Attention Jam Fans, Style Council Fans: Get this one!
Paul Miller | Somers, NY United States | 10/10/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Whether you're a Jam fan, Style Council fan, Paul Weller fan, or none of the above, it's easy to become a Bruce Foxton fan with this 1984 album. This is Britpop done right; a delightful collection of fun tunes beautifully performed, provocative words, original music, you name it. Ever since I bought this album on vinyl when it first came out, I've searched high and low for other Bruce Foxton albums, but never found another thing. Very frustrating. The World deserves more from him. Not one of these songs, from the upbeat "Freak" to pop-infused "SOS My Imagination," get boring no matter how many times you play them. In fact, as much as I loved Paul Weller's Style Council albums, this one's better than some of them."
Great to have it on CD, with some rare bonus tracks, but....
Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 08/08/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"this is the way to issue a fairly obscure album on CD. The bonus tracks here were all B-sides to numerous Bruce Foxton 12" singles. The only let down...why oh WHY didn't they include the rare extended version of "It Makes Me Wonder" as one of the bonus tracks??? Looks like it will never make its way to CD!"
For Jam Completest's Only
Rude Boy 1979 | Today I'm in Ybor City | 08/24/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I purchase this because I've allways been a huge Jam fan (although thats through listening to one cd "Snap" and the video compilation "Video Snap"). Now 41 I've come to financial means and nostalgia to start obtaining the complete Jam discography (which after buying all their released albums on cd I realized missed some great singles, DOH!). I also started buying all (well most) of Wellers stuff, including The Style Coucil. Since this is all I could find on CD from Bruce I had to have it (plus a 5 star glowing review on Amazon, what's up with all the 5 star reviews?). One of my favorite Jam songs is "News Of The World" which is a Bruce piece and the bass riffs on a lot of the Jam songs are just so awesome. Unfortunatly, this cd lacks any sound like the Jam days even though it was recorded in 83-84. I was trying to think of what it sounds like, and "Animotion" came to mind without the female lead vocals; its heavy in synth and horns and I can hardly hear any bass on the tracks. 3 stars is probably too many but it sure isn't 5 stars. One track may have qualified for a "Golden Throats" CD if Bruce was a TV star instead of musician the track "24 or 6 to 4" is horrid. Bruce himself did an interview that questions the quality of this material on http://www.thejam.org.uk/bruce.html .
A redeeming factor for my purchase of this disc is a bonus CDV track of Bruce and a band (unknown when or who they are, its not on the liner notes) doing "Smithers Jones". Bruce is rocking with his bass front and center and voice sounds great. It's really too bad the Jam split up when they did. "Beat Surrender" is still a great song I play often and it was their last single! While Weller has done some really good stuff afterward, I like him best with Foxton playing bass and backing on vocals. AHHH...I'll allways have the 80's (early 80's)!"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1