Frequently Bought Together
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
Because it features The Jam's single greatest song--"Town Called Malice"--The Gift gets bonus points right from the start. Though inconsistent at times, there's so much here to love that the album, far more than a collection of singles, transcends the sum of its parts. Soulful and funky, there's the too-short tease of lover's caress "Ghost", the intense jam on "Precious", and a classic pop nugget in "Running on the Spot". There are mis-steps here, too--"The Planners Dream Goes Wrong" goes, well, wrong, "Circus" is a multi-ring mess of influences, and the otherwise fantastic "Carnation" is almost ruined by a sloppy bridge--but substitute in other Jam singles, say "Going Underground" and "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight", and this could almost be a best of collection. --Randy Silver
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CD
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Tando
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
If The Gift had "Beat Surrender" and a decent arrangement of "A Solid Bond" (which doesnt seem to exist) on it in place of "circus" and "The planner's dream went wrong," then most of the Jam fans criticising this would then regard this as a classic. Maybe also dropping the red-wedge style preaching of "Transglobal express" to a b side status and swapping it for "The Great Depression" would have sealed the job. But unfortunately those two better tracks were written just after this album, as a farewell, with Beat Surrender getting the nod over Solid Bond as the final single. Still, the Jam were never ones to load up albums with singles and this is why it must have been a lot of pressure on Weller to write a whole album off the cuff,when he was also keeping most of the best tracks to release as singles,leaving them off the albums altogether. There seemed to be a one single per album rule with the Jam so as not to rip off the fans who already had the tracks.Most bands do the opposite.
The single that was released off the Gift is also the best track, and that is "Town called Malice." I can still remember the exact place i was standing when i heard this for the first time.It was the first song that had ever had such an effect on me, maybe because i was living in a town exactly like "Malice." The song is absolutely majestic,combining an absolute positive with an absolute negative but bringing them together somehow in perfect harmony. If that's the best track then it is followed by Happy Together, Running on the spot and Carnation. Those are the 4 exceptional tracks and worth the price of the album.... Read more ›
The single that was released off the Gift is also the best track, and that is "Town called Malice." I can still remember the exact place i was standing when i heard this for the first time.It was the first song that had ever had such an effect on me, maybe because i was living in a town exactly like "Malice." The song is absolutely majestic,combining an absolute positive with an absolute negative but bringing them together somehow in perfect harmony. If that's the best track then it is followed by Happy Together, Running on the spot and Carnation. Those are the 4 exceptional tracks and worth the price of the album.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Mrs. T. A. Papworth
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A good album gets the deluxe edition treatment. I remember buying this album in Clapham, as a young kid I strutted through the high street with the album clad in its lilac and white candy striped bag, singing 'A Town Called Malice' - those were the days. Never a classic album in my mind though, but one that helped shape my youth. My point in writing this review is this, in comparision to the remastered single version from 1997 this sounds a little less punchy and less vibrant. I'm slightly disappointed with the sound quality. However, the various demo's on the second disc make this a good purchase though - an early version of 'Absolute Beginners' ('Skirt')is very good as is the demo for 'A Solid Bond In Your Heart'.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By P. L. EVANS
Format:Audio CD
A lot of Jam fans haven't really listened to this album. Shame really - people always pick out the singles as the highlights (Malice, Carnation, etc) but this album has a track that is, for me, the quintessential Jam track - it distils the best of their power-pop arrangements with the best of Weller's lyrics: It's called 'Happy Together'. Sing it in the bath a few times, and you'll see. Especially the lines ..."I never let my feelings fool you...." and later the "...thought I was an angel with no wings". Sing it and hear the 'lift' that the best songs on Sound Effects or All Mod Cons gave you.
Nothing captures the essence of seeing the Jam quite as much as Happy Together. Worth the purchase on its own.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By J. Taylor
Format:Audio CD
Here in the US the Jam's albums are out of print. There are some compilations discs, but the individual albums are gone. I was delighted to find that they're still available in the UK and that I could get them here. This may not be the Jam's best, but it's still a great record and I'm glad I picked it up. I also got "All Mod Cons," which is certainly better, but the gift if still pretty strong. I'm going to get the rest of them....
By Joan Brooks
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Again bought for friend who was delighted to be able to obtain it without leaving home. He wears earphones so he can enjoy without annoy!!
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I did hear this album back in the eighties when it was originally released and thought it was quite good at the time, however having recently purchased it for the first time I was very disappointed with it. I found it to be an unfocused piece of work, containing elements of funk, calypso and soul. A few tracks benefit from that, such as Precious, which is one of the strongest tracks on the album. The planner's dream goes wrong is the calypson influenced track is really quite bad. Town called malice is also a very good track, but the rest of it is poor and on the strength of this work it is just as well that The Jam split up. The evidnence provided on this album suggests that Paul Weller was running out of ideas.
By Tanya's
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Bought for my son, a massive fan of The Jam and Paul Weller, he was very pleased with it as although he has lots of their recordings this has some tracks he hadn't got .
By Kangie
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The album was ok, but not as good as people said. I prefer Sound Affects and All Mod Cons. Glad there was a De Luxe alum, as someitmes demo are better than the ones released.
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3.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Album Great but what happen to the plastic sleeve packaging
Album great but what happen to the plastic sleeve which other Deluxe Editions have so protecting the gatefold card sleeve
Published 3 months ago by poobum
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jam
Great Song, Great Sound, Great Artist, Great Art work, Sounds great any time of the day on your own or with friends
Published 5 months ago by Bernard Mayers
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gift Deluxe edition -- not as it was described
A superb album which still sounds good today. But, be carefull there are several formats to choose from. Read more
Published 6 months ago by M. F. Laake
3.0 out of 5 stars
Writing on the wall
This is a very patchy album and shows Paul Weller's ambitions outgrowing The Jam. The only songs I'd really choose to listen to now are A Town Called Malice (overexposed but... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Sean Farrell
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gift - a Classic Album
This has been a brilliant album since it was released. My brother had it on vinyl, so I eventually had to get round to replacing it! Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2010 by Neil Wanless
2.0 out of 5 stars
If you're wondering by now who I am look no further than the mirror
The Gift was to be the final Studio album cut by The Jam, and it simply showcases how Weller ambitions had massively outgrown the band. Read more
Published on 9 July 2010 by P. Frizelle
3.0 out of 5 stars
For those of you watching in black and white...........
There was no new studio album from The Jam in 1981, so by the time The Gift was released in the spring of 1982 a hell of a lot of water had gone under the pop music bridge since... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2010 by C. J. Cunningham
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