"It is a testament to the truly sad state of American music in the late 70's and early 80's that the Jam were never able to break the country. (Thank God the Clash made their mark instead.) It will forever remain a mystery to me how exactly the decision was made to package these two albums together, but no matter, both are fantastic and absolutely classic, near flawless albums. All Mod Cons is my favorite Jam album and To Be Someone my favorite Jam song. The cover of the Kinks' David Watts blows the original out of the water, and Paul Weller even turns out a pretty ballad in English Rose. Sound Affects is also a brilliant album and I suspect it's really a matter of personal taste which you prefer, but no one can argue with the stark, chilling beauty of That's Entertainment.Twenty years later and you still have to buy a lot of Jam albums at outrageous prices because they're only available as imports. This is really a travesty. I urge all my fellow Americans to discover this stunning band and learn that today's shallow imitation "punk" bands like Green Day were just copping it from these masters."
Lucky Me!
Anne | Ft. Worth, Texas | 10/15/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My two very favorite Jam albums (I have never been able to decide between them which one I love more), put together on one disc! Thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever had the good taste to do this!! I've been a huge fan of this band since 1980, and in the 90's have had a hell of a time replacing my precious records (which, being a landlocked Texan, were not easy to find in the first place!) with CDs - there are the greatest hits collections, but so many gems are inevitably left out of those. This CD is the answer to a prayer. Absolute shimmering brilliance, from beginning to end - powerful, beautiful, sometimes shocking in it's genius. Thrilling to listen to, and doubly thrilling to turn people on to! I cannot recommend it highly enough. P.S. I believe "In The Crowd" is my all-time favorite..."
Their two best albums, no lie!!
Anne | 08/17/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Jam was a terrific band who, sadly, imploded none toosubtly in the early Eighties. All of their albums are great(with thearguable exception of THE GIFT; personal taste talking there), but these two are the greatest of the great. Paul Weller is at his snarly, romantic best singing his songs of have-nots dreams and ambitions, and he, Buckler and Foxton really kick throughout. The rockers are ace, but it's Weller's ballads that stay with you after repeated listenings, particularly "English Rose," the Punk "Waterloo Sunset." Get this disc today; it's the spirit of '77 at it's best on two excellent albums!"
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON ANY OTHER C.D.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anne | 11/07/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"ITS TWENTY THREE SONGS IN LENGTH AND THERE'S NOT A DUD AMONG THEM. PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHAT I SEE IN THE OLD PUNK MUSIC OF THE 60'S AND 70'S, FROM NOW ON I'LL TELL THEM TO BUY THIS ALBUM, TO LISTEN TO HOW THE TEMPO OF EACH SONG CHANGES AT LEAST THREE TIMES THROUGHOUT ITSELF, AND TO SEE HOW EACH SONG AND EACH ALBUM IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER. SOME OF THE SONGS ARE BLISTERING FAST PUNK ROMPS, SOME SOUND LIKE POP ROCK FROM THE 60'S , SOME ARE BEAUTIFUL BALLADS, ALL ARE GREAT. COMPACT SNAP! BY THE JAM IS A GREATEST HITS ALBUM THAT I ALSO GIVE 5 STARS. EITHER ONE IS A MUST PURCHASE, HEY, BUY BOTH, I DID."
Long live Mr. Weller the... "Modfather"
P. C Zeller | Scottsdale, AZ United States | 07/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Where do you start with Paul Weller and what he has accomplished? These two albums are a start. Perhaps one of the greatest British song writers, poets and man about style to never get truly discovered in the states. These two albums have some different styles and sounds but thats what made the Jam soooo good. Just about every song on these is great. "Thats Entertainment" has been copied by a few artists but the original on Sound Affects is heads above the others. The Jam defined the second Mod movement in the early 80's and these two albums are full of passion and energy. Go get them!"