Greatest Hits

This Greatest Hits album is very close to The Very Best of The Jam. The only differences are: 1) this 19-track collection removes “‘A’ Bomb in Wardour Street” and “The Dreams of Children"; 2) it contains the explicit version of “The Modern World” instead of the censored version; and 3) this set doesn't have the Snap! remix of “Funeral Pyre.” The 19 tracks here are the band’s 18 hit singles, plus “Precious,” which was released as a double A-side with “Town Called Malice.” As a straightforward singles collection, it’s obviously up to the task, and any album that contains “In the City,” “All Around the World,” a cover of The Kinks’ “David Watts,” “The Eton Rifles,” “Going Underground,” “That’s Entertainment," and “Funeral Pyre” deserves to be owned. It’s a matter of preference. How much Jam does one need? In most cases, the answer is more. (Snap makes a good bump-up to 29 tracks, with songs such as “Mr. Clean,” “The Butterfly Collector," and “Man in the Corner Shop” adding to the story.)