The Jam
In The City

THE REVIEW

Uh-oh! We have been informed that this review also appears (in whole or in part) in "The 500 Essential Rock Albums" of Mucchio Extra.

Paul Weller was not yet 20 when he channeled his youthful rage into the stunning debut of the Jam, a trio completely devoted to rock 'n' roll, even in the mixed forms of punk, Who-style beat (boy), and the Motown soul so dear to the mods.
The clothes were elegant but "cheap" from the working class, and their faces were sharper and cleaner than those of the Sex Pistols and Clash.
The group, however, was ultimately never aligned, always suspended between love for the '60s and a rejection of the present. The Jam could count on an unusual factor for a punk group: the songwriting talent of its leader. Behind the necessary speed imparted to the song tempos, there lies the embryo of a refined pen, which, however, was never fully exploited.
Raw and explosive, the tracks of In The City shine with an unusual light for having been written by such a young guy—one who at twenty already had his own "nervous" signature style.
The songs are all on the same level, each with its own particularity and highlighting everyday problems, from the most trivial to those slightly more important... well done Jam....ded to:jam...my friendese....