Review of "All Mod Cons" Album

by Charles Shaar Murray

©New Musical Express - October 1978

It´s not only several light years ahead of anything they´ve ever done before but also the album that is going to catapult The Jam right into the front rank of international rock and roll; one of the handful of truly essential rock albums of the last few years ...

Weller has transcended his original naivety without becoming cynical about anything other than the music business ... ALL MOD CONS is an album based firmly in 1978 and looking forward ...

Weller has the almost unique ability to write love songs that convince the listener that the singer is really in love ...

Weller is, like Bruce Springsteen, tough enough to break down his own defences, secure enough to make himself vulnerable ...

This is a good a place as any to point out that bassist Bruce Foxton and drummer Rick Buckler are more than equal to the new demands that Weller is making on them: the vitality, empathy and resourcefulness they display throughout the album makes ALL MOD CONS a collective triumph for The Jam as well as a personal triumph for Weller ...

If these songs mean that one less meaningless street fight gets started then we´ll all owe Paul Weller a favour ...

It´ll be the album that makes The Jam real contenders for the crown. Look out all you rock and rollers; as now of The Jam are the ones to beat.