We're Not Who You Think We Are
Album: Laid
Year: 1993
James never really lived up to the promise of The Village Fire EP, and while I know that some people loved their first album proper, Stutter, I remember being disappointed with it, and the follow ups as well.
So I kinda wrote them off. Which meant that I was taken by surprise by their biggest song — at least here in the States — the title track of 1993’s Laid.
Album: The Village Fire EP
Year: 1985
Imaginary dialog from the summer of 1985
COOL KID: Hey, didja hear about James?
ME: Me?
COOL KID: No, dummy, the band James. From England.
ME: Oh, yeah, I think I read something about them in CMJ.
COOL KID: Morrissey likes them!!
ME: Wait. Morrissey Morrissey? But he hates everything!
COOL KID: Right! So they must be awesome.
ME: Yeah. But how much like The Smiths do they sound like?
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #714: James – “What’s The World”
Album: Snap!
Year: 1982
The first Jam single — “In The City,” in case you can’t remember — was a guitar-fueled rock n roll tale of a young man who couldn’t wait to tell you all the things he was discovering in the city.
Fast-forward a few years later, and the final Jam single — released as a salve to stunned fans who were still processing their recent break-up — is a horn-filled dance song about a slightly-less-young who has loosened up enough that he just wants you to get up on your feet already.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #713: The Jam – “Beat Surrender”
Album: Snap!
Year: 1982
According to my records, I bought “The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow),” on October 7, 1982.
Three weeks later, October 30 to be exact, 90.7 KFSR — a hotbed of Jam fans — went on the air.
In between those two events, The Jam broke up, making the title of that single somewhat apropos.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #712: The Jam – “The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow)”
Album: The Gift
Year: 1982
The final track on the final Jam album, “The Gift” was nothing more than a up dance number in the tradition of Martha & The Vandellas “Heat Wave.”
But it was also nothing less, either, and the one-two closing punch of “Town Called Malice,” and “The Gift” has always been a huge reason The Gift ended being my favorite Jam LP.
Album: The Gift
Year: 1982
Entering the U.K. charts at #1 the week it was released, “Town Called Malice” was yet another totally and utterly undeniable single that somehow never gained traction here in the U.S., though I do remember occasionally seeing the video on MTV, so that was something.
Out of all of their singles, I always thought that “Town Called Malice” was the one with the best opportunity to break in the U.S., as it was a great example of Brits taking American R&B and rocking it up a bit. I mean, if “Rock The Casbah” could do it, then why not “A Town Called Malice?”
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #710: The Jam – “Town Called Malice”
Album: The Gift
Year: 1982
In early June of 1982, Tim & I drove up to San Francisco to see The Jam on their Trans-Global Express tour.
It was, of course, awesome, with the fire and skill of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton & Rick Buckler making it all the way to the very back row of The Warfield, which was good, because that’s where we were sitting!
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #709: The Jam – “Running on the Spot”
Album: The Gift
Year: 1982
Talking about going out on a high note. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned, The Gift is my favorite album by The Jam, a near-perfect combination of their punk-rock roots and the more soul-oriented music that Paul Weller ended up exploring with The Style Council.
By opening and closing each side with the more driving numbers, they filled in each side with funk workouts like “Precious,” proto-Britpop songs like “Carnation,” and the low-key gorgeous soul number, “Ghosts.”
Album: Snap!
Year: 1981
And then there was that time The Jam were on Tomorrow with Tom Snyder.
It was summer of 1981, and of course, they were neither the first nor the last New Wave (because sure why not) band to show up and have a discussing with the disheveled, chain-smoking Snyder. And while The Jam’s appearance wasn’t as notable as the infamous PIL “We’re not a band, we’re a corporation” appearance (which, if you’ve never seen, you should stop everything and watch it right now, I’ll wait), it had a moment that I’ll never ever forget.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #707: The Jam – “Funeral Pyre”
Album: Sound Affects
Year: 1980
Unlike The Clash, I didn’t try to make everybody I came into contact with listen to The Jam.
Maybe it was because The Jam didn’t change my life the way The Clash did, or maybe it was because I so resolutely failed with The Clash, who were even getting radio airplay by mid-1979, that I didn’t even meet another Jam fan — outside of Tim, of course — until I joined KFSR in its pre-on-air days in early 1981.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #706: The Jam – “That’s Entertainment”