TESTIMONIAL: Rick Buckler, The Jam.

Is there a better three album run than The Jam’s All Mod Cons, Setting Sons & Sound Affects? Then there’s the singles. A canon of seven inch vinyl to match The Beatles & The ‘Stones. In fact no band released a better collection of B-Sides before or since. The Butterfly Collector is regarded by many as the greatest of all time. Pow

For a few years ‘The best f***ing band in the world’ John Weller’s infamous live introduction, were indeed that. Bang

Honed by constant live gigging at the hottest venues in ‘town, The Jam emerged as ‘straight-tied-Jam-shoed’ Punk Mod Power Pop style icons in 1977 on the crest of the Punk & New Wave Revolution. Danny Baker said it best, there would be no better fledgling Punk & New Wave era film than through the eyes of The Jam. A sonic A-Bomb In Wardour Street their looks, politics and energy made them Immediate darlings of the NME with an easy transition to cathode ray tube and a virtual 1978-82 BBC Top Of The Pops residency. The tightest of three pieces, where there is nowhere to hide.. Wham

Near the end they headlined the first episode of The Tube playing “Ghosts”, “In The Crowd”, “A Town Called Malice”, “This Is The Modern World”, “Move On Up”, “The Great Depression”, “Beat Surrender”, “Precious” a diverse and virtuoso 8 Track performance. Direction

Weller’s rug pull in 1982 meant a beat generation kept a candle alight for a reunion. But we all know the redux is never quite as good as the original. So those memories were never corrupted. Reaction

On the passing of the band’s drummer Rick Buckler, a brief testimonial of one of the most vital bands who have accompanied my life and millions of others having emerged for any child of the Sixties at such an influential teen-age. Creation

Brighton Rocked. RIP Rick.

The Jam 1978