Sound Affects

Infobox Album | Name = Sound Affects
Type = Album
Artist = The Jam


Released = November 28, 1980
Recorded = June 15-October 22, 1980
Genre = Punk, New Wave, Mod Revival
Length = 35:18
Label = Polydor Records
Producer = Chris Parry,
Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4k8gtq5ztu45 link]
Last album = "Setting Sons"
(1979)
This album = "Sound Affects"
(1980)
Next album = "The Gift"
(1982)

"Sound Affects" is a 1980 album by British group The Jam. This release, their fifth album, is frequently considered the closing point of The Jam's artistic peak begun on their third LP, "All Mod Cons" and carried through on its follow-up, "Setting Sons". This is considered by many fans and critics to be The Jam's best album; only "All Mod Cons" receives more claims thereto. Paul Weller considers this album to be The Jam's best work.

After the ambitious, harder-rocking "Setting Sons", The Jam returned to the pop-oriented outlook of "All Mod Cons", albeit with a noticeably different sound. The most salient influence on this album is '60s British psychedelic pop, such as The Beatles' "Revolver", The Who's "The Who Sell Out", and The Kinks' "The Village Green Preservation Society". The psychedelic overtones run throughout the album: in the backwards guitar on "That's Entertainment"; in the swirling, gauzy feel of "Man in the Cornershop"; in the punchy British horns of "Boy About Town" and "Dream Time". Other obvious influences are post-punk groups such as Wire, Gang Of Four, and Joy Division and, particularly evident in Rick Buckler's drumming, Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" album. Indeed, singer/guitarist/songwriter Paul Weller said at the time that he considered the album a cross between "Off the Wall" and "Revolver".

The album's cover is a pastiche of the artwork used on the various "Sound Effects" records produced by BBC Records during the 1970s. [http://www.vinylvulture.co.uk/labels_of_love/bbc_1.php "Sound Effects No1"] , "Label of Love", Vinyl Vulture. Article retrieved 2007-03-04.] [ [http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/B/BBC.html Cover Art: BBC Sound Effects] , Album Art Gallery at tralfaz-archives.com. Article retrieved 2007-03-04.]

This album features the group's second UK number one single, "Start!", built around a bassline obviously inspired by The Beatles' "Taxman", the lead cut on "Revolver". Incidentally, Polydor pushed for "Pretty Green" to get the single release instead, thinking it a surer bet, but Weller insisted on "Start!"

"Pretty Green" is perhaps the apotheosis of the Michael Jackson and Beatles fusion, melding a throbbing funk bassline and rhythm with melodic guitar breaks and psychedelic sound effects. The group would later explore the "Britfunk" sound in earnest on their next and final album, "The Gift".

Perhaps The Jam's best known and most acclaimed song is the striking acoustic ballad "That's Entertainment"; it was recently named to the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #306, The Jam's lone entry. For a full discussion of this song, see the relevant article page.

Track listing

*All tracks written by Paul Weller except as noted.

Side One:
# "Pretty Green"
# "Monday"
# "But I'm Different Now"
# "Set The House Ablaze"
# "Start!"
# "That's Entertainment"

Side Two:
# "Dream Time"
# "Man In The Corner Shop"
# "Music For The Last Couple" (Rick Buckler, Bruce Foxton, Paul Weller)
# "Boy About Town"
# "Scrape Away"

*The song order on the US release of the album differed in that "Start!" was the first track on Side One.

References