The Jam weren't just a singles band!

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Heston
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Heston »

Flex wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:33pm
Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:24pm
Is it not true that this applies to most bands? Singles are usually gonna represent a band at the peak of their powers (with exceptions of course). I just don't see a massive drop-off in quality in the Jam's case.
This is broader than any particular comment on the Jam, but I don't really agree with this. The point of a single is to serve up a particular sort of song with particular strengths - typically to get radio play. Lots of great music isn't well suited for a 3 minute burst on the radio, doesn't make it a "worse" track necessarily. In fact, I'd say I prioritize bands that don't just fill their albums with singles or could-be singles but do more varied stuff on their records.
I was speaking generally but a single is usually gonna be a pretty good song, commercial thoughts aside. There have been lots of great singles that don't look like hits on paper. It works both ways I suppose.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Heston
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Heston »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:42pm
Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:59pm
Kory wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:52pm
I think there's talk of doing 1978–1982 individually, I can't decide if I want to run 1980 or 1981.
I offered to do 1982 but after seeing the work involved I'm pretty scared.
It ain't that much work. Maintain the list and create a new thread roughly every 24 hours. You don't even have to come up with the initial list. You could expand on what I did and just have everyone nominate stuff, then force some seconding or thirding to make sure you don't end up with fifty albums.

I mean, if we want to do this game for other years, I can run it, but I'm more than happy to let others endure the abuse.
Let me watch and learn. I have three years until 1982.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Marky Dread
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Marky Dread »

Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:46pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:42pm
Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:59pm
Kory wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:52pm
I think there's talk of doing 1978–1982 individually, I can't decide if I want to run 1980 or 1981.
I offered to do 1982 but after seeing the work involved I'm pretty scared.
It ain't that much work. Maintain the list and create a new thread roughly every 24 hours. You don't even have to come up with the initial list. You could expand on what I did and just have everyone nominate stuff, then force some seconding or thirding to make sure you don't end up with fifty albums.

I mean, if we want to do this game for other years, I can run it, but I'm more than happy to let others endure the abuse.
Let me watch and learn. I have three years until 1982.
You'll have split up by then. All the good ones do. ;)
Last edited by Marky Dread on 27 May 2021, 6:59pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Forces have been looting
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We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:46pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:42pm
Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:59pm
Kory wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:52pm
I think there's talk of doing 1978–1982 individually, I can't decide if I want to run 1980 or 1981.
I offered to do 1982 but after seeing the work involved I'm pretty scared.
It ain't that much work. Maintain the list and create a new thread roughly every 24 hours. You don't even have to come up with the initial list. You could expand on what I did and just have everyone nominate stuff, then force some seconding or thirding to make sure you don't end up with fifty albums.

I mean, if we want to do this game for other years, I can run it, but I'm more than happy to let others endure the abuse.
Let me watch and learn. I have three years until 1982.
Oh c'mon, you've run polls befo … oh, wait. ;)
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Sparky
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Sparky »

Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:02pm
Rather than clutter the other thread I'll stick this playlist here. A few people were saying the Jam were only a singles band, here I present my case to the contrary. 30 songs as we discussed, none of these were UK single A-sides.



Art School
Life From a Window
Standards
I Need You (For Someone)
Tonight At Noon
To Be Someone
In the Crowd
Mr Clean
The Place I Love
The Butterfly Collector
Billy Hunt (Alternate Version)
Smithers-Jones
Thick As Thieves
Private Hell
Little Boy Soldiers
Burning Sky
Saturday's Kids
Pretty Green
Monday
But I'm Different Now
Liza Radley
Man In the Corner Shop
Boy About Town
So Sad About Us
Tales From the Riverbank
Happy Together
Ghosts
Just Who Is the 5 0'Clock Hero?
Running On the Spot
Walking In Heaven's Sunshine (Demo)
Excellent work sir, complete agreement with you.
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Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung

Wolter
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Wolter »

Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:24pm
Flex wrote:
27 May 2021, 5:45pm
I agreed the Jam are best as a singles band, but don't get wrong: I've got that direction, reaction, whatevering box and listen to all the albums occasionally. I know all these songs, they're good. I still think their singles tend to be the best tho. That Greatest Hit disc is a lean, mean killing machine.
Is it not true that this applies to most bands? Singles are usually gonna represent a band at the peak of their powers (with exceptions of course). I just don't see a massive drop-off in quality in the Jam's case.
Weird to agree with Heston, but the term “Singles Band” implies that they are a band that you really only need the singles by, and that is not the case here.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"

Heston
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Heston »

Wolter wrote:
27 May 2021, 7:17pm
Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:24pm
Flex wrote:
27 May 2021, 5:45pm
I agreed the Jam are best as a singles band, but don't get wrong: I've got that direction, reaction, whatevering box and listen to all the albums occasionally. I know all these songs, they're good. I still think their singles tend to be the best tho. That Greatest Hit disc is a lean, mean killing machine.
Is it not true that this applies to most bands? Singles are usually gonna represent a band at the peak of their powers (with exceptions of course). I just don't see a massive drop-off in quality in the Jam's case.
Weird to agree with Heston, but the term “Singles Band” implies that they are a band that you really only need the singles by, and that is not the case here.
Yeah, you've summed up in a few words what I meant.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Marky Dread
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Marky Dread »

Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 7:23pm
Wolter wrote:
27 May 2021, 7:17pm
Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 6:24pm
Flex wrote:
27 May 2021, 5:45pm
I agreed the Jam are best as a singles band, but don't get wrong: I've got that direction, reaction, whatevering box and listen to all the albums occasionally. I know all these songs, they're good. I still think their singles tend to be the best tho. That Greatest Hit disc is a lean, mean killing machine.
Is it not true that this applies to most bands? Singles are usually gonna represent a band at the peak of their powers (with exceptions of course). I just don't see a massive drop-off in quality in the Jam's case.
Weird to agree with Heston, but the term “Singles Band” implies that they are a band that you really only need the singles by, and that is not the case here.
Yeah, you've summed up in a few words what I meant.
If you remove the singles from the albums you are still left with great albums.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

BitterTom
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by BitterTom »

Heston wrote:
27 May 2021, 4:02pm
Rather than clutter the other thread I'll stick this playlist here. A few people were saying the Jam were only a singles band, here I present my case to the contrary. 30 songs as we discussed, none of these were UK single A-sides.



Art School
Life From a Window
Standards
I Need You (For Someone)
Tonight At Noon
To Be Someone
In the Crowd
Mr Clean
The Place I Love
The Butterfly Collector
Billy Hunt (Alternate Version)
Smithers-Jones
Thick As Thieves
Private Hell
Little Boy Soldiers
Burning Sky
Saturday's Kids
Pretty Green

Monday
But I'm Different Now
Liza Radley
Man In the Corner Shop
Boy About Town
So Sad About Us
Tales From the Riverbank
Happy Together
Ghosts

Just Who Is the 5 0'Clock Hero?
Running On the Spot
Walking In Heaven's Sunshine (Demo)
What a collection of songs, late to the party but have to echo that the singles, though brilliant, just scratch the surface of their amazing discography that is a joy to listen to.

Highlighted my personal favourites from the bunch, some of the best listens ever for me. Ghosts especially is top 5 material, not just of The Jam but of all time.

BitterTom
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by BitterTom »

Snap! Has overwhelming support here it seems though...

What's the worst track on the album?

For me it has to be Billy Hunt. For a pacy song it's fucking boring. Tune is dull, chorus is boring and Weller sounds fed up. Middle 8 and solo shows promise then back to another exciting verse...

Marky Dread
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Marky Dread »

BitterTom wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 4:56pm
Snap! Has overwhelming support here it seems though...

What's the worst track on the album?

For me it has to be Billy Hunt. For a pacy song it's fucking boring. Tune is dull, chorus is boring and Weller sounds fed up. Middle 8 and solo shows promise then back to another exciting verse...
No worst track on Snap! for me all great. I like "Billy Hunt" was even going to be a possible single at one point. Makes more sense with it's non rhyming slang title "Silly Cunt" but I doubt that would've got them any airplay.😉
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Heston
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Heston »

Marky Dread wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 5:37pm
BitterTom wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 4:56pm
Snap! Has overwhelming support here it seems though...

What's the worst track on the album?

For me it has to be Billy Hunt. For a pacy song it's fucking boring. Tune is dull, chorus is boring and Weller sounds fed up. Middle 8 and solo shows promise then back to another exciting verse...
No worst track on Snap! for me all great. I like "Billy Hunt" was even going to be a possible single at one point. Makes more sense with it's non rhyming slang title "Silly Cunt" but I doubt that would've got them any airplay.😉
There's an alternate version on the Direction box set which I think is zippier and better, but it's a good song anyway. Chorus is a bit leaden but loads of other good stuff going on to keep it interesting.

Hard to think of a least favourite on the album, at a push would go with David Watts or Away From the Numbers but I really dig them both.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

WestwayKid
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by WestwayKid »

Heston wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 6:03pm
Marky Dread wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 5:37pm
BitterTom wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 4:56pm
Snap! Has overwhelming support here it seems though...

What's the worst track on the album?

For me it has to be Billy Hunt. For a pacy song it's fucking boring. Tune is dull, chorus is boring and Weller sounds fed up. Middle 8 and solo shows promise then back to another exciting verse...
No worst track on Snap! for me all great. I like "Billy Hunt" was even going to be a possible single at one point. Makes more sense with it's non rhyming slang title "Silly Cunt" but I doubt that would've got them any airplay.😉
There's an alternate version on the Direction box set which I think is zippier and better, but it's a good song anyway. Chorus is a bit leaden but loads of other good stuff going on to keep it interesting.

Hard to think of a least favourite on the album, at a push would go with David Watts or Away From the Numbers but I really dig them both.
I would go with Away from the Numbers, though not because I think it's a bad song. I just like it less than everything else.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

Heston
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Heston »

WestwayKid wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 6:41pm
Heston wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 6:03pm
Marky Dread wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 5:37pm
BitterTom wrote:
14 Oct 2021, 4:56pm
Snap! Has overwhelming support here it seems though...

What's the worst track on the album?

For me it has to be Billy Hunt. For a pacy song it's fucking boring. Tune is dull, chorus is boring and Weller sounds fed up. Middle 8 and solo shows promise then back to another exciting verse...
No worst track on Snap! for me all great. I like "Billy Hunt" was even going to be a possible single at one point. Makes more sense with it's non rhyming slang title "Silly Cunt" but I doubt that would've got them any airplay.😉
There's an alternate version on the Direction box set which I think is zippier and better, but it's a good song anyway. Chorus is a bit leaden but loads of other good stuff going on to keep it interesting.

Hard to think of a least favourite on the album, at a push would go with David Watts or Away From the Numbers but I really dig them both.
I would go with Away from the Numbers, though not because I think it's a bad song. I just like it less than everything else.
Always seemed a touch sluggish to me. I think there's a better live version on Live Jam.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Wolter
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Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!

Post by Wolter »

Hi, I have been listen to the Jam since the 90s and I JUST realized Billy Hunt was rhyming slang. Oops.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson

"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"

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