paul weller

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL WELLER "heavy soul" 1997.

this one is a huge letdown after 'wildwood' and 'stanley road'...maybe it has something to do with the fact that Weller was indulging in alcohol and drug binges with the Gallagher brothers around this time, maybe he was believing his own myth of greatness heaped on him by the 'britpop' bands of the day, or maybe he had exhausted himself through constant touring for the previous two years....whatever it was it created a below-par record.
the songs sound stodgy and compressed,there is a lack of focus on the songs and more effort put into creating a soundscape. this said, the songs sound raw and full of energy when performed live.
the aptly named album,'heavy soul' is just that as it tries to emulate the sound of Traffic in a modern way. there is one very good track on here,six average songs and five dud tracks,having said that,that is my opinion, and opinion of Weller fans is split on this one.
the album reached #2 on the UK charts, it would have got to #1 bar the give-aways it included...chart stipulations at the time in the UK stated that 'no more than two give-aways were allowed in an album to count towards chart sales, thus 30,000+ sales were not counted for the week it was at #2...an oversight on Island Records part, and one Weller was not impressed with.
four singles made the UK top 30: peacock suit#5, brushed#14, friday street#21, and, mermaids#30.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: brushed
best track peacock suit

tracks:

1.  heavy soul pt.1***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et1sBsJnJ_Q live(pts 1 +2)
2.  peacock suit***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRRB-MS7gJY live
3.  up in suzies room***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZTOlIw4lDg&playnext=1&list=PL5E926B28C2FE8469&index=23 live
4.  brushed**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVKZKMvzcJA live
5.  driving nowhere***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDm0Idz_VrY audio
6.  i should've been there to inspire you***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez1Ja7e2acc live
7.  heavy soul pt.2*
see 'heavy soul pt.1'
8.  friday street**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgOenmmFeM8 live with interview
9.  science**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0KGZGvUK7U audio
10.golden sands***
11.as you lean into the light***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIYYnQxxxhA live
12.mermaids***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UdMpWu9b8 live

3s=7
2s=4
1s=1

rating 2.5

to be continued,next...'heliocentric'2000.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL WELLER 'heliocentric'2000.

the unusual title is a ancient greek word, meaning 'the centre of the sun': helios=sun, centric=the centre.
a return to a more acoustic sound and less compressed than the guitar laden Heavy Soul.
a lot of 'personal' songs on here.
that said, its a more acoustic sounding album than its predecessor,but not as classy as 'wildwood'. theres string sections all over this one by Robert Kirby who did the strings on Nick Drake and Elton John recordings. the lead single/track he's the keeper is a heavy/compressed sounding track dedicated to Small Faces member Ronnie Lane who had recently passed away from MS.
'frightened' is a song about the responsibilities and pressures of bringing up babies, as Wellers then girlfriend had given birth to a baby boy.
'sweet pea' is a beautiful ode to his daughter Leah,who also appears in the video for the single.
'a whales tale' describes how the media can make or break a career.it originally started off as an environmental song about saving the whales,Weller amalgamated 'save the muso' into the equation.
'back in the fire' is a rant about the lack of health care on the british NHS,written after his father had to wait for six hours for a hospital bed after a stroke two years previous
'dust and rocks' a beautiful little ballad of lost love and regret
'theres no drinking' originally started life as a folk song but got lost along the way
'with time and temperance' a nice enough song about putting bad relationships in the past and moving on.
'picking up sticks' lots of surreal images and effects by Moog keyboards, comes across better live than on cd
'love-less' this one doesnt feel as though it is finished,it could have been a nice song of everyone needing to be loved.
the album stalled at #2 in the UK, "he's the keeper" single failed to make the UK singles charts due to an error in barcodes, 'sweet pea, my sweet pea' #44 UK

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: there's no drinking after you're dead
best track: dust and rocks

tracks:

1. he's the keeper***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRFgRBL3umU live
2. frightened***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ4GoPcgJ5c live
3. sweet pea,my sweet pea***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WoA95ouf0s live
4. a whale's tale**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb4DMVtS0AA audio
5. back in the fire***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmtueWN4QUw live
6. dust and rocks***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddlvrf5C7II audio
7. there's no drinking after you're dead*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11FxHOlE_o0 live
8. with time and temperance**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pqHfq-jsVs live
9. picking up sticks**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YomXgYfdHNQ live
10.love-less**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hmr2rgIx0E live

3s=5
2s=4
1s=1

rating 2.4

to be continued,next...'illumination'2002.

[Thraak]

Nice review of 'Heavy Soul'. I've always thought the album sounds finished and that given more time there could have been more to the tracks, especially ones like 'As You Lean Into The Light'. Along with that one, there are a few great tracks like the title track, 'Science' & 'Up In Suze's Room'.

Just prior to this albums release Weller & his band previewed the material to an enthusiastic crowd at an intimate gig on a pier somewhere in London which showcased some of the stronger tracks of the album in the rawest fashion I've ever seen from him.

[video=youtube;iRRB-MS7gJY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRRB-MS7gJY[/video]

[CRAZY-HORSE]

the show was 'live from southbank', a few of the clips i posted for HS are from that show including PS.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL WELLER "illumination" 2002.

after the previous two albums this one is a breath of fresh air.  its atmospheric and moody, its poppy and catchy yet very good lyrically.
there are elements of wildwood, stanley road and Style Council and it works beautifully. the songs here are less introverted and personal than what has become the Weller 'norm', they are songs of joy,happiness and contentment. the production work is on par with 'stanley road' and that is good considering it is Wellers first attempt at self production. Kelly Jones from Stereophonics co-wrote and duets on 'call me #5', 'a bullet for everyone' is the only real political/social comment song on the album,highlighting the fact that Governments have all the money in the world to spend on warfare but not on food and shelter for the masses. elsewhere on 'all good books' Weller writes that God,Allah, Mohammad etc would be dissapointed with the faithful and the way they twist words to justify their actions. 'who brings joy' is another tune inspired by one of his children. the album reached #1 UK, the Style Council-esque 'its written in the stars' #7 and the jingle-jangle Byrds-like 'leafy mysteries'#23.
overall this is a very underrated album and well worth a listen.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: spring at last
best tracks: its written in the stars & standing out in the universe

tracks:

1. going places***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCdYBqBoHkU live
2. a bullet for everyone***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zqnPCGdYZ4 live
3. it's written in the stars***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtxMeqC7YaM live
4. leafy mysteries***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqTYgWN7G2I live
5. who brings joy***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzJELoOUKEE live
6. now the night is here***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQrgJSCoJ0E audio
7. spring*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFGq9JPJNpY audio
8. one x one**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khh3KT8j-uc live
9. bagman***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVmYIb4sGnk audio
10.all good books**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiv7lYVPWTQ live
11.call me #5***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ADN3K9q1q4 live
12.standing out in the universe***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRF0FoLSIis live
13.illumination*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOyrIWhRQlU audio

3s=8
2s=3
1s=2

rating 2.5

to be continued,next..."studio 150",2004.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL WELLER "studio 150" 2004.

this one is a covers set. PW had toyed with the idea of releasing a 'covers' album as early as 1984, but for one reason or another it was always put on the backburner that is until he signed with Branson's Virgin label in 2003. Branson once said that his dream was to sign The Stones and PW to his label, he got the Stones sometime before Weller.
the album got its title from the studio in Amsterdam where the album was recorded,it was recorded in one week, the tracks here are taken from the first or second takes to keep a fresh raw edged sound.
i remember when i was a member of weller's website/forum and the subject came up about the covers album, we were all saying 'what Faces song is gonna be on it' or 'beatles,who,traffic,motown etc...'. however Weller surprised even the most ardent fans by doing covers of "close to me", "early morning rain", "all along the watchtower" etc...they seemed so far out of the square it wasnt funny. however this is a good album with a lot of surprises. Sister Sledge disco/dance song "thinking of you" and Rose Royce mid seventies "wishing on a star" sound soulful, i would have liked to see Style Council get their teeth into them. Neil Young's "birds" gets a gurnsey here complete with angelic backing vocals,something the original probably could have used. gordon Lightfoot's "early morning rain" sounds authentic,complete with sombre vocals, Nolan Porter,Tim Hardin, Gil Scott Heron,Aaron Neville are others that feature on here. as Weller said at the time, he didnt pick tracks because he liked them,he picked them if he felt he had something to offer them that was new or offbeat. 18 songs were recorded in total, the ones that didnt make the album were issued as b'sides,the most noteable of which are "family affair", "needles and pins" and "dont go to strangers". all in all this is a good album, only for the fact that most of the tracks were not 'household' hits in their former incarnations.
the album reached #2 UK, four singles were released
The Bottle #13
wishing on a star #11
thinking of you #18 and early morning rain #40, 'early morning rain' was released just after the devastating Indonesian Tsunami, boxing day 2004, Weller gave all royalties to aid relief programs for the disaster and performed several charity shows in London to help raise monies for the relief effort.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

worst track: close to you
best track: dont make promises

tracks:

1. if i could only be sure***
2. wishing on a star***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvJQH1XFH0Y live
3. dont make promises***
4. the bottle**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XzvqE9UmkY audio
5. black is the colour*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW4OMpCGGIw audio
6. close to you*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLAJaYIlCdU live
7. early morning rain**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vYz6O9C1UY live
8. thinking of you**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clEFQ08Q2as live
9. one way road*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtTkST_8uDI live
10.hercules**
11.all along the watchtower*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Roo3ZrpRJLM live
12.birds**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QMRQk22jBw live

3s=3
2s=5
1s=4

rating 1.9

to be continued,next..."as is now" 2005

[CRAZY-HORSE]

PAUL WELLER "AS IS NOW" 2005.

its been three years since his last proper studio album and Weller is back with a rejuvinated energy that hasnt been since 1995's Stanley Road, refreshed and ready to rock and rock it he does,allbeit for only four tracks, but its there, he's there and hes still got it when he wants to, the opening three tracks are the finest opening to any Weller album of his career, from the bluesy rock of "blink and you'll miss it" and "paper smile" and on to the straight rock of "come on/lets go", the latter takes a direct swipe at "idol" type shows, whereby the contestants have no history, they just appear,they havent done the hard yards in the music industry.. the album then slows a bit with a 40's sounding track,then delves a couple of times into folky acoustic numbers, halfway through the album the mood lifts again into the blistering urgency of 'from the floorboards up'...2:27mins of of faced paced song not seen by Weller fans since the early days of The Jam. "savages" is a swipe at faceless terrorists who hide behind masks,in the name of God and country to justify their brutalities. "bring back the funk" is a classy funk song,something Weller seems to do quite well...despite being a 'white boy'., the album closes with a lovely ballad "the pebble and the boy" which wouldnt have been out of place on the Style Council's final album "confessions of a pop group".the album reached #4 UK, 'floorboards' #6 UK, 'come on/lets go' #15 UK, 'heres the good news' #21 UK.
finally, there is no dumbass instrumental here just fourteen very good gongs

I LOVE THIS ALBUM

worst track: roll along summer
best track: the pebble and the boy

tracks:

1. blink and you'll miss it***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvr24RUtIJM live
2. paper smile***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04xCbuVslH8 live
3. come on/let's go***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQv9mAcJHTk live
4. here's the good news**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSeI2CSTm8 live
5. to the start of forever***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMNzRlN-rp4 live
6. pan***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya2KiICpEeM live
7. all on a misty morning***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PQAM55yTbQ&feature=related live
8. from the floorboards up***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktBz3wgXpoU live
9. i wanna make it alright**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt3PMrgNtvA&feature=related live
10.savages**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf4pYUMLO7A live
11.fly little bird**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCWlAWtGjvQ audio
12.roll along summer**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYQu40Ykr_k live
13.bring back the funk pts.1 & 2**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvRfxC-bq0Q audio
14.the pebble and the boy***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mM0WApN0Rw&feature=related audio

3s=8
2s=6
1s=0

rating 2.6

to be continued,next..."22 DREAMS" 2008.

[Tiggi]

^ This is turning into the mother of all Beginner's Guides, Lloyd.

Excellent input, Sir !!

[CRAZY-HORSE]

LOL,
only two more albums to go now...until the next one gets released in February.
just wait till the next one..Mr.Soul and I are in early stages of discussing an attack on Neil young,that one might end up a decade by decade thing or it will go on forever...ie finishing it when were Ed's age

[Tiggi]

Cool, a collaboration...

Good luck with that one. A lengthy exercise in anyone's books.