The Jam, Setting Sons Reviews

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Good Points: Setting Sons features many relatively obscure songs not included on The Jam compilations.
This is a concept album, but in loose terms meaning tracks can be listened to in any order and make for enjoyable tracks individually.

Bad Points: Not an album I can listen to on a whim, its heavy, serious subject matter makes Setting Sons an album I have to be in a certain mood to listen to.

General comments: A large portion of Setting Sons is about a group of lads, from their mischievious school days to their career in the army and into old age where they look back with a mixture of feelings on their former selves. It sounds quite grim, and it is sometimes; Paul Weller's lyrics concerning all the quirks of school, work and family life have a brutal honesty reflected in Paul's harsh accented vocal though frequently there are lighter, even quite sweet moments. "Girl on the Phone" and "Eton Rifles" are fun dedications to teenage love and school vs. school rivalry. The closing track is an all-out funky cover of the soul classic, "Heatwave" and "Smithers Jones" has an authentic classical arrangement.
These tracks are essential in making Setting sons so musically and emotionally diverse.

Regarding the music of the war themed tracks, with the exception of the explosive "Private Hell," they have good solid rhythms with guitars jangling and crunching away nicely. Not an exciting sound but an emotive, infectious one.