Forty years ago this evening, the Jam recorded their show at the Hammersmith Palais, in London. It's a good show, three of the songs - including Eddie Floyd's " Big Bird " - ended up on Dig the New Breed . Another six tracks are from The Gift , which would be released the following March. The band is supported by horns (or a horn) and keyboards on the new tracks tracks (organ on " A Town Called Malice ").  Some of their older songs get the treatment as well.  A squeaky sax (maybe a clarinet) rounds out the sound on the bridge of " Going Underground "and the chorus of " That's Entertainment ", something would be mixed better - at least in Glasgow -during the tour supporting The Gift . Nevertheless, some good stuff.

During this week in 1982 the Jam played were playing a five night stand at the Wembley Arena. Paul Weller had announced the band's breakup - at their commercial peak - just over a month earlier. Within a week of the fifth show, they played their farewell gig. The show, from the second night's show, was released with five other shows in the Fire and Skill boxed set. It's a retrospective set, with something from each stage of the band's career, although they seem to have skipped the Modern World lp.  I still prefer their first live album, Dig the New Breed , issued the day before their last gig. It is culled from several shows from 1977 to spring of 1982. It wasn't well received at the time, but I don't understand why. It bests the Wembley show with each track that the two releases share. The sound quality is great, the energy is high.  Maybe it could be faulted for missing some tunes, but I wouldn't know how to make room.