Paul Weller Wake the Nation (CD, Island Records, 2010) ***
Paul Weller Sonik Kicks (CD, Island Records, 2012) ****
Paul Weller A Kind Revolution (CD, Parlophone Records, 2017) ****
Paul Weller True Meanings (CD, Parlophone Records, 2018) ****
They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8
Active compensatory factors: I only have a smattering of his albums with The Jam and Style Council, but quite a few of his solo albums from 22 Dreams onwards. That's thanks to perusing the CD racks at a few of the charity shops in Caterham when we lived there.
I had bought 22 Dreams from my favourite CD shop in Abu Dhabi because of a stonking good review that I'd read in Mojo magazine. I loved the cover, the idea of 22 dreams in song form and the experimentation hinted at in the review. Sounded vaguely like a double album a la The Beatles.
Wake the Nation came after 22 Dreams. It was a much more in-yer-face effort with Weller delivering his vocals with full on commitment.
A Kind Revolution is an album that covers more mainstream pop territory, and I like it a lot for that very reason. It covers gentler ground than those last two albums and feels warm and cozy as a result. I particularly like Satellite Kid with its extended workout.
Genre: Indie rock
Places I remember: Kings Recording, Charity shops in Caterham, JB Hi Fi
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Cold Moments (22 Dreams)
Gear costume: No Tears To Cry (Wake the Nation), Satellite Kid (A Kind Revolution)
Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Cold Moments (22 Dreams)
Gear costume: No Tears To Cry (Wake the Nation), Satellite Kid (A Kind Revolution)
Active compensatory factors: I only have a smattering of his albums with The Jam and Style Council, but quite a few of his solo albums from 22 Dreams onwards. That's thanks to perusing the CD racks at a few of the charity shops in Caterham when we lived there.
CDs were out of fashion in the late 2000's so there were loads of good CDs going for a pound each. I bought the bulk of these Paul Weller albums that way.
It's certainly an eclectic collection and for the most part I enjoy the variety of songs on offer. Unlike the Fabs, Paul's voice is the consistent element to these 22 songs which encompass, rock, pop, electronica, soul, and jazz styles. Being a double album makes it ripe for further listens and exploration.
He still uses different styles for effect. I particularly like the Motown-ish No Tears To Cry and the sixties psych drama of Andromeda. Barking mad, but great! Not all of it works (Trees is a mess), but, like 22 Dreams, it's always intriguing.
Sonik Kicks came after Wake the Nation. It's another eclectic set of styles. It starts with a hiss and a roar and rarely lets up with the intensity. There is a lull for some psychedelic folk musing but generally it's a lush sound bed that Weller delivers on Sonik Kicks. His album titles are certainly accurate descriptors for the songs and sounds he delivers.
True Meanings is the final album on my list. It's a real change in pace for the sonic adventurer of Wake The Nation and Sonik Kicks. This time it's a pastoral, acoustic approach that really pays off. It certainly presents Weller in a more reflective, mellow mood (but not laid back!) It's about the only album here that I would recommend for the WTWMC album of the week.
Where do they all belong? He's prolific, but I don't live in England anymore, so I can't scoop up any further albums on the cheap. This will have to suffice.
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