By early 1982, The Jam had been a continuing and extremely inventive presence on the British music scene for 5 years. However even when their legions of followers didn’t realize it but, their time was drawing to a detailed. On March 20, 1982, the trio’s sixth and final studio document, The Reward, did one thing that not one of the earlier 5 had managed, when in its opening week, it turned their first UK No.1 album.
The Jam’s earlier launch, 1980’s Sound Impacts, had debuted at No.2 on the British charts, behind ABBA’s Tremendous Trouper, earlier than falling away. This time, there was no mistake, as The Reward interrupted the reign of Barbra Streisand’s Love Songs compilation, for one week solely. That High 10 additionally included a brand new entry at No.7 for the Enjoyable Boy Three’s self-titled debut album.
The Reward was propelled to No.1 by the smash hit, double-sided single “Town Called Malice” and “Precious.” That entered the UK chart at No.1 on February 13 and was the nation’s favorite for 3 weeks. Each side had been on the 11-track album, which additionally featured different well-remembered Paul Weller songs corresponding to “Just Who is The Five O’Clock Hero?” and “Carnation.” Bassist Bruce Foxton contributed “Circus.”
‘Love in the face of despair’
Reviewers of the time had combined emotions in regards to the new launch. Mark Cooper in File Mirror noticed that “the best Jam songs mix an angry kitchen-sink realism with a surging desire for a change. On The Gift, [Weller] finally steps off the fence and goes for love in the face of despair, and intelligence in the place of exhaustion.”
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Melody Maker’s Adam Sweeting reserved judgement by saying: “In a couple of weeks I should know for sure whether The Gift is a classic or merely a very good record. At the moment I can’t get it off the turntable.”
When the album was given the deluxe reissue therapy in 2012, Uncut journal remarked that “for many Jam loyalists, it’s a record that’s tainted by Weller’s decision to split the band at the height of their popularity, the headstone to a premature burial.”
Purchase the Tremendous Deluxe version of The Reward.
