This is my In the City by The Jam review, and honestly I’m not trying to over-complicate it. This is one of those debut albums where the band already sound like they know what they’re doing. It came out in 1977 right in the middle of punk, but it doesn’t sound like the rest of it. It’s tighter, cleaner, and you can tell they actually cared about how the songs were built, not just the attitude.
They recorded it fast at Strawberry Studios, only a few weeks, and you can tell they didn’t sit around polishing anything. Most of these songs were already written and played live before they went in, so what you hear is basically them captured at that moment.
Art School
This is how you open a debut. Straight in, no messing about.
Paul Weller wrote this when he was still a teenager and it’s aimed at people he saw as fake or trying too hard to look clever. It’s direct, no hidden meaning, just saying it how he saw it at the time.
They filmed a promo video for it really early on and it’s just the band playing, nothing flashy. That fits the track perfectly. No image building, just performance.
I’ve Changed My Address
This one’s a bit more lowkey but it sticks with you. It’s about cutting yourself off and starting again without explaining everything.
Foxton’s bass is doing more here than people give it credit for. It’s not just following the guitar, it’s moving around and giving the track a bit more life.
Slow Down
This is a cover of a Larry Williams song from the 50s and they don’t try to reinvent it.
They speed it up slightly and tighten it, but they keep the structure the same. It shows where they were coming from musically. They weren’t just listening to punk, they were going back to early rock and roll as well.
I Got By In Time
This one’s short but it does its job. It feels like one of those tracks that probably came together quick in rehearsals and they just kept it because it worked.
There’s a bit of attitude in it but it’s not overdone. The band keep it tight and don’t drag it out. It’s more about keeping the pace of the album going than trying to be a standout moment.
Away From The Numbers
This is one of the more important songs on the album.
It’s about not wanting to just blend in with everyone else, not being another number. That idea comes up a lot later in their career but this is one of the first times you hear it clearly.
The band play it tighter than most of the album. It sounds more controlled and thought out.
Batman Theme
They didn’t write this, it’s from the 60s TV show, and a lot of British bands used to play it live back then.
You can see why they included it because they were heavily into that era, but it does feel a bit out of place compared to the rest.
In The City
I don’t think I need to say a thousand things about this but this is one of the songs that made The Jam famous and to have something this good on a debut album is top class.
In the city is a simple song but sometimes you need simple to actually hit. The tempo is up, the chorus sticks straight away, and it doesn’t try to do too much.
The tone stands out a lot. Bruce Foxton is using that Rickenbacker bass and it cuts right through everything instead of sitting underneath it. That’s a big part of why the track sounds so sharp.
They released this as their debut single before the album dropped and it charted in the UK, which basically set them up straight away. You can tell why. It sounds like a band that already had their identity sorted.
Sounds From The Street
This one pushes things a bit more.
It’s not as instant as the main single but there’s more going on in the playing. The guitar opens up a bit and the whole thing feels slightly bigger.
Non-Stop Dancing
You can hear a bit of soul influence creeping in here.
It’s still fast but there’s more groove to it compared to the rest. That side of the band becomes way bigger later on, so this track feels like an early sign of that.
Time For Truth
This is where Weller starts aiming at something bigger.
It’s not just personal anymore, it’s more about calling things out in general. You can tell he’s starting to think beyond just writing quick songs.
Takin’ My Love
This is near the end and you can tell they’re just keeping the energy up before the closer.
It’s fast, a bit rough around the edges, but it fits the album. Nothing complicated going on, just straight playing.
Feels like the kind of track that would’ve gone down well live, especially in small venues when they were starting out.
Bricks And Mortar
Good way to end the album.
It’s more grounded and a bit more reflective. It’s about where you come from and being tied to that, whether you like it or not.
It doesn’t try to be massive at the end, it just finishes the album properly.
Final verdict
I’m a big fan of The Jam and this album backs that up. Rick Buckler is easily one of my top drummers.And his drumming on in the city for every song is just top notch.He doesn’t overplay anything but he keeps everything locked in, and that’s what makes these songs work. If the drums were sloppy this album wouldn’t hit the same.
For 1977 punk this is a strong album. It’s not the most aggressive thing out there but it’s more controlled and that’s why it still sounds good now.
That’s always the main thing for me. If a band still sounds right in an era of what I’d call “chart music” where everything is overproduced, then they’re doing something properly that is why in the city still holds up in 2026 The Jam don’t need any of that. The songs and the playing carry it.
This is just the start as well. I’ll be going through more Jam albums because this one shows where it begins, but you can tell there’s way more coming after this.
Rating: 7 / 10
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