The Jam

The Jam continued to grow sonically, expanding out from their core trio on this LP culled from an aborted rock opera about friends confronting the loss of youthful enthusiasm and idealism ("Burning Sky," "Thick as Thieves," "Wasteland"). Elsewhere, excoriating cuts like "Private Hell" and "Saturday's Kids" paint beautifully bleak portraits of both ends of the generation gap while "Eton Rifles" and "Little Boy Soldier" are political rock epics. Weller's reputation as a songwriter was assured, but bassist Bruce Foxton's "Smithers-Jones" is a highlight and fan-favorite.

Likable lads, as always, and improving themselves, too. The music has gained density and power, and they do OK with the social commentary--nice to see some empathy for doomed middle-class plodders like "Smithers-Jones" instead of the usual contempt, and "The Eton Rifles" and "Little Boy Soldiers" place them firmly on the left. On the other hand, some of this is pretty dumb ("Wasteland," ugh), and overarrangement (not so much extra instruments as dramatic vocal shifts) is no way to disguise thin melody. (Grade: B+)