Positively
dripping with social commentary, awash with gripping guitar riffs, and glued
together by a distinctive and unmistakable rhythm pairing, Sound Affects is THE
must-have Jam studio album.
Repeated
listening over the years has done little to dampen my enthusiasm for it, and
neither has its impact been diluted in any way by overly regular exposure. It
never fails to take me back to a happy yet not-so-shiny place.
It
is often hard to believe that The Jam was a mere three-piece affair, such was
the racket the band was able to create when firing on all cylinders. Most of
the songs are short, sharp, and to the point, but always cleverly worded and
thrillingly constructed.
I’m
tempted to say Sound Affects was ahead of its time but I won’t, because
clearly, this album more than any of the others in the band’s all too short
discography, was very much of its time. Quite aside from being a brilliant rock
n roll record, it captures the spirit of post-1979 working class England quite
unlike anything else.
Sound
Affects contains arguably Paul Weller’s finest ever moment with ‘That’s
Entertainment’, while other highlights include the opener, ‘Pretty Green’, the
fantastic single, ‘Start!’, plus ‘Monday’, ‘Set The House Ablaze’, ‘But I’m
Different Now’, and ‘Man In The Corner Shop’ … there’s not much filler to be
found here.
No comments:
Post a Comment