Nov 18: This is the Modern World by The Jam was released in 1977

This Is the Modern World is the second studio album by British band The Jam, released in November 1977, less than seven months after their debut. The front cover photography was by Gered Mankowitz.

Despite some contemporary reviewers feeling the record was rushed to capitalise on the success of In the City, the Record Mirror’s Barry Cain wrote that:

“This Is The Modern World reflects a definite PROGRESSION (remember that?) a definite identity mould. Here Weller is making an obvious attempt at creating a Jam SOUND. He succeeds. Brilliantly”.

Likewise, Chas de Wally, from Sounds, claimed that although:

“…people were trying to tell me that this was a lousy album and The Jam were all washed up, This is the Modern World is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard in a long time”.

I like the album, and still I can see why it was given those bad reviews when it was released. It was hard to follow up In The City. It’s part of my youth and I will always come back to This Is The Modern World.

The Jam – This is the Modern World:

“THE JAM: This Is the Modern World (Polydor) The naive, out-of-the-mouths-of-careerists clumsiness is endearing partly because it gets at truths too obvious to interest the sophisticated; the assumption that the word modern has sociopolitical import, for instance, is laughably autodidactic at one level and yet not without resonance when pounded out over and over. Would that the pounding were a little more flexible–this might rock as invitingly as their first if only it were varied with some appropriate covers. How about “Kicks”? B PLUS”
– Robert Christgau

This Is The Modern World on Spotify:

– Hallgeir