release date: Nov. 16, 1979
format: vinyl (2383 559) / cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,72]
producer: Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: A) 1."Girl on the Phone" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Thick as Thieves" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Private Hell" (4 / 5) - 4. "Little Boy Soldiers" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Wasteland" (4 / 5) - - B) 1. "Burning Sky" (5 / 5) - 2. "Smithers-Jones" (4 / 5) - 3. "Saturday's Kids" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "The Eton Rifles" (4 / 5) - 5. "Heat Wave" (4 / 5)
4th studio album by The Jam released on Polydor and produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven. The album continues the style and the same high level of quality from All Mod Cons (1978). This was the first album I bought with the band and I must have played it more than 1.000 times. Also, like the predecessor most tracks are written by Paul Weller, and it contains a cover-version. This time it's the Holland-Dozier soul track composition, "Heat wave" (made famous by Martha and the Vandellas), here in an even more upbeat new wave version.
Setting Sons is another classic album by The Jam without a single weak track, and throughout time, I've had various favourite tracks from this release. Back then, my initial favourites were "Saturday Kids" and "Thick as Thieves". Five to ten years after, I think it was "Burning Sky" and "Girl on the Phone". Nowadays, I would be tempted to choose "Little Boy Soldiers".
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Smash Hits 4,5 / 5 ]
1979 Favourite releases: 1. Joy Division Unknown Pleasures - 2. The Jam Setting Sons - 3. The Clash London Calling
