The Jam are refoming to tour next summer! And they’re talking about an new album! Or so a recent news piece seemed to infer on NotMuchMusic a week or so ago. The somewhat more pedestrian truth of the matter is more along the lines of; Drummer Rick Buckler has had a more-or-less Jam tribute band (called “The Gift“, no less) for several years now. This past year, he conned bassist Bruce Foxton into joining up, and now…well, hey, now they’re called the Jam!
The problem with this, of course, is Paul Weller. The lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/visionary of the band has been leading sort of an arthouse type existence, staying in the UK, hanging about with Noel Gallagher, carefully picking and choosing his outside projects (notably, he’s been involved with anything that comes within a sniff of the Small Faces). Hot on the heels of his 2006 Brit Award, he’s released his first “electric” album in a decade (very good, BTW, closer to Mick Green and Wilko Johnson than Pete Townshend and Steve Marriott), and has been very public about turning his nose up at anything that has three letters and starts with a “J”.
Considering how vociferous Mr. W.’s “peeps” have been about protecting his interests on anything he still holds rights to (try finding a Jam video on Youtube sometime), it should present a very interesting problem when Mssrs. Buckler and Foxton come to choose material. They may elect to have a solicitor present. Oh, well, I’m sure they’ll do a bitchin’ version of “Don’t Tell ‘Em You’re Sane”.
The problem with this, of course, is Paul Weller. The lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/visionary of the band has been leading sort of an arthouse type existence, staying in the UK, hanging about with Noel Gallagher, carefully picking and choosing his outside projects (notably, he’s been involved with anything that comes within a sniff of the Small Faces). Hot on the heels of his 2006 Brit Award, he’s released his first “electric” album in a decade (very good, BTW, closer to Mick Green and Wilko Johnson than Pete Townshend and Steve Marriott), and has been very public about turning his nose up at anything that has three letters and starts with a “J”.
Considering how vociferous Mr. W.’s “peeps” have been about protecting his interests on anything he still holds rights to (try finding a Jam video on Youtube sometime), it should present a very interesting problem when Mssrs. Buckler and Foxton come to choose material. They may elect to have a solicitor present. Oh, well, I’m sure they’ll do a bitchin’ version of “Don’t Tell ‘Em You’re Sane”.
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