This Is The Modern World
Encyclopedia
This Is the Modern World is the second studio album
by British
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, the Record Mirror
's Barry Cain wrote that "This Is The Modern World reflects a definite PROGRESSION (remember that?) a definite identity mould. Here Weller is making an obvious attempt at creating a Jam SOUND. He succeeds. Brilliantly". Likewise, Chas de Wally, from Sounds, claimed that although "people were trying to tell me that this was a lousy album and The Jam were all washed up, This is the Modern World is one of the best albums I've ever heard in a long time".
The US release had a different track order, included a "censored" version of "The Modern World
", and added the single "All Around the World
" which was released in the UK between their first two albums. "All Around the World" 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 censored version of "The Modern World". While it was a minor hit, peaking at #36, it failed to capitalise on the success of "All Around the World".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
band The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
, 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, the Record Mirror
Record Mirror
Record Mirror was a British weekly pop music newspaper, founded by Isadore Green and featured, news articles, interviews, record charts, record reviews, concert reviews, letters from readers and photographs. The paper became respected by both mainstream pop music fans and serious record collectors...
's Barry Cain wrote that "This Is The Modern World reflects a definite PROGRESSION (remember that?) a definite identity mould. Here Weller is making an obvious attempt at creating a Jam SOUND. He succeeds. Brilliantly". Likewise, Chas de Wally, from Sounds, claimed that although "people were trying to tell me that this was a lousy album and The Jam were all washed up, This is the Modern World is one of the best albums I've ever heard in a long time".
Track listing
All songs by Paul Weller unless otherwise noted.- "The Modern WorldThe Modern World"The Modern World" was a single released by the British group The Jam on 5 November 1977. Backed by the tracks "Sweet Soul Music", "Back in My Arms Again" recorded live at London's 100 Club on 11 September 1977, it reached #36 in the UK Singles chart...
" - "London Traffic" (Bruce FoxtonBruce FoxtonBruce Foxton is an English rock and roll musician who is best known as the bass player in punk rock bands The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers.-Biography:...
) - "Standards"
- "Life from a Window"
- "The Combine"
- "Don't Tell Them You're Sane" (Bruce FoxtonBruce FoxtonBruce Foxton is an English rock and roll musician who is best known as the bass player in punk rock bands The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers.-Biography:...
) - "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 HourIn the Midnight Hour"In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. It was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. would later be murdered in April 1968...
" (Steve CropperSteve CropperSteve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
, Wilson PickettWilson PickettWilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
)
The US release had a different track order, included a "censored" version of "The Modern World
The Modern World
"The Modern World" was a single released by the British group The Jam on 5 November 1977. Backed by the tracks "Sweet Soul Music", "Back in My Arms Again" recorded live at London's 100 Club on 11 September 1977, it reached #36 in the UK Singles chart...
", and added the single "All Around the World
All Around the World (The Jam song)
"All Around the World" was a single released by The Jam on 23 July 1977 and reached #13 in the UK Singles Chart.The single was backed by the B-side, "Carnaby Street," and was released between the debut album, In the City, and the band's second album, This Is the Modern World.The song can be heard...
" which was released in the UK between their first two albums. "All Around the World" had been their biggest UK hit to date, peaking at #13, a placement they would not match until 1979 when "The Eton Rifles
The Eton Rifles
"The Eton Rifles" was the only single to be released from the album Setting Sons by The Jam. Recorded at Townhouse studios and released on 3 November 1979, it became the band's first top ten hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3...
" 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 censored version of "The Modern World". While it was a minor hit, peaking at #36, it failed to capitalise on the success of "All Around the World".