tracks on LP: The Modern World / London Traffic / Standard / Life From A Window / The Combine / Don’t Tell Them You’re Sane / In The Street, Today / London Girl / I Need You (For Someone) / Here Comes The Weekend / Tonight At Noon / In The Midnight Hour

Record Label: Polydor 2383 475
Producer: Vic Smith & Chris Parry

Released: 18/11/77
Purchased: 1980

Forget the sixties. Forget comparisons. Forget Jam =The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks. Forget the naive neurosis of the plagiarists.

The Jam are here. And now. They’ve carved out a formidable future in three pronged monomania. Here comes the weekend.

‘This Is The Modern World’ reflects a definite PROGRESSION (remember that) a definite identity mould. ‘In The City’ was perhaps a little too eclectic. Sure, it was raw but there was an undoubted underlying sense of vacillation which left too many rough edges.

But here Weller is making an obvious attempt at creating a Jam SOUND. He succeeds. Brilliantly. It is in fact a ceremonial uncovering of the post-pubescent metropolitan veil – moth eaten, grubby but nonetheless sacrosanct.

It’s also fun to listen to “I Need You (For Someone)” is one of the prettiest love songs to come out of a new mind in 10 years. The name of the game is simplicity and you can’t get more simple than:

“I need you to keep me straight
When the world don’t seem so great.
And it’s hard enough you know.”

The guitar is straight off ‘Rubber Soul’ and . . . don’t mention the sixties. Sorry, I forgot.

The theme of the system and the perpetual battle against it pervades. “We’ll throw you out of your houses if you get too much. If we have to we’ll destroy your generation.” from “Standards” which bear the acerbic and catchy chorus “Standards rule OK.”

“I wanna breakaway but the ties are too strong. Wanna go on holiday but the crowd says I can’t.” on “The Combine”, a Ken Kesey word for system. The vocals are not as harsh as before. It’s not that Weller is softening, it’s just that he’s learning. Flattery will get you nowhere. Like young love, he’s picking up the turn on techniques hit-and-miss fashion, although thankfully there are more hits than misses.

The Jam | This Is The Modern World | Polydor | 1977

His cracked pavement voice has often been a cause for concern in certain circles, which I could never understand. it’s perfect for his songs and anyway, who ever heard of street songs (‘scuse the cliche) sung so sweet? That would be implausible. He sings like he looks. Freddie Garrity could never say that.

But strangely enough two of the album’s highlights don’t have The Jam true-grit ring of confidence. “Tonight At Noon” with more than a little help from psychedelia poet Adrian Henri is the band’s first lullaby:

“Walking in the city squares in winter rain,
Walking down muddy lanes or empty streets,
Arranging a time and place to meet . . . “

And “Life From A Window”, a cleverly constructed alfresco feel, skyline smoke, is again another avenue Weller explores:

“Staring at the blue sky, try to paint it blue – teenage blue.”

Bruce Foxton has made two contributions, “London Traffic” and “Don’t Tell Them You’re Sane”, the latter a perceptible insight into the constitution mind. Both numbers indicate Foxton has a future in bass playing. Just a joke. Honest, he’s got prospects this lad.

Rick Buckler plays the drums. Like that?

And these lines from “The Modern World” hint at the growing confidence and drive of The Jam.

“Say what you like cause I don’t care,
I know where I am and going too.
It’s somewhere I won’t preview,
Don’t have to explain myself to you.”

(Record Mirror, 19/11/77)