The Sound of the Jam [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
25th anniversary compilation features nine singles, including four number ones, 'Going Underground', 'Start', 'A Town Called Malice', 'Beat Surrender' alongside classics such as 'Down In The Tube Station At Midnight', 'David Watts', 'Eton Rifles', 'That's Entertainment' (exclusive previously unreleased version), 'The Modern World' and the UK only bonus track 'Boy About Town'. 26 tracks. 2002.

Tracks:

In The City
Away From The Numbers
The Modern World
David Watts
Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)
Mr. Clean
English Rose
The Butterfly Collector
The Eton Rifles
Thick As Thieves
Going Underground
Start!
Liza Radley
Pretty Green
That's Entertainment
Tales From The Riverbank (Fan Club Version)
Town Called Malice
Ghosts
Beat Surrender

Amazon.com

Unless you choose to invest in the five-disc Direction Reaction Creation box set, this 25th anniversary collection is the best Jam available. The 20-track retrospective heads chronologically from the debut "In the City" single to the farewell one-off "Beat Surrender" by way of the most notable chart hits and a sprinkling of classic album tracks. Although fans may quibble with the exclusion of peak-period singles "All Around the World," "Strange Town," and "When You're Young" (as well as the presence of the misanthropic "Mr Clean"), what strikes anew is the taut energy of the trio's playing, the bitter bile of Paul Weller's lyrics, and the sophisticated, hook-packed update of Britbeat from one so young (Weller was still only 24 in 1982 when he broke up the biggest band in Britain). --Garry Mulholland

Customer Reviews:

Good start, but lacking.......2005-11-04

I was actually able to get my hands on the Jam's greatest hits collection Gold. It's a two-disc set with disc one being the UK version of Sound of the Jam. The only difference with the US and UK versions is that the UK has six more songs. So basically, I own Sound of the Jam, and it is hard to say I am not pleased with. It serves as perhaps the perfect start and introduction to this very under appreciated band. It's in a nice chronological order, so it's easy to see how far the band progressed in their short career. In America the Jam is a very underrated band and this CD shows how underrated they truly are.

Unlike most greatest hits compilations, this one is dominated by album cuts. This is both good and bad. The good is that songs that only big fans who own the albums hear, can now be heard by a wider audience. Great songs such as "Thick as Thieves "and" Ghosts, which are not usually put on other compilations, are now thrown with songs worth of their company. The bad part about the album track domination is that many great singles, some which helped define the band, are not present. "Strange Town" and "When You're Young" were some of the Jam's greatest singles and just flat out good songs, yet they are nowhere to be found. Neither is "Dreams of Children", which was the other half of their 1980 UK number 1 single. Even standout album tracks like `"A' Bomb on Wardour Street"', are not here.

While Sound of the Jam serves as probably the greatest introduction for this amazing band, there is a lot to be desired. Key tracks in the bands catalog are missing when they should definitely be on here. However, it is good and should be bought by anyone interested in the Jam, or late seventies-early eighties music for that matter. While not the biggest band in the US, they are of much historical importance in music of the last 30 years.

Standout tracks: In the City, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, Eton Rifles, Thick as Thieves, Going Underground, Start, That's Entertainment, Town Called Malice.

A great primer for a classic British band.......2003-10-18

Across their six albums, The Jam touched on virtually every style in existance, and this CD is a great chance to see that. Their roots were in the punk / new wave scene, but frontman Paul Weller also had a lvoe of soul, funk and jazz, as well as an itneresting socio-political approach that had a different kind of bile to the Sex Pistols - it was perhaps more positive and inspirational, even in their early days.

The selections are roughly 50/50 split between singles and album tracks, which means that a lot of singles are missing - although only the lush ballad The Bitterest Pill and the obscenely catchy When You're Young are really missed. Album tracks such as the poignant English Rose and the powerful Liza Radley are certainly among tehir finest tracks.

Their artisitc progression is quite easy to chart from the tracks here. With a love of 60s pop, they somewhat tagged onto the punk vibe in tehir early days, before coming into real form with the amazing, edgy Down In the Tube Station At Midnight, which builds into a truly stunning climax as its sad tale reaches its conclusion.

The Eton Rifles then burst them into the UK Top 10, with it's hilarious lyrics on the class struggle - "all that rugby puts hairs on your chest, what chance have you got agaisnt a tie and a crest?" - before they increasingly took influences form black American music. Start! is especially inventive, and seems to be several songs in one. The acoustic social commentary of That's Entertainment is perhaps their greatest track - no wonder its one of the few that still features in Paul Weller's solo set.

Having been heard in the film Billy Elliott, and covered by Britpoppers Gene, A Town Called Malice is their best known / least unknown song. With a very Motowny baseline it's representative of their later material, and extremely hummable, while lyrically still down to earth and quite English.

The band were soon finsihed, as the artisitc differences become too much - bassist Bruce Foxton formed punk band Stiff Little Fingers, while Weller fronted the soulful, romantic Style Council (both great bands as well). Their legacy is impressive, and too easy to overlook.

Great intro to an overlooked band!.......2003-08-19

It's already been said a million times, but I guess it bears repeating: the Jam were a smart band with an edge who were idolized in their native Britain but almost completely ignored by American listeners. It's sad, but very true. (In the States, Jam leadman Paul Weller was most famous for being the only featured singer who nobody could recognize in that Band Aid video of "Feed the World (Do they know it's Christmastime?") "Oh look there's Bono, George Michael, Boy George, and Simon Le Bon. But who's that guy?")

Now with "The Sound of the Jam" one can get an idea of what American listeners missed out on the late 70's and early 80's. This is a complilation of some of the best songs from the Jam's six studio albums and greatest singles. The CD lists the tracks in chronological order from the raw punkish sound of the band's early days to the soulish/Motown derived sound of its later effots including their most famous song- "A Town Called Malice," which was featured prominently in the movie "Billy Elliot."

This is really a terrific compilation for anyone curious about this band. As mentioned above the Jam's sound evolved greatly over time and this album allows a listener to follow that progression without the expense of buying every studio album. However, this CD is a teaser because once you start listening to the Jam chances are you're going to want to hear more.

Good start for collection.......2003-03-22

It's a crime that the Jam are not as well known in the US as they are in the UK. Unlike many of their peers from the original punk explosion of 1977, the Jam expanded their sound with each release, becoming superstars in the UK along the way. Paul Weller, the trio's singer/songwriter, had a knack for mixing the personal and the political in songs that were simple in construct, yet catchy and powerful. With influences as diverse as 60's Motown (Check the bassline of "Town called Malice") and the Who, they cranked out one instant classic after another. This comp is a great start for neophytes, and will have you hunting down the rest of their amazing catalogue.

Average customer rating:

not as good overall as the first, but better in spots
Here's What You Do
UNDERRATED
Not as good as their first album
Unfairly Maligned Album

Wow/Grape Jam
Moby Grape
Manufacturer: San Francisco Sound
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000DP8
Release Date: 1992-02-10

Tracks:

The Place And The Time
Murder In My Heart For The Judge
Bitter Wind
Can't Be So Bad
He
Motorcycle Irene
Three-Four
Funky-Tunk
Rose Colored Eyes
Miller's Blues
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Album Details

Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield Join in on the Jams.

Customer Reviews:

not as good overall as the first, but better in spots.......2006-12-01

Personally I don't think that Wow is as good as the self titled album as a whole, but if you take it in pieces, it's actually better. Everyone needs to own this album if only to hear Motorcycle Irene, which is one of the greatest songs ever written and performed.

Here's What You Do.......2006-09-04

Wow / Grape Jam is incomplete. So is Columbia Legacy's Vintage.
Answer....Buy both albums (Amazon's other buying options still has some copies of Vintage for around $15/disc - which in California is a third of a fill up for a camery).Take the best cuts of both, and put them on a blank disc (the only song you wont have is the (very spacy) the Lake, and the announcement to turn your platter speed from 33 1/3 to 78 for Just Like Gene Autry, a foxtrot that was on the original WOW album.

This album reminds me a lot of Buffalo Springfield Again. Pungiant little gems from a rapidly disintegrating band.

Enjoy.

Incidentally, you can do this, add The Place And The Time (original version - from Vintage), Miller's Blues (Live - from Vintage), and still have around 7 minutes to mess around with. Great for a car backup.

UNDERRATED.......2006-05-10

Not only is this album underrated, so was every Moby Grape album after the first one. This one is different from all of them, showing the diversity of talent and style in the band. How many bands had 5 strong songwriters? The jams are entertaining. The only knock is that it's missing the second half of Bitter Wind and all of Just Like Gene Autrey a Fox Trot, which can be found on the Vintage 2 CD set. It's also missing The Lake from Grape Jam, which was a spacey, spoken word psychedelic piece. I'd also recommend 20 Granite Creek and '69

Not as good as their first album.......2006-05-04

The only Moby Grape album really worth having is their first.
I have seen them live over the years and I am convinced that
in their prime, they were one of the Bay Area's best bands but like other local greats (like the Sons of Champlin) they just didn't improve on their first record. Also some folks might wonder why "The Lake" didn't appear on this re-issue. It's probably due to writer's roalties. There was a songwriting contest promoted by a San Francisco radio station at the time. "The lake" was the winner. Rumor has it that there was a similar competition for the Buffalo Springfield that was hosted by a Los Angeles radio station st that time as well!

Unfairly Maligned Album.......2006-04-12

Before I ever heard any of their songs, I knew of Moby Grape by reputation -- the quintessential 60's band that had an incredible first album, the success of which they could never top, and they flamed out big time. I always wondered how that momentum was halted and how such a highly regarded band could flop.

That brings us to "Wow." Until recently, I had never heard anything other than their first album, which was pretty darn good and serves as a great late 60's timepiece. When getting ready to listen to "Wow," I prepared myself for dull, boring, tuneless 60's psychedelia. I must say I was truly blown away by how good this entire CD was. I dare say it's just as good as the debut album. Great harmonies, tight playing and arrangements, and great instrumentation throughout. I swear listening to this made me feel like I was transported back to 1968. It's one of those rare albums that does live up to it's title.

This prompted me to find out more about the band and see exactly where things fell apart. And after searching, I found that with Moby Grape, what could go wrong, did go wrong. At the root of it all lay horrible management on the business and personal side. Moby Grape was a wonderfully constructed boat without a rudder; and when they crashed, they quickly sunk.

If you're interested in the band, all you really need is this album and the self-titled debut. I think "Vintage" (a double CD collection of their best) may be out of print, but it certainly would give you a taste of the band as well.

Stand out songs: "Murder in My Heart For the Judge," "Bitter Wind," "Rose Colored Eyes," and "He."

Average customer rating:

'But I'm different now'
Prime Jam!
"Sound Affects is my favourite Jam record"
Boats n' Planes n' all those things
The Jam's Best Album

Sound Affects
The Jam
Manufacturer: Ume Imports
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Extras: A Collection of Rarities

ASIN: B000006TZB
Release Date: 2004-08-09

Tracks:

Pretty Green
Monday
But I'm Different Now
Set The House Ablaze
Start!
That's Entertainment
Dream Time
Man In The Corner Shop
Music For The Last Couple
Boy About Town
Scrape Away

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of their fifth album. Originally released in 1980, it features the hits 'Start!', 'That's Entertainment' and 'Pretty Green'. 1997 release. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

'But I'm different now'.......2007-07-02

Classic Jam, collectively speaking. They were, and for me anyway, the Best ever.
Beatles are mediocre in comaparison (great to lead the way, but I like to think that modern pop music got better after them). The Stones are irrelevant (middle class and pompous, playing to an audience whom knows no better), the Who (classic and original for differing reasons, connecting to urban youth at a time when they'd got fed up with the rest of the stuff going on)....The Jam however, connect to all without trying.
We all connected!
Sound Affects is their best....dare I say it ! I love them all (Jam albums that is), but something within the Sound Affects sound (if I can be simple enough to say such a thing) combined with the lyrics, reflected so much about my life and that around me at the time that really connected in a way only Weller and Co could ever achieve. I feel honoured to have been present to many of their concerts and wish that they could put their pasts behind them (like most of us have to) and get on with a comeback tour before I get much older. No zimmers req'd!
If you're new to the Jam, I recommend this album to you all....things haven't changed that much, if you listen to the lyrics that is.

Prime Jam!.......2007-05-12

After burning through many copies of the LP back in the day, I finally got around to buying the CD. This is probably my favorite Jam album. If you were to buy one Jam album, aside from a "greatest hits" compilation, I highly recommend this one!

"Sound Affects is my favourite Jam record".......2006-12-01

These are the words of Jam leader Paul Weller. While Sound Affects is not my personal favorite, he clearly has good taste in his own music. Sound Affects was the third in a trio of brilliant, pun-titled records by The Jam. (It was also their first collection of all original material.) The #1 double A-side "Going Undergroud/The Dreams of Children" preceded the record's release, and served as a perfect appetizer for the forthcoming LP. Their fifth record was their most pop-oriented album, including not only 2 hit singles, but a handful of other pop numbers as well. Of course, Weller was not about to leave his more constructively cynical side behind, so there are also several less sunny tracks. But all of the songs are strong and catchy, powered by sharp experimental production and deliberately more poetic lyrics.

Sound Affects opens with the buoyant "Pretty Green", which features Bruce Foxton's always superb thumping bass lines, and "Monday", which offers the album's first taste of pleasantly faint psychedelia. The punky pop ditty "But I'm Different Now" picks up the pace, breezing by in less than 2 minutes. Horns adorn "Boy About Town", another snappy 2-minute number, but the most impressive of these non-single pop songs is "Man in the Corner Shop". This track shows that Weller was still in Ray Davies-mode, depicting how 3 classes of people interact with each other on a daily basis, with the factory worker envying the shopkeeper, who in turns envies the factory owner. They come together only on Sundays, when all of them kneel before God as - of course - equals (right?).

The songs that form the core of the record are "Start!" and "That's Entertainment". The former, which was their second #1 single in a row, should sound familiar even to those who have never heard it (Weller once claimed, perhaps a bit disingenuously, that he was thinking more of James Brown than the obvious source). "That's Entertainment" reached only #21 in the UK, but this was as an import: it wasn't even released in Britain as a single. This was a testament to the band's enormous popularity at the time, and the song has become perhaps the band's most timeless cut. The lines in this song are one picture-perfect image after another, depicted vividly by Weller's impeccable British English. By this time, Weller had earned his place among those who had inspired him (Davies, Townshend, Lennon), and was well on his way to inspiring the next generation of British songwriters. (Even Morrissey did a cover of "That's Entertainment", albeit a significantly altered one.)

Interspersed among these pop songs are slices of Weller's brand of healthy cynicism, captured best in the lyrics to "Dream Time": "my love/their hate comes in frozen packs bought in a supermarket". Note how this songs begins with a winding, backward intro, a trick previously heard on "The Dreams of Children". There is also the dark, dissonant "Set the House Ablaze", with its creepy whistling and main riff that was clearly stolen by Bloc Party for some song I once heard playing in a record store (I don't know the title). The largely instrumental "Music For the Last Couple" highlights the wonderful interplay among Weller, Foxton, and Buckler, as does the confrontational closer "Scrape Away".

Over the course of their remarkable 5-year recording career, The Jam never stood still or rested on their laurels. Paul Weller was a young man in a hurry, and he took his band through punk, rock, pop, and R&B at a sweeping pace. The Jam never attained the gravitas of contemporaries The Clash, but they were the most popular English band of the punk era. Albums like Sound Affects demonstrated that The Jam had the pop smarts to afford them such commerical success, and enough attitude, intelligence, and talent to make them one of the truly greatest British bands ever. After five years of being a fan, it is still refreshing to reminded of their greatness each time I delve into their records anew. But still, I won't hold my breath that any of their albums will appear on a Rolling Stone or VH-1 countdown any time soon.

Boats n' Planes n' all those things .......2006-08-16

The seminal album of the British New Wave often compared to The Beatles " Revolver " which is unfortunate - this is way beyond that.

The Jam's Best Album.......2006-07-29

I think these people who give this CD 3 or 4 stars are nuts! This is the Jam's best album, none of the songs are weak. If you are looking into the Jam this (and All Mod Cons) is the place to start!
This CD has two of their biggest hits, (That's Entertainment, and Start!) and a lot of their best songs, Boy About Town, Set the House Ablaze, But I'm Different Now. But it's greatness lies in the fact that it is presented as a complete album, and while one can listen to the songs individually, you can get the whole picture by listening to it as a whole.

It's really that good.

Average customer rating:

Sorry Neil!
Awesome CD!!
The best
RR Live album rocks!
Awesome! The best....

Rusted Root Live
Rusted Root
Manufacturer: Touchy Pegg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00069A6FE
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Voodoo
Rain
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Lost In The Crowd
Welcome To My Party
Cat Turned Blue
Women Got My Money
Weave
Powderfinger
Blue Diamonds
Heaven

Tracks:

Send Me On My Way
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Artificial Winter
Too Much
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Customer Reviews:

Sorry Neil!.......2006-03-09

Sadly, Powderfinger is by far a butcher. Otherwise, the originals are OK. Contains the classic Rusted Root but... Doesn't contain a full show. Mix is a little blurry.
Have heard other soundboards that sound awesome compared to these shows.

Awesome CD!!.......2005-09-16

This CD set is incredible.. It's defiantely one that I can listen to all the songs straight through and like them all. My favorite song off of CD 1 is "Welcome to My Party" My favorite on CD 2 is "Send Me On My Way". I think it's great to be able to hear them live, as some may not be able to get to a live show. All in all a definate must buy!!

The best.......2005-08-03

This is a great live album. If ever you have a chance to see them perform, by all means do so. They are fantastic.

RR Live album rocks!.......2005-08-03

This album is very entertaining...a must have for dedicated fans and new fans alike!

Awesome! The best...........2005-06-17

I bought this CD at a Live Rusted Root show I went to in Vermont. The entire CD is amazing and wonderful. Listen to it immediately, you'll love it.

Average customer rating:

AMAZING
great
Best acoustic jam band
Classic Rusted Root -- REMASTERED!
brilliant

Cruel Sun
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Manufacturer: Touchy Pegg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000C3ICJ
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

Primal Scream
Send Me on My Way
Tree
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! @#*
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Artificial Winter
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Customer Reviews:

AMAZING.......2004-07-06

I have been listening to Rusted Root for quite a while now, and somehow had never listened to this CD. I never knew what I was missing. This CD is great. It not only has a great version of Send Me On My Way, but the Cat Turned Blue is amazing. The song Won't Be Long is one of my personal RR favorites now. I would recommend this CD to any RR fan.

great.......2004-06-13

in no way can one classify the sound of rusted root into one genre. it is unique, so much so that i'll be redundant and say it's very unique. if you haven't heard their music before, imagine taking an african, an american or englishman influenced by rock & roll, one from the land of a billion people, two women with a feminist spirit and a shaman, give them instruments with which they are highly skilled, and let them play. that will sound something like rusted root. who gives a feck about the lyrics?, albeit they aren't bad.

Best acoustic jam band.......2004-03-13

I'm probably biased writing this review since I grew up listening to Rusted Root in Pittsburgh. I've never heard any band like them and that is a rare thing. I'm on my fourth copy of this CD, having worn out the others. This CD never gets old. The Root strayed from their original raw acoustic sound in future albums. When I Awoke is their first outing on a major label, it's good but not great. Crual Sun is great. Just buy it and you'll see.

Classic Rusted Root -- REMASTERED!.......2003-11-26

Ah Rusted Root! A good old-fashioned jam band, unaltered by commercial popularity. This newly remastered version of their original, self-produced album reminds us why we love this band so much. A definate keeper for anyone who loves RR and hasn't gotten their first album yet. And my personal recommendation -- if you love this band -- go see them live. I've seen them twice, and they are by far and away the best band I have ever seen live. Amazing drum breaks, great banter, and music that frees your soul.

brilliant.......2003-04-05

As an electronic music fan, I've always been a stickler for recording quality and a technically refined sound. Well guess what? This disc has neither and is about the most charming thing I own. It hasn't left my changer since I got it. The songs are very rough - many of them have seen more refined versions appear on later Root albums - but nothing except perhaps for When I Woke has the same kind of jam band charm as this disc.

Average customer rating:

GO SEE THEM
Really fine!

The Sound
New Monsoon
Manufacturer: Harmonized
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AM6OLW
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Tracks:

Journey Man
Trust In Me
The Sound
Sunrise
Dark Perimeter
Another Night In Purgatory
Broken Picture Window
Rock Springs Road
Bridge Of The Gods
Hold On For Now
Falling Out Of Trees

Customer Reviews:

GO SEE THEM.......2006-06-12

While this has become one recording that I find myself gravitating toward and playing quite often, I was not prepared for the performance that I witnessed live. Smilefest 2006 was scene of the crime. Incredible, inspired, and jammy. The smile on my face stayed for days. As with most 'Jam' bands the emphasis is on live music. And if you support live music and like the 'Jam' genre, well then this is for you. This band will be the leader of the next Jam wave. Someone has to and the Jam kingdom has no king right now. I can't describe how good this band is, you must witness it. The percussion alone with a tabla player, conga player, and drummer is something to behold. You will hear lots of sound influences from around the world. The band did Pink Floyd's Echoes and it was beautiful. Anyway back to the album - heartfelt, intricately textured rock tunes (ala String Cheese Incident, even Grateful Dead maybe) but better from a studio perspective. I hate to ring out names of other bands, but you have start somewhere so the reader gets the general idea. The record is pretty much flawless from start to finish. No filler, no useless material, all possible classics. They are picking up speed and getting a name. Seeing is believing though. Check it out.

Really fine!.......2005-09-09

If you're looking at this release, then you're well aware that one criticism against the "jam band" community has been that the bands are great live, but struggle in the studio. Fortunately, that concept has been proven false with a number of excellent studio releases over the last several years and that trend solidly continues with this release by New Monsoon!

I'd been aware of these guys for awhile and have copies of a number of their concerts, but didn't have any of their studio work because, to me, their live shows sounded like a band that was still in search of their true sound. Granted, the members of New Monsoon are incredibly talented, at various points in any given song they can sound like everyone from Santana to the Allmans to Zappa, with a healthy dose of wide open exploration layered over all of it. While those ingredients can make for an exhilarating live show, it's tough to replicate it in the studio (just ask the Grateful Dead).

But, with this release, New Monsoon (and the co-production team of Paul Kimble and ace percussionist Michael Shrieve) have managed to capture the lightning in a bottle and have come out with a stellar release! Each song is well crafted and appropriately loose limbed enough to have you bouncing around your living room, while remaining tight enough to have the jams serve the song and leave plenty of room for further exploration in a live setting.

You'll still hear passages that are reminiscent of their influences but those nods bear the imprint of paying respectful (and playful) homage. To my ear, the pacing and delivery of the vocals in "Rock Springs Road" are even pleasantly reminiscient of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

Stylistically, some might be tempted to describe "The Sound" as similar to "Anchor Drops" by Umphrey's McGee but that might be as much of a stretch as comparing, say, the Allmans to Rush. Sure, the music of both cover a lot of musical ground, but where "Anchor" uses elements of prog rock for a lot of it's foundation, "The Sound" has a much more natural or earthy feel. Put it this way, "Anchor" frantically lurches between styles, but on "Sound" the transitions flow. For my tastes, "The Sound" is my clear listening preference.

On that note, I'll suggest that this release easily compares favorably with the excellent recent studio releases by LoS, moe., Phish, WSP, Railroad Earth, Jupiter Coyote, etc...and it certainly will be getting more time in my changer than the underwhelming "One Step Closer" by former label mates SCI.

If you've read this far, then you know you like this kind of music - "The Sound" will make you smile and want to dance! Buy it!

Average customer rating:

Pearl Jam - 'Alive Live' EP (Phantom Sound)
bad price great item
Get It For Track 3
Classic Pearl Jam
Great songs... but way too expensive.

Alive Live EP
Pearl Jam
Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Even Flow

ASIN: B000007QS9
Release Date: 1996-11-21

Tracks:

Alive (Live)
Even Flow (Re-Recorded)
Wash
Dirty Frank

Album Description

1992 Japanese EP featuring a live version of 'Alive', plus'Even Flow' (Re-recorded), 'Wash' and 'Dirty Frank'.Standard jewel case. A Sony release.

Customer Reviews:

Pearl Jam - 'Alive Live' EP (Phantom Sound).......2006-11-29

Ha! I've completely forgotten all about this four track CD single that Pearl Jam had released after their first album came out. Remember, that before Eddie Vedder and gang had started putting out live 2-CD recordings of virtually each and every one of their tour performances, us Pearl Jam fans HAD to rely on pieces like this to hear them play live. How DID we manage? "Alive", "Even Flow" and "Wash" are good to hear. Didn't care for "Dirty Frank" all that much. Aimed toward the completists.

bad price great item.......2003-07-29

i cannot complain about the cd in general, but the ... price seems a bit high just to get the rerecorded even flow, the only track not available elsewhere.

Get It For Track 3.......2002-11-26

As with all CD singles, get this one if you happen to be a Pearl Jam fanatic, looking for more stuff by the band. The first two tracks (ALIVE, ONCE) are taken from TEN. But it's Track 3, WASH, that is worth the purchase here. It's melodic, haunting and reminds one of other great PJ songs of this type like OCEANS, RELEASE and INDIFFERENCE. The lyrics flourish and Vedder's voice carries the mood of the song perfectly.

Classic Pearl Jam.......2001-11-19

It's my opinion that if you don't already have copies of "Wash" or "Dirty Frank," this CD is well worth the twenty-five bucks. The re-recorded version of "Even Flow," which was used in the music video, is a step above the Ten version as far as intensity goes. Eddie's vocals are so much more energetic, Abruzzese beats out Krusen on the drums, and Stone does this awesome palm-muted guitar riff after the second and third choruses that just drives it home. The "Alive" version is from the music video too and it's good. "Wash" and "Dirty Frank" are cool collectibles.

Great songs... but way too expensive........2001-03-23

Review edit:
This review was originally written for the Alive EP, which is an import available right here at Amazon.com for around $25. If you are viewing this review from the page for the U.S. Alive single, I give that 5 stars and suggest that you get the Alive EP insted if you can. Now, on to the review of the Alive EP.

First of all, you might be wondering what this EP contains. Essentially, you get:

Tracks:

Pretty Green
Monday
But I'm Different Now
Set The House Ablaze
Start!
That's Entertainment
Dream Time
Man In The Corner Shop
Music For The Last Couple
Boy About Town
Scrape Away

Amazon.com

By the time the Jam released Sound Affects, they were well on their way out of their angled, clean-guitar choppiness and headed toward a pop amalgam that loaned itself to horns, strings, and more. "Pretty Green" is something like its title, a very pretty little tune that hints at things other than what lies on the rest of the album. "That's Entertainment" became the band's acoustic zenith, urgent and strong in its lyrical collision of everyday life and postmodern society mechanisms. There are danceable hoppers such as "Start!" and motoring energizers such as "Set the House Ablaze," and all of it seems to coincide in a great, effortless sway of styles as they run into and through each other. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

The best album from one of the world's greatest ever bands.......2004-11-25

It's difficult to define what the Jam really mean to me as there's always that risk of pidgeonholing them and thus reducing them, but in the rare case of the Jam the music speaks for itself. I'm sure likeminded people who really love the Jam will know what I mean and admit that the band's music is more than just a collection of great songs, but instead a soundtrack to life, particularly for those like me who lived in Britain at the time the songs were written and recorded. Weller's songs speak of how we all feel but could never quite put into words and the Jam were always about speaking to young people one-on-one from a mutual standpoint and never as the "idolised pop group singing to the starry-eyed fans that hang on their every word". The Jam's first two albums were essentially punk records while their following albums showed a broad range of influences including the Small Faces, the Who, the Kinks, the Beatles, Tamla Motown and, in the last year or so of their career, soul and funk. Paul Weller's songwriting abilities already reached incredible heights on the album "All Mod Cons" and progressed even further on "Setting Sons", but for me, the next album, "Sounds Affects" is the one that continues to stand out and is, in my view, the album that displays the peak of Weller's songwriting. Some critics have cited "Sound Affects" as the Jam's "Revolver" and it's not difficult to see why. In fact, the Beatles' "Revolver" was played relentlessly by the group on the tour they embarked on prior to entering the studio to record "Sound Affects" and it's influence is clearly audible here, from the backwards guitars on "Dream Time" and "That's Entertainment" to the bass riff from "Taxman" on "Start!". There isn't a bad song on the album. From the infectious opening bass line of "Pretty Green" to the closing fade of "Scrape Away", this album perfectly captures the angst, boredom and frustration felt in the dawn of Thatcher's Britain at the dawn of a new decade. The line "Pissing down with rain and boring Wednesdays" from "That's Entertainment" sums it all up, and it is also clearly felt in the track "Set The House Ablaze", but there are still glimmers of optimism shown in the Ray Davies-esque "Monday" and "Man In The Corner Shop". A truly great album is one that evokes the times when it was recorded but that also still carries momentum, and sometimes even relevance, when listening to it today. "Sound Affects" is one such album.

Great Album.......2000-08-28

The Jam's Sound Afects, although hardly punk, is a great album. It is more like pop rock. Paul Weller was a great song writer and this album shows that. The highlights of the album are Monday, Start!, That's Entertainment and Man In The Corner Shop.

Stunning effort by a maturing punk band........2000-07-11

The Jam took British punk music and made it into something more, and each album finds them exploring a different facit of their sound. "Sound Affects" is between the era of hard mod rock and soul seen on the final album. It begins with the punkish "Pretty Green" and immediatly slows into the almost dreary "Monday". The optimistic "But I'm Different Now" is of lesser quality, but short. "Set the House Ablaze" is another hard song with an interesting minor key lead line. "Start" takes the Beatles "Taxman" bassline and adds in Paul Weller's mod sensablities to make it a new song. "That's Entertainment" is a dark and moody acoustic song exploring the ups and downs of life. "Dream Time" and "Music for the Last Couple" are interesting and unique, but are somehow rather forgetable as well. "Man in the Corner Shop" is another Beatles take-off, borrowing from "Here Comes the Sun" a guitar line that Paul makes his own. "Boy About Town" is quintesential mod-pop with a cheery trumpet solo. The album closer is an abrupt change in mood, showing Weller at his nastiest and most blunt" ("Your twisted cynicism makes me feel sick... The trouble is your thoughts a catching disease"). Overall, this album mirrors the Beatles "Revolver" in its vague psychedelic vibe, rock sensiblities and solid songwriting indicative of a great band and talented songwriter.

Band hits pinnacle of their career next-to-last LP.......2000-06-19

After hitting a new peak with their third LP, "All Mod Cons," their fourth LP, "Setting Sons" seemed to lose focus. This followup, and their next-to-last studio LP, put it all back together: the punchy instrumentalism of their debut, the strong songwriting and melodicism of "All Mod Cons," and a strong dash of poeticism in the lyrics. It's truly Paul Weller's most consistent and powerful set of songs to date.

Musically this draws heavily from Revolver-era Beatles. The psychedelic touches are spare, but the guitar and basslines echo the tone of the Beatles '66 release. Lyrically, Weller moves away from the storytelling he'd become so adept at and uses more poetic forms. "Man in the Corner Shop," for example, is a brilliantly formed lyric that describes a community's chain of envy, and "That's Entertainment" creates images that stick in the mind long after the LP's finished playing.

Through and through this is the Jam's highpoint, and perhaps the finest example of Britain's rock 'n' roll of the era. It's an amazing document of how far this band evolved in the three years since their debut.

This is what makes Britpop so great!.......2000-02-08

I was actually very pleasantly surprised to find quite a few American fans of The Jam. I think it's such a shame that Paul Weller never made it as big in America as he did in England. Feel that he is probably one of the most talented musicians of all time. Although, the songs are not as polished and refined as the stuff he did on "Wild Wood" and "Heavy Soul", there is this raw beauty to every track that makes this album so wonderful to listen to. Songs such as "Start!" and "Pretty Green", just to name a couple off the top of my head are just so upbeat and energetic, you can't help but get them stuck in your head for hours after you've finished listening to the album. This album is a must have for all fans of Blur, Pulp and yes even Oasis. Heck, Paul Weller did appear on their hit song "Champagne Supernova" after all (the only redeeming quality of the song). You won't be disappointed.