Does anyone else dig this guy?, I've been listening to a few of his solo albums, and get a real warm soulful vibe off them, nice.

Toofunkyinhere said:

I'm a big, big fan of his band The Jam (1977-82) though haven't listened to his solo stuff much. I'll have to check it out.

I've tried to get into the Jam but haven't been able to. They compare him to ray davies, but...maybe someday

i have the acoustic live album from 2001. it's pretty good. i love "Brand New Start"

I'm a big fan of The Jam, The Style Council and his first two solo albums. I've seen him on every tour from March 82 until May of this year.

Stanley Road onwards became a bit boring for me and he was stuck in a trad rock rut although this period strangely coincided with his biggest sales and turned him into a British icon.

His new album "22 Dreams" is a return to his more earlier experimental style.

Yeah i really like the Jam too, just got a singles collection of theirs. Been listening to Wildwood, Stanley Road and As is Now, really like all 3, but definately Stanley Rd and AsIs Now are more commercial, but that doesn't bother me.

...

This is still my favorite Weller cut:


Above The Clouds (Live)







I also dig this version of Style Council's Long Hot Summer...






...
[Edited 9/25/08 21:36pm]

I love this track - "Round And Round"
If you can fnd the album cut, YOU WON'T BE DISSAPOINTED!

tricky2 said:

Yup, that's another favorite!!




...

paligap said:

Hey, i really like this song, haven't really listened to much Style Council stuff as it seems to get slagged off quite a lot. But this is brilliant, reminds me of Marvin Gaye a lot. Best vocal performance i think i've heard from him. Didn't know he could play bass either, what a talent this guy is.

Man I'd love to learn Broken Stones on piano...

Like some of his solo stuff and some Jam stuff, but I think I like the Style Council stuff best.

Yeah The Style Council get a curiously bad press. A lot of folks don't explore this period of Weller's career because they read articles by journalists who never forgave him for splitting The Jam.

TSC was Weller's creative peak, he was really experimental back then and would release albums containing music in 7 or 8 different genres. He was always ready to surprise and challenge his audience but sadly most didn't appreciate it.

Anyone who wants to find out more about TSC can read all about it in their biography, Mr Cools Dream which is out on 20th October and available here:

http://paulwellerbook.com/default.aspx

pacey68 said:

Kool! thanks for the headzup!!



...

paligap said:

And look out for the exclusive pics I contributed to the book

pacey68 said:

We've been before, Pacey.

Like you, I loved The Jam and The Style Council, the first couple solo albums. Gave up at Heavy Soul. Bollocks.

Shapeshifter said:

I gave up long before Heavy Soul but his new album although not brilliant is a partial return to form

pacey68 said:

Wasn't that said about the one before too? That had all of one good song on it - the one that sounded like The Jam. Tell you what, Pacey - if I get 22 Dreams and think it's shite, will you give me my money back?

great stuff. he's a brilliant muso. the new on is good too.

Shapeshifter said:

Haha just take a gamble, it's certainly his most experimental album since "Confessions...". It has an electronica track on it which I never though I'd hear from Weller and Cold Moments could have been a Style Council classic.

It's still got some trad-rock leanings on there but he seems to be getting the bug to stretch out a bit once more after spending the past 15 years or so resting on his laurels.

I love him in all three incarnations: the Jam, Style Council, and solo. My all time favorite song he recorded is "Moon On Your Pajamas"...I was still in the honeymoon phase of my first marriage back then, and that song always reminds me of that time

I love Paul Weller! He's a great writer and I too think he was great in The Jam, The Style Council and as a solo artist. His self-titled CD is my favorite.

Good to see good taste back on the org. Keep it up.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...qiMfPe6U7g

http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

http://www.youtube.com/wa...re=related

applekisses said:

Yeah his first solo album was the best of his solo career, bizarrely he struggled to get it released initially. He was previewing it to loads of labels to much indifference!!!

Might have to check out his first solo album aswell. Yeah i really like "moon on your pjamas" too, but i think my favourite song from that album is "all the pictures on the wall". I think "as is now" is really good, got a couple of punky Jam moments on it, but the ballads are the best.

pacey68 said:

That's such a surprise to me - I think it's brilliant!

applekisses said:

Yes he was without a record deal at the turn of the nineties and financed the recording himself. He then took the masters to several labels with little interest. It was first released in Japan a good six months before he managed to get it released elsewhere. There is a story that he took it to a major label and the head of A&R went to the toilet when Weller started to play the tape which kind of ended the meeting!

It was a strange period being a fan at this time. I remember going to see his first solo tour in November 1990 and he was playing in the refectory of Leeds University to just a couple of hundred people. It was exciting to see my hero in such a small venue but also quite saddening to see him fall to such a low point in his career. I honestly thought he was washed up as far as his popularity was concerned and never imagined he would come back bigger and more successful than ever.
[Edited 10/1/08 19:24pm]
[Edited 10/29/08 17:05pm]

Great songwriter, look up some of the lyrics. Nice bloke too when I met him once at a photo shoot.