Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Rock sympa, qqes sons à garder.
There's a lot of great songs on here, but truthfully , I feel like I forgot most of this album as soon as I listened
Decent early British punk/alt rock. Relisten: no
I was not familiar with this band at all before today, but I liked this one quite a bit. It was really easy to listen to and for being in 1978, you can hear its influence that would come in the 80s.
english rose is beautiful
English rose is a cracker and this must’ve inspired a lot but found myself drifting
Not bad at all! The song English Rose is extremely good. But overall, it left me wanting more. Again, well done, clean, no skips, but just missing something.
Feels influential. Heard lots of other groups in here.
Best Song: English Rose Meh. This does nothing for me whatsoever. These may be the most British individuals that Britain has ever Britained. Musically, they aren't bad but also not anything out of the ordinary. Whoever plays bass knows how to write a bassline, I will give them that. 3/5.
Pretty solid, not my favorite Jam album though.
This was a nice last from the past. Was a big fan of The Jam as a kid. 3.5
3.5 stars. Good music but couldn't connect with the vocals
Not my favorite Jam album but still very good.
There's a kind of youthful indignation that feels genuine and engaging here. I like how it pivots between the rocking energy and these more introspective, lyrical moments. It lands squarely in the middle. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions To Be Someone (Didn’t We Have A Nice Time) David Watts English Rose
3.5
Sounds just like late 70s/early 80s new wave should
My favorite song was The Kinks cover.
Ok album, didn't blow me away but it was pretty good
Love the Jam. Down in the Tube Station feels like late 70s London. Its like punk, but with the edges sanded down, but in a good way.
6,7
sounds okay, good background noise - nothing crazy special
I almost want to give this one a four sometimes, but it juuuust doesn't quite get there overall unfortunately.
Solid mod revival/new wave stuff, though I was tiring of it a bit by the end it remained pleasant throughout. Just not as much a knock out of the park as some other new wave we've gotten in this challenge.
Another one of those albums that's actually pretty good but fails to stand out as a whole. With that said, I do love their energy, and these highlights are definite bangers. Standouts: In The Crowd • The Place I Love • 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street • Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
5.5/10 Missing good songs tbh. Highlights: David Watts All Mod Cons
Almost have nothing to say. Forgettable, save for Mr Clean.
Amazing performances on this record. Bits punk/post-punk and bits Mod. The more it sounds like Buzzcocks and less like The Who, the better. Definitely feel the influence on The Smiths. Fav track: In The Crowd
Some pretty good songs. Some not as enjoyable.
Love The Jam!
Nothing makes this stand out from the pack of mod, punk rock music of the time. I enjoyed it, and they had some good guitar drum moments but I am nothing really hit me as worthy to be saved for another listen.
It's OK. I think I liked the other album a little better.
The Jam are back and here we have more English punk pop. I imagine this could be a favorite like so many albums on this list had I found it/them 30 years ago, but this project has a way of making most music seem banal since it pushes multiple albums by bands who sound the same. I’m not in a power pop zone these days. That’s certainly not The Jam’s fault. So… Good album, nothing extraordinary.
This was a fun time. It’s not top tier music but I liked the song variety and the lyrics and it had some rockin’ moments.
453/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
This one was fine. I didn’t hate it but didn’t love it either.
As expected for a punk band during peak punkage, the vocal isn't very good. There's a reason why musical training is so important for a band's singer – more so than any of the other instruments. It's the most noticeable part by a long shot, and it needs to be done well. This project has made me realise just how much a vocalist can make or break an album's overall sound. In this case, it's somewhere in between. In some songs, like the title track and It's Too Bad, the vocal is laughably bad. It sounds slurred, drunked, and like the guy's reading the lyrics for the first time as he sings them. The bass and guitar really hold the songs together, and elevate them to a whole other level in the rare event where the singing is good. Mr. Clean is the first example of such a track. It's slick, well-mixed, well-composed, and the singing is actually alright. English Rose has to be the best song on here. The best singing by far, and the acoustic guitar lines are very pretty. These "The Jam" guys, for all their spunk, are pretty good at not jamming. (The exception, maybe, is the song Fly, which feels like a weak attempt to follow in the ditty-prog footsteps of (e.g.) David Bowie's "Star".) But sometimes the jamming is good: I enjoy the choppy riffs in Down In The Tube Station At Midnight. Pretty unusual to hear tasteful use of silence in music – especially punk music – and it's a breath of fresh air. The aforementioned Mr. Clean is really good, as is the driving piano-based tune David Watts. The end of the album starts to feel a little samey, particularly with 'A' Bomb In Wardour Street, but it's still catchy enough. 3/5 Key tracks: Mr. Clean, David Watts, English Rose
The Jam is a fun early punk band. Not as good as the Clash. But an easy listen.
Meh
It’s not bad i thinks it ok it pretty catchy 6/10
Rating: 2.9 I had a dream that I was throwing up and bleeding to death a mere hour and a half after listening to this album so there’s something off about it. Someone send me an envelope addressed to “Big Socks” at the address encrypted within this paragraph if you have the answers.
Good to get this after Morrisey and the smiths to see which camp I would firmly be in during this era. Much prefer the Jams sound and energy. Enjoyed ‘English Rose’ a lot and the change in vibe. Great song. Enjoyed the album as a whole. Not blown away or think I’ll go back to it. But enjoyable enough and important representation of this emerging sound and genre (3.5)
Muito bom. Vou ouvir mais
Another album that was neither shite or amazing. Maybe I've become a bit jaded after reaching the half-way point of the 1001 albums.
On their their album The Jam are still sharp, still railing against the state of the world with pristine pop melodies at break-neck speed. Favourite tracks: To Be Someone, In The Crowd, Fly, Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
Better than Coldplay
It was OK
Fun rock / pubk
nice comforting rock
I didn't connect to this one. The closest comp I could think of was Elvis Costello, but they didn't quite have "it" for me.
I liked this album, nice and tight punky rock/pop - not sure what to call this. Quite melodic, with good bass lines, and good vocals by Paul Weller. Very English sounding in a good way (unlike The Kinks, for me). Doesn't move me very much though, but I'll happily listen to this on the radio.
This didn’t leave much of an impression, to be honest. But it was alright. 3/5
Pretty decent but hardly a must-listen.
I like it, it’s more upbeat then I was expecting, I like the quick beat and punk influence even tho this album is definitely more of a turn into pop. I like this kind of voice even if it doesn’t quite click with me
British punk rock
Being born in 1980, I somehow missed the first wave of punk and New Wave. I am sure it was mind blowing at the time. But this has not aged well. It's SHOCKINGLY dated. I understand why people love it though. One of my favorite records is Pretty Hate Machine by NIN. Also sounds very dated. I tried... I just couldn't get into this.
The Jam are a good band. “Town Called Malice” is a bippety bop (that’s a song that’s even better than a bop, in case you’re not up on the slang the kids are using). “That’s Entertainment, “Going Underground” and “In the City” are also all good songs. Unfortunately, none of those are on this album.
Alright rock. Enjoyed listening, but not that much.
Fair but straightforward. Wouldn't turn it off but it doesn't turn me on.
Not very captivating - was okay
My experience with the Jam is hearing the odd song, thinking 'oh, I know this one', semi-enjoying, semi-singing along, but not really caring if I hear it again. I'm not fussed on this either way. It's not great, it's not terrible, it just is.
Really enjoyed The Jam today, didn’t expect to! High 3 almost a 4 for me!
Fun album!
Jelly suspiciously unrepresented on this list….
I did not realise that British punk rock sounded so same-y. It's good, but gets boring when it's an entire album.
Thought the album had quite a bit of variation. I'm not saving any songs, but wouldn't mind listening to it again. edit: changed it to a 3 as I didn't save any songs from the album.
I like the Jam’s sphere of influence more than I like the Jam themselves, but this one was a lot of fun nonetheless and it’s a round down.
Parsing what makes The Jam a New Wave band vs a punk band might tell you quite a lot about the difference between those genres (they're record label fabrications, just like a lot of genres, but there's something there). It's less aggressive than Sex Pistols or even most Clash music, for example. Sounds of its time. Chorus-y, chime-y guitars (Paul Weller, often on a Rickenbacker 12-string, where George Harrison and Tom Petty got a lot of their shimmery sounds) and sunny chord progressions. Hooky verses, slightly raspy vocals, a melodic bass (Bruce Foxton, showing off his versatility) and a really restrained but driving job by Rick Buckler on drums. Anyway, it's some late-70's British punk/New Wave/post-punk. It's a good listen and a part of a scene that was influential. Will you hear familiar strains that show up in later music that you love? probably not. 3.5/5, but I'm rounding down because I think it's a disrespect to Tracy Chapman if I round up. I should probably revise my Kid Rock review to 2/5.
3.5
Varje gång jag hör dem tänker jag: schysst engelsk gitarrpop med sjuttiotalsstuk. Jag gillade Style Council. Paul Weller är en favorit. Men det suger liksom inte tag. Jag tänker aldrig, jag kanske skulle lyssna på lite The Jam. Trea.
Billy Hunt and All Mod Cons are my 2 favorite songs! Down at the tube station at midnight is deffo a popular song/song I've heard before. They kinda remind me of smashing pumpkins/older bands.
I'm vaguely familiar with The Jam (mainly their big hit "That's entertainment"), but I'm pretty sure I haven't heard anything from this album. They're definitely not in your face with their music, but I was impressed how solid the album is, with nearly every track having some sort of hook or insightful lyric (except perhaps "English rose"), even though their style is pretty laid back overall and at times reminded me of The Clash or Squeeze. I particularly liked "Mr. Clean" and the ending pair of songs, "'A' bomb in Wardour Street" and their single "Down in the tube station at midnight"; and an honorable mention to their cover of "David Watts" (I was impressed how their version isn't all that different from the Kinks' original, yet sounds exactly as if The Jam had written it in the first place). I can't put my finger on why exactly, but this is a much better album than I expected it to be.
Solid, though not the greatness of Sound Affects. Highlights are the cover of David Watts and Bruce Foxton's bass.
Fast and punchy UK punk/new wave, a fun listen
ich fande es erstaunlich dass ich einige lieder kannte, weil ich greenday nur vom namen her kenne. ich würde in meiner freizeit eigentlich nicht freiwillig greenday hören aber ich bin nicht abgeneigt.
It's nice! I see Paul Weller's name involved. I didn't recognize The Jam but I did recognize him. Similar to Black Sabbath, which I just reviewed yesterday, I find it funny how all this punk and rock and metal is so delicate 40-50 years on. But these tunes are catchy and cute and quick; none are hooking me.
Feels like The Clash with a much narrower range (from their straightforward rock sensibilities). Quite enjoyed myself with this one, even the accented singing. Four feels a bit too high, three feels a bit too low. Sticking with my round-down policy, even if this is harsh.
Late 70s New Wave punk from the UK.
Decent 3 stars
Like the last Jam album we had, this one didn't change how I already felt about them. They have a few tracks here and there I don't mind but mostly I find it a bit with the bouncy bass and London focus it reminds me of a more serious Chas and Dave. Didn't hate it but would never seek it out, 2.5.
I enjoyed Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, but the rest largely passed me by. Didn't hate it.
Personally I preferred their saxophone-era work, like "Business as Usual" and "Cargo". I did think it was kinda weird they all turned Australian, though...
Fine
Unremarkable. Maybe I would have got more into this if I was in a different mood when I listened to it. It's not bad or really even boring per se, just nothing that really captivated me
lots of high-scoring reviews which means i'm once again out of step. sorry! this was 3 city baby!
Very average.
I like the more punk tracks on this album, but a lot of the other stuff is fine also. It mostly just didn't leave a strong impression on me Standouts Mr. Clean Billy Hunt 3/5
A pretty average alt-rock offering. Didn't care for it, but it was also listenable.
I really thought I wasn't going to like this, and while it wasn't anything earth shaking, I enjoyed the sound. Proto pop punk with a proto 80's new wave sound. Top it off with a lead singer that sounds like Colin Hay from Men at Work. There's no way it should have worked, but it kind of did; in a awkward teenaged all knees and elbows kind of way.
Mr Clean is NOT the bald guy, he is us all.
This album from a technical music point of view was good but too repetitive for my taste.
S'alright. A good vibe but overall wasn't particularly impactful and not quite my cup of tea.
Definitely late 70s Brit pop rock. Not super interesting but not bad
Solid rock album. The melodies were simple but pretty memorable.
Pretty good! I had the other album by The Jam about 3 years ago, and I was ambivalent about it then. Now that my taste has broadened a bit, I enjoyed this more. I’d consider listening to it again. Would rate 3.5
top
It was a fine listen, but nothing really grabbed me to make me want or expect to revisit. I might come back to it later, but nothing compells me.
Pretty nice
Enjoyed it as I was listening to it but came back an hour later to make a note and couldn't remember a single track
Fun punky album. 7/10. David Watts and English Rose good. Can see influence on Blur.
Pretty standard, quite good sounding for the time 3
Not bad, I enjoyed it. I found it better to be background music jamming along (see what I did there?), but not really grabbing my attention for any one particular song. Their later work in the 80's was a bit more polished and better. 3/5
It's perfectly fine if unoriginal rock songs. I guess I am not British enough to care about "mod revival" music in 2025. Oh well.
Appreciate the bands they inspired but The Jam itself is only alright. Many good songs here just some miss the mark.
I like The Jam
Not bad but some songs are a bit filler. They got better as they went along!
:/
Enjoyed this 7/10
fínasta nýbylgjurokk. mörg frábær lög sem ég þekkti áður. önnur síðri sem vinna líklega á. ekki jafn góð og sound affects en fær 3,5. á skilið aðra umferð.
This is the sort of underground garage stuff that I don't really like but I can kind of tolerate. This kind of stuff would be on in the shop all the time. Very nostalgic for that reason but not my favorite album. Very "of the genre", and did have some cool sound switches.
Didn’t expect to enjoy this, but it’s solid post-punk
Overall, I liked this album. There are a few standout tracks I really enjoyed. The lead singer’s voice and the driving beats really impressed me. I also enjoyed the varied rhythms, especially within songs. Dynamic.
The Jam are probably the second most recognisable band of all time after Houmous & Chutney. Incredible to think how H&C are so recognisable when also so diverse in what they do. The polar opposite to The Jam. 3.0 4. David Watts
Their is nothing all that interesting here, but it is good enough for a full listen. 3 stars or C.
I could probably near enough copy and paste my review of 'Sound Affects' by The Jam and it would fit here. In fact I will copy part of it: "The guitar is very good, and probably the high point of the record, some nice riffs scattered throughout the album... The bass is very punchy and front and centre. I enjoy Paul Weller on vocals a lot, an iconic voice". Nothing more to say really, consistently good, nothing incredible.
Pretty good and a potential grower of an album. Not everything hit but I have a feeling I'll revisit this one in the future.
Forgettable British rock again help
Popmuziek uit de tijd dat popmuziek nog werd gemaakt door bandjes met instrumenten. Het is niet onaardig, maar de zanger heeft wel weer zo'n typische Britse toneelacademie stem. Verder is het wel redelijk oké om naar te luisteren. Een beetje wat je tegenwoordig indie zou noemen, maar dan wat overgeproduceerd. 3 sterren.
interesting to see where all the influence for the 2000s indie bands came from
Decent
Another decent pick on this list. Was an album that when it was done I hadn't nothing bad, nor anything super praiseworthy to say about it.
A nice surprise
Mod revival with the Modfather Paul Weller, influencing many BritPop bands like Oasis.
I don’t really get this, but it’s decent, and I have loved a lot of Paul Weller solo work much more recently. This is his formative years, and it’s a thing, but it’s a little too two dimensional for me.
I finally get why people like The Jam.
It was good and cool. Never listened much to The Jam, they never really cracked the U.S.
Definitely The Jam. To be fair, no one sounds quite like them which I guess is a massive compliment. It doesn't really tickle my happy spot but decent enough.
3.5/5
Decent album, has that distinct early rock sound to it.
Pretty good punk album, highlights were the first 2 songs and David Watts. Overall 5.5/10.
An inoffensive album to listen to. Not all that complex, and to me it was not very catchy. You could definitely use it as pleasant background music for social gatherings.
Fast paced and catchy, like The Kinks with some early punk energy. But oh my god it's just so British
This was fine, some good songs but overall this is not my cup of tea.
Solid album, a blend of new wave, punk and pop, with a British feel and themes. This features the typical new wave jittery melodies, erratic bass lines and up beat drums. The vocals are clear and pop-ish. The themes are classic - love, british life, queen and country. There are also a couple of nice ballads, which do fit into the record, even though they are not typical for this style. A couple of songa stand out, namely "English Rose" and "Down in the Tube Station at Midnigh". The rose is a great ballad, and tube station is the best song on the album in my opinion, it's raw, melodic and has a great story. Nothing felt too stand-out about the album, it's fun to listen to, giving it a 3.
A good album overall but nothing noteworthy to add. Best - David Watts, A Bomb In Wardour Street, and Down In The Tube Station At Midnight, and English Rose Worse - no bad songs 3.00-3.25/5
Nice record, but I didn't really find it that much different or special compared to other similar records from that period of time. 3.5 stars
This album had some sneaky good songs. As it oscillated between pure pop numbers and early punk roughness there was magic to be found. Some really fun early punk on here and some precursors for new wave appearing as well. Not bad!
Not bad. Sounds like a slightly new-wave version of Billy Bragg.
It’s a nice album. Their music is like a softer, rounded off, punk sound. The bad thing is that there are no stand out songs in my opinion. If you listen to two of the songs, you’ve heard the range of the music on this album which is a shame.
I’d never heard of The Jam until I started this project, but they’ve been mentioned in some books that I’ve read the last couple of years. Based on what I’ve read about them, I’ve was looking forward to All Mod Cons more than Sound Affects, but when I reviewed Sound Affects earlier this year, I enjoyed it, and gave it four stars. Now, the pressure is on for All Mod Cons! I didn’t enjoy All Mod Cons as much as I enjoyed Sound Affects, but I still thought it was pretty good. The guitar playing and vocals were pretty solid throughout the album, and I thought The Jam did a good job of creating a consistent sound throughout the album. Whether the song was slower and more ‘mod,’ or whether it was faster and relied more on punk influences, it was always well executed. Even though there was a good mix of new wave and punk on this album, a lot of it did sound the same, and I’d be hard pressed to differentiate a lot of these songs from one another, despite listening to this album twice. Plus, for something that falls squarely between new wave and punk, it wasn’t a particularly fun album to listen to; the energy The Jam exuded was okay, but there weren’t really any catchy hooks or melodies to latch on to. Despite that though, this album had a distinctly British feeling to it that I liked that was really well reflected in the lyrics. “Fly” was my favorite song on the album; I really liked the acoustic guitar intro, and how the song kept returning to that guitar riff, even as more instruments were added. It was a really sincere and beautiful song, and it really stood out from the rest of the album. Overall, All Mod Cons was fine, but I don’t think I’d come back to it.
I knew The Jam but I’d never heard this album or any songs from it. With that said, I quite enjoyed All Mod Cons. It felt very British so I’m sure I missed a lot of lyrical references. Doesn't matter though because this was just fun to listen to. As a fan of both The Clash and The Police, I’m a little embarrassed I don’t know more from The Jam due to some of their shared musical styles. I would definitely listen to this again. I’m giving it a 3 rating but only because I’ve only heard this the one time. If I spend more time with All Mod Cons, I could see that number going up. 3/5
Late 70s British new wave punk. Decent, but not especially my cup of tea.
Overall a good album, but unfortunately there is something about the Jam I don't like. Maybe it's there sound or paul sellers arrogance.
Cool album. Early punk rock is always kinda cool to hear because although it doesn’t seem unique with today’s music, it was. I never listened to The Jam but was fun to go back in time and give this a listen. Great bass lines. Some of the songs really stand out because the bass. British new wave singing always makes me smile.
Really fun album. Definitely a bit rough around the edges, and has somewhat generic moments. But overall it was a really solid listen, definitely one I can see growing on me.
They never hit in the US like they did in the UK. Personally, I prefer “The Gift” to this album.
Sure! I like me some late 1970s British rock
I’m not sure how I feel about it but I know I don’t hate it
Not bad, not great. Basslines are dope. Sorta reminded me of Franz Ferdinand and how they may have expanded upon what the Jam did.
I’d rate this album as slightly above average. It has a punk feel but with a softer, more approachable touch. There’s also an early new wave influence that gives it a bit more melody and polish.
A nice little rock album but nothing that really stuck too much in my brain. Also a few tracks were unfortunately more annoying to me than fun.
#495. None of this really caught my attention. I kept listening, waiting for the good part, but then it just kinda ended. 3/5: fine, sorta
Don't know the definition of a jam band.. all the songs sound the same? Phish DMB I think this fits. Good stuff, nothing to make me remember anything in particular about it
Fine. Nothing that commands your attention, but if you like music of this ilk then this is more of the same.
Solid...sounds very of that era. Would listen to more but wasn't blown away. 3.5/5
01) All Mod Cons - 6,5 02) To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time) - 7,0 03) Mr. Clean - 7,5 04) David Watts - 7,5 05) English Rose - 7,5 06) In the Crowd - 7,0 07) Billy Hunt - 8,0 08) It's Too Bad - 7,0 09) Fly - 7,5 10) The Place I Love - 7,0 11) 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street - 7,0 12) Down in the Tube Station at Midnight - 8,0 TOTAL: 7,29 (73/100) Current ranking: 242/438
New wave really isn’t my…Jam, but can appreciate. Recognize the Clash and The Police influences.
Me han gustado las más tranquilas: Fly, In the crowd y English rose. También Down in the tube station at midnight. ¡Cuánto le deben los grupos de los 2000 a estos Jam!
All Mod Cons is a fine listen. The Jam inject an infectious energy into their songs. That said, it doesn't have any songs that are all that memorable. It does have good tracks throughout, just none that I'll be humming a few hours later. Good album, but probably not essential.
Had a hard time getting into this one.
English Rose was the best song from this album. It's really lovely.
Some creative songwriting on here for sure.
Are you a Mod or a Rocker?? I'm a Mocker myself. I've not heard of this band before, but I might listen again. Album was solid 3 for me.
Very bri'ish.
Just fine, liked one song but the rest were just fine.
Solid but didn't move me that much.
Nice album. I don't have anything bad to say about it at all. Some solid tracks and pleasant to listen to. However, I do feel that I probably won't return much to this, but we'll see!
I only know one song by The Jam - Town Called Malice which I really like. So I thought maybe this album would be the same sort of vibe First half I enjoyed, second half just didn't click with me. Not a bad album at all. Would be more of a 3.5 Not my jam if you will 🥁 3 ⭐️
Można co najwyżej Digestiva posmarować
Never really seen the genius that so many talk about... Still the Jam were a better band than the Style Council
Okayish pop? Sounded alit like Colin Hay to me, which was nice. 3/5
So, there is obviously a huge amount of history with this album, but given how influential it was, it feels like it just became generic british pop.
Pretty good.
This was new to me and I liked it
Not sure why the strongest songs are near the end of the album, but it seems to pickup steam right before ending. Some good presence of early punk and alternative. Mostly all the same, however.
Sigh - more british rock. This was fine.
this has the early feel of an album that sticks in your head and eventually you come round to realize its brilliance
Not bad at all but nothing that made me perk up either. High 3.
Nothing wrong with this but not really for me. None of the melodies stuck with me after listening
I feel like I've heard a handful of these tracks before, which would certainly be plausible. A lot of it was fine, some of it was annoying. I think I have reached a reduced tolerance for "random British 60s-70s music" as a result of doing this project for over 400 albums.
Met een paar uitzonderingen, waaronder het enige nummer dat ik kende (English Rose) heeft dit album één tempo. The Jam slaat waarschijnlijk op dit ritme/de drums. Het is de hele tijd alsof je naar een jam van een beginnend bandje luistert. Het ritme is bekend en de anderen proberen daarop wat dingen op uit. Het is niet vervelend om te luisteren. Maar om nou te stellen dat iedereen dit moet horen....
Interesting, English Rose was my favorite. 3.5
норм. без негатива, но ни одна песня не зацепила. не очень похоже на мои любимые британские группы.
This isn't objectionable in any way. In fact, this was a pleasant listen. Really, I did quite enjoy this. However, I do find its placement on this list a bit confusing. There isn't anything here The Clash didn't do better and earlier
Should probably love this more based on what it influenced, what it was influenced by, and who was a part of it (Paul Weller). Didn't really stand out to me though. Everything is there but it didn't really click with me.
My second album of theirs. It's like the early Kinks maybe? Like punk/new wave. Fairly average for the time period. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing to set it apart from the hordes of other bands that sounded exactly the same. Favourite songs: English Rose, 'A' Bomb in Wardour Street, Mr. Clean, The Place I Love, Billy Hunt Least favourite songs: Fly 3/5
A band which has never done much for me. There's some not too bad tracks on this and it's not a bad album, just not for me
By the end of the album I had Going Underground in my head and only noticed on the second listen that it’s not on the album 😂… a high 3 but doesn’t quite make it to a 4.
The Jam are a great singles band but this gets a bit workmanlike over a whole album David Watts is great though
It was fine, just not very memorable
Good, head bopping music
Cool one, can totally see their influence in later bands
It's The Jam
One or two bangers
English Rose is a great song. Good mod album.
immaculate bass 6/10
This wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I’ll revisit this group unless they appear on this list again. Seems pretty derivative and unnecessary.
Must be Jam cos Jelly don’t shake like that… anyways it was alright.
Good music and songs here. Paul Weller is an excellent songwriter.
Love The Jam. While this isn’t my favorite Jam album (I really like the next 2), it marks a turning point for them when the songs become less “teenager-y” and start to have more mature themes and real world scenarios. Solid work, but I don’t return to this album much.
About what I expected based on the album cover to be honest. Fine album, nothing particularly great.
One would seriously think that I would fall in love with a late 70’s new wave album with an early punk rock flavour. I liked this album, but I certainly didn’t love it. Some fun lyrics, some fun simple music, but it’s really nothing more than that. “English Rose” really didn’t seem to fit the album at all, nor did it seem to suit the band playing it. I’ll take the word play and musical complexity of Joe Jackson and Men at Work over The Jam any day. It’s fine, but boy is it forgettable. 3 stars. Yawn.
This is the first album I’ve been assigned from a band I’ve never heard of, which was exciting! The album itself was… ehhhhh. There are several moments throughout the album that I enjoyed but I don’t really think I’d seek this out again. There’s obvious influence from new wave and punk but it feels like this album can’t decide what it wants to be and fails to forge its own voice. Kinda fun though. 6/10
Interesting British rock. It got a bit abstract and experimental, but not bad. 3/5
Not their best.
I liked it
It was okay.
This was not bad but kind of unimpressive, i miss the dexys trumpets..
One of the better brit pop albums that I think we've come across. This one didn't sound like one sound all the way through though, which was nice. It was broken up quite well and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Pretty good. Sort of typical soft rock sound. The songs don’t really have choruses (or at least they aren’t clearly distinguishable from the rest of the song), which is kind of cool but also makes it more forgettable. I like a lot of the guitar parts. Overall, it’s okay.
Not a bad album. I liked "English Rose", but I probably won't ever think about The Jam ever again. The lines "I fumble for change, and pull out the Queen smiling, beguiling I put in the money and pull out a plum" from the song Down In The Tube Station At Midnight is one of the most British things I've ever heard.
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.
poppy and catchy, very enjoyable
18/9/24 It was okay.
interesting Brit album, overall enjoyed.
Decent enough background music although I’m not a massive fan of Weller.
This definitely helped bring along the early 80s albums
Finally something up bit. Wasn't total shite.
I like the upbeat power pop with the treble bass. Reminds me of Joe Jackson or early Police. You can hear a lot of of the sounds from this era. That said, the lyrics are super whiny and a lot of these songs are forgettable.
Enjoyed the first couple of songs. Tight drums and bass throughout and fun English mod vibe. Album felt very average overall and not something I would seek out later.
Album was alright. Some fun songs on here. Nothing really grabbed my attention though. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
My go to cut and paste comment also goes to The Jam, at least in this album. Yup, they are talented and energetic and yeah... They are OK. And now my : But so were lots of similar bands at the same time so they end up somewhere in the middle of a talented and not uninteresting pack. The hardest thing I do as a critic is realize much of popular music is actually pretty good, regardless of genre, era, or where it comes from. But it also doesn't mean that because of any or even all those things that I have to suddenly elevate them to some special status. (Contrarily, I try not to let politics influence my favoring or not of MOST musicians). Anyway, there is none of that here, The Jam are fine. and yeah, somewhere fair to middling.
I like this style of music, so this album will get a 3 on the strength of a collective. But really you could have picked virtually any album that sounds like this, and I contend there are *many*, and I’d give it a 3.
Decent pop-rock, though nothing I’d care to revisit based the first impression (or lack thereof) tbh, and that includes the individual songs. (So maybe it should be 2 stars instead.)
Decent enough album from The Jam, though probably not their best. Only songs I recognised were Down in the tube station and David Watts 3/5
Not their best
3/5
Fine, but repetitive and boring.
60s sound, not nearly as good as the 60s. Not bad - kind of 'meh.
Never really got into the Jam. Couple of good tracks, but nothing special.
a very snappy album , some of a lyrics are quite "adolescent". Buxler has gone nuts on the drums. In the Crowd , Fly and Mr Clean favorites
Honestly, this just felt like any mess of British sound at the time. I still like it. 'English Rose' was nice. Also, 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight' was nice. Quite depressing. They know how to pick singles, I guess.
Loved this. Can’t believe I’ve never heard them before, especially since I love the Futureheads
Interesting drum lines, sounds like some stuff I hear a lot on modern indie rock Cool harmonies and vocal lines I like the energy on David watts, Fly
This was decent. I didn't find myself looking to see how much time was left because I was hating it, so that's a plus.
Was ok i guess
Amazingly average album. There's not much to write about this, just a bit of new wave pop/rock, it sounds pretty modern for the 70s, but in general it's just boring.
ok, 3 our of 5 stars
The Jam are OK. I think there are a lot of songs here that are just that: OK. Good/fine/nothing special. 2-3 were above average. This feels like a 3.5/5 for me, but since we can't do half points, I'm going to go 3/5.
All Mod Cons is the third studio album by The Jam, originally released in 1978. I just got another Jam album from 1980, and I said how I wanted to hear an earlier album of theirs, so I guess my wish was granted! This record is more of a straightforward UK punk sound, but not exactly what I expected it to be. You can totally hear the influence these guys would have on the upcoming 80s post punk and new wave sound. They also simultaneously incorporate elements from groups that influenced them, like The Kinks. So these guys are not UK punk in the traditional sense like the Sex Pistols, but they incorporate more of an indie sound way before indie was a thing. Their influence would be very evident in bands who would come later such as REM.
Erfrischend und British, das gefällt
Fav: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight Least Fav: All Mod Cons
This was an enjoyable punk album that didn’t waste any of my time. I listened on YouTube where the tracks are in the wrong order, but it was a fun listen nonetheless.
i wish i had more to say about this album, but it just kind of comes and goes. it’s just solid early punk
May have influenced greats, but it feels pretty middling and samey. I am not convinced that this album is a necessary evolution to get to the greatest marriages of pop, punk, and new wave, so probably not something that I will revisit. I don't think it belongs on the list. Doesn't feel like essential music. Nice music, but not particularly noteworthy. The kind of music you could put on a period late 70s British film that will give a vibe but not distract from the scenes in progress. I hear a lot of comparisons to The Clash, The Kinks, The Who, but frankly they remind me most of a lesser quality Men at Work (even though Men at Work wouldn't form until 1978 when this album was released). I think I prefer Style Council instead.
A 3.5 for me
fun little album, enjoyed it but not as much as some of the other stuff I've heard as of far
First time hearing about the "mod revival" subculture: I haven't got much to say about the album except it's very 'safe', which prevents it from being slander-able but also from receiving a five star. I'd recommend a spin if you're a mellow gold enthusiast, or if you're drinking a beer and watching the sunset.
Enjoyable but unremarkable… Except for the Billy Fitz um I mean Hunt, Billy Hunt song, that ‘s fabulous !!!!
Nice
It was quite ok, and I like the mod references. Not bad.
This was pretty clearly a good album. Good production, fittingly meaningful lyrics for the genre, and good musicianship (especially the bass). But it just didn’t click with me
It's pretty decent, but it sounded like a lighter version of bands like The Kinks, The Clash, or The Stooges.
3 I like it
Enjoyed. Obviously a beginning seed for modern alternative rock.
Not bad.
Good
nondescript, but I could maybe see how somebody like 30 years older than me could feel about these guys the way that I do about a band like franz ferdinand
One thing is for sure, Paul Weller is a huge Paul McCartney fan.
First time listening to these guys. Brit rock/pop , catchy songs, pretty good
Beach surfer vibes mixed with alternative. Not bad but nothing too excit
Boring but still fine to listen to. Didn't realize the album was looping, so it must not be that bad. 3/5
It moved seamlessly into Elvis Costello and I didn't notice.
Good solid album. A few stand out tracks but the rest are ok too. I like the social commentary of Weller's writing and the jangling punky vibe to the music. 3 stars. Best songs - To Be Someone, English Rose, A Bomb In Wardour Street & Down In The Tube Station At Midnight.
This is a decent new wave/punk album that I don’t find anything particularly special or exciting about. I love the song English Rose, but I’m pretty neutral on the rest.
Was quite an easy listening for me, some tracks being even too much simple...Overall, there are some real standouts in here (Fly, and English Rose for example), but some tracks are also really forgettable unfortunately...
Ok. Quite liked To Be Someone, and Mr Clean. Probably not as good as Sound Affects.
🤷♂️
3.5
Never heard of this band. Okay music.
Kinda sound like a cross between The Clash and The Kinks. It's good.
Enjoyable album, but nothing near a masterpiece either. Had a good time.
Soooooo british it hurts. But there's a lot of good songs, so enjoyable record overall.
Fun little British Pop Punky vibes. High energy for the most part. No 👍 so rounding down from a 3.5 to 3 but would listen to again.
sounds like a bunch of songs i've heard before
Para entender la dimensión de The Jam hay que conocer su influencia en la estética (y en la ética) de la época en la que desarrollaron su carrera. Ese retorno al sonido y estilo Mod, pero también su capacidad de crítica social y su perspectiva sobre el movimiento Punk, con el que tuvieron varios enfrentamientos convirtiéndose en su oveja negra. Aunque hoy han perdido parte de su consideración (la ganada por ejemplo por The Clash), en su día fueron los líderes de su generación. To be someone y Mr.Cleanes son las mejores del lote. Esta última sorprende con sus cambio de ritmo, Int he crowd es una medio tiempo con toques psicodélicos pero muy elegante. David watts es una estupenda versión de los Kinks.. Para muchos este es su mejor disco, pero realmente cualquiera de la triada que comienza con este disco es igualmente válido: All Mod Cons ( 1978) , Setting Sons ( 1979) y Sound Affects ( 1980). Otros discos editados en 1978: debuts de Dire Straits, Police, Devo y Siouxsie and the banshees, así como Paralell Lines, Some Girls, This year´s model, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Incantations, el directo de Cheap Trick e incluso Grease.
Some great riffs and I do like the lead's voice. Sure are a lot of English 60s bands on this list though...
some proto-pop punk. Liked it
Nice
60s and early 70s British Pop Rock sounds very similar to each other.
Fine background noise but nothing special
I’m slowly learning that I only like a few songs off one album by The Jam and this ain’t it.
Decent enough. Knew a couple already
I really don't enjoy the Jam. Paul does my nut in. That said...i didn't dislike this as much as i thought i would.
I didn't know what to expect when this popped up, but I was a bit disappointed because I'm tired of 70s albums. I've had 29 of them so far and it's my second lowest rated decade. I must say, however, that I'm pleasantly surprised by this. It's classified as Pop by Apple Music, which I find a bit odd. To me, it's punk-adjacent rock and roll. The musicality is superior to most punk music, however. They're nice, bite-sized songs rarely going much more than 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. 12 songs in 38 minute package. I certainly won't be putting this in a normal rotation, but it was a nice listen. 3 stars.
Genuinely don't remember 👍
Ja ik vond dit leuk!
this album is decent, i respect all the songs individually but they don’t stand out to me to wanna listen to them again, it’s not bad at all though, they’re a good punk rock band but im just not gravitating towards them right now. light 7
Kinda hippy British rock, lots of hits on this album, great melodies. 3.3
enjoyed it.
fine but really nothing special
The Jam are not quite a Greatest Hits band for me, there are enough album tracks of interest throughout their career but 'A' Bomb and Down In The Tube...are clearly the best tracks here.
Rather mid for me
Poppy Brit rock from the late 70s still holds up surprisingly well.
Interesting album that touches on a few different genres from Brit rock to early punk to pop rock.
Sort of a Kinks meets The Clash sound. It started off a little slow but it picked up by the middle. I was not familiar with the artist or album but enjoyed it in the end. Standout tracks for me were English Rose and In The Crowd.
This was pretty good
It’s Too Bad. I listened to this yesterday but I’ve already forgot so I guess it wasn’t that memorable…
A little bit Elvis Costello. A little bit of The Clash. Boppin bass and good guitar riffs.
Straddles 70’s classic and 80’s weird. Nice little album.
Gran álbum me encanta