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.Flex wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:33pmThis 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.
The Jam weren't just a singles band!
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
Let me watch and learn. I have three years until 1982.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:42pmIt 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.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board
- Marky Dread
- Messiah of the Milk Bar
- Posts: 58999
- Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
You'll have split up by then. All the good ones do.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:46pmLet me watch and learn. I have three years until 1982.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:42pmIt 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.
Last edited by Marky Dread on 27 May 2021, 6:59pm, edited 1 time in total.
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
- Dr. Medulla
- Atheistic Epileptic
- Posts: 116615
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
- Location: Straight Banana, Idaho
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
Oh c'mon, you've run polls befo … oh, wait.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:46pmLet me watch and learn. I have three years until 1982.Dr. Medulla wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:42pmIt 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.
"Grab some wood, bub.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
Excellent work sir, complete agreement with you.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 4:02pmRather 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)
God, what a mess, on the ladder of success
Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung
Where you take one step and miss the whole first rung
- Wolter
- Half Foghorn Leghorn, Half Albert Brooks
- Posts: 55432
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 7:59pm
- Location: ¡HOLIDAY RO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OAD!
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:24pmIs 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.Flex wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 5:45pmI 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.
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
Yeah, you've summed up in a few words what I meant.Wolter wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 7:17pmWeird 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.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:24pmIs 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.Flex wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 5:45pmI 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.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board
- Marky Dread
- Messiah of the Milk Bar
- Posts: 58999
- Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
If you remove the singles from the albums you are still left with great albums.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 7:23pmYeah, you've summed up in a few words what I meant.Wolter wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 7:17pmWeird 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.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 6:24pmIs 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.Flex wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 5:45pmI 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.
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
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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.Heston wrote: ↑27 May 2021, 4:02pmRather 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)
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.
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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...
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
- Messiah of the Milk Bar
- Posts: 58999
- Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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.BitterTom wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 4:56pmSnap! 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...
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
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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.Marky Dread wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 5:37pmNo 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.BitterTom wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 4:56pmSnap! 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...
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
- Unknown Immortal
- Posts: 6765
- Joined: 20 Sep 2017, 8:22am
- Location: Mill-e-wah-que
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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.Heston wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 6:03pmThere'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.Marky Dread wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 5:37pmNo 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.BitterTom wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 4:56pmSnap! 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...
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.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble
- Heston
- God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
- Posts: 38370
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
- Location: North of Watford Junction
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
Always seemed a touch sluggish to me. I think there's a better live version on Live Jam.WestwayKid wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 6:41pmI 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.Heston wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 6:03pmThere'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.Marky Dread wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 5:37pmNo 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.BitterTom wrote: ↑14 Oct 2021, 4:56pmSnap! 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...
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
- Wolter
- Half Foghorn Leghorn, Half Albert Brooks
- Posts: 55432
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 7:59pm
- Location: ¡HOLIDAY RO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OAD!
Re: The Jam weren't just a singles band!
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!"
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"