that would be needed to push it to a 5 for me, but they wrote good songs and demonstrate broad range. 4 / 5
Somewhere halfway between The Who and The Beatles. Solid album and a new band discovered, would definitely like to explore The Jam's discography some more.
A very pleasing fusion of pop and post-punk. Think a blend of The Clash and Elvis Costello with a healthy dose of Gang of Four mixed in.
An essential album for all fans of The Jam. For everyone else, the stakes are rather low-key during the first two very similar-sounding tracks. But Paul Weller and co. nicely build up things from there: "Mr. Clean" is an effective pop-punk cut, "David Watts" is a lively cover of a Kinks classic, and "English Rose" is a elegiac, starry-eyed love song whose delicate acoustic guitar and hushed vocals give you the feeling you're lying in the grass at night, watching the milky way next to your better half. And "In The Crowd" is convincing as well, especially its surprisingly psychedelic guitar solo at the end. This record is the one in which The Jam broadened their palette, and as it can be heard on its first side, it was mostly for good effects at the time (or good "sound affects", I might say). The first part of side two is less impressive, though. "Billy Hunt" returns to more expected punk-rock territories, but feels rather functional after all the adventures on side one. And "It's Too Bad" and "Fly" are naive pop numbers that are a little bland, even though the guitar hooks in the latter are good. Peaks are to be seen again after that short valley, fortunately. "The Place I Love" and "A-Bomb On Wardour Street" are punky cuts that fare slightly better than the ones before. And "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight" is a closer that fares exceptionally well, thanks to its enticing background vocals and lush guitar needlework during its conclusion (is that a synth that I hear as well there?) *Setting Sons* and *Sound Affects*, the LPs that will follow that one, are pretty good albums as well, by the way--even if the latter is where Paul Weller's blue-eyed soul phase started, with increasingly patchy results as his career went on. But I guess that's a story for other times, kiddies. Number of albums left to review: 527 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 227 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 109 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 138
For some reason I wanted to dislike this album, but I just can't do it at all. Very fun record. Favorite track: Billy Hunt
What a wonderful find. I shouldn't be surprised by my love for this considering how often I still listen to The Style Council. I'll marinate on this and revisit it often with the aforementioned Style Council vibes, not to mention The Clash and The Kinks influences. It sounds new and fresh.
Quite the jam
This is good, I think. It's a very disciplined, light-touched riff-y thing, but there's also a heaviness to it that keeps it from being a trifle or an easy thing to disregard. Not the best Jam album, maybe, but I think it's OK.
Great punk album filled with some nice acoustic cuts as well
Cool. Maybe too cool for me.
Good solid new wave record.
To Be Someone David Watts - goes hard Love that og punk from 60s/70s loved piano riffs English Rose is lovely.
Yes! A lot of energy here, and in a cool way. Great stuff!
If you like British Rock you will dig it. I think the instrumentals sneak under the radar on this album. They are great, but simple.
Might listen again
First time listening to this album in full. It’s a great mod revival album with a mix of punk and pub rock. Standouts: English Rose, In the Crowd, Fly, and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.
Love this band. Didn’t own this album but I remember a lot of the songs. Really think The Jam is a too-often overlooked and consistently underrated band. Nice to see them get some love from this list.
Interesting vibe on this band, sort of Punk Refined, which I suppose raises question about whether punk-ness really survives refining, but these philosophical considerations fail to keep me up at night, it's just good rock and roll.
Sounds like that Colin guy. Nice listening
ALL KEV CONS Another punk album. How broad of an umbrella is punk? Another 1001 Albums cross over with David Watts! I really enjoyed this album. It has almost beach rock feel to it; great for a sunny 70 degree day. I would definitely listen to this album again or other works from The Jam.
A good solid album by The Jam: no complaints here!
At work when someone would announce we got a new client / contract / other good news, I would say: "Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba" Once, and only once, someone responded: "Hey - that's David Watts". Nobody else ever knew it or admitted to knowing it. This is a good early Jam punk album.
Álbum solido
Excellent
Neat.
Parquet Courts clearly were influenced by these guys
Sounds like The Jam.
Made me want to grow a mullet and start hanging out with the punks of Camden. Raw and artistic and there was no filler. David Watts into English Rose was something else.
I haven't given this album the full attention it deserves in my humble opinion. I've spun it twice, lost track a bit. But what I heard was really enjoyable, well written, and the britpoppunk from The Jam is excellent. Will revisit.
So so
Oye, este disco fue una sorpresa. De The Jam sé muy poco, pero este disco ha probado ser una excelente puerta de entrada al resto de su discografía. Al ojo, repasando el listado de canciones a la rápida, puedo leer que no reconozco ninguna, pero en la medida que avanzan sé que el sonido me es familiar. Es curioso como funcionan las influencias entre grupos musicales y cómo, más tarde que temprano, por cierto, me doy cuenta de dónde parten y dónde terminan.
First listen
Well the cover photo certainly tempers expectations. Yeesh. The title track gets to rocking and rolling right away. And it carries on energetically from there. I enjoyed the entire album quite a bit and listened to it more than once. I'm sure there is some specific genre this music falls into but it's all rock and roll to me.
Listens: 3 Enjoyed: yeah Never really listened to The Jam but have always intended to. There's some excellent tracks here. David Watts and English Rose really stood out for me. Can't wait to delve it further to these
Great collection of songs
The Jam and their album All Mod Cons were new to me. I enjoyed listening to the album. The Jam sounded like they could fit in with a group that included Elvis Costello, The Squeeze, The Kinks or The Clash. "In the Crowd" and "'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" were the individual tracks that I got my highest ratings for the album. I'd be interested in hearing more from The Jam.
Some britpop roots. Fine.
Alright, I am officially a fan of The Jam. I fully admit they are not the greatest or most talented band of all time, but I feel like they deliver a consistent, solid performance every time. A perfect sort of A-/B+ kind of band. Maybe it's the mix of approaches that appeals to me - a lot like Canadian rock I grew up with (check out the Northern Pikes, Tragically Hip, The Trews) that has some varied roots to it and a sound you can't quite place (and wouldn't find at the top of the American charts), but it has depth. Very solid lyrics and social commentary too. First third was better than the middle third - the album really drew me in with the title track, To Be Someone (my favorite), and Mr. Clean. Solid remake of David Watts too. Definitely took a dip with English Rose but I felt it started to bounce back nicely with Billy Hunt and It's Too Bad, and then finished with a bang - "A" Bomb in Wardour Street is a real cracker (to steal some British lingo).
liked it alot kinda ahead of their time werent they?
Svängigt! Klassiskt! Bra!
Superb catchy Power Pop record with amazing basslines, melodies and vibe. Most songs stick and the production is slick. The ballads are pretty and incredibly english. Great listen. 8,5/10
I gave it some time, it's growing on me.
This was pretty great. I liked it a little better than "Sound Affects" or the Paul Weller solo album we listened to. Would definitely go back to The Jam after this.
Stand-outs: "To Be Someone...," "English Rose," "It's Too Bad"
крутая обложка, вроде приятненький небольшой альбомчик
I had listened to this before, however its the only album by The Jam I've listened to in full. I enjoy it and think the songwriting is very solid, it's not one I listen to very often though.
If The Police were good
Cool album, upbeat and fairly interesting. Definitely ahead of their time, and appeals to alternative/indie/punk fans.
Slumped my shoulders when I got this album. The other one was mediocre at best and I wasn't looking forward to the struggle. This was way better. I listened to it twice to be sure, and yep - still fun. Best track: To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)
Just some all round great punk-rock. A British classic! Favourite: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
- First listen - Liked it slightly less than Sound Affects but still very good - Down in the Tube Station at Midnight is the best track on this by miles and is up there with Town Called Malice and That's Entertainment for best Jam song - Fav songs: DOWN IN THE TUBE STATION AT MIDNIGHT, TO BE SOMEONE, ENGLISH ROSE
good album and vibes
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Sorry for not writing much (idk who im saying sorry to) I'm writing this like twelve hours after I listened to it :/ I REMEMBER THE LAST TRACK BEING VERY GOOD THOUGH
Assured
Good British rock n roll, would listen again. English rose my favourite song
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: To be someone, Billy hunt
I very much enjoy this band & album
Not my favourite album by The Jam. But still a pretty damned good album.
Not necessarily the Jam but definitely a decent jam
Really cool album. I thought the guitar work in particular was really cool.
Liked this quite a bit and want to hear more from them. Feels like a softer more laid back punk. Favorite: David Watts
It's the Jam.. It's going to be good. Though this one is not one of favorites, I like Sound Effects and the Gift a bit more. The problem is when I listen to this album I think as good as this the Clash perfected this sound so much better.
Enjoyed listening to it all the way through.
Really liked this album and look forward to listening to it again.
Classic
-"To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)" has a nice strong, catchy chorus that was giving me Cheap Trick vibes -They like writing songs with people's names, like "Mr. Clean," "David Watts," and "Billy Hunt" -"Billy Hunt" is quite catchy, probably because they say "Billy Hunt" about 1000 times. Also the end jame with the drums going is fun -Bass-groovy bridge in "It's Too Bad" is fun -"'A' Bomb in Wardour Street" has some nice distorted guitar and is a nice jam -"Down In A Tube Station At Midnight" is giving me punk vibes and it also has some sweet bass riffs backed up by flying high hats -Overall very nice rock album. A bunch of short, strong tracks
Very surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
Not quite five stars on this but pretty close. Becoming a big fan of Paul Weller as a result of this list.
The Jam borrows lightly from punk and introduces interesting melodies and tempos to some of their songs along side with tried and true melodies and lyrics of the era, making this an enjoyable and interesting album, bridging the gap between the 70s and 80s music scene. Thoroughly enjoyable, if you find yourself not bobbing, air drumming or faux guitar playing along with each track then I suggest you check your pulse because you clearly are returned from the dead here only to eat brains and have somehow gotten a pair of headphones stuck on to your head while this album was playing, I assume it probably happened while munching on someone with good taste for music, probably why you found their brain so tasty.
4.5/5. This is some really great stuff, the working class are the only people that have made good music from Britain #hottake
4, very jam like
DIDN'T WE HAVE A NICE TIME
UK rock, 80s sounding, 2-3 bangerz
Quite enjoyed the album tbh. I felt kinda eh around the first half of the record, cause even though I love Britpop and its sound, the first few track didn't quite do it for me. But the second half was hit after hit, loved so many of those melodies. Favourite songs are To Be Someone, English Rose, In The Crowd, Billy Hunt, It's Too Bad, The Place I Love (fav), 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street (fav), and Down In The Tube Station At Midnight (fav). Never heard of these guys before, but I am looking forward to hearing more from them cause they are sick!
Another seemingly generic Brit-pop-rock album, but these guys had some great melodies on here. A handful of tracks I'll enjoy returning to. Again though, there are so many bands like this on the list that I've never heard of, how deep does this well go? Anyhow, I'm feeling kind today and calling this one solid. Easy to listen to, that's for sure. Favorite tracks: Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, English Rose, The Place I Love, Mr. Clean. Album art: Three boring looking chaps, sitting in a room. I like the guy standing in a white suit, at first glance I thought he was a doctor about to give me some terrible news. 4/5
Bastante chulos. Punk rock (suave), mod revival,new wave. 4
22nd June 2022 Listened on the Thursday as I’m still in bed all day with illness. Gave me a new appreciation for the Jam. The drumming is perfection and some of the songs are slinky and soft which you wouldn’t traditionally associate with them.
This is a band I had overlooked earlier in my music listening. I have really been enjoying recently.
I listen to it several times and it never really grab me but I can understand and hear the talent and it’s musical influence
It's the Jam, what more can I say?
Another band I've always liked but it occurs to me I've never listened to their albums. I've listened to more Style Council albums it turns out. Not really a fan of any of Weller's solo work. First impressions are that this is nowhere near as immediate, or spiky as I would expect from The Jam. So will it reveal itself from repeated listens, maybe so. After the first 3 fairly nondescript tracks, the following three are terrific, I'm really settling into this, In The Crowd a brilliant closer to side 1. The lyrics are predictably interesting. Musically not much arrests me on side B until the big single that sends us home. Probably a grower.
Solid album, but maybe a little too straightforward for me to give 5 stars.
I wish I liked the Jam more, I unfairly have an issue with Wellers estuary accent. The album is solid though... little to actually dislike. Much like Sound Affects there some strong songs. Think I prefer this one. 3.75 rounded up to 4.
Another in the list of "Great early album by a band that went on to be a bit cringe" New-wave/punky short tunes that nip along without sacrificing musicality.
catchy R.E.M. vibes and gruffer vocals. an unusually modern sound. one of the few albums on this list that could actually be longer
Some cracking tunes on this album, thought it is not up there with their best (Setting Sons onwards) due to a couple of duds. Top tunes - A-Bomb, and Down in the Tube Station. Great cover of David Watts too.
The Jam is one of my favourite bands from this time. A stellar album, though I prefer Sound Effects.
I remember not being super into this when I first listened a few months ago but errrrr it's pretty damn great actually
Pretty good album, starting to really enjoy the Jam
You can hear the precursor to what The Clash would later perfect. Jam is the operative word as these dudes are jamming and making excellent late-70s rock n roll. Punk infused but lacking the authentic attitude.
Man I love British post-punk. This is great
This is surprisingly good
All these songs are fun and catchy!
Fun but doesn't really get my attention
Cheelin b
This is a jam… album
Really enjoyed this album and will be listening to more by The Jam soon. Edge of 5.
Oh man. I love this. I have to listen to their entire library now. amazing.
Really great
Great 70s Brit-Rock Pop
In the USA they're known as The Jelly. What's the difference between jam and jelly? Well, I can't jelly my cock up your ass...
“All Mod Cons firmly established Paul Weller (and the Jam) as a major talent (and band).”
pretty damned good.
I'd never heard a lick of this band before, although the name was familiar. The sound is halfway between The Police and XTC, with some excellent and innovative guitar and bass. But the real star is Paul Weller's voice and insightful lyrics.
It was really new way of rock for me. I had to read about mod subculture and stuff, it is really interesting part of rock history. David Watts is great but as I read it is a cover. The other songs are only 3 or 4 stars for me. I give it a four.
Great album even to a casual The Jam fan like myself. While never a stalwart fan of Weller, I can see the appeal of this album and the perfect blend of punk, new wave and sixties mod aesthetics. Give or take the rest of the album it is worth just for Down in the Tube Station at Midnight which to me is the best Jam song and worth listening to the album to get to.
No real stand out tracks, unfortunately, but this thing was fun and super catchy, and I loved getting a glimpse into a subculture I know nothing about.
I was quite impressed with this record, and the combination of the good parts of Britpop with post-punk sounds and a diverse array of sonic effects. It's not obviously perfect, but it does play precisely to my biases and I want to hear the rest of the band's output, stat.
The crosspoint between the Beatles, power pop and punk. Angry but righteous. English Rose is still rubbish, though.
More depth and dynamic than I would have given them credit for.
I liked
This has actually been on my to-listen list for a while. Carrie Brownstein, guitarist and singer of Sleater-Kinney (and a hero of mine) cites this album as the gateway to her punk and alternative music fandom. Needless to say, my curiosity was piqued; if Portlandia girl states that something was influential to her, you best believe I'd be checking it out faster than you can say "Put a bird on it". Recommendation aside, it does feel ingratiating to know that you share the same tastes as your musical idols (I knew we'd totally be friends!). The songs are simple, upbeat, punchy and sung with attitude. Much like the Ramones...BUT! They are more dynamic than those Stalwarts of '77. 'English Rose' features soft guitar plucks and gentle ambient wave sounds, while a usually vitriolic singer has a rare moment of tenderness. Meanwhile, the more typical Jams songs feature jangly, distorted guitars that are equal parts The Who and The Sex Pistols. Considering that fact that the members share instrument duties, one can't help but be impressed with the level of proficiency on display; one that isn't self serving, but only aids in the art of songcraft. Tracks like In The Crowd are not afraid to feature guitar solos, but not in a way that compromises the straightforwardness that is synonymous with the punk credo. I definitely enjoyed this, enough to have this on semi-regular rotation. Thank you, Ms Brownstein<3
Enjoyed it
Very ahead of it’s time.
Love a bit of jam!
Not bad
Great album!
Almost like The Who meets the Kinks with a touch of new wave.
3.5/5. Some definite bangers and cool ideas, but kinda underwhelming
I had no clue what this was going to be, but I was pleasantly surprised. That's always the best case scenario when going through this generator. It's a short, but sweet record full of fun rock/pop tunes. I'm still not quite sure what "Mod" means, but I dig it! I'll definitely revisit this one.
Lots of Beatles and Who lifts, actually pretty good, would listen again
Rad
Really fun, really spunky, solid bass.
I have listened to plenty of The Jam but weirdly enough not many of the actual albums, although I am familiar with and have heard this album before
It has character
Best balanced album by the Jam - gets better with every listen so far. On the lines of London calling by the clash
Weller writes some decent songs in the tradition of The Who and The Kinks in a modern mod /new wave mood delivering a quality album which builds to the masterful Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.
Not one bad song on this album, very reminiscent of the Clash
Getting hints of The Cure and The Smiths...which is unsurprising.
Went in with low expectations. Only knew them by "Town Called Malice." This album is the one that led the mod revivalist subculture that competed with punks and other fashion nuts. It's mostly a punk album but heavily inspired by Kinks and The Who. Album starts out weak but really picks up in the 3rd song. You can hear the Tommy influences in "Mr Clean" and "David Watts." The next song "English Rose" is a nice soft track that grows on me with each listen. The next track "In the Crowd" is probably my favorite. It's catchy and melodic and lots of fun from start to finish. Love the talking instruments and the psychedelic 2nd half. Two more lighter catchy songs then things tone down slightly but they're all great tracks that flow super well. Looking back on it, the only tracks I didn't like were the first two.
Love Paul Weller, but had never heard his early stuff. Classic.
I don’t really have a clue what “All Mod Cons” means. Modified Converse Chuck Taylors? Stylish conservatives? I gotta get hip with this Brit street slang, bruv. Anywho, I liked this! Makes me think of like a cuddlier version of The Clash or something. Which isn’t something I thought I wanted, but maybe - just maybe - is something I needed.
I've only listened to The Jam's Greatest Hits and frankly I'm surprised we're listening to this album instead of whatever album Town Called Malice is on. I will be equally surprised if we eventually listen to more than one album by The Jam. (Side note: My husband said he knew of this album before he knew what "all mod cons" means and he thought it was something much cooler than it actually is.) I only recognize a couple of these but this is a fun album. The bass and the drums stand out a lot to me in an interesting way. Favorite songs: the cover of The Kinks' David Watts (oooooh, when do we get to listen to The Kinks?), Billy Hunt, Fly, The Place I Love, and Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.
A bit of a dip in the middle but sandwiched by classics.
The Jam is a band I had heard spoken of as an influence many, many times but had never listed to. I enjoyed this record each one of the 3 times I listened to it. I found it interesting to hear just a little bit of punk sensibilities as punk was winding down. I felt a softening of the sharp edges of that punk scene. I also heard it's later resurgence that would be played by Green Day and Blink 182. I'm glad I spent some time with it, but it's not really my jam (sorry). While I enjoyed it for a day, it will not have a place in my regular playlist.
Getting the obvious out of the way, this album is like London Calling's older cousin. For all the similarities that may come from the both of them, The Jam jogged and paved the way so that The Clash could run full sprint. The music is high energy like most punk, but the production is pretty clean so that you get the full effect of all the instruments, especially that groovy bass. I know some punk fans prefer dirtier and unpolished sounds, but you can't deny that the production on this makes it a GREAT sounding record. It's not constantly in your face either, the band knows when to sit back and let certain sections breathe and play out (English Rose, In The Crowd). It holds up as some of the best punk to come out of 70's Britain, but unfortunately it will always have to live in the shadow of London Calling. Favorite Song: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight Least Favorite Song: Mr. Clean
No hot takes here. It's pretty good. I definitely don't feel like I wasted time listening to it.
Classic British punk/new wave/mod. Arguably their best album. Best Tracks: All Mod Cons, Billy Hunt, Down In A Tube Station (At Midnight)
Io qua vado di impulso ma alla fine a me sto disco mi ha stupito positivamente. Suona a modo suo punk e alcuni pezzi come David Watts me li risentirò spesso. È un 3 molto abbondate che mi sento di premiare con il 4.
2nd listen. Great stuff
You can’t not enjoy Paul weller
David Watts - English Rose - Guitar Balad When I heard this album, I immediately wanted all of their albums.
Gefälliger pop/rock hybrid, mit interessanten Soundeffekten und einer top Stimme.
Didn't know them before. I have very much been missing out.
Ya shits slaps
The Jam can make any phrase into a great pop song.
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
Good album, I hadn't ever really listened to them before. Favorite song- English Rose
GOD BLESS PAUL WELLER
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
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
Up-tempo rock 'n roll
Solid.
Ace
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
Buenos acordes. Muy british
Good, but not very passionate.
Álbum muito bom, banda desmerecidamente desconhecida.
Wow this was good and fun. I couldn’t define Mod, but this is that. I like it.
Good shit. Slaps. Great 70s rock
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
Good British rock, but that's about all I can say: it didn't stand out to me as anything too unique or interesting
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...
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.
Solid
Big fan of The Jam. I like when bands don't try to hide their Britishness.
Very nice sound, loved the drums.
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.
This album is straight up adorable and also strangely summery
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.
Love a good British rock band.
I really enjoyed this album! Tons of fun!
I really enjoyed this album and look forward to checking out more of their work.
Bra! Har alltid gillat dem
Getting close to peak Weller...
Another good album!
Honestly? Pretty darn good. I liked it.
7/10 FT: Down in the tube station at midnight
Why don't my notes save???? Anyways, I like this! Got some post punk elements to it and sounds very reminiscent to parquet courts
Pretty cool, I can see them influencing Parquet Courts
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
this is actually a 9 not an 8 that is all
A decent combination of Mod Revival with Power Pop, New Wave and some little touches of punk. It is a fun album, but nothing really stands out to me. The instruments sound great and playful, having their energetic fast moments, nice riffs and some melodic parts, but they also aren't frenetic enough for my taste, nor I find what they play to be super memorable. At least I wasn't bored at any moment and the production is quite tasteful. What I can't really dig is the voice. Don't really like the heavy English accent it does, although it never bothers me to the point were it has my wishing for him to shut up. So in conclusion, I think it is a decent album. It has its charm and energy, but it does not have anything truly special (that's why the review is so short) nor that resonates with me, so I end up not really caring about it.
The Jam’s All Mod Cons sounds like an amalgamation of Elvis Costello and Men At Work, which is a pretty interesting combination in its own right. The album was enjoyable without overstaying its welcome, although whether The Jam needed to be represented by two albums on this list is a question I’m not really qualified to answer.
The Jam sounds like something I should have heard before. They were around at the same time as Elvis Costello and The Clash and certainly had to be influenced by The Who and The Kinks. I'm really surprised these guys haven't ever crossed my path until now. It's just fine and not a bad listen, but it just doesn't knock you off your feet.
Okay
Fav song: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
3,1 Highlights: English Rose, It's Too Bad
I'm giving this album a 3, for a simple reason. I enjoyed it quite a bit while I listened to it, but I sadly couldn't really remember any of the songs the morning after listening through the whole thing.
This album is really nice, and, I would love to say something else, but it truly has some parts that are not that well done. It is a really enjoyable record, this for sure. I love how there are hints of different styles all around the record, combining different sounds sometimes in really good musical decisions. So, I have to say, there are many parts that are great. And some of the guitar work is delicious. That being said, the vocals are not this album's strength. They are fine. There is nothing wrong with them (except at certain points in which they start to feel a bit tedious to listen to), but they are not very remarkable, to say the least. I do not mind much, either. And I can get through all this full record without paying much attention to that detail. But, that added to some weak compositions and some reiterating elements are parts of the record that make it feel not flawless at all. There are many songs that feel like a collage of some indie stuff, something not good, to be honest. And some songs are just nice. Yeah, this album is... nice. Just that. It is pleasant to listen to, not too much heavy, not too much interesting, not too much exciting. It is nice, good, and, sure, you have a nice time listening to it. So, it is what it is.
This was a pretty good album, but I don’t know if there was anything that The Clash already didn’t do. The song It’s Too Bad was kind of a fun song cause it was very beach-Boys-meets-1990s Indie rock considering it was made in 1978. The other song I also enjoyed was English Rose, which was a very chill song. It’s funny that I hadn’t heard of the Jam prior to the 1001 list because they are actually a pretty good band, but I wonder if their sound was too similar to some of the other punk bands who got the notoriety and the media attention.
2.7 i liked some of the songs but there was a little too much filler
Somewhat innovative and not entirely without depth, but certainly shows its age.
It’s fine. Middle of the road 80’s album. 2.5⭐️
JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM JAM
Its alright. There's a couple of good songs on here but in general its too poppy and too geared towards hit making
¡Muy chido, muy dinámico!
ima neke bas gotivne rifove, svidja mi se i vidim kako su uticali na dosta bendova
Random thoughts as I listen: -Like a punkier Kinks. I've never been able to get into The Jam, but I like this record so far.... -"To Be Someone!" The original...I've heard the live Oasis cover of this song a million times. This is good. - I hate it when bands name songs after random dudes. "Billy Hunt." "David Watts." I'm not sure why it irritates me so much, but it does. - The changes in feel/tempo/dynamic is great. Going from the wiry, energetic punky stuff to some nice, relatively chill acoustic songs works really well here. - I can hear how much influence these dudes had on the punk revival bands of the 90s. "The Place I Love" was very influential on "Basketcase," and "'A' Bomb on Wardour Street" sounds a lot like Rancid to me. Overall I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I might even put this on for a long drive some time. THREE STARS
I listened to this four time and it kept not sticking. I was enjoying it each time but it never cracked in. David Watts is catchy. Wait. That's a cover. Damnit.
Not sure why but I expected this to be a little more funky not so pop punk. It was good though and I am sure tons point to it as influential. Curious if they are in the rrhof? Nope they not. I wonder if too British.
Okay album - 50/ 50 whether I will listen again
Stand-out tracks: To Be Someone, English Rose, Its' Too Bad, The Place I Love, Down In The Tube Station At Midnight Some of the tracks are a pleasant listen, but it all just sort of blends together by the end.
Highlights: To Be Someone, Mr. Clean, David Watts, In The Crowd, The Place I Love, Down In The Tube Station At Midnight Very emo stuff right here. Didn't expect this to be such an angsty and even punky record. I liked the way they took a dump on urban society. However the quality dipped greatly as the second half started - another song where they infinitely repeat some name, a knockoff 60s invasion song... It's not a bad record, but it does get repetitive and drags on after the initial honeymoon period but then it closes in a good way. However I do believe that it has potential to grow on me over time.
Their Spotify bio says they were more popular than the Sex Pistols, the clash, and the buzzcocks. This is what you get when you let artists write their own bios
No expectations, no notes. They executed the sound pretty well, it's a fun rock and roll sound inching towards a '90s rock sound, straying well away from the upcoming '80s sound and working on something that would clearly be hashed out later on. Respect. Not my favorite album ever, but I can't complain. 3/5
This was good, but I didn't quite enjoy it as much as Sound Affects. They definitely wear their influences on their sleeves; I found there were a few songs on Sound Affects that sounded a lot like Beatles and there's a few songs on All Mod Con that sound a lot like the Who. There's also bits that sound a bit like the Clash and the Police although they were all around at the same time as the Jam, so it'd be hard to say who influenced who. On the other side, I feel like Oasis definitely owe a lot of their sound and image to these guys.
Getting past that I don’t really care for Paul Weller’s voice is one problem, getting past that I don’t think punk as a style works to the benefit of the band’s musicality or much of the songwriting is another. But there are some songs here that work well for me, both the ballads hit, the last two songs work pretty well as driven punk tracks, so it’s not all bad. I’m just not swayed to being a Jam fan off this one.
Good stuff here, not amazing, but a couple nice tunes.
𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘰𝘥 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴 has plenty going for it: sharp songwriting, brisk tempos, and a distinctly British sense of attitude. Still, I keep coming back to the same problem — the album sounds strangely thin to me. The guitars have plenty of bite, but the overall production lacks the fullness and weight I expect from this kind of rock. Maybe that is partly because The Jam were already moving away from straightforward punk towards a more controlled, melodic new wave and mod sound. The energy is still there, but it feels increasingly restrained. I can appreciate the craft and personality of the record, but that transition from punk rawness to something cleaner and more polished never quite works for me.
It was good, I think
I enjoyed this quite a bit, definitely some gems here
Yes, you just about need to listen to this before you die. Definitely if you're British or value their input into music. There's some good little 'jams' here. Interesting to hear about him in awe of those successful people in the first proper track, obviously Paul Weller wasn't quite where he would end up. Actually, almost all of the early tracks are hoping to be someone else or unfavourably comparing themselves to others. Mr Clean being the highlight, with the dark and angry undertones. Maybe this is what makes The Jam so English, always pissed off at someone else who you think is doing better out of life than you and wishing for more. The best part of All Mod Cons is how of English it all is! They all look so cool on the front cover as well. I know they were about the lifestyle as well as the music, but I would believe in the group if I'd have seen them around that time. There's nothing to dislike here, no obvious delete, but I can't see anything standing out too much on the playlist and it's not something I would be desperate to explore deeper into the back catalogue. It's amazing that PW was 21 when this was released, stories and song writing far beyond is age. The ending tracks boost the rating of this album substantially, from nice to solid. I wish there was more of this overt anger throughout All The Mod Cons, without it slipping into dreamy pop song land, even if the finale is about getting beaten up but a banger to go out with - nobody deserves cold curry.
another pleasant surprise, albeit not wildly standout, but it’s hard to follow Courtney Love
Probably not fair to this album, but I'm just not in a mood for this. Could see it going up in other circumstances. Just your typical British pop punk Favorite Song: Down in the Tube Station At Midnight
I have hardly any time today, but this was just solid background music. Nothing I need to hear before I die... this list really like new wave but this is definitely not the best of it. Solid, but not that good.
Another brit new wave band...
I'd give it 3.5. Some of the songs are catchy, but I wouldn't listen to it again
Ca s'écoute gentiment, quelques moments sympas, un peu trop new wave à d'autres moments.
Number: 218 Familiarity: Well-versed (4) Rating: Before: ======= I'm pretty familiar with The Jam but never listened to them all that much unless someone else was playing them. I'm pretty sure I never bought a single one of their albums. IMO, they are really good, maybe even great, but would have been a tier 2 or 3 band for me back then. During: ======= 4 All Mod Cons 3 To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time) 3 Mr. Clean 4 David Watts 3 English Rose 3 In The Crowd 3 Billy Hunt 3 It's Too Bad 3 Fly 3 The Place I Love 3 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street 4 Down In The Tube Station At Midnight After : ======= Well, it works out to 3.25, just based on what I think, on a song by song basis.
Cue me writing this review and then realizing A: I totally forgot we had these guys before and B: I looked at my old review and it was almost identical to this one It’s not that bad; it’s very listenable and I for the most part think it does what it wants to do pretty well. The vocals in this one are better than what I remember from the last album we had from them, and there were definitely more moments where I thought it sounded above average. I don’t think there’s many moments where I just actively disliked it It’s just hilariously forgettable, everything from the name to the tracks themselves to the performances and overall energy. This would be perfect in the background for a cafe or restaurant; it sounds nice but there’s just so little to digest here I put in my last review that I’d 100% forget about these guys in a month, and I stand by that where the next time we get an album from these guys (also why the hell do we have 3 albums from them?), I will write this exact same review. Even the cover itself is hilariously forgettable
its just the same british rock that other bands do better
At first this album just feels like taking all the worst parts of mod and proto-punk and modernizing it in a way that avoids all the great additions brought on by post-punk and new wave, but as the album goes on it develops its personal punk sound more and more until it comes into its own by the end. It still isn't an album I especially favor, it feels comedically British and like many pop punk albums too many of the songs go in one ear and out the other, but I can at least respect this album for what it was trying to do. I don't know if the Jam are especially a band worth admiring in insert current year here, but I suppose I get the appeal enough.
I liked this album fine though I can’t really point to anything it’s doing that isn’t done better somewhere else. Most glaringly, David Watts is just a weaker copy of Let’s Spend the Night Together by the Stones. A nice listen but one I’ll never return to.
Oki
Voix sympa
3; favorite track - English Rose
The more I listened the more I liked it.
Annoying punk rock is not my favorite 70s music niche, but the creators of this seem to love it. The vocals always seem to sound the same. British bias as well. The production on this remastered version of the album was very good, at least, and that made the instrumentation pop. The bass was a highlight. It has decent harmonic interest/musicality as well. It wasn't all punk rock either, so I appreciated some variety. It's hard to be objective when I'm already sick of the style. If we got this earlier, I probably would've given this a three without a second thought, but it's looking like maybe a strong 2, partially out of spite. Edit: going to bump it up to a 3 after all for the quality musicianship
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Mid.
71
solid 70s britpunk album
Tipiese britiese punk maar ek het dit gelyk goeie album
It’s decent. A little different from all the other british jams
Completely unknown album and band to me, but was pleasantly surprised. I guess you could just say it was very decent all around. Nothing too crazy happening, but just good songs put together on a nice compact album. It could almost be boring. 3/5
This was a pretty cool album and I could hear a bunch of other songs inside it, but who knows what came first. Lots of familliar riffs. This feels like it wants to be a punk album but isnt quite sure what that should sound like.
One of the Moddest Mod albums that ever Modded. It will never beat anything by The Who, though (especially "Quadropenia"), which will always be at the top of the Mod mountain.
easy listening, good background music. 6/10 i think, not an instant favorite but was enjoyable. I liked Mr. Clean and To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)
It’s alright I guess? I’m not sure what about this makes it worthy to be on this list. 70’s Brit rock. Nothing stands out to me. (3)
Sounds sort of like the Clash.
La verdad buen descubrimiento, me gustó mucho. Le daría un 3,5
Decent enough, probably not enough to want to listen again
Enjoyed this while it was on but couldn’t name a single song after it finished
Like intetsigende som bandnavnet.
Trivelig bakgrunnsmusikk, med et par veldig gode låter. Tvile bare på at æ kommer til å sette den på hjemme noen gang.
DIvertido, tiene potencial.
Lightweight pop-punk. Not terrible.
I mean, sure.
ganz solide, aber auch nicht mehr
Middle of the Pack
This was ok, some nice tunes on it.
A technically good album that unfortunately doesn’t interest me very much. The songs feel like very good easy listening jams. Won’t listen to again. Favorite song: English Rose.
I wasn't expecting this to be great, but it was actually fairly pleasant and I mostly enjoyed it. Is it pretty basic in the full schema of brit punk music? Sure. But ok more or less. 3/5
Another British pre-punk band on this list. This is a fine album, but nothing truly stood out to me. A song or two sounded similar in nature to the Doors and other more famous bands, and English Rose was wonderful. Overall, though, this wasn’t an album that I found myself connecting to and probably won’t revisit.
Interesting meeting of punk and new wave
Punk pop sounding. Not bad but not for me.
It was ok, generally upbeat. Liked David Watts and A Bomb best.
I'm pretty sure I never listened this album, and yet it all sounds a little bit too familiar. Not my jam, but not bad. 6/10
3.5
Bem a cara de sua época, gostosinho mas nada demais
I didn't like any of the first four tracks. The much quieter English Rose was the first standout track, a beautiful little ballad. Indifferent to a lot of it after that, but of course Down In The Tube Station At Midnight rocks, excellent bass riff, and a good closer. Fave Tracks: English Rose, Down In the Tube Station At Midnight 3.2/5
boring
Was fun but probably not fun enough to go back to regularly. Strong neutral.
YABA (Yet Another British Album) A poppier clash. Ok, nothing mind-blowing. 3*
A solid album from perhaps my favorite genre / period. But for reasons that are semi-mysterious, The Jam never transport me like their contemporaries (The Clash, Wire, The Damned, Siouxsie, Blondie, the Pretenders, Television . . .). Like AC/DC, or Dire Straits, they seem to have three songs that they just keep rewriting lyrics to, revising, and releasing. For me, those songs are at their best on Sound Affects. Because that listening experience is so similar to this one, only better, I don't think you can justify including this album on the list.
Where has this album been hiding? I didn’t even know I liked The Jam!
Rien de spécial
Sympa en fond mais pas bien marquant, il paraît que c'est des pionniers du punk ça aurait peut-être été plus intéressant d'avoir leurs albums dans ce style
Enjoyed it
Love The Jam, but wish we got to review “In The City”, with “Art School”, their best track for sure. Also, lots of songs are people’s names, and used in the choruses, kinda strange but they worked.
Good but repetitive
C’est sympa ! Ça m’a fait penser à The Clash par moment
Okay album, did like the song English Rose, not many others I would go back to listen to again though
Did I expect more jamming from The Jam? Sure. But, instead as a fairly decent pop album from the 70s, that at time sounds like it could have been from the early 90s. Highlights: "It's Too Bad"
Got excited by the prospect of 70s British punk. Didn’t live up to my expectations but not bad
Já rolou uns 20 álbuns iguais esse nessa nossa lista
I liked the last album I got served by The Jam from this list, and generally I quite like Paul Weller, but beyond the hits on this one I was a bit disappointed by it really. Down In The Tube Station At Midnight is still an amazing track though - “…smell like pubs, and Wormwood Scrubs, and too many right-wing meetings“
Broadly fine, I think it’s the spartan tone that I’m not digging as much, but it makes up for it with intensity.
really fun and upbeat. It's kind of shocking this came out in 1978, I feel like I can hear their influence in a lot of 90s/2000s pop punk. I liked a lot of it but "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" is a standout track, unexpectedly political. Will play it next time I'm.... down in a tube station at midnight. Fun cover of the Kinks' David Watts also.
This was pretty good but unfortunately not very remarkable.. in a project oversaturated British bands from this era, The Jam don’t stand out very much. I did enjoy listening, overall 3.25/5
Yeah The Jam is alright but strawberry jam is better
Never heard of them, the music was good, just not great.
De ser sgu ikke særlig punk ud på coveret, og det ved jeg heller ikke helt om man må kalde det, men det føles lidt sådan. Fed energi, gode numre
this was fun but not a standout, imo. maybe i could learn to love this if i picked it up secondhand but there are other more attractive things out there for me. i do respect what the mod scene did for early punk; there are a lot of very fun punchy tracks and i can see how music like this influenced early british punk. but still, it doesn't got that special sauce idk. fav: a-bomb in wardour street
Favorite Track: English Rose
This was way more popular in the UK than it was in the US. While it's all good and has a decent listener count, it's just average from top to bottom. I felt like I was listening to a pretty good bar band but not a Top 1001 album. This is the English slant shining through again on this playlist. No hits in the US, "English Rose" was the UK hit it appears as it has 17M listens. The album may have been influential and popular but not over here. The songs about Billy Hunt and David Watts, whoever they were, don't work for me and are super repetitive. I liked it, but it didn't break new ground, it kinda sounded like an early Elvis Costello album (It's Too Bad", "In The Crowd", "In The Place I Love"). While I enjoyed it, it's definitely not a Top 1001 album I need to hear before I die. 2.5 stars for being average from start to finish.
It's alright.
3.0 - Ok
14/1001 All Mod Cons - The Jam (1978) Unless a huge exception, Mod has a natural hard ceiling for me, as it's a genre that I just have not historically enjoyed next to other British music. That said, this album definitely shocked me in some ways, especially when I saw that the release date was 1978. "Mr. Clean", "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight", and "In The Crowd" stood out to me as tracks I could enjoy outside of the context of this album, while "English Rose" was a pleasant mid-album change of pace. ★★★½