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DVD: The Jam - The Complete Jam
2 DVD set. Universal Music & Video.
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
They were as important in the early days of British punk as anyone else, and yet in America it was all Sex Pistols in the media. Only those who frequented the small record shops new anything of The Jam, initially, but cream rises to the top, and so it was with The Jam. They became extremely important to Brit kids and in-the-know American kids because Paul Weller's music wasn't disposable. It was passionate, intense and unforgettable, and his sincere performances were matched by bandmates drummer Rick Buckler and bassist Bruce Foxton. They were a power pop trio playing songs of such social import that they had instant credibility with the punk crowd, and yet the pop structures of the songs were so irresistible it brought the non-punk kids into the fold in droves. Everywhere but America. We just never seemed to get it. Stupid.
The Complete Jam is a 2-DVD video bible for the Jam fan and history lesson for the new Jam convert. So many DVDs give so little for so much money, so when you find a $25 dollar collection that has hours and hours of videos, documentaries and concert footage, it's something to crow about. This is one of those. Disc one covers the years 1977 through 1979, while disc two covers 1980 through 1982. Let's dispense with the extras first off, as they're just that: features that are interesting and fun, but they dwarf next to the main course. You're given the option of turning on a caption line that spits out world events that were taking place at the time of the concert or video you are currently watching. This was fun for a while, but as they go very fast I found myself using the pause button every third blurb and soon realized I was neither seeing The Jam nor enjoying their music. This might be interesting to look at with the sound off, but then the point is just as dead, so it seems to me that this feature is really only of great value to people who read very, very fast. Another special feature is the ability to rearrange your menu so you can watch by year. Instead of going through concerts first and videos second, you could see all things shot in 1977 first, 1978 second and so on. This, I found useful. There's a documentary on the band on both discs, and while one is considerably longer than the other, unless I got confused midway through one of them, they're almost exactly the same. Not sure what that's all about. A short-short featurette on the band's fans is over so fast you're checking to see if you accidentally hit the chapter button, but it's good while it lasts. And that, my friends, ends the section of special features, so let's talk about the good stuff.
The TV appearances, as shown on the menu screen, may not give one cause for too much excitement. It looks like you're just going to see five or six songs. Ah, but make a selection and you discover that, in most cases, each show has multiple performances, and by the time you've finished the TV section of either DVD, you've seen a considerable amount of live Jam from all phases of their career. You'll see them on rather dark stages though grainy film and on well lit stages in crystal clear video. It's a grand grab bag and a good representation of the Jam songbook. The Only downer, for me, was watching Weller treat a European interviewer shabbily before a performance. Her questions weren't original, but the self-important Weller didn't need to trash her like that, and I found myself feeling the same disgust I felt watching Madonna trash her Kevin Costner and her childhood friend in her concert film I've now happily forgotten the name of.
The videos sections of both discs bring you just what you expect. Yes, you'll have the lot of 'em, and they're still a blast to watch, from the low budget early punkers to the full blown production numbers at the end of the line, as Weller was preparing to kill this great band in favor of Joy Division. Oh... joy. Well, we have this to remember them by. A double disc that's truly loaded and doesn't skimp on your entertainment dollar. Definitely a must have.
© 2003 - DJ Johnson