The Jam- Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (REACTION & REVIEW)

[@garryhorton5899]

My all time favourite song, Paul Weller was only 18 when he wrote this, amazing talent 👍

[@jinggaddi]

When Paul Weller sings, "I fumble for change," Bruce Foxton plays those lovely bass harmonics mimicking the loose change jangling in your pocket.

[@jonreynolds1655]

well noted ...respect to you 🙂

[@delorangeade]

A great piece of writing, as memorable as any set of lyrics ever penned for me. Perfectly captures that feeling of creeping dread and imminent threat you sometimes feel alone at night, whether in a tube station, or any street where you know you look like a target. Reminds me of some of my unfriendly encounters with skinheads and the National Front as well.

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

I was a massive Jam fan after this single and a Skin. Why was you having derogatory encounters with Skinheads/National Front (right wing or not)?

[@thomasgow9475]

@@normandavidtidiman9918 I think they wouldn't let him join.

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

@@thomasgow9475 🤣🤣🤣

[@TheSpikehere]

@@normandavidtidiman9918 It's what the song was about, the phrase "too many right-wing meetings" is a clue.

[@purelayermanplayer4062]

Far right ultra conservative religious supremacists blew up tubes & busses & murdered untold Londoners RIP not so long ago ,did you have many run ins with them?

[@geospot4679]

The Jam will never go away.

[@mgwatson26]

To a generation of British rock fans, Paul Weller was the messiah. Joe Strummer was close, John Lydon wasn't in the running. The lyrics are very British, JP seems to 'get it' but I can imagine lot of US listeners just being confused. IMHO one if the top ten UK singles of all time, up there with Waterloo Sunset and Bitter Sweet Symphony. JP as already recommended but others here, listen to the whole album, it's great.

[@DazzleMonroe]

I think it was Weller himself who said he could never dream of writing at the same level as Strummer. I tend to agree.

[@fernandopessoa7077]

Nah, Weller was the man..

[@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering]

@@fernandopessoa7077nah he wasn’t , Strummer was ✊, Weller was a closet hippie 😮 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@3ld919]

Weller was just being kind to a very talent peer of his that he respected. It all comes down to personal preference, but as far as I'm concerned, he is on a higher level than Strummer.

[@daviddring2365]

Bruce Foxton ..... probably one of greatest bassists out there.... criminally overlooked

[@jonathansteadman7935]

'I put in the money, and pulled out a plumb, behind me'. Refers to taking the plum coloured underground ticket from the machine as you walk through the barrier. I'm 60 and still remember every word of the lyrics. The Jam were massive late 70s, beginning 80s. Multiple number ones and Weller was the spokesman for our generation.(and Joe Strummer)

[@onsesejoo2605]

One thing with The Jam is that their lyrics contain a lot of references to British culture and society. E.g "smelling of wormwood scrubs" refers to infamous London prison, Wormwood Scrubs, as I found out after bit of pre- internet searching. "Eton Rifles" would be another one. But Paul Weller had a bit of a surprise in his sleeve to present with the next band, The Style Council.

[@nicklittle8909]

I’ve seen a lot of reactions to this song, but you got it the best. That last verse is chilling, brilliant storytelling

[@JustJP]

That's much appreciated Nick, thank you

[@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering]

I’ve never been on the London Tube but the lyrics are very evocative and perfectly explain that late 70’s vibe of violence and menace that I imagine would apply at midnight in a tube station . Tbh I never got that feeling he was dead or dying , maybe just me but I thought he’d had his head kicked in and was badly injured. 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

“Glanced back at my life…thought about my wife….” Implies something far worse…

[@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering]

@@normandavidtidiman9918 yup eminently possible , I was just communicating what I’d always felt , he was aware of who had attacked him , still had time to worry about his wife and had his sense of smell , leather,pubs etc would be nice to get one of the lads from the band to give their view , ideally Mr Weller . You make a good point though . 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@deanhumphries7878]

Thank God you played this all the way through with no interruptions, In the UK we class this an ANTHEM.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

No bad Jam tracks, they are all magnificent.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

@@Katehowe3010 Sigh. Oh all right then.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

@@Katehowe3010 No you right; listening with my rose tinted memories again. Nostalgia aint what it used to be...😆

[@MrDiddyDee]

Bruce Foxton is a great bass player and adds so much to The Jam's songs. His Rickenbacker bass really cuts through and is highly influenced by the playing of Pete Townsend of The Who, and 'Revolver' album era Paul McCartney, where they really use the whole of the fretboard , not just holding down the root notes but contributing intrinsic melodic runs. The Jam were a three piece band, the bass parts had to be very inventive and work that much harder to fill the spaces.

[@iltonwhite]

@@MrDiddyDee It's a Fender Precision, not a Rickenbacker.

[@shakey123]

I was lucky enough to see The Jam live twice and they were excellent each time, a great group who always delivered with great music and lyrics.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

This song was written around the time of a lot of Asian hate in England. I think the "curry" line reflected this... The Jam and XTC ("No Thugs In Our House") were pushing back on these xenophobic attacks... they mention the right-wing National Front, as well. The line "They took the keys and she'll think it's me" is brilliant and horrifying. Paul Weller's Jam output was TOP SHELF stuff... the three album run ("All Mod Cons," "Setting Sons," and "Sound Affects") is as good as any other band in the history of rock (bold statement... but I think it's backed up by the facts). Thanks for giving this one a listen, Justin! The whole album is class and worthy of a full listen. Cheers!

[@paulgee1952]

Always a Cultural melting pot. At that time in London , it was not just Skinhead violence but generally more much, with football gang violence . The Dr. Martin Oxblood boot and Londsdale vest (NDSA)and red bracers were the NF uniform almost. However fashion , team support and wearing the wrong outfit could draw unwanted attacks. I always thought this song about relating a statement. to a policeman, in the back of an Ambulance , rather than a fatal attack . Having experienced it a couple of times , not just on the underground. The majority of mod ,ska and even skinhead bands pushed back against racists, but as poverty and wealth became more noticeable. Nationalism and drug dealing increased as did the racism and segregation of rich and poor areas. With gangs , race riots and Football violence Being dehumanised by a political press, happy to tar all with the same brush. It is relevant to today as the seeing the same things are happening globally.

[@3ld919]

@@Jpaintingdesigns Nationalism like anything else is only good in moderation. Unfortunately, those who fancy themselves nationalists tend to be right wing nutters who embrace fascism & want a dear leader. No thanks & in the end Weller knew these people were a cancer on society.

[@paulgee1952]

@@Jpaintingdesigns Nationalism is a political extreme , being patriotic is not the same . Just because you don't know the difference , is not my problem.

[@ac9110]

I have to say I really like your reviews. Being English, I've grown up with this song but you point out things that I've never considered. Very interesting review, Cheers.

[@mikeymckinnon5778]

Weller is one of the greatest British songwriters of all time in my book. Went to see him in March and he was sensational. His ‘95 album Stanley Road is sublime. Well worth a listen.

[@lubilou64]

Paul Weller paints a very vivid picture of what the London Underground (the Tube!) was like back then (as a young child in the late 70s the tube used to scare me!!) The way he describes it is exactly how I remember it 😱 Great song, the best Jam song in my humble opinion 😊 Cheers JP

[@chamberpot969]

Very frightening to be on the the last tube

[@lubilou64]

@@chamberpot969 definitely! Don’t want to put people off though, so I’ll say that it’s so much better now! 😆

[@marcharley6465]

I'm glad you mentioned the bass. As you mentioned in your reaction to Dead Kennedys' "Halloween", a lot of punk bassists just played the root notes and relied on the speed of their playing and/or a distorted sound to make an impact. However, some punk bassists really stood out due to their inventiveness and technical chops, including Foxton (The Jam), Jean Jacques Burnel (The Stranglers), Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys) and Darryl Jennifer (Bad Brains). Foxton mainly used a Rickenbacker bass, which gave him his distinctive tone.

[@maartenlemmens8628]

I,d like to add Peter Hook of Joy Division.

[@brewstergallery]

I would include Captain Sensible, Algy and the awesome Paul Gray all from the Damned, Barry Adamson of Magazine and alastair Donaldson aka Mysterious of the Rezillos !

[@colindoyle7230]

Foxton changed from Rickenbacker to Fender precision, - on this album too, and onwards....

[@brewstergallery]

@@colindoyle7230 Hey Ned from Spain here. Yeah I remember the P Bass on the back cover of AMC and noticing it in the songs. He did continue to use the Ric as well especially on songs like Going Underground. When the Jam broke up it hurt like a MF.

[@Malfie657]

Love the Jam, the track and the album it comes from, all of which have so much more to offer. The lyrics and the energy and ambience capture perfectly how edgy and scary the Tube was late at night back then! Many stations were a warren of different access points ...far too many places to not feel totally safe given the regular muggings that took place.

[@ronbock8291]

It’s hard to explain how important the Jam were at the time. Literate, powerful, stripped down, urgent, with one foot firmly in the history of British rock, and the other firmly pointed toward the future. They inspired an entire generation of young musicians to take it up and try for themselves. Edited to add… the context is he is an immigrant - probably Pakistani - attacked by National Front skinheads - ‘right wing meetings’ - infamous fascist racists of the era.

[@markferrett700]

I think your right saying PW was referring to right wing groups in this song. The problem was and still is today that there was a media blackout regarding other "dangerous groups" back then . You had the infamous "Brixton Steamers " a gang of Black Men from Brixton London who used to board a train and "steam" through every carriage mugging everyone on board. Then you had the "Asian Action Gang" likewise they would board trains and target white people for money and jewellery. It was a pretty shitty time for all in London back then NOT just immigrants. If PW was brave enough to have added these groups to the song it would never have been recorded yet alone played.

[@Ambofrisk4107]

Excellent comment

[@parissimons6385]

Thanks, Justin. This is a great one from The Jam, and Paul Weller's lyrics tell a harrowing tale. Lots of great songs by The Jam. "Mr. Clean", "Butterfly Collector", and the string quartet version of "Smithers Jones" offer Weller's anger at class issues, as does the more popular "Eton Rifles". There are other political elements to "A Bomb in Wardour Street" and "Going Underground". And a different sort of nostalgia in "Man in the Corner Shop" and "Tales from the Riverbank". Basically, albums All Mod Cons ['all modern conveniences' - when buying property or renting a flat/apartment], Setting Sons [yes, the pun on son/sun and the sun setting on the British Empire], Sound Affects, and The Gift [not as consistent, but some great songs there, too] offer a musical perspective on life in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After that, in the early 1980s, Weller decided to end The Jam and formed The Style Council, with a more R&B and jazzy sound. That ended after a few years, and he re-emerged as a singer/songwriter dabbling in many styles. Probably his best known album in the UK likely would be Stanley Road (1995), but he has released many, and continues putting out music (one I like is the LP, 22 Dreams, from 2008) and touring. He usually sprinkles two or three songs from The Jam or Style Council into his concerts, but mostly focuses on newer material. Mind you, his first single with The Jam was almost 45 years ago!

[@normandavidtidiman9918]

This was the first vinyl single or album I brought of The Jam and the one track that elevated them above all their contemporaries.

[@jamesdignanmusic2765]

One of the best basslines ever recorded, and amazing lyrics. Have you listened to their song "That's Entertainment" yet? Or - if you want some great drumming - "Funeral Pyre"?

[@jonreynolds1655]

Orsm Reaction and Review ,,,thank you, you got it SPOT on "They took my Keys and she'll think its me" ...👍👍👍 such a powerful line of lyric ...tks again

[@JustJP]

Thanks Jon!

[@winnywin]

For me, The Jam were all about the lyrics. I loved the tunes, of course, but Weller's lyrics were the background to my life, as a teen. They helped me through the Thatcher years.

[@michaelbochnia5686]

Without a doubt the best JAM from the Jam. Period. Many a bass player back in the day took this as a gold standard of sorts and tried to emulate it as the 80's sound started developing. No one sounded like this back in 1978 and I still listen to this band pretty regularly and have never tired from them. Nice pick Justin.

[@adrianmcgrath1984]

Great band, some great songs. “Man in the Cornershop” is up there with anything from the Kinks - a band they loved and covered more than once.

[@garysmith5641]

my favorite song with exactly what it was like in the violent 70s not like that today the underground is a beautifully tiled experience with security and opulence

[@chrisparsons7043]

I saw The Jam in 81 and 82. On 4th of Nov this year I stood in a packed venue with hundreds of others and watched Bruce Foxton play that song exactly as you just heard it, in the band 'From The Jam'. The harmonics are on the bass by the way. Check out From The Jam, Russell Hastings recreates Weller perfectly without being cheesy and with 100% respect to the music.

[@jeremyb5640]

Brilliant storytelling from Weller, biting social commentary on late '70s Britain. I knew you'd love the bassline which neatly builds the tension before the frenetic ending with Weller's fast-paced delivery. Is there a more chilling final line in music than "she'll think it's me". 40 + years on, the tube is a much safer place with CCTV and night trains, but the sense of foreboding here tells it how it was. The still super prescient Eton Rifles [about how many of the British establishment were educated at Eton School] is another great social commentary song from the Jam from their next album 'Setting Sons'. Thanks for doing this - you can't go wrong whatever period of Weller's career you dip into.

[@jfergs.3302]

A great tune. Full of energy, passion, and just a hint of bile within Paul's inciteful social commentary on the state of a nation as he saw it. A crackin' band, and top notch live too.

[@jfergs.3302]

@@Katehowe3010 If pushed, I'd probably say this one, All Mod Cons. There's good stuff on them all, but it was between that and In The City, a close second.

[@thomasgow9475]

"Town Called Malice" mate, Ooft! what a tune.

[@Ambofrisk4107]

Hope you were reading the lyrics as well.. the jam were the most imortant band of my generation… i still listen to them daily in my mid 50s.

[@dexstewart2450]

Lived in London around this time...those empty tunnels could be disconcerting, with the distant rumble of trains in other tunnels.

[@jono.pom-downunder]

The sound of the UKs angry young men of the 70s& early 80s. A great social commentary of life in the UK. Bruce Foxtons pounding bass only acts to emphasise the darkness of the times. "Wormwood scrubs"is a prison in West London. "An awayday" was a train cheap return rail ticket. The Jam have an enormous catalogue of hits well worth digging into.

[@mrsuperger5429]

" They took the keys, and she'll think its me." Terrifying lyrics.

[@daviddinu1089]

Paul Weller went out and formed "The Style Council" in the 80's with Mick Talbot and great background singer Dee C Lee. Great bluesy music.

[@charliegeorge9393]

he married Dee C lee

[@avenueb]

@@charliegeorge9393 then Divorced

[@danielcanty1202]

Bruce Foxton, such an underrated bass player

[@billiespence6523]

from the UK loved the fact you picked up on the keys !! Only one I watched who has !! Great song ! ! Great reaction

[@richardsear8008]

Funnily enough I was down in the tube station at midnight just last night. Out for beers with friends in Liverpool Street and then onto the Northern line for the long run to the end of the line at Morden. It’s not as scary as it used to be and I’m old enough to remember this coming out when I was at school

[@mattking5936]

One of my favourite bands growing up. This track has many aspects but the atmosphere created by the bass and drums sounds like the train going down the track, especially at the beginning. It's really good.

[@gpreactions3194]

The Jam's Down in the tube station at midnight entered the UK Top 40 on the 21st October 1978 and peaked at no.15. The top 10 this week was.. 1 - John Travolta & Olivia Newton John - Summer nights 2 - Boomtown Rats - Rat trap 3 - John Travolta - Sandy 4 - Donna Summer - McArthur Park 5 - Boney M - Rasputin 6 - Frank Miller - Darlin' 7 - The Jacksons - Blame it on the boogie 8 - Electric Light Orchestra - Sweet talkin' woman 9 - Public Image Ltd - Public image 10 - The Three Degrees - Giving up, giving in

[@bencornish6910]

Without doubt one of my all time favourite tracks.

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

I have the 7" vinyl sleeve of Down in the tube station at midnight signed by original drummer Rick Buckler. 'A great song' - C

[@radicaladz]

Wormwood Scrubs was the name of an infamous prison in London. Another song that references is Wormwood Scrubs Tango, a comedy song by Spike Milligan and cowritten by an old Army pal of his, Harry Edgington.

[@markharris1125]

I sure that there are many people, finding themselves on the Tube around midnight - going home from a concert or the theatre, walking down those long corridors onto semi-deserted platforms - who hear this song in their head. I always do! But I have to say, I've been there many times over many years and have never experienced or seen any violence. The worst that ever happened to me was getting a somewhat unwanted kiss from a member of a drunken hen party heading for Chelmsford. And I never caught that twist either. That's really dark.

[@markferrett700]

Chelmsford hen parties haven't got any less scary@@!

[@ronbock8291]

I’m guessing you aren’t a visible minority. The late 70s and early 80s were apparently not a pleasant time to be an immigrant in the UK, from what I understand.

[@lindsaymcdade310]

Love this song. Love the bass line. Never noticed the, They took the keys, she'll think its me line before this video......dark.

[@sailorhms]

You picked out the ''they've took the keys and she'll think it's me''' line that is the pivotal part of Paul's 'play' it has stuck with me since I first heard this back in 1984 when I got the 'Start' album, it's my favourite song ever and I had the privilege of singing a cover version with my band a few years back and was very pleased when a crowd member came up to me after and said that it was the best cover of '...Tube station' he had ever heard! A very thought provoking song. ,Thanks for your review.

[@brewstergallery]

Hey JP Ned and Janet from España to say bloody hell we loved the video and are happy you dig it. The drum part you mentioned is Rick rolling around the kit to which they added a ton of reverb / echo mixed with a train rolling by. This whole album is a classic and was a turning point for them. Incidentally we were lucky enough to see them twice at the long gone Palladium in NYC in the 80's at the time of the Gift. A bit of trivia Paul Wellers dad was their manager and used to come out to introduce the band. The song "In the Crowd" on All Mod Cons is also a killer.

[@JustJP]

Hey Ned & Janet! Thank you both so much!

[@glenngastonjonsson7954]

I agree. The Jam, wow.

[@jasonbrandt5504]

One of the best songs. Period . . Great reaction. Also worth noting is Wellers sweeping guitar. Thx

[@gerardmccavana4905]

Another great review. A brilliant poetic song with brilliant musicianship. So atmospheric.

[@JustJP]

Ty Gerard😃

[@gregoryleepadilla]

Really, really great job reviewing this most excellent song.

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

The glazed dirty steps, repeat my own (steps) is the meaning

[@mattjohn4731]

Excellent reaction. Have you heard The Damned? UK's first punk band (by a week of so in 1977) but evolved into gothic and more commercial rock

[@markferrett700]

New rose........now we're talking

[@JustJP]

Ty Matt! Yup, ive done a bit from the Damned

[@powbarabajagal2435]

@@JustJP gotta do the Machine Gun Etiquette LP. other faves of mine are from The Black Album. I think you would like the extended prog song 'Curtain Call'.

[@allanmckeown8417]

Getting jumped at night on the tube platform in the 70's/ 80's was a regular occurence, no staff, no cctv, very few other passengers, I got robbed on the actual train by 3 youth who were going through every carriage robbing people, so It's a pertinent song for me.

[@thomasgow9475]

When bands wrote and sang about real things, and meant it.

[@ellentronicmistress4969]

Meant it to you, in your day. There are and always have been bands who reflect their time with pinpoint accuracy. And there still are - you just don't hear them because your not young anymore.

[@Mod-rw9cw]

@@ellentronicmistress4969 name some of the bands then !

[@ellentronicmistress4969]

​@@Mod-rw9cw For me? In the Eighties, The Smiths; in the Nineties, Nirvana (amongst others). There are other bands/artists that mean something to friends or others I know which don't have the same impact on me. Since the early 80's, it would be hard to argue that countless Hip Hop artists did not sing about 'real things' and 'mean it'; and let's say that goes for todays' grime artists too - they don't speak to me especially, but they clearly do to their audience. You can't write off all music except the music you like and dismiss the message just because it doesn't resonate with your own experiences because our experiences are not all the same.

[@Mod-rw9cw]

@@ellentronicmistress4969 You said recent bands. These are not recent. You indicated that you knew of todays artists that write decent lyrics and music and mean it. Who are they then ?

[@ellentronicmistress4969]

@@Mod-rw9cw I actually did if you read what I wrote.

[@TheSpikehere]

I remember being drunk on the Paris Metro about a year later at around midnight, and, singing this very loudly. Luckily the station was devoid of both Front National thugs, and music critics.

[@iainweller452]

Great lyrics fab song it really captured the feeling of the time, Weller is a genius

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

Away Day was a cheap day ticket campaign by British Rail in the late seventies

[@quine63]

Loved seeing your reactions to this absolutely amazing tune. From memory, you had the same look as me when I first heard it 35 or so years ago. Great review. Really enjoyed this.

[@stuartauld2149]

Sublime

[@BigMacIain]

Justin, for peak Jam, have a listen to Going Underground. It's right up there with Town Called Malice.

[@jamesh939]

The line I put in the money and pull out a plum ?????…a plum was the colour of the ticket…brilliant reference hidden as almost a throw away but so relevant as all the tickets had colours no idea what the others were but this is brilliant … the bizarre coincidence of this song was on its release a man I think called mister shelbrooke was almost beaten to death in the same method as described which resulted in the song being banned by tony blackburn for a while on the radio

[@ghichens3418]

Yes !! Ace Tune ! It might be interesting for some ! Britains music was going in all sorts of directions , at the time ! Punk was nearly running out steam IMO , New wave was knocking on the door ! The Jam were , on that margin of New Wave / Mod revival , !! In 1979 the movie " Quadraphenia" was released which really had an impact here in Blighty ! The "Who" Released the album " Quadraphenia" in 1974 ! the track "5,15 " Moony does a briilliant impression of a Train going over points ! very similar to "Down in the Tube Station !! What do u reckon !! cheers!

[@watmac558]

You got it! Great reaction to one of the really great songs from the Jam.

[@fredshred5194]

That's entertainment is another great song. He moved to another sound The Style Council, My ever changing moods, Your the best thing. And yes late at night in some grim and empty tube station back in the 70's was an experience. Drunks football hooligans NF nutters and just your everyday nutter ahh the good ol days.

[@TheIkaraCult]

It's worth reiterating that Paul Weller did everything with The Jam before he turned 25, then he split them up to do something completely different.

[@kenl2091]

The NME awards were usually a good guide as to who was the hippest band (in the UK) at the time so, from 1977 onwards - Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam (x4, ahead of Joy Division which surprised me) New Order, The Smiths (x4) The Wedding Present (yay!) The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays then REM (x2) Make of that what you will. I always appreciated The Jam and this was one of their better songs but I couldn't see where the adulation came from, to be honest. Good but not great. Now what about doing the best of The Wedding Present? (The Bizarro album since you ask!)

[@Andy_Ross1962]

Wormwood Scrubs, a London prison.

[@Draugh39]

And also a scrubbing brush made in that prison used to clean a lot of public convenience. So, that is why the line "they smelled of pubs, and wormwood scrubs" hit me the first time i head it.

[@paulwrangles]

Paul says I put in the money and pulled out a plum.... plum was the colour of the tube ticket you got to ride the train.

[@thatch180]

Then listen to one of the live versions of Tube Station on Fire and Skill - each one from to ‘78 to ‘82 is brilliance in itself!!

[@davidstobie2751]

This one delivered

[@dctbass]

Going Underground and Eton Rifles next - thunderous bass in both and social commentary off the scale

[@colindoyle7230]

The harmonics are actually played on the bass too.... 👍

[@Kevvinm]

One of my all time favorite albums.

[@MrSaltford]

you have to listen to some live gigs and understand why they were the best, the fans at the gigs made the jam perform to a very high level and both bounced off each other, This song was mostly the last track of a gig and boy it blows the roof off

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

This was a great lyric to be written by a twenty year old...

[@dexstewart2450]

Btw - Bruce Foxton, the Bassist, is one of the nicest guy's I've ever met: Weller was there too...I'll leave it at that

[@s.collintuck3227]

Gotta add some more British artists to put on your list. Robyn Hitchcock has a DEEP catalog for you!

[@plawrence8083]

Wormwood scrubs, its a prison. The British rail poster section was an AD from the time.

[@bluejaayway]

Weller at his best!! The whole album is a masterpiece Foxton is a highly underrated bass player

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

The late 1970s were a dangerous time in London...

[@emdiar6588]

Justin, they are open string harmonics, not ''pinched'' harmonics, which are a specific type of harmonic achieved by just catching a guitar string with the thumb that is holding the pick, usually during a solo. It's the random 'squeal' that you hear. For the most obvious example, see Zakk Wylde.

[@HippoYnYGlaw]

Heard this tune so many times but today is the first time I’ve really appreciated everything about it. That’s you that is ,JP. We Gotta go All the way from Flippin Florida🤣 to dig the late 70s hit parade. “Jesus Saves! “🙂

[@JustJP]

Ty HP 😄

[@jonathansteadman7935]

That's you that is ! David Badiel and Rob Newman, Mary Whitehouse Experience!

[@HippoYnYGlaw]

@@jonathansteadman7935 only ft mp tdt or ap usually 4me but this crept in subconsciously I’m sorry

[@chicagoviking1]

Amazing song -- Top 5 from The Jam. Maybe next "When You're Young" a non-LP single, great song. And my favorite video by The Jam.

[@maruad7577]

That was, as was stated on the label, a jam.

[@mod0049]

Good review 👍

[@JustJP]

Ty Mod

[@andkat]

Great band great tune!

[@markferrett700]

The Jam were a brilliant band. They were NEVER a punk band. The punk scene in Britain at the time was becoming the media darling and so commercialised.....The Jam were literally given more radio/ TV exposure because of this. Thank god they were otherwise the world may have missed them. As a 16 year old in London in 1977,going to watch bands usually meant taking your life into your own hands travelling on the "tube" at night especially after a gig. Tottenham Court Road to Mile End was scary.......Mile End to Barking was terrifying.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

The deep unbridled joy of the District Line! The night bus from the West End to our neck of the woods could be a bit hairy; or hilarious. The N98 if I recall. Transplanted to Suffolk Coast 22 years ago.

[@stugtrauts3692]

They certainly were a Punk Band in their early days , the Mods took them as their own later on when they became boring , if you dont think they were punk you werent there at the beginning ,

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

@@stugtrauts3692 Of course they were punk first; a lot of the most successful bands were, to begin with.

[@markferrett700]

@@stugtrauts3692 it was so long ago, it don't matter wether they were or not......and your right I wasn't there at the start.... I had better things to do.

[@daveharrison7707]

certain parts of the underground are dangerous at night, i can tell you from experience.

[@jamespaivapaiva4460]

All I have to say. Don't get engage in foreplay on a subway. If the creeps don't get you, the stench and rats, will anyway. Try staying at home and letting The Jam play! Peace & Love everyday.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Great band and song. You’ve been hitting some amazing tunes. I’m still catching up.

[@stephencolligan]

Great assessment Justin .

[@JustJP]

Ty Steve

[@jtenaz]

Good band. And they like my favorite band, XTC.

[@spruce381]

It’s weird for me - 78 was post punk and a totally nee sound, but some of what you talk of is by a producer who’d hears sgnt peppers only 11 years before.

[@-davidolivares]

To me, they were bass harmonics but, could be guitar on the lower strings. Cool song.

[@stevebradley704]

Definitely bass harmonics.

[@-davidolivares]

@@stevebradley704 Thought so, but not pinched. Pinch bass harmonics would probably sound pretty weird if possible. Not for my dainty fingers.

[@stevebradley704]

@@-davidolivares On the 12th fret......G D A I think. Quite effective.

[@sicko_the_ew]

Off topic, as usual (enjoyed the jam by The Jam - and the story, too, in an uncomfortable - and maybe a bit too close to home - kind of way): Anyway, *Gong* ... (I think *Gong* will be of the most interest in this, to you - but there are also *Soft Machine* aspects) ... Gong is a philosophy (from Daevid Allen's Gong's chosen successor, Kavus Torabi). Here's a Gaz Williams interview with Kavus, in which they both have various kinds of Gong reminiscences. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6eyaHV4epqKoJY There's a bit more synth geekery than I have processing capabilities ... to process, but it's interesting in a bewildering kind of way.

[@plawrence8083]

Again thanks for being brave enough to move away from just what was popular in the US