Search - The Jam :: In the City

This is where it all started!

Elan Bodwick | las vegas | 02/04/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Weller 18 a 60s obsessed mod teen takes speed sees the Pistols live and combines his love for soul and R&B with the fire of the who and the emerging punk scene. Is it a great record?- no but its a vital energetic youthful stab of music that would begin the career of the Uk's best songwriter youth icon. Plus there are some great tunes In the City Away from the numbers etc. This is a snapshot of London circa 1977 and though never punk Weller was the essential rebel and no one looked better and more determined than Paul. The Jam were to become the essential British rock band outside of the Clash and weller has gone on to this very day to be one of the best songwriters of our Generation. And better still the Jams legacy is untarnished and still sounds refreshing today!!!"

The Jam before they fell into their own true sound.

Corky | 06/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the Jam punk style. What I mean the talent and song writing is there but they are playing everything more aggressive and faster and less refined than the next albums because of the times in Britain. I love this album, this is one of their best I like the fury and fast pace.



People remark about how they didn't make it in the U.S.. It's not that their songs were to British. I grew up back then and punk was very much shunned by everybody in the States, there was no punk by any band being played on radio PERIOD! The status quo back then was Journey, Boston, Styx, E.L.O... and if you wanted to go more dangerous you would listen to Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. Nobody even had heard of the Sex Pistols except a handful of people. Except for maybe Blonde getting on the airwaves around 98% of the U.S. kids didn't know anything about Punk/New Wave until around 1979 when the B-52s and Devo (both from America) barely trickled in and that was only in California and some of the east coast. The Clash and Elvis Costello were the first musicians to finally get any sort of any airplay around 1980. They were the 2 musicians to slightly break into the U.S.. The Jam did start touring the states around that time and since they were not known and no venues yet for Punk/New Wave bands the Jam toured with the Blue Oyster Cult which was a complete failure. By the time the U.S. radio finally opened up thanks to MTV the Jam were on their last leg. That's the main reason why they didn't make it in the U.S."