The Jam starts off with a banger. Songs like "I Changed My Address" and the title track really highlight what a smart move it was when Bruce Foxton and Paul Weller switched their bass and guitar responsibilities. I mean, it was 1977, so the drums sound kind of crashy... but the bass sound here is just perfect. At 18, Weller already sounds very intentional. The sound here is punk, but intentionally cleaned up and rethought. The lyrics are smart, about being young, but this belies a maturity that will continue throughout his career, a sense of nostalgia full of "fellows I used to know" and "women I used to see".
"Away From The Numbers" and "Sounds of the Street" are epic Who-pieces, slowing things down to consider heftier subject matter like... well, youth, freedom and nostalgia. "The Batman Theme" is a throwaway perhaps, but it's also a staple, a rite of passage, and a pure bass number. The centrepiece of the album has to be the title track, a social commentary piece about police violence that holds up well, and you can again hear the same intentionality in the way Weller enunciates the word "right-uh" - he has always had a great theatrical sense. My favourite part of this song, and this album, has to be this bit, following a scorching breakdown:
And I know what you're thinking
You still think I am crap
But you'd better listen man
Because the kids know where it's at
I love the way this encapsulates the false modesty and bravado of youth, followed up by a warning that it's dangerous out there, but keep listening, because the band will help you through it. There's a thousand things they have to say to you.
And if it don't work, at least we'll say we tried
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