Various Artists
Fire And Skill: The Songs Of The Jam
»
Various Artists
Fire And Skill: The Songs Of The Jam
Epic, 1999
RiYL: The Jam, the bands involved |
It's a testament to the quality of The Jam's songs that Fire & Skill is a cohesive, even exciting, record. Throwing together Reef, Garbage, Gene and Ben Harper sounds like it could be a recipe for a confusing mix tape. But Jam frontman Paul Weller's songwriting naturally provides a golden thread that holds Fire & Skill together.
Jam disciples Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis bookend the compilation with separate tracks paying tribute to Weller, admittedly one of the biggest influences on their own boisterous melodicism.
The Beastie Boys contribute a funked-up version of "Start!" with Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori on guest vocals. Other highlights include Buffalo Tom's pulsing, harmonic take on "Going Underground" and Ben Harper's cover of "The Modern World," commendable for staying so true to the Jam original as to be a major stylistic departure for Harper.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.