The Jam - The gift what a fantastic album

This week I’ve been listening to a lot of the Jam. My wife and I went to see Paul Weller a month or two back at the Hammersmith Apollo and while there is no doubting that at 50, Mr Weller is a fantastic showman, I personally was left a little bored with some of his solo material played. A lot of it seemed to be a bit samey with extended instrumental breaks that didn’t really seem to go anywhere for me.

However, this got me digging back into the original Jam stuff. The album that has always been my personal favorite was Sound Affects simply because for some reason (actually it wasn’t exactly “for some reason”, I think it was because a then girlfriend actually gave it to me because she had got it off her previous boyfriend who was a moddy type) so thanks to her, (Donna) I had acquired a copy back in the mid 80’s and really loved it, but despite really liking the many no 1 and massive hit singles the Jam had scored, and the fact that my brother had owned one or two early Jam LP’s (certainly Setting Sons and maybe another one), I realised that I hadn’t really listened to them “properly” at all and here I was many years later with views about The Jam based purely on supposition. And this is someone who used to go to the youth club in 1980 wearing (cheap plastic) “Jam Shoes”. The shame.

Anyway, I got hold of and played ALL their albums from start to finish and I have to say, they were all really ace, much better than I had remembered. Some stand out tracks included “fly” from All mod Cons which is absolutely sublime and only let down (IMO) by some rather clunky lyrics. Speaking of which - here are the lyrics but it’s the melody and the lovely soft delivery that makes this a truly outstandingly beautiful sound and a real counter point to that “punk” Jam image.

Fly - The Jam (all mod cons)

The way that sunlight flits across your skirt,
Makes me feel I?m from another world,
To touch your face in the morning light.
I hope you?re always gonna be around.
The times I struggle to understand why,
The ancient proverbs like who am i?
Why am I here and what have I done?
I see the answer?s place my trust in you

Trust in you love, be with me then,
That?s when I want you, that?s when I need you the most.

I want us to be like peter pan
But dreams it seems are weightless as sand,
And man?s supposedly is made of sand
It seems that man cannot survive at all

Let?s disappear love, let?s fly away
Into the demi-monde, into the twilight zone
The times inside I spent screaming at you
Release me please from this mortal jail
One shrug or smile can determine my fate,
I?m lost for days and have myself to blame

Something I?m giving, is yours for the taking,
Something like sunlight, love is a spotlight
Love is all sorrow, still I?ll meet you tomorrow
And look forward to see you, now I can?t live without you

Anyway, I’m digressing here. The point I wanted to make, was that whilst there has been much consternation about the fact that Weller decided to drop the Jam after “The Gift”, if you actually listen to the album, you can see that it is so complex, that it’s clear that he is bursting out of the confines of the trio that was The Jam rather like a butterfly breaking out of its chrysalis. It’s no wonder he sat down and listened to this album and thought “well that’s the end of the road here then” - not that I am lacking in sympathy for the members he left behind - who were both fantastic musicians but were clearly led by Weller.

The Gift is a completely different animal to Sound Affect which in contrast is more of an acoustic album (to my ears). The Gift is a far more complex (in every way) recording including sophisticated recording and sampling which showed Weller’s leaning toward the bigger orchestral and techno savvy sort of sound that he would soon move towards with The Style Council. So if you think of yourself as someone who vaguely likes Paul Weller, or the Jam, but haven’t actually listened to The Gift for some time (or never!) - then dig it out and play it as many times as you can manage because it’s actually really brilliant. I’m sad that I didn’t realise this at the time despite thoroughly agreeing with the No 1. status of the post-mod-revival funk masterpiece that was “Precious”. That’s all I wanted to say really. Fully kudos to Mr Weller and co, - and I don’t mean to knock Paul who keeps on keeping on making new music (much of which is fantastic) but I’d hate people to think “oh yeah Paul Weller - he’s dad rock I listened to Stanley road and it was nice” - listen to ALL of the Jam’s albums. They’re absolutely stunning. Do it!

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