release date: Nov. 28, 1980
format: vinyl (2442 183) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,48]
producer: Vic Coppersmith-Heaven, Chris Parry
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: A) 1."Pretty Green" (4 / 5) - 2. "Monday" (4 / 5) - 3. "But I'm Different Now" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Set the House Ablaze" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Start!" (4 / 5) - 6. "That's Entertainment" (5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Dream Time" (4 / 5) - 2. "Man in the Corner Shop" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Music for the Last Couple" (4 / 5) - 4. "Boy About Town" (4 / 5) - 5. "Scrape Away" (4 / 5)
5th studio album by The Jam released on Polydor and produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven and Chris Parry shows a more mature band playing with new styles and various influences. The album contains many tracks with horn sections and more soul-inspired new wave and mod revival but it also contains post-punk influences. The power pop element seems somewhat gone, although, there's still lots of energy present.
Sound Affects is another great album by The Jam, which took me some time to really appreciate after it was released. The album made it to number #2 on the UK album charts and the single "Start!" was the band's second single release to top the singles chart list. Prior to the album release, The Jam released the single "Going Underground" (Mar. '80), a track that wasn't included on any of the studio albums, and it became the first number #1 single for The Jam. The album is the second of two studio albums by The Jam to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Classic Rock 4,5 / 5 ]
1980 Favourite releases: 1. Joy Division Closer - 2. Kliché Supertanker - 3. The Jam Sound Affects
