About 10 years ago, one of my co-workers let me borrow a copy of The Jam Collection, a hodgepodge of singles and b-sides, and I was floored by how good it was. I was into The Who and Blur, bands that obviously influenced and were influenced by (respectively) The Jam, so I had been eager to hear them, but I didn't expect this.
Fast-forward to five years later, and I owned all of their albums and a number of EPs and 45s. And frankly, I still want more. While they released some incredible singles, two of my favorite songs are b-sides - "The Great Depression" (from The Bitterest Pill EP) and a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" (from the Beat Surrender EP). These songs actually represent the breadth of The Jam's songs - they can play it slow as the former, or tear the roof off the sucker, as in the former.
If you only buy one album by The Jam, the greatest hits Snap! is probably the best place to start. But be forewarned - you may find yourself craving more.
No comments:
Post a Comment