[VIDEO] The Jam: “Art School”
August 9th, 2008 by Matt
I’m a bit late for lunch/work, so I’ll make it fast: The Jam are really just great. I got into them because I was afraid the musical Anglophile at the record store would find out that I’d never listened to them. So I grabbed a used copy of Sound Affects (highly recommended) and never looked back.
MP3: The Jam – Art School
If you’re ever curious where most of the NME-loved British bands get their sound from, look no further. I’d put The Jam above even XTC, Wire and maybe Gang of Four in terms of influence on modern Brit-rock.
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The Disappeared // Apr 7, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Late to the party here, I know, but I’d certainly like to second that final comment.
In terms of their influence – musically, lyrically, fashion-wise, attitude, or by whatever other standard you choose – The Jam win this contest.
I’m not taking anything away here from the other bands you mentioned. XTC’s Andy Partridge was (& still is) a fine songwriter; Wire were real innovators of their time, working in a field where arguably only bands like the Fall now tread; the Gang of Four’s brand of political-punk was very different from that of the Jam and the Clash at the time and really put them in a league of their own too.
As a musician, it raises an interesting question for me – do I go for the credibility factor (eg Wire, Gof4 – small audience, high critical acclaim), poppiness (eg XTC – bigger audiences, some hits singles but not usually renowned for cutting-edge lyrical statements) or mainstream rock (which is where I’d argue the Jam ended up).