Pages tagged “paul weller”

Be glad he didn’t die before he got old

From his early days as a Mod revivalist swimming against the ’70s punk tide as the leader of The Jam, to his ’80s tenure as a neo-R&B stalwart in The Style Council, and beyond, Paul Weller has often come across as a self-righteous old soul in a younger man’s body. So while it comes as a mild shock to realize he really is old, happily, middle-age becomes him. Having hit the half-century mark, Weller seems surprisingly comfortable in his skin today, especially at the mic. He’s always relied on fervor rather than technical ability to sell his earnest songs, but now his slightly hoarse crooning feels less contrived and more genuine than ever before. His first album in three years, the likable 22 Dreams, offers a handy overview of Weller’s interests, highlighted by the sweeping orchestral grace of “Empty Ring” (which begs for a Joe Cocker cover): The swirling instrumental “Song for Alice,” a salute to late jazz great Alice Coltrane, guest-starring lovable Robert Wyatt on piano and trumpet; the melancholy piano ballad “Invisible”; and the pounding freak-rocker “Echoes Round the Sun,” co-written with Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, who contributes Mellotron. The 21-track epic only falls short only when Weller unveils a pretentious four-song suite featuring a spoken-word recitation on God and watery, Beatlesque psychedelia. Still, even this annoying misstep is heartening in a way, proving that Weller is far from becoming a lazy old fart.

In an interview with Russell Brand, Noel Gallagher announced that Oasis’ next album is due out sometime next September. Gallagher was hesitant to say an exact date, though, for fear of his manager’s wrath.

Paul Weller hadn’t recorded anything for three years, but it’s not like he took time off to nap. While he was out of the studio, he played concert series in New York City and Los Angeles, earned Lifetime Achievement honors at the 2006 Brit Awards and reissued a deluxe edition of his timeless record, 1995’s Wild Wood.

And that’s all fine and good. Great, even. But this summer, there’s another Weller-related cause for excitement. His new album, 22 Dreams, will hit stores June 24 on Yep Roc . And it’s been a year in the making.

22 Dreams will feature 21 (not 22?) new songs, a full 70 minutes of music featuring collaborations with the likes of Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon. It’s Weller’s ninth solo album and should be pretty eclectic, displaying his affinities for rock, funk, soul, classical, spoken word, electronica “and beyond.”

The album was recorded at Weller’s Black Barn Studios in Surrey, and the first single, “Echoes Round the Sun,” was co-written with Gallagher.

That being said, be sure to keep your eyes on the news: no dates have been released yet, but the Modfather will tour the U.S. later this year.

Related links:
News: Paul Weller’s Wild Wood gets reissued
YouTube: Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher - “That’s Entertainment”
Paul Weller on MySpace

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.

The early ’90s weren’t kind to Paul Weller. At one point wildly popular in the UK through his pioneering work in The Jam, Weller’s following outfit, The Style Council, followed a left-turn into house music that proved a dead end. As the new decade dawned, Weller was considered washed up and spent—artistically and commercially—without a band and without a record contract.

So he chose to refocus on the traditional rock sounds he loved most. Although The Jam washed ashore on the tide of the punk movement, Weller and Co. were mod-rockers at heart, with a heavy debt to The Who and other ’60s acts. As a solo artist crafting an independent debut, Weller took on blue-eyed soul and Neil-Young-via-Nick-Drake acoustic rock (the latter a new element for him) as his primary colors. His self-titled solo debut was a grassroots hit, landing him a new record contract and a second life in the British spotlight.

Weller’s second record, 1995’s Wild Wood, is a timeless-sounding powerhouse consolidation of rock ’n’ soul strengths, and was a massive UK success, spawning several hit singles and placing Weller squarely in an elder statesman role in the then-ascendant Britpop movement. Pop heroes like Liam Gallagher (of Oasis) began namechecking him in interviews, and bands like Kula Shaker and Ocean Colour Scene nakedly followed in his footsteps. (In fact, Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Craddock made a guest appearance on Wild Wood, a prelude to his membership in Weller’s backing band.)

Which brings us to Wild Wood’s deluxe reissue, out earlier this month on Yep Roc, which can be properly characterized as essential (for Weller’s sizable UK audience), and educational (for some U.S. listeners). The most important part of the reissue, of course, is the album’s original running order, which will be new to many stateside listeners who, regrettably, never heard any of these excellent songs on the radio. The tracks that garnered attention upon original release were acoustic folk outings like “Country” (which employs 12-string guitar in a way that would make Jimmy Page proud) and “Foot of the Mountain,” but the soulful, horn-laden “5th Season” and the all-out rocker “Has My Fire Really Gone Out?” also turn heads.

Right down to the themes of the songs, the album oozes timelessness in every way. There are no topical references that lose impact 13 years after the fact, and no sounds or production choices that, in retrospect, haven’t aged well. (Even Weller’s decision to use an Ian Anderson-esque flute in a few of these arrangements works in the context.) As one might expect, given the history, Weller’s songs are questioning, to the extent of wondering if he still has what it takes as an artist. Given the spirituality inherent in these themes, emphasized in songs like “Can You Heal Us (Holy Man),” it’s not surprising that the lyrics still resonate, and will continue to.

As for the bonus material, while a “deluxe” reissue demands its inclusion, much of it is disposable here. Given the sonic perfection of the album’s final form, listening to “demo” versions of most of the songs (recorded live off the floor, by the sound of it, with Weller occasionally calling out “chorus!” to the band) just makes a listener appreciate the work it took to get Wild Wood sounding the way it does. The only exception is “All The Pictures On The Wall,” which takes on a more laid-back arrangement and minute-longer running time in demo form, with horns that are absent in the official version.

Other bonus material, including songs left off Wild Wood’s original running order and some live BBC performances, are tasty side dishes, welcome additions from a time when Weller was at an indisputable creative peak. There’s even a Portishead remix of the title track, which wisely adds little more than a trip-hop beat.

Weller long ago made peace with his inability to crack America, and now focuses nearly all of his energy on England. (After all, one of his heroes, Ray Davies of The Kinks, has had similar issues.) So while you may have to grab a transatlantic flight to see him live, thanks to this reissue, you don't have to pay import prices to experience some of the man’s best work.

What does the leader of a seminal alt-rock outfit do when the time comes to go solo? If you're Morrissey or Frank Black, you drop those loser bandmates of yours and continue in the style for which you're already known. For Paul Weller, however, it was a bit trickier to strike out on his own. After celebrated stints fronting The Jam and The Style Council, Weller entered the '90s looking for a bit of mid-career self-reinvention. He found it on Wild Wood, an album which cemented his status as England's revered "Modfather." Incorporating some of the more folky elements that Jam songs like "English Rose" had once hinted at, Wild Wood quickly became a standard for Weller and the legions of young bands that followed him (Blur, Oasis).

On Feb. 5, Yep Roc Records will reissue the album, including a bonus disc of demos, unreleased cuts and BBC sessions tapes. Weller and original producer Brendan Lynch helped to oversee the repackaging job, which includes 43 tracks and a 28-page booklet of liner notes and interviews.

The complete track list:

Disc One:
1. Sunflower
2. Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)
3. Wild Wood
4. Instrumental One (Part 1)
5. All The Pictures On The Wall
6. Has My Fire Really Gone Out?
7. Country
8. Instrumental Two
9. 5th Season
10. The Weaver
11. Instrumental One (Part 2)
12. Foot Of The Mountain
13. Shadow Of The Sun
14. Holy Man (Reprise)
15. Moon On Your Pyjamas

Bonus tracks:
16. Hung Up (single)
17. Wild Wood (Portishead remix)
18. Magic Bus (b-side)
19. Ends Of The Earth (b-side)
20. This Is No Time (b-side)
21. Another New Day (b-side)
22. The Loved (b-side)

Disc Two:
1. Sunflower (demo)
2. Wildwood (demo)
3. Pictures On The Wall (demo)
4. Country (demo)
5. 5th Season (demo version 2)
6. The Weaver (demo)
7. Shadow Of The Sun (demo)
8. Moon On Your Pyjamas (demo)
9. Ends Of The Earth (demo)
10. Love Of The Loved (demo)
11. Price To Pay (demo)
12. Changes (demo)
13. I’m Only Dreaming (previously unreleased)
14. Ohio (demo version)
15. Oh Happy Day (previously unreleased)
16. Greetings (previously unreleased)
17. Wild Wood (demo version)
18. Weaver Of Dreams (demo version 2)
19. Foot Of The Mountain (BBC session version)
20. Hung Up (BBC session version)
21. Black Sheep Boy (BBC session version)

Related links:
PaulWeller.com
Paste: Paul Weller - Open Your Mouth and Sing
YouTube: Paul Weller - "Wild Wood" (live)

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

Wouldn't it be awesome to go to a show where one of your favorite artists highlights songs from every album they've ever recorded? Well, if you’re a Paul Weller fan, you’ll be getting that treat next year.

The legendary musician known for his work with The Jam and The Style Council will be performing exclusive shows presented by Spin magazine at the Irving Plaza in New York. He also has a forthcoming release of a career-spanning box set, Hit Parade, on Jan. 23, 2007, released by Yep Roc.

Along with the three shows in NYC, Weller is also geared to perform on Late Night with Conan O’Brien Feb. 1, 2007.

Tour dates:

January

29 – An Evening with Paul Weller Spotlighting The Music of The Jam
30 – An Evening with Paul Weller Spotlighting The Music of The Style Council
31 – An Evening with Paul Weller - Spotlighting His Entire Career

Like most of the hipper musicians who’ve been making music for more than a quarter century, Paul Weller isn’t the type to sit around and marvel at DVDs full of videoclips of his younger self. But it’s not that he fancies himself too cool to do so—Weller just didn’t own a DVD player until recently, he admits with a laugh.

That said, he did happen to run across a few vintage clips of The Jam recently, and they proved quite the eye-opener: “The whole energy of the band and the commitment between us and the audience was great, but what really kind of freaked me out was seeing how young the kids were in the audience—they were like 12 year olds. You tend to forget that. There were people my age, obviously, but it was also young kids, school kids.”

It’s ironic that Weller is awestruck with the young faces from long ago. Sitting in this bar off the lobby of Manhattan’s Rihga Royal Hotel, Weller is more handsome now than when he fronted The Jam or Style Council decades ago—his lined face more interesting, his hair a mix of silver, brown and blond.

At an appearance at Tower Records in Greenwich Village two nights ago—where turned-away fans clung to windowsills outside, mouthing the words to Weller songs new and old—an enthusiastic young woman remarked, “You think he looks in the mirror and says, ‘I look good!?’”

Ever the guy’s guy, and one of the most humble rock stars you could hope to meet, Weller laughs when he hears this. “Believe me, I don’t. I look in the mirror every morning and say, ‘You’re getting so f---ing old!’”

Like his face, Weller’s voice has aged with extreme grace, leaving the emotion of his songs truer and his words wiser. The sweaty energy and electric power of Weller’s youth has morphed into what is more often than not a sophisticated, consistently more resonant and wholly unique brand of British blue-eyed soul.

“It’s just gone on to a dižerent level,” he says of his voice. “And I can’t say why. Perhaps it’s reaching a peak and then it’s going to vanish,” he laughs. “I was talking with someone the other day and he played me Style Council’s version of ‘My Ever Changing Moods,’ and it’s just so weird to hear my voice, it just sounds like I’ve f---in’ been castrated or something.

“At that time I was much more self conscious about singing. I wanted to attain this certain sound, and in the process I was being too self-conscious, I guess. In the past 10 years or so, the less I thought about it, the better it’s gotten in a way. When you just open your mouth and sing it sounds better.”

Weller lets loose on his new covers album, Studio 150. Instead of delivering what fans would expect—Kinks and Zombies, classic soul—Weller covers songs by Gil Scott-Heron (“The Bottle”), Sister Sledge (“Thinking of You”), Neil Young (“Birds”) and even Burt Bacharach (“Close to You”). Some tunes have been kicking around for years, while others were spur-of-the-moment selections. “It made it more exciting to do it that way,” Weller says. “We didn’t know what we’d end up with.”

Initially, Weller cut about a half-dozen songs he’s loved since childhood. But the vibe wasn’t right: “To play songs that are so close to my heart, it would be kind of hard to get away from the blueprint of.” In the end, the selected songs were as good as any, he says. “If you look at them, they’re kind of stretched in two directions: There’s the R&B, soul tunes and then there’s singer/songwriter stuff. So I guess it’s as good as any sort of description of my music in some ways.”

Weller says Studio 150 catches him at a time when he’s more con½dent as an artist than ever before. “I still have my self doubts, like we all do, but there are some aspects of my talent that I don’t doubt anymore.”

There’s always been a sense of yearning in Paul Weller’s music, a yearning for something finer. But where he once bristled against conformity with The Jam (The Modern World) and later grooved on the pitfalls of capitalism as frontman of The Style Council (The Money Go Round), Weller now focuses his muse more keenly on spiritual and emotional concerns. His approach has ripened over time, but the essential energy remains unchanged. Weller’s current U.S. acoustic tour finds him passionate as ever, delivering songs old and new with deep involvement and honest intensity.

He took the stage of Chicago’s House of Blues in a floral-print shirt, hair nicely coifed. Picking up an acoustic guitar, he launched into a powerful reading of “The Loved,” followed by the title track from his latest album, Illumination. With his rich, resonant voice filling the room, Weller’s songs kept their emotional and melodic punch even with the spare treatment.

Gem Archer of Oasis then joined Weller on second guitar, and the duo delivered the heartfelt Ronnie Lane tribute, “He’s The Keeper.” Their chiming guitars and sense of groove suggested a kind of soul hootenanny—a vibe that carried them warmly through the evening. Letting the music do the talking, Weller eschewed banter and drew on songs from every phase of his remarkable canon. The original bouncing pop of “Headstart For Happiness” took on a more subtle elegance, while the affecting “Bag Man” was marked by deft guitar harmonics.

While the set drew from Weller’s 20 years of material, a theme of the struggle and celebration of love and human compassion ran throughout. By the time he returned for his encore, including the pastoral “Wild Wood” and an impassioned rendition of “That’s Entertainment,” Weller once again proved his integrity and sensitivity as an artist and performer.