The Jam Album: “This Is the Modern World”

i saw this band in 1979, and was freaked out, in the day of spiked hair they came clean cut slammin out who like sounds, this album kicks ass, in the city punchy rickenbacher sound . do your ears afavor and buy this. please tour the us again, they are playing again.

The Jam's second album suffers from similar draw-backs to their thrashy debut in that it's songs, while generally slightly more consistent, sound as if they've been laid down much too soon. There's exuberant ideas bustling here, which if patiently allowed to find their own way, would've finished up much better appreciated and elevated than they are now.

This what happens when greedy music majors pay huge advances to a young/unready pop-band and try to start recouping immediately.

All that said, 'This Is The Modern World' includes some top drawer Jam songs. 'I Need You (For Some-one)', 'Here Comes the Weekend' and 'Tonight at Noon' are three of Weller's best reflective ballads and his Keith Moon tribute; 'Life From a Window' is possibly his finest 4 minutes as a songwriter.

There's a couple of distant clunkers but generally 'This Is The Modern World' is an improvement on 'In The City', while still tilling familiar, albeit less stony and undisturbed land.

I've met folks who weren't born until the 80's and have only heard later JAM. You gotta hear the first two albums, this being the second. There's classic JAM songs on it as great as any they ever did and there's no 'approximating Motown' sound on this.

'The Modern World' is so snappy, it stands the test of time magnificently.

I've always enjoyed 'London Traffic', very energetic.

The vocals on 'In The Street Today' are some of my favorite by the JAM. Generally, how well they interweave their trio is a marvel. GREEN DAY, NIRVANA and the JAM really show that with three guys you can make total songs that are fully formed and, that it doesn't happen that often. URINALS/100 FLOWERS and the MINUTEMEN also proved it beautifully.

'I Need You (For Someone)' reminds me that the JAM really isn't a punk band at all. Mod I guess and the occasional love song sorta proves it. Very nice.

'Here Comes The Weekend' is lyrically so applicable to us workin' stiffs. I cherish such a song whenever I can find it.

'Tonight At Noon' is a prime example of their harmony skills without ever bein' sappy or sugar pop.

If only they did this sort of cover job of 60's songs:'In The Midnight Hour'. Now I could listen to that all day. Just keep away from the horn section boys (later albums) though I love horn sections generally, the wilder the better (Ray Charles' 45 Great Songs 2xCD has some incredible blarin' horn songs).

Anyone who says this is a weak album, including the band, is bonkers. For me, and probably a buncha other punx, the earliest stuff is the best for the JAM and this is right in there. Go get 'em. chrisbct@hotmail.com

This album is so addictive,I still cant get enough of it.To some standards this would be connisdered Pop Punk, but this blows Blink182 and Green Day out of the water and The Jam has both bands beat by 20 years.

This second album is a letdown after their explosive first album (In the City) and their quieter third and fourth (All Mod Cons and Setting Sons). It has good songs but seems like leftovers from the first album.