Sorry about this ramble; but this album is haunting my thoughts a lot.
I always thought that "Setting Sons" was a real watershed album for The Jam, touted before-hand as almost a concept album, it also contained the "break out commercially" single "Eton Rifles", and was the Apollo launch pad for “Going Underground” and all those “straight in at number one “ singles that followed.
Following after "All Mod Cons", and before "Sound Affects" it gets overlooked a lot; but I find myself often day dreaming about some of the songs – I know what a sad person.
Perhaps it was I listened to it ALOT at the time, and almost wanted to believe it was a concept album - (original rumour was 3 young guys in a modern civil war situation, with different political views etc.) And , perhaps maybe, maybe I read too much into the lyrics.
But when I listen to "Little Boy Soldiers" today it sends a chill down my spine in the light of the conflicts we have seen since , and the attitude of the press these days "You’re a blessed son of the British Empire... and we love you for it etc".
In fact at the time apart this was pre Falklands and while we had the Troubles (c) going on, the song seemed more about what has come to be rather than was going on at the time, so an invasion,n/ war type scenario in 1979/1980 – yes it was that long ago, seemed er well fanciful.
As I get older as well, things like "Smithers-Jones", “Thick as Thieves”, “Burning Skies” gets more poignant.
Even non “concepty” songs like “Saturday’s Kids” are enjoyable, although “Girl on the phone” is only interesting because Cock rhymes with Sock.
I heard that in the end the album was a bit rushed out, so it is a half baked concept album, with a very un original version of "Heat Wave" stuck at the end.
Anyway , Setting Sons , is probably my third favourite Jam album, and to me a very good reason, that if you only have a Greatest Hit’s album of The Jam you are missing out big time.
I always thought that "Setting Sons" was a real watershed album for The Jam, touted before-hand as almost a concept album, it also contained the "break out commercially" single "Eton Rifles", and was the Apollo launch pad for “Going Underground” and all those “straight in at number one “ singles that followed.
Following after "All Mod Cons", and before "Sound Affects" it gets overlooked a lot; but I find myself often day dreaming about some of the songs – I know what a sad person.
Perhaps it was I listened to it ALOT at the time, and almost wanted to believe it was a concept album - (original rumour was 3 young guys in a modern civil war situation, with different political views etc.) And , perhaps maybe, maybe I read too much into the lyrics.
But when I listen to "Little Boy Soldiers" today it sends a chill down my spine in the light of the conflicts we have seen since , and the attitude of the press these days "You’re a blessed son of the British Empire... and we love you for it etc".
In fact at the time apart this was pre Falklands and while we had the Troubles (c) going on, the song seemed more about what has come to be rather than was going on at the time, so an invasion,n/ war type scenario in 1979/1980 – yes it was that long ago, seemed er well fanciful.
As I get older as well, things like "Smithers-Jones", “Thick as Thieves”, “Burning Skies” gets more poignant.
Even non “concepty” songs like “Saturday’s Kids” are enjoyable, although “Girl on the phone” is only interesting because Cock rhymes with Sock.
I heard that in the end the album was a bit rushed out, so it is a half baked concept album, with a very un original version of "Heat Wave" stuck at the end.
Anyway , Setting Sons , is probably my third favourite Jam album, and to me a very good reason, that if you only have a Greatest Hit’s album of The Jam you are missing out big time.
Comment