Setting Sons

In contrast to its pop-oriented predecessor, Setting Sons features a much harder, tougher production, albeit with the emphasis on melody common throughout the Jam's discography. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Paul Weller originally conceived Setting Sons as a concept album detailing the lives of three boyhood friends who later reunite as adults after an unspecified war, only to discover they have grown both up and apart. This concept was never fully developed and it remains unclear which tracks were originally intended as part of the story, although it is commonly agreed that "Thick as Thieves", "Little Boy Soldiers", "Wasteland" and "Burning Sky" are likely constituents; extant Jam bootlegs feature a version of "Little Boy Soldiers" split into three separate recordings, possible evidence that the song was intended to serve as a recurring motif, with separate sections appearing between other songs on the album.

The album was musically ambitious as well. "Little Boy Soldiers" consists of several movements, reminiscent of compositions by The Kinks. "Wasteland" unconventionally features a recorder. Even more striking is Bruce Foxton's "Smithers-Jones". The song was originally released as the B-side of the non-LP single "When You're Young" three months before the album's release; on Setting Sons it is re-recorded in an all-strings arrangement (provided by former Procol Harum and Whitesnake organist Peter Solley and credited to The Jam Philharmonic Orchestra, but played by session musicians), save a little electric guitar in the coda.That's Entertainment: My Life in The Jam p. 130 According to the liner notes of the Direction Reaction Creation box set, the revamping of "Smithers-Jones" was suggested by drummer Rick Buckler.

The liner notes also imply that the album was a somewhat rushed effort, which may explain why the original underlying concept was not fully developed, as well as the inclusion of one cover song and two prior releases: "Smithers-Jones" had already been released; "Heat Wave" is a cover of the Martha and the Vandellas' Motown hit. Since "The Eton Rifles" was released in advance of the LP for promotional purposes, this leaves only seven entirely new original songs on the album.The Jam & Paul Weller: Shout to the Top {{ISBN|978-0-857-12016-8}} pp. 49-51

The Polydor Canada LP release of Setting Sons is substantially different from the original UK version, and contains 12 tracks.

The Polydor US LP release in 1979 reversed the sides and inserted the single "Strange Town" as the second song on side two, between "Girl on the Phone" and "Thick As Thieves".

The album cover art features a photograph of Benjamin Clemens' bronze sculpture The St John's Ambulance Bearers. Cast in 1919, it depicts a wounded soldier being carried by two ambulance workers. The sculpture is currently in the possession of the Imperial War Museum in London.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/jan/13/setting-sons-st-johns-ambulance |title=Bring the Jam's Setting Sons sculpture back on display |newspaper=The Guardian |date=13 January 2009 |access-date=20 August 2013 |last=Martin |first=Gavin}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/setting-sons-mw0000650298 |title=Setting Sons – The Jam |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=14 January 2016 |last=Woodstra |first=Chris}}

| rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Jam |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |publisher=Omnibus Press |edition=5th concise |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}

| rev3 = The Irish Times

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-jam-setting-sons-super-deluxe-edition-1.2042333 |title=The Jam: Setting Sons (Super Deluxe Edition) |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=18 December 2014 |access-date=29 August 2016 |last=Clayton-Lea |first=Tony}}

| rev4 = Record Mirror

| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite magazine |title=The 80's Rising Sons |magazine=Record Mirror |date=17 November 1979 |last=Nicholls |first=Mike |page=14}}

| rev5 = (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book |chapter=The Jam |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |title=(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/416 416–17]}}

| rev6 = Smash Hits

| rev6score = 9/10{{cite magazine |title=Albums |magazine=Smash Hits |volume=1 |issue=26 |date=29 November – 12 December 1979 |last=Starr |first=Red |page=31}}

| rev7 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

| rev7score = 5/10{{cite book |chapter=Jam |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |publisher=Vintage Books |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=195–96}}

| rev8 = Uncut

| rev8score = 8/10{{cite magazine |url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/the-jam-setting-sons-deluxe-and-super-deluxe-editions |title=The Jam – Setting Sons (Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions) |magazine=Uncut |date=12 December 2014 |access-date=29 August 2016 |last=Mulholland |first=Garry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129093229/http://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/the-jam-setting-sons-deluxe-and-super-deluxe-editions |archive-date=29 November 2015 |url-status=dead}}

| rev9 = The Village Voice

| rev9score = B+{{cite news |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv3-80.php |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |newspaper=The Village Voice |date=31 March 1980 |access-date=29 August 2016 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}

}}

Setting Sons remains one of the Jam's most critically favoured works, alongside All Mod Cons and Sound Affects. The Manchester Evening News praised the "excellent songwriting [and] imaginative and creative production".{{cite news |last1=Jasper |first1=Tony |title=A Jam session |work=Manchester Evening News |date=4 Jan 1980 |page=16}} The Globe and Mail noted that "Setting Sons isn't commercial new wave, a la Joe Jackson or Elvis Costello, but it is relentless and honest".{{cite news |last1=Niester |first1=Alan |title=Setting Sons The Jam |work=The Globe and Mail |date=19 Jan 1980 |page=F4}}

AllMusic critic Chris Woodstra found that "Setting Sons often reaches brilliance and stands among The Jam's best albums" and, apart from "a number of throwaways and knockoffs (especially the out-of-place cover of 'Heat Wave' which closes the album)", is "an otherwise perfect album." Setting Sons was ranked the fourth best album of 1979 by NME, with "The Eton Rifles" and "Strange Town" ranked at numbers one and five among the year's top tracks.{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1979-2-1045405 |title=1979 Best Albums And Tracks Of The Year |website=NME |date=10 October 2016 |access-date=9 November 2016}}

All songs by Paul Weller except as noted.

;Side one

1. "Girl on the Phone" – 2:55
2. "Thick as Thieves" – 3:38
3. "Private Hell" – 3:49
4. "Little Boy Soldiers" – 3:32
5. "Wasteland" – 2:50

;Side two

1. "Burning Sky" – 3:30
2. "Smithers-Jones" (Bruce Foxton) – 2:59
3. "Saturday's Kids" – 2:51
4. "The Eton Rifles" – 3:57
5. "Heat Wave" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 2:24

;Side one

1. "Strange Town"
2. "Saturday's Kids"
3. "Little Boy Soldiers"
4. "The Eton Rifles"
5. "Girl on the Phone"
6. "Heat Wave" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)

;Side two

1. "Smithers-Jones" (Bruce Foxton)
2. "Private Hell"
3. "The Butterfly Collector"
4. "Burning Sky"
5. "Thick as Thieves"
6. "Wasteland"

;Side one

1. "Burning Sky"
2. "Smithers Jones" (Bruce Foxton)
3. "Saturday's Kids"
4. "The Eton Rifles"
5. "(Love Is Like a) Heatwave" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)

;Side two

1. "Girl on the Phone"
2. "Strange Town"
3. "Thick as Thieves"
4. "Private Hell"
5. "Little Boy Soldiers"
6. "Wasteland"

1. "Girl on the Phone"
2. "Thick as Thieves"
3. "Private Hell"
4. "Little Boy Soldiers"
5. "Wasteland"
6. "Burning Sky"
7. "Smithers-Jones" (Bruce Foxton)
8. "Saturday's Kids"
9. "The Eton Rifles"
10. "Heat Wave" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
11. "Strange Town"
12. "When You're Young"
13. "Smithers-Jones (single version)" (Bruce Foxton)
14. "See-Saw"
15. "Going Underground"
16. "The Dreams of Children"
17. "So Sad About Us" (Pete Townshend)
18. "Hey Mister"
19. "Start"

;The Jam

• Paul Weller – vocals, guitar
• Bruce Foxton – bass, vocals
• Rick Buckler – drums

;Additional musicians

• "Merton" Mick – piano
• Rudi – saxophone
• The Jam Philharmonic Orchestra – cello, timpani, recorder
• Pete Solley – score for strings

;Technical

• Vic Coppersmith-Heaven – production
• Alan Douglas – engineering
• George Chambers – assistant engineering
• Bill Smith – art direction, design
• Andrew Douglas – front cover photography

Setting Sons spent 19 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, rising to No. 4.{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14105/jam/ |title=Jam |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=1 November 2020}} In the United States, the album spent eight weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and reached its peak position of No. 137 in March 1980.

The 2014 re-release also charted in the UK, reaching No. 97 in November of that year.

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Setting Sons|artist=The Jam|type=album|award=Gold|id=5776-2171-2|access-date=4 November 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

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Category:1979 albums

Category:The Jam albums

Category:1970s concept albums

Category:Polydor Records albums