Setting Sons  by The Jam

On November 16, 1979, The Jam released their fourth studio album, Setting Sons, through Polydor Records. Vic Coppersmith-Heaven took on the production, providing a "harder" and fuller sound compared to their previous, more pop album, All Mod Cons. The recording took place at Townhouse Studios in Shepherd's Bush, London, between August 15 and October 10, 1979.

The style of the album's lyrics and music is characterized by social realism, pessimism, and sharp criticism of British reality at the time, with influences from punk, new wave, and mod revival. It was initially designed as a concept album about three childhood friends who reunite as adults after a war, only to find they have drifted apart socially and politically. Although the concept was not fully realized due to time pressures, it is retained in tracks like Thick As Thieves, Little Boy Soldiers, and Burning Sky. The album's only single was The Eton Rifles (released in October 1979), which became their first Top-10 hit in the UK, reaching No.3. The album closes with a cover of Heat Wave, a hit by Martha and the Vandellas from 1963.

Setting Sons reached No.4 on the UK Albums Chart in its first week of release and very soon went gold in the UK.