by Chris Woodstra
The Jam's Setting Sons was originally planned as a concept album about three childhood friends who, upon meeting after some time apart, discover the different directions in which they've grown apart. Only about half of the songs ended up following the concept due to a rushed recording schedule, but where they do, Paul Weller vividly depicts British life, male relationships, and coming to terms with entry into adulthood. Weller's observations of society are more pointed and pessimistic than ever, but at the same time, he's employed stronger melodies with a slicker production and comparatively fuller arrangements, even using heavy orchestration for a reworked version of Bruce Foxton's "Smithers-Jones." Setting Sonsoften reaches brilliance and stands among The Jam's best albums, but the inclusion of a number of throwaways and knockoffs (especially the out-of-place cover of "Heat Wave" which closes the album) mars an otherwise perfect album.
allmusic.com
Convertidos en la banda más popular del Reino Unido, The Jam abordaron con Setting Sons su obra más ambiciosa, y aun careciendo de la unidad de All Mod Cons o Sound Effects, los resultados fueron notables (estaban en estado de gracia) y abrieron la puerta a la gran diversidad sónica de su siguiente álbum. Heatwave, una versión de Mowtown, inspiraría más tarde uno de sus mejores singles: A Town Called Malice.
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