In The City

Throughout their existence, the Jam always maintained a precarious position within the punk rock spectrum. A fitting illustration is the cover of their acclaimed 1977 debut In the City, where the band's clean-cut mod portrayal belies their youthful rebellion while the hasty rendering of their name in graffiti contradicts the development and precision of their tight musicianship. Regardless of where the Jam fell in the cliquey continuum of British rock scenes in the 1970s, their full-length introduction impressively paved the way for an extremely successful, albeit ephemeral run in popular music. The terse chords that commence the album on the lead-in "Art School" do so in much the same fashion as the Clash hammering out "Clash City Rockers" to start the U.S. version of their debut full-length at around the same time. But while bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols pushed their music in distinctly new directions, the Jam held tightly to the conventions of rock ‘n' roll, playing a sped-up and freaked-out adaptation that blurred the lines between revivalism and pioneering. Atop the confusion over their politics and place in the punk scene is still an undeniably great album. Songs like the smooth rocker "Sounds from the Street" and jerky dance tune "Takin' My Love" affix a glowing enthusiasm to counterbalance some of the weightier subjects of the record. Perhaps the only real gaffe might be the inclusion of the 1960s Batman theme. Apparently, it was a fairly popular tune to cover at the time with its easily recognizable blues scale lead and Adam West bearing the bat insignia on TV, but in retrospect it just throws off the flow of an otherwise outstanding sequence of songs. Despite the myriad debates attached to this album like asterisks, the Jam crafted an immortal effort with In the City. Recharging the rock ‘n' roll routines of the past and paving the way for the punks of the future, the Jam secured their spot in history on this, one of the definitive albums of the 1970s.

Ripped from the 1987 CD reissue to FLAC

The Jam; In The City

1.      Art School

2.      I’ve Changed My Address

3.      Slow Down

4.      I Got By In Time

5.      Away From The Numbers

6.      Batman Theme

7.      In The City

8.      Sounds From The Street

9.      Non-Stop Dancing

10.   Time For Truth

11.   Takin’ My Love

12.   Bricks And Mortar