What Are You Listening To?

[CRAZY-HORSE]

STYLE COUNCIL "confessions of  a pop group" cd,cassette,vinyl 1988

a return to a long since played favourite this morning:

their fourth full length album
a mix of soul, funk,r+b, ballads, classical styles.
lots of orchestrations and lush strings on the first half them more upbeat and poppy later on.
songs of love in its various forms (found, lost, unrequited, regret etc) and biting social commentary.
production is crystal clear and for me it is the pinnacle of Weller's strengths all on one album.
I LOVE THIS ALBUM

musically, one of the most adventurous tracks Paul Weller has ever recorded.
10+ minutues of classical piano and vocals later on.








(one piece suite)

piano instrumental

(two piece suite)

True I was a gardener, once upon a time.
When the world was young and all the earth was mine
Mine to tend to, to plough and to sow.
Before mankind came and rendered all things low.
And beauty was it's first name by this I would call.
And ready the harvest for one and for all.

The orchards and the wheatfields which could of fed the world,
Were divided up like money and sold through human slaves
The rivers fresh, the hillsides that had no need of name,
Now ran red with the life blood and drunk with guilty shame.

The gentle bough was broken and twisted out of shape,
And who knows the consequences when the bough doth break,
The mother soil which reared it's young, now reared her angry head,
And rain fell down like teardrops upon the flower beds.

The blame for this I'm in no doubt, is mine and mine alone,
But so proud was I of my work, I had to share it's growth -
'Tis true I was a gardener in the time before the flood,
Now these greenfingers of mine - are stained by angels blood.

(suite III)


i'm hanging up my surfboard
i'm giving back my ring
i've had enough of choking on salty sea and fish.

i've come to the surface and come to my senses
i've come to the surface and come to my senses.