Playlist 17 March
I wonder does Paul Weller ever wish he could go back and edit his time with The Jam? Not the later successful years, but that period at the end of 1977 when they released their weakest LP, This Is The Modern World. It's the accepted wisdom that they were rushed into it, only months after 'In The City' but they did manage to come up with some good songs for it ; Tonight At Noon, I Need You being very passable. But The Combine is probably the most interesting, because it's almost a sketch for later Weller songs, like In The CrowdΜύ or even That's Entertainment. That's my theory anyway, and I hope it'll get me at least a 'B' at least in my music GCSE in May. No green vinyl tonight, but four punk rock singles from Belfast, Cork and Dublin to mark the day (that's in it).
Radiators From Space - Television Screen
Rudi - Big Time
Microdisney - Hello Rascals
Outcasts - The Cops Are Coming
Verlaines - Death And The Maiden
Heartbreakers - Let Go
Nocturnes - Carpet Man
Chin Chin - Stop Your Crying
Jam - The Combine
Stolen Power - Little White Lies
Rubinoos - 123Forever
Delta 5 - Singing The Praises
Captain Beefheart - Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man
Eddie & The Hot Rods - Wooly Bully
Shop Assistants - Seems To Be
Comment number 1.
At 22nd Mar 2011, Harry May wrote:This Is The Modern World may not be The Jam's best album, but it begs the question just how poor was the first attempt at the album? The initial version was scrapped and re-written because it was thought to be so below par.
Dodgy Jam albums aside, still the best show on the radio Mickey.
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Comment number 2.
At 25th Mar 2011, mickeybradley wrote:I didn't know they scrapped '..Modern World'. Are you sure it wasn't All Mod Cons that they had two tries at ? Would they have had time between In The City and Modern World to have an unsuccessful session? How annoyed would you be if you made two attempts at a record, and it still turns out to be substandard? Sorry, just remembered some Undertones records.......(slinks away.....)
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Comment number 3.
At 26th Mar 2011, Harry May wrote:That's what Jam folk lore states, Mickey. Whether the tracks made it as far as the studio or were just demo's Weller had, I have no idea.
It is indeed a pretty poor album, although the cover of In The Midnight Hour brings a smile to this old face.
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Comment number 4.
At 29th Mar 2011, mickeybradley wrote:Harry, I had a look at that link and wasn't impressed by their chronology of the band. The Jam started well before 1976 and I'm pretty sure Bruce Foxton didn't join in 1977. So I wouldn't take as gospel their story about an early abandoned version of Modern World. They certainly had two attempts at All Mod Cons. I'm sure Polydor would have been looking for their money back if The Jam had to have two goes every time they recorded an LP.
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Comment number 5.
At 30th Mar 2011, Harry May wrote:I agree Mickey, not the best link, but the first I could find!! Other sources are out there..
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