There’s not too many out there, if indeed anyone, who’ll make the claim that The Modern World, the second studio album by The Jam, is their finest body of work.
It was all a bit rushed, being released in November 1977, just five months after the debut, In The City. Twelve songs, one of which was a cover, all crammed into under 32 minutes of music. It does, however, contain this gem.
mp3: The Jam – In The Street Today
The song is credited to Paul Weller/Dave Waller. The latter was a founding member of The Jam when they were all in their early teens, but he left well before any record deals were signed as he wanted to pursue his interest in poetry. The two remained close friends and 1980 saw the publication of Notes From Hostile Street, a collection of poems written by Dave Waller and issued through Riot Stories, a publishing outlet owned by Paul Weller.
Dave Waller died of a heroin overdose in 1982. Paul Weller would later write A Man Of Great Promise, a track on the album Our Favourite Shop, in tribute.
JC
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
can’t beat the jam to start the day
WinterInMaypark
Still think that if you cherry-pick the best bits from the first two albums, you could make <a href=”https://newamusements.blogspot.com/2020/11/theres-really-decent-album-in-there.html“>a great album</a>. Or at least a better one.
A perfect (punk) rock song. [sk]
Funny, I played through The Modern World the other day and yes most of it is pants. That track is one of the better ones, partly on account of its brevity. Also, re Martin’s comment above – what? Are you implying that the first album is patchy?? Won’t have it! The compilation would have to be all of In the City plus about three tracks off the follow up.
‘This is the Modern World’ may have some weak tunes, but still a whole better than the dross in the charts today!
Not saying In The City is patchy at all, just speculating that an ever better album could have been made by combining the best bits of the first two. And totally agree with Anonymous, suggesting that even Modern World is a whole lot better than today’s chart.