THE JAM!

Oh you know it! Bought (the single) when it came out! pretty much bought all the singles when they came out, albums not so much but that says much I feel about their place in the Punk pantheon. I see we haven't covered much of the Jam but I loved them for a while with all that angry energy and second wave mod schtick

I too was shocked when Paul Weller split the band but I followed everything he did since which may indicate how clever he actually was. I feel for the other two guys though as it seems their style didn't fit anywhere else although I find Bruce Foxton one of my favourite bass players and that drum sound and frenetic tight playing from Rick Buckler is peerless as rhythm sections go but not followed up with anything that deserved their attention or skills IMHO and Buckler has now left the music business and is a professional carpenter. Foxton still makes serious attempts to regain ground lost when The Jam spilt

On this day in music history: May 20, 1977 - “In The City”, the debut album by The Jam is released. Produced by Vic Smith and Chris Parry, it is recorded at Stratford Place in London in March 1977. Heavily influenced by the 60’s mod culture in London and by bands like The Kinks and The Who, the punk/new wave trio from Woking, Surrey, UK led by guitarist and vocalist Paul Weller stand out significantly from their contemporaries. Unlike other British punk bands of the era, The Jam often dress in sharp tailored suits, (rather than the ripped and safety pinned clothing that many other bands wore), and are more musically influenced by the 60’s pop and R&B music that mod teens of the era listened and danced to. The band immediately make their impact felt in their home country with their critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut, also earning them a solid cult following in the US. The album spins off two singles including “All Around The World” (#13 UK) and the title track (#40 UK). Originally released on CD in 1987, it is remastered and reissued in 2008 in Japan as an SHM-CD. Out of print on vinyl since the late 80’s, it is reissued in 2013 as a 180 gram vinyl LP, as part of UMe’s “Back To Black” vinyl reissue series. “In The City” peaks at number twenty on the UK album chart.