Since the beginning of the band’s existence, in both songwriting and appearance, it was clear that the Jam owed an incredible amount of debt to the My Generation era of the Who. From their impeccable covers of “Disguises” and to their preference for to appear in stylish Mod dress at all times, the Jam could very much have been considered the most authentic representation of true British punk in the late 1970’s, especially when considering their relative lack of success in the States. Where the Sex Pistols and the Clash (among others) became well-known ambassadors of the UK’s version of the genre, it was the Jam’s well-honed mixture of stylistic complexity and Weller’s witty, satirical lyrics a la Ray Davies, that the Jam were perhaps too smart to be the kind of punk that people expected.
But where they didn’t quite fit in with the rest, they excelled as a class of their own. But in one song in particular, the band shows that they’re perfectly fine being aligned with the older guard of British rockers, by being able to build upon their concepts and techniques and create something for the young gobbers to ponder to while they pogo.
After the Jump: Addressing an tired old theme for a new generation of mods and rockers alike.
The Jam’s fifth album, 1980’s Sound Affects is getting a full deluxe reissue, complete with eight bonus tracks previously unreleased. Marking the 30th Anniversary of the album’s release, the reissue will feature the original U.K. track line up (starting with “Pretty Green,” whereas in the U.S. where “Start!” was the first track), a total of 22 bonus tracks which includes demos, B-sides, and alternate takes, and a 24-page booklet of sleeve notes by John Harris, a new interview with Paul Weller, and new photographs and artifacts of the time.
Electric Comic Book. 