In the City (The Jam album)
| In the City | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Jam | ||||
| Released | 20 May 1977 | |||
| Recorded | March 1977 | |||
| Studio | Stratford Place, London, W1 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:02 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer |
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| The Jam chronology | ||||
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In the City is the debut studio album of British mod revival/punk rock band The Jam. It was released in 1977 by Polydor Records and featured the hit single and title track "In the City".
Weller's guitar style on the album is very much influenced by Pete Townshend.
The album includes two cover songs, "Slow Down" and the theme to the 1960s television series, Batman, the latter of which had also been previously covered by The Who, The Kinks and Link Wray.
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [2] |
| Q | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
| The Village Voice | A−[5] |
Upon the album's release, In the City received all-round positive reviews. Phil McNeil from the NME said Weller's songwriting "captures that entire teen frustration vibe with the melodic grace and dynamic aplomb of early Kinks and Who". Brian Harrigan of Melody Maker was equally impressed, proclaiming that "Weller composed songs are anything but an embarrassment, he has a deft touch that places his material on a much higher plateau". In the Record Mirror, Barry Cain wrote, "Armed and extremely dangerous The Jam stalk the decrepit grooves. If you don't like them, hard luck they're gonna be around for a long time. It's been a long time since albums actually reflected pre-20 delusions and this one does".
Track listing
All songs by Paul Weller unless otherwise noted.
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Art School" | 2:02 |
| 2. | "I've Changed My Address" | 3:31 |
| 3. | "Slow Down" (Larry Williams)" | 2:39 |
| 4. | "I Got By in Time" | 2:07 |
| 5. | "Away from the Numbers" | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Batman Theme (Neal Hefti)" | 1:31 |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "In the City" | 2:19 |
| 2. | "Sounds from the Street" | 3:14 |
| 3. | "Non-Stop Dancing" | 2:28 |
| 4. | "Time for Truth" | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Takin' My Love" | 2:15 |
| 6. | "Bricks and Mortar" | 2:37 |
Total length: |
32:02 | |
Personnel
- Paul Weller - guitars, vocals
- Bruce Foxton - bass, vocals
- Rick Buckler - drums
References
- ↑ Woodstra, Chris. "In the City – The Jam". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 June 2005.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-857-12595-8.
- ↑ "The Jam: In the City". Q (190): 138. May 2002.
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 416–17. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (5 September 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 27 February 2012. Posted in a revised version at "The Jam: In the City". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 11 May 2009.