She'll be lining up the cutlery - you know she's expecting me.

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

30/10/83 : Snap! - The Jam

I wasn't a massive Jam fan during their hey-day, being slightly too young, but I got into them just as they closed things down and bought this sometime later to remind myself of what they were like.  I've listened to it reasonably frequently over the years so didn't really have to listen to it again, but was happy to do so.  

And was actually pleased I did because I have more to say about it than expected - this version had more tracks on it than my version!  I turns out I had Compact Snap!, which was different from Snap! in that it was more compact (!) in order to fit on to a single CD - 21 tracks as opposed to the 29 on the original double vinyl album.  There were also another 4 tracks on an EP that came with initial pressings which are (of course) included with the streaming version, so I actually had another 12 tracks to listen to - which made it quite a lengthy affair at 105 minutes in total.  

Considering my initial version, it has one or two lesser tracks on it but most of them are, as Radio 1 DJs would say, "absolute bangers" (although I doubt most Radio 1 DJs these days would have the faintest idea who The Jam were) - if I had to pick three I'd go for "Eton Rifles", "Going Underground" and "Town Called Malice" but it's certainly a tough call.  The longer version has some more understated tracks on it that I didn't know - "English Rose" and "Mr Clean" were probably my favourites but I'd need a few more listens for a more measured judgement, which may well happen at some point.  If you're not aware of The Jam, then check this out, it's well worth a listen - although The Very Best Of The Jam, coming in at a mere 64 minutes might prove less challenging.  And hoorah - this is an album that I own, upping the running total above 50% again to 5/9. 

We were at #3 in the charts this week, on their third week in the charts on a 29 week run - with it apparently last being seen in October '84.  However, it was followed by later versions of Compact Snap and Snap (no exclamation mark) - but it still doesn't have as many weeks on the charts as I was expecting (the other 5 "best ofs" may have something to do with that).  Above it in the chart were - yup, Culture Club and Lionel - and the highest new entry in the charts this was David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture at #17.

 Wikipedia has very little on the album, which is probably fair given that it's a greatest hits album but it does include a quote that it is "one of the greatest greatest-hits albums of all time".

"Customers also listened to" Buzzcocks, The Specials and The Tom Robinson Band - some fine names from slightly further back in the day, when The Jam were at the peak of their powers.  And the songs do sound of their time, but they haven't dated nearly as badly as many other things from that time and the concepts and lyrics are still, in some places, depressingly relevant.

23/10/83 - A surprising first time listen
06/11/83 - An unsurprisingly poor album