This Is the Modern World

Infobox Album
Name = This Is the Modern World
Type = Album
Artist = The Jam


Released = November 18 1977
Recorded =
Genre = Punk rock, New Wave
Length = 26:20
Label = Polydor
Producer = Chris Parry, Vic Smith
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kwhqoaqabijm link]
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1457&name=The+Jam link]
Last album = ""In the City"" (1977)
This album = "This Is the Modern World" (1977)
Next album = "All Mod Cons" (1978)

"This Is the Modern World" is the second album by British punk band The Jam, released in November 1977, less than seven months after their debut.

Despite some contemporary reviewers feeling the record was rushed to capitalise on the success of "In the City", Barry Cain from the Record Mirror stated "This Is The Modern World reflects a definite PROGRESSION (remeber that?) a definite idenity mould. Here Weller is making an obvious attempt at creating a Jam SOUND. He succeeds. Brilliantly". Chas de Wally from Sounds claimed "And people were trying to tell me that this was a lousy album and The Jam were all washed up. It´s one of the best albums I´ve ever heard in a long time"

Singer, guitarist, and songwriter Paul Weller did later admit to a lack of interest during the writing/record process, and had to completely re-record a new set of songs for the album after Producer Chris Parry rejected the first batch as being sub-standard.

Track listing

All songs by Paul Weller unless otherwise noted.

#"The Modern World"
#"London Traffic" (Bruce Foxton)
#"Standards"
#"Life from a Window"
#"The Combine"
#"Don't Tell Them You're Sane" (Bruce Foxton)
#"In the Street Today" (Paul Weller, Dave Waller)
#"London Girl"
#"I Need You (For Someone)"
#"Here Comes the Weekend"
#"Tonight at Noon"
#"In the Midnight Hour" (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett)

The US release had a different track order and added the single "All Around the World" which was released in the UK between their first two albums. The single had been their biggest UK hit to date, peaking at #13, a placement they would not match until 1979, when "The Eton Rifles" peaked at #3. Thereafter, no domestically released single by The Jam would ever reach a peak position lower than #4.

The only single from the album was "The Modern World". While it was a minor hit, peaking at #36, it failed to capitalise on the success of "All Around the World".