The Jam were undoubtedly Britain's greatest ever mod band, a working class trio who talked tough, dressed to kill and wrote snappy pop songs about political unrest and the trials of being young. From 1977 until their shock breakup in 1982 they dominated the post-punk scene - largely thanks to the compelling presence of the young Paul Weller, a grim-faced frontman with a lyrical edge that cut to the bone. Released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of their debut single, The Sound Of The Jam may not be strictly necessary (there being plenty of other compilations in the shops already), but with 26 well-chosen tracks it's as good a way as any to remember those glory days of parkas, target T-shirts and Union Jack blazers. And while classic may be an overused word these days, when it comes to songs such as 'Going Underground', 'The Butterfly Collector' and 'That's Entertainment', it's nigh on impossible to think of an alternative. Just one question: where did it all go wrong, Paul?
