With the news from NEARLY ONE YEAR AGO about Jam bassist Bruce Foxton and drummer Rick Buckler getting back together with a couple of other lads to play Jam songs, the new group, known as From The Jam, have now added some newly written tracks and are in the process of reworking early Foxton Jam tunes for their first U.S. tour since the group's end in 1982 when group founder and main songwriter Paul Weller quit.
Personally would've loved to have seen The Jam around the time of the Setting Sons/Sound Affects era, so I'm still not sure how to respond to revisiting a lot of those songs 25 years later, especially without Weller. The date, at this point in time, is set for late January so there's still time to debate the relative merits of this association. However, playing Weller tracks such as Strange Town and Going Underground versus Foxton tracks such as News Of The World and London Traffic would seem to scuttle the option of attending the gig.
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Dec. 23rd EDIT: January 30th, a Wednesday night, at the Aladdin Theater is the place to be, big thanks to the passionate fans who've pointed out to me how good this experience will be.
9 comments:
Dude, you are really clueless. First things first. From The Jam's UK tour has been a blowout success. This year alone the band have played to over 60,000 fans in the UK. The show is amazing. The band not only sound better than the original line-up, but guess what? Weller is not missed. New front man Russell Hastings is a revelation. His guitar playing is impeccable and his vocals are perfect. This is the essential Mod rock band. Musically and technically they sound like the best musicians on the planet. They put a new spin on all the songs and standout tracks include "The Gift", "Going Underground", "That's Entertainment", "Private Hell", "Eton Rifles" and countless others. Bruce Foxton's bass drives a hole into the cortex of your brain, while Dave Moore's Hammond B organ fills your heart with joy. Top it off with some fine drumming from Rick Buckler, and Bob's your uncle. If there is one show not to be missed in 2008, it's From The Jam. Foxton and Buckler have not played the US since 1983. Now's your chance. Don't dare miss it.
Many thanks for your info, I will certainly admit that I hadn't even given the unit a chance in terms of delivering the goods live. ( I must say that I based my belief having watched a Mick Jones-less Clash play before, it worked very well for some songs, not too good for others).
Giving Foxton and Buckler their due for their contributions to the Jam sound is another issue that I have to acknowledge, and certainly the fact that this is their first tour in ages does warrant a lot of attention from U.S. audiences. I was just kinda expressing the "raised brow" attitude of a few long-time fans of the band concerning this reformation.
I was probably gonna go anyway, if for only the fact that gigs such as this one don't happen that often, and should never be taken for granted when they do. Hell, even mere cover bands wouldn't do classic material such as the tracks you've listed ( I would be a very happy camper if Butterfly Collector was in the set). Thanks once again for your info, it is appreciated!
Point taken. The band don't play Butterfly Collector. However, the current set includes (in no particular order) - Modern World, Private Hell, Eton Rifles, Bomb on Wardour Street, Pretty Green, Ghosts, So Sad About Us, David Watts, Start!, That's Entertainment, The Gift, Town Called Malice, News of the World, Going Underground, Strange Town, and many other songs.
Musically, the band run circles around most of the new mod bands from the UK, including Hard Fi. I have never seen a more musically tight mod band like this before. This is like The Jam re-energized. The Jam sound is bigger, bolder, and much more explosive than the original three piece. They've beefed up the sound into a Phil Spector wall of sound with the addition of a fourth member, Dave Moore on keyboards, guitar and backing vocals.
Russ Hastings sings Weller's vocal parts and is an amazing lead guitarist in his own right. Russ isn't trying to be Weller, however, he has a respect for the songs that Weller made famous, and in the process, is doing them justice.
I saw the band twice in London to packed out houses, and the crowds were singing along to all the songs while body slamming in the mosh pit.
The bomb is definitely still very much alive and ticking (on Wardour Street).
And as for the sound of the Jam, when you go to the show you'll experience the band's trademark sound which is evident with Bruce Foxton's signature bass guitar lines.
I don't think it is fair to compare former Clash man, Mick Jones new band, Carbon Silicon, to Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler's spin-off Jam band "From the Jam".
For starters, Carbon Silicon is nothing like the Clash, so in many ways Mick is doing something entirely different which is miles apart from his heyday with the Clash.
Tony James formed Carbon with Mick, you know, it's a bit of a giggle (Tony formed Generation X and Sique Sique Sputnick).
From The Jam are not playing the songs as they were identically played when Weller was in the band. What would be the point?
FTJ is no longer a trio. It's now a 4-piece, so in many ways the overall sound is much bigger, bolder, musically intricate and dynamic.
Take a songs like "The Gift" or "Private Hell", which first time around, were not show stoppers.
Now they are.
When the band even perform a cover like the Who's 'So Sad About Us' or the Kinks' 'David Watts', they bring something new to the table without losing the passion of the songs as they were originally written.
Carbon Silicon recently played some gigs in the UK and drew small crowds.
From The Jam played to over 60,000 people in the UK alone this year.
It would be different if Mick Jones formed a new version of the Clash, but Carbon Silicon is so removed from the Clash, to the point where it's like a poor man's T.Rex. But then again, can you blame them? Tony James has always loved Marc Bolan's music. Who doesn't?
It's easy to draw a parallel between Mick Jones and the Clash vs Bruce Foxton and The Jam.
Let me assure you, when you attend the forthcoming gig in Oregon, FTJ will blow you away.
For American fans of the Jam everywhere, this is as good as it gets.
Thanks again for your passionate replies.
Part of the problem, on my end initially, was being able to separate Weller from the new quartet (and to be honest, I hadn't really thought of From The Jam in the year or so since the news of their reformation; I mean seriously, what where the odds of a cult British band who hadn't toured in this country for an age coming back to a place that was just beginning to warm up to them when they broke up?)
I drove around the valley today listening to the Direction Reaction Creation box and tried to eliminate Weller's public persona from my mind as I did so; if an average American such as I can get past the ballyhooed "Britishness" of the Jam's music, then that task actually proved to be not much of a problem of all.
At the core of the very best songs, many of which are in the current set it seems, there is a human element that is easy to relate to, no surprise really given how popular and beloved the Jam were when they broke up.
It's that element that's always attracted me to the band, I was thinking of what and how those songs meant to me then. The fact that many, many of the songs are still relevant and topical is another reason that I was able to forget about Weller. It's the ideas of those songs that are timeless, and in fact by now the main author of some of those works is somewhat irrelevant, I'll admit.
The crushing realism of "Private Hell" (always has been one of my top ten Jam tracks BTW), the stupidity of the war machines in "Going Underground", and the celebratory nature of "The Gift" are just a couple of those examples that came to my mind today.
Just curious, did you go to the London gigs expecting the worst, or were you able to appreciate the value of the songs beforehand?
As always, thanks for your time and ideas!.
The above exchanges caught my eye here on a sleepy London (UK) morning. I too saw the two London sets at the Forum as well as catching From The Jam earlier in the tour at Plymouth.
The Jam were a big part of my earlier life. Having moved to London in 1977 from a rural background I turned up just in time to see some tremendous bands through to about 1982 / 3. With the experience of about 30 Jam concerts in that time, including a mad trip to see them in Paris, I had some trepidation about the news of trying a Weller less reunion.
This was heightened by the fact that a tribute band under the name of "The Jamm" have emerged. I was wary of this lot as well, but eventually went to see them a couple of years ago at the 100 Club - John Southorn takes the Weller role and almost unbelievably carries it off. He is backed by a bass player (Ray Begg) and drummer (Richard Reid). Musically they are a tight outfit and if you get a good crowd in it really recreates the atmosphere of a Jam gig.
So it was in this context I booked tickets for the Plymouth outing of From The Jam. On the night the venue was fairly full and it was clear that the audience was a mix of originals as per myself and others, much younger, who have picked up the music and wanted to see the band live. Plymouth was a success well above anything I expected, but much better was to follow. A few weeks on I was one of those in the sold out crowd at the Forum.
Two things that come to mind are firstly that the Jam concerts in the late 70's & 80's, especially those in London, were more than just concerts first time round - there was a real feeling of unity that turned the gigs into something higher than just a band belting out songs and secondly for those like myself who have moved on where else will one get the chance to hear these songs played at full volume in the company of hundreds of others in, preferably, a standing venue. Lets face it if the option is just another evening at home take a chance and go along.
I'm glad I did. From The Jam work. The opening number had several of the crowd moving and within minutes I was carried back to the days of gigs like the Rainbow in London in 1979. For the rest of the concert I couldn't keep still, it really was cracking. Particular versions that stood out were Start, Little Boy Soldiers, A Bomb in Wardour Street, David Watts and many more. The crowning moments for me were When You're Young and perhaps the definitive track for Londoners "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight".
Weller has made it clear he’ll never reform The Jam so this (and The Jamm) is as good as it gets. If you do choose to go - have a great night.
From a hoarse and fairly knackered 50 year old, who for a while was 21 again!
Thank you for recounting your experiences, you've also done well in addressing the issues that this long-time Jam fan had.
The venue the band will be playing here in Oregon is mostly seated, but it does feature a bit of room in front of the stage for those of us who won't be able to sit still through such an energetic set.
Since the original band never played here before ( I think they played in Seattle, Washington once)I have no idea what the crowd will be like, but your idea about "hear(ing) those songs played" live is the one that's been pushed to the front of my brain while pondering the news of their upcoming U.S. shows.
Thanks once again for your time and information!
Hi All,
I've just recommended this gig to my mate whos living in SanFrancisco. All I can say Allan is you need have no worries or apprehensions going to this gig. I saw FTJ in Dublin twice this year, and both gigs were absolutely brilliant. The 2nd gig probably better than the 1st. And guess what my friend, they blew us away with a superb rendition of "Butterfly Collector". I've been a Jam fan since 1979 when i bought Strange Town as a 12 year old, and the 2 lads going on tour again was an answer to my prayers. Russ Hastings is faultless in his delivery of all the classics and fellow Irishman Dave Moore is a massive addition to this tight combo. When you see hundreds of 40+year olds jumping around sweating their balls off and afterwards reflecting on the best gig of their lives, its safe to say this gig is not to be missed. All i can say about Oregon is this, there might not be any seats left after these boys have finished
I very much appreciate your stories as well Martin. I was a huge Jam fan as well, though the first album of theirs that I bought was the second one (the first I could find in our area!) All Mod Cons really got me hooked though, and the rest is history, as has been said before.
Butterfly Collector is such a big track for me and, as I've said above, still sounds fresh and absolutely relevant (if they don't play the song out here, in a place they've never been before, I'll certainly understand why and won't be disappointed at all).
Thanks again for your time!
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