Paul Weller, Dalby Forest
By Ray Simpson
The Northern Echo
DALBY on Saturday night was more wet wood than wild wood, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Who needs, or wants, Bruce at Glasto when you can have Paul in the forest?
The modernist maxim of clean living under difficult circumstances was severely tested in the muddy field, where the usually dapper Weller audience swapped Ben Sherman for Berghaus. There were some exceptions – my cousin turned up in sharp grey cords and black suede Hush Puppies – he always was a dedicated follower of fashion.
And so to the music. You know what you are going to get from Weller, two hours of top-notch entertainment. Some people may question his relevance in 2009, because he could easily play a fan-friendly set of nostalgic hits. The lead singer of best North-East tribute band, the New Age Jam, spotted in the crowd, will tell you that one hour of early Jam material is hard work for the over-40s, never mind a 51- year-old, but Weller sticks to his artistic guns. The majority of songs were taken from his solo work, with 22 Dreams and As Is Now well represented. He started with Peacock Suit and Out of the Sinking, every song polished and tight.
The first look back was the pairing of Shout To The Top and Eton Rifles. Quite how David Cameron can relate to that song is a mystery, but it certainly got the crowd going.
The rain long stopped and the atmosphere warming up, Weller took a break from centre-stage and moved to the piano. You Do Something To Me was great, steam rising from his head, followed by my favourites from 22 Dreams, Have You Made up your Mind and Push it Along, and the time flew by.
The setting sun signalled the final part of the gig, From The Floorboards Up had the crowd jumping and we were into the encores. A singalong to That’s Entertainment, apparently dashed off in ten minutes after a few drinks, and then A Town Called Malice transported everyone back to their fifth form disco.
You either have it or you don’t and whatever it is, Paul Weller has it, and long may it continue.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
Another Review Of Paul Weller At Connock Chase!
Review: Paul Weller, at Forestry Commission Live Music, Cannock Chase Forest
Jun 28 2009 by Alison Dayani
From The Birmingham Post
While Glastonbury opened with pouring rain and the young pretenders, this relatively dry open air concert in Staffordshire had the royalty of Brit rock, the ‘modfather’ himself.
Everything stood to attention as Weller, his inner youth defying the spiky silver hair and wrinkles, casually slinked on stage on Friday night to open the show with ‘Peacock Suit’. Even raindrops gave him the respect he deserved, halting for the 90 minute session.
Aptly moving on to ‘Out of the Sinking’ as the rainclouds moved away, Weller’s years of experience and class were undeniable on vocals and guitar.
The 51-year-old made no mention of Michael Jackson’s passing and it seemed the dignified and right thing to do.
With nine solo albums, not to mention a legendary discography with The Jam and Style Council, Weller had to be selective over which tracks were played in a limited amount of time.
He managed a variety of songs from across the solo years up to the recent 22 Dreams album, which helped clinch him his fourth Brit Award this year for best male solo artist, but there was also a focus on those hits that have defined his illustrious career, such as ‘Changingman’.
The old favourites were always going to enthrall the most and naturally received the biggest response. ‘Shout to the Top’ and ‘Eton Rifles’ were thrown in midway, but like the intelligent and quintessentially cool entertainer that he is, Weller saved the ultimate early classics for an uplifting finale.
The annual Forestry Commission Live Music gig in Cannock, where proceeds go to help sustain Britain’s woodland in a variety of environmental and social projects, is set in a beautifully serene location - a clearing on the Chase in a natural grass amphitheatre surrounded by only tall trees and rustling birds.
In this wondrous atmosphere came one of the most memorable moments of the gig when Weller moved on to the piano and with husky tones soulfully crooned out ‘You Do Something To Me’ as the sun set behind the stage. The perfect place for the perfect song.
Its tingling notes saw mesmerised couples across the Chase unconsciously clinch a little closer together.
Despite the darkness now closing in, Weller looked as though he would have been happy to stay on stage most of the night, but sadly all good things must come to an end.
The singer started a wrap up of the show with ‘The Pebble and the Boy’ before revving things up with two of the The Jam’s sensational hits, ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘A Town Called Malice’.
An electrifying finish to a majestic performance.
Jun 28 2009 by Alison Dayani
From The Birmingham Post
While Glastonbury opened with pouring rain and the young pretenders, this relatively dry open air concert in Staffordshire had the royalty of Brit rock, the ‘modfather’ himself.
Everything stood to attention as Weller, his inner youth defying the spiky silver hair and wrinkles, casually slinked on stage on Friday night to open the show with ‘Peacock Suit’. Even raindrops gave him the respect he deserved, halting for the 90 minute session.
Aptly moving on to ‘Out of the Sinking’ as the rainclouds moved away, Weller’s years of experience and class were undeniable on vocals and guitar.
The 51-year-old made no mention of Michael Jackson’s passing and it seemed the dignified and right thing to do.
With nine solo albums, not to mention a legendary discography with The Jam and Style Council, Weller had to be selective over which tracks were played in a limited amount of time.
He managed a variety of songs from across the solo years up to the recent 22 Dreams album, which helped clinch him his fourth Brit Award this year for best male solo artist, but there was also a focus on those hits that have defined his illustrious career, such as ‘Changingman’.
The old favourites were always going to enthrall the most and naturally received the biggest response. ‘Shout to the Top’ and ‘Eton Rifles’ were thrown in midway, but like the intelligent and quintessentially cool entertainer that he is, Weller saved the ultimate early classics for an uplifting finale.
The annual Forestry Commission Live Music gig in Cannock, where proceeds go to help sustain Britain’s woodland in a variety of environmental and social projects, is set in a beautifully serene location - a clearing on the Chase in a natural grass amphitheatre surrounded by only tall trees and rustling birds.
In this wondrous atmosphere came one of the most memorable moments of the gig when Weller moved on to the piano and with husky tones soulfully crooned out ‘You Do Something To Me’ as the sun set behind the stage. The perfect place for the perfect song.
Its tingling notes saw mesmerised couples across the Chase unconsciously clinch a little closer together.
Despite the darkness now closing in, Weller looked as though he would have been happy to stay on stage most of the night, but sadly all good things must come to an end.
The singer started a wrap up of the show with ‘The Pebble and the Boy’ before revving things up with two of the The Jam’s sensational hits, ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘A Town Called Malice’.
An electrifying finish to a majestic performance.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Paul Weller At Connock Chase - Review & Pics!
Weller Delights Wild Wood Chase Crowd
Expressandstar.com
Lets get the basics out of the way first. This is Paul Weller; sincerity, sweat and songwriting come as standard.
So, for that matter, do sell-out crowds rain or shine. And amid the wild wood setting of Cannock Chase the Modfather delighted the hordes with a stunning run of hits from the last 30 years.
Opening with Peacock Suit, the Brit award winner showed off his latest album 22 Dreams and the title track was soon rapturously received as the clouds parted, probably out of respect.
As ever, it was a rare pick from his Jam days which really lit the blue touchpaper as class struggle rabble rouser Eton Rifles had the 40-something crowd churning up the venue faster than a farmer’s plough. (Note to Sugababes fans: Forget the stillettos tonight. Seriously.)
But Weller was in playful mood, joking about backstage jacuzzis, the weather and handing out tambourines to roadies. Truly, the angry young man is long gone.
In his place is a 50-something acknowledged as one of Britain’s greatest living songwriters, now free of the insecurity which restricted his set lists in years gone by.
His solo catalogue has almost - almost - achieved the impossible by surpassing his output with The Jam. Changing Man, From the Floorboards Up and You Do Something To Me were as rapturously received as his early work.
Weller now has the confidence to let them stand alongside his Jam tracks, where they hold their own to ecstatic cheers and word-perfect singalongs.
In the past, he has frustrated with his choice but last night only the cloying Porcelain Gods dragged the set down and the near two-hour celebration peaked perfectly with an encore of the brilliant Broken Stones, an electric That’s Entertainment and bittersweet battler Town Called Malice.
Even the weather held off; right up to the point in Wild Wood where the Modfather sang ‘golden rain will bring you justice’ and - bang on cue - a few drops feathered down on the mass of misty-eyed fathers and their setting sons.
It seems even Mother Nature’s a Weller fan these days.
Expressandstar.com
Lets get the basics out of the way first. This is Paul Weller; sincerity, sweat and songwriting come as standard.
So, for that matter, do sell-out crowds rain or shine. And amid the wild wood setting of Cannock Chase the Modfather delighted the hordes with a stunning run of hits from the last 30 years.
Opening with Peacock Suit, the Brit award winner showed off his latest album 22 Dreams and the title track was soon rapturously received as the clouds parted, probably out of respect.
As ever, it was a rare pick from his Jam days which really lit the blue touchpaper as class struggle rabble rouser Eton Rifles had the 40-something crowd churning up the venue faster than a farmer’s plough. (Note to Sugababes fans: Forget the stillettos tonight. Seriously.)
But Weller was in playful mood, joking about backstage jacuzzis, the weather and handing out tambourines to roadies. Truly, the angry young man is long gone.
In his place is a 50-something acknowledged as one of Britain’s greatest living songwriters, now free of the insecurity which restricted his set lists in years gone by.
His solo catalogue has almost - almost - achieved the impossible by surpassing his output with The Jam. Changing Man, From the Floorboards Up and You Do Something To Me were as rapturously received as his early work.
Weller now has the confidence to let them stand alongside his Jam tracks, where they hold their own to ecstatic cheers and word-perfect singalongs.
In the past, he has frustrated with his choice but last night only the cloying Porcelain Gods dragged the set down and the near two-hour celebration peaked perfectly with an encore of the brilliant Broken Stones, an electric That’s Entertainment and bittersweet battler Town Called Malice.
Even the weather held off; right up to the point in Wild Wood where the Modfather sang ‘golden rain will bring you justice’ and - bang on cue - a few drops feathered down on the mass of misty-eyed fathers and their setting sons.
It seems even Mother Nature’s a Weller fan these days.
Photos Courtesy Of Tony Dixon!!
Cheers!!
Cheers!!
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Paul Weller To Play The Fuji Rock Festival In Japan!
Paul Weller has been added to the Fuji Rock Festival. He will be performing on Friday July 24th, just before the headliner Oasis. The festival is held at Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa-machi, Niigata, JAPAN.Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Paul Weller At Sherwood Pines Forest - Another Review & Pics!
From The Sheffield Telegraph
Published Date: 23 June 2009
By David Todd
WHEN Paul Weller first elected himself to the Style Council, diehard fans clamoured for The Jam classics at every gig.
When he went solo they did the same, but added Shout To The Top or Walls Come Tumbling Down to the raucous requests.
Maybe it's a sign of advancing years but now the people who turn up for a Weller show just seem happy that he's still producing pretty much faultless performances at 50. And that's as it should be. While Weller peppers the set with newer songs from 22 Dreams, why on earth would anyone ignore a back catalogue of such rich heritage?
Deep in the woods at Sherwood Pines, part of the Forestry Commission's annual national music extravaganza, Weller kicks it off with Peacock Suit and - with the exception of a couple of microphone issues - barely misses a beat.
Even the fans tucking into picnics near the back put the pork pies away long enough to join the throng for Changingman while Eton Rifles sounds as fresh as it did 30 years ago.
Into The Sinking, Porcelain Gods, Wild Wood and everyone's first wedding dance favourite You Do Something to Me sit happily alongside Sea Spray, All I wanna Do (Is Be With You),One Bright Star, Push It Along and From the Floorboards Up, surprising you once more with the sheer quality of Weller's craft
That's Entertainment and Town Called Malice come late into the night, as the crowd does its level best to disprove Weller's early comment that they're a bit quiet.
Whoever it was that said quality never goes out of style might just have been talking about Paul Weller.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Help The Moons Sell Out London's 100 Club!
Image Courtesy Of Stefan DeurrPaul Weller's band mate Andy Crofts brings his band The Moons to the 100 Club on September 10, 2009. They will be celebrating the release of their next highly anticipated single on Acid Jazz Records titled, Torn Between Two b/w Leaving Here! Don't miss your chance to catch this great band at one of the legendary spots in London. Tickets for the show are only 6 pounds. There aren't too many left, so get yours NOW!!
Paul Weller News Endorses
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Paul Weller At Sherwood Pines: Review
Paul Weller, Sherwood Pines Forest Park
While modern music finds itself in a state of flux some things never change. Paul Weller's hairstyle, for example, is one constant you can rely on. His music is another, and while the current music scene is saturated with androgynous kids playing icy synths over Nintendo-aping backing tracks, Weller continues to invalidate the perceived doctrine that you can’t possibly evolve as an artist without tampering with your music's DNA for every new album.
He has his own distinct sound and he’s sticking with it through thick and thin. It’s classic rock forged from a love of R 'n' B (classic R 'n' B that is, not the insipid chart rammel) and soul, deemed too pallid for staunch fans of The Jam when first attempted with The Style Council, but subsequently embraced wholeheartedly by his legions of devotees.
Take Peacock Suit, the set-opener. It's characteristically Weller: a brooding, soulful swipe of vintage Rickenbacker, instantly lighting the blue touch paper. From here it's a nomadic wander through his unfaltering yet gilded back catalogue.
A reverberating Into The Sinking ushers in 22 Dreams - the first track to be played from his latest record of the same name - while the clanging guitar jangle and meandering solos of The Changingman are an instant mosh-pit pioneer. And although Sea Spray - from 22 Dreams - is not an obvious choice by Weller, it connects well with the audience nonetheless.
On the subject of the audience Weller attempts some reverse psychology, complaining that they're "a bit quiet", and that his recent forest gig in Cheshire was much livelier in comparison. It’s a brave denunciation by Weller, and one which, thankfully, seems to work, as the picnics are packed away, tops are screwed back onto flasks and chairs are folded, making way for a huge soily dance floor.
And what better way to keep the punters happy and motivate a crowd than pull out a proper classic? Quite simply there is no better way, and when Eton Rifles is plucked straight from the iconic lineage of seminal mod records and given a rollicking 2009 lick of gloss, no one is chomping on their scotch eggs anymore.
It's one of three all-time classic songs he plays from The Jam's influential vaults. That's Entertainment and the majestic show-stopper A Town Called Malice are the other exhibits, showing that, unlike many of his peers, he's not afraid to cherish his past brilliance and dip into his rich heritage to please his audience.
While the gig is largely triumphant it doesn't all go to plan. While One Bright Star (from 22 Dreams) might prove he can deviate from the classic guitar sound as it tangos along to a Spanish guitar-driven groove, it doesn't quite work. It severely fails to ignite the senses and comes across a bit, well, lounge. It's the one weak link in the entire set. Fortunately though, Push it Along's bass-heavy bullishness follows and the mood improves tenfold.
Elsewhere we're treated to one of his most underrated tunes, Porcelain Gods. Epic, echoic, shifting and strident, it deserves to exist on a higher pedestal, while the transcendental You Do Something To Me is achingly beautiful.
As the night sky slowly descends, there can be no better song to soundtrack the transition of day and night than the lazy, hazy organ-frazzled Wild Wood, with its swaying opulence and evocative charm. And even a mic fail can't dampen Broken Stones' soulful wonder, and adds weight to the theory that if all else fails bring out the tambourine.
After A Town Called Malice ends proceedings having almost ripped open a similar woodland clearing to the one on which we stand by virtue of its colossal might, Weller has once again defied his critics and substantiated the popular belief that he's inherently rooted in British musical ancestry.
10,000 people will have flocked through Sherwood Pines Forest Park by the end of tonight (Saturday) when McFly continue the Forestry Commission's annual party. The 6,000 or so that were here were in the presence of a true God-like genius. Beat that McFly.
PHIL VILES
From This Is Nottingham
While modern music finds itself in a state of flux some things never change. Paul Weller's hairstyle, for example, is one constant you can rely on. His music is another, and while the current music scene is saturated with androgynous kids playing icy synths over Nintendo-aping backing tracks, Weller continues to invalidate the perceived doctrine that you can’t possibly evolve as an artist without tampering with your music's DNA for every new album.
He has his own distinct sound and he’s sticking with it through thick and thin. It’s classic rock forged from a love of R 'n' B (classic R 'n' B that is, not the insipid chart rammel) and soul, deemed too pallid for staunch fans of The Jam when first attempted with The Style Council, but subsequently embraced wholeheartedly by his legions of devotees.
Take Peacock Suit, the set-opener. It's characteristically Weller: a brooding, soulful swipe of vintage Rickenbacker, instantly lighting the blue touch paper. From here it's a nomadic wander through his unfaltering yet gilded back catalogue.
A reverberating Into The Sinking ushers in 22 Dreams - the first track to be played from his latest record of the same name - while the clanging guitar jangle and meandering solos of The Changingman are an instant mosh-pit pioneer. And although Sea Spray - from 22 Dreams - is not an obvious choice by Weller, it connects well with the audience nonetheless.
On the subject of the audience Weller attempts some reverse psychology, complaining that they're "a bit quiet", and that his recent forest gig in Cheshire was much livelier in comparison. It’s a brave denunciation by Weller, and one which, thankfully, seems to work, as the picnics are packed away, tops are screwed back onto flasks and chairs are folded, making way for a huge soily dance floor.
And what better way to keep the punters happy and motivate a crowd than pull out a proper classic? Quite simply there is no better way, and when Eton Rifles is plucked straight from the iconic lineage of seminal mod records and given a rollicking 2009 lick of gloss, no one is chomping on their scotch eggs anymore.
It's one of three all-time classic songs he plays from The Jam's influential vaults. That's Entertainment and the majestic show-stopper A Town Called Malice are the other exhibits, showing that, unlike many of his peers, he's not afraid to cherish his past brilliance and dip into his rich heritage to please his audience.
While the gig is largely triumphant it doesn't all go to plan. While One Bright Star (from 22 Dreams) might prove he can deviate from the classic guitar sound as it tangos along to a Spanish guitar-driven groove, it doesn't quite work. It severely fails to ignite the senses and comes across a bit, well, lounge. It's the one weak link in the entire set. Fortunately though, Push it Along's bass-heavy bullishness follows and the mood improves tenfold.
Elsewhere we're treated to one of his most underrated tunes, Porcelain Gods. Epic, echoic, shifting and strident, it deserves to exist on a higher pedestal, while the transcendental You Do Something To Me is achingly beautiful.
As the night sky slowly descends, there can be no better song to soundtrack the transition of day and night than the lazy, hazy organ-frazzled Wild Wood, with its swaying opulence and evocative charm. And even a mic fail can't dampen Broken Stones' soulful wonder, and adds weight to the theory that if all else fails bring out the tambourine.
After A Town Called Malice ends proceedings having almost ripped open a similar woodland clearing to the one on which we stand by virtue of its colossal might, Weller has once again defied his critics and substantiated the popular belief that he's inherently rooted in British musical ancestry.
10,000 people will have flocked through Sherwood Pines Forest Park by the end of tonight (Saturday) when McFly continue the Forestry Commission's annual party. The 6,000 or so that were here were in the presence of a true God-like genius. Beat that McFly.
PHIL VILES
From This Is Nottingham
Paul Weller Appears On New Acid Jazz Compilation!
Paul Weller's collaboration with Andy Lewis, "Are You Trying To Be Lonely" appears on a new Acid Jazz compilation called London Street Soul 1998-2009: 21 Years Of Acid Jazz Records.Track List:
1. Are You Trying To Be Lonely - Lewis, Andy & Paul Weller
2. Lovesick - Night Trains
3. Love Will Keep Us Together - Taylor, James Quartet & Alison Limerick
4. Never Stop - Brand New Heavies & N'Dea Davenport
5. Peace & Love - Cloud Nine
6. I'm The One - D-Influence
7. Watch My Garden Grow - Humble Souls
8. Taurus Woman - Subterraneans & Mardou Fox/Jonzi
9. Couldn't Take The Missing You - Lauren, Jessica
10. Tears Inside - Emperor's New Clothes
11. Jesse - Mother Earth
12. Mindbeam - Twisted Tongue
13. Ain't No Use - Pure Wildness
14. One Million Smiles - Mr. Exe & Mica Paris
15. Conscience - Double Vision
16. Someplace Else - Jinrai
17. Profound Gas - Sandals
18. Everybody Knows - Akimbo
Paul Weller, The Brand New Heavies, Leftfield, The JTQ, Mica Paris, The Young Disciples, Alison Limerick, Max Beesley, Moloko and members of Jamiroquai are just some of the artists that turn up on this celebration of the 21st Birthday of one of the most influential independent labels of the 1990s and beyond. "London Street Soul" is a look at the heavily soul influenced output of Ed Piller and Gilles Peterson's creation. Once Peterson left in 1989 Piller's modernist vision embraced a gritty mix of soul, beats and retro influences learned in clubs such as Talking Loud at Dingwalls, but that at its height not only encompassed world-wide hits, but also ownership of London's Blue Note nightclub - declared by Time Out in 2000 to be the club of the Millennium.The music on this compilation tells the story of the label from its earliest hits such as the beat-laden `I'm The One' by D Influence and the Brand New Heavies' `Never Stop' - here in the chart-bothering David Morales 7" mix - through to its recent top 40 hit by Andy Lewis and Paul Weller and on into this year's great hope Twisted Tongue. Along the way we come across the very first production by Leftfied, Sandals' `Profound Gas' which is presented as a previously unreleased 7" mix. Also here are a largely forgotten performance by Brit-soul diva Mica Paris in a wonderful duet with Mr Exe and most of the Young Disciple hooked up Max Beesley in the Subteranneans. Cloud Nine were Mark Brydon's project immediately before the chart-topping Moloko, that fell apart when a sampling problem drove them apart.
The great Acid Jazz acts are all here, The JTQ with Alison Limerick on the modern soul classic `Love Will Keep Us Together', Mother Earth with a Brendan Lynch radio mix of `Jesse', and there are also several lesser-known gems that shine through such as the wonderful `Lovesick' by the Nightrains, the jazzy soul of Pure Wildness and the Sun Ra space soul of the Emperor's New Clothes. Also worth noting is the folk-funk on Jinrai who marked the start of a rebirth of the label in 2001.
The booklet is packed full of rare photographs from the label's archive and an in-depth interview with Ed Piller, as he talks through the tracks on the album. It is the first of a three volume series that will follow with "London Street Beats" and culminate with `London Street Jazz'.
"The Most Important Album I Ever Bought" by: Kevin Sedelmeier
A nice piece found at The Louisville Music Examiner.
The year was 1984, and the fact that Van Halen was using a synthesizer hardly seemed like revolutionary musical news to me. Instead, I had uncovered the album that would become the most important record I ever purchased, and on this twenty-fifth anniversary of that memorable procurement, I would feel remiss not revisit this defining musical moment.
The year was 1984, and the fact that Van Halen was using a synthesizer hardly seemed like revolutionary musical news to me. Instead, I had uncovered the album that would become the most important record I ever purchased, and on this twenty-fifth anniversary of that memorable procurement, I would feel remiss not revisit this defining musical moment.Disc Records at Oxmoor Center was my record store of choice in Louisville from 1982-1985. Not only was it the place for the best rock group buttons, but you also got a $1.00 off the purchase of an album if they were playing it in the store at the time. A dollar is a lot when you're in eighth grade and have no job. Elvis Costello and The Attractions‘ Punch The Clock, Big Country’s The Crossing, and ABC’s The Lexicon of Love all quickly come to mind as Disc purchases. But in June of 1984, I made a particularly special buy, and it came with a steep price of $8.99. The album: My Ever Changing Moods by The Style Council.
I had no idea that it had already been released in the UK as Café Bleu. I didn’t even know Paul Weller had been in a band before The Style Council. I had just turned 14 and was beginning to discover music beyond what my older brother had exposed me to. The single and title track My Ever Changing Moods was so good, I just knew I had to hear the whole album. The song was a horn-filled bit of sunshine, and I assumed the rest of the album would be the same. I had no idea that "ever changing" also referred to the musical styles that filled the rest of the album.
I recall my brother listening to it before I got a chance to; I had gone to a Louisville Redbirds game with my dad the night I bought it. My brother was cautious. “I don’t think you’re going to like this,” he said. Those words would prove to be as inaccurately prophetic as “I think the Spin Doctors will become the biggest band in the world.” The record was an amalgamation of genres: acoustic, easy listening, soul, funk, and pop. I would later learn that many fans of The Jam were less welcoming to Weller’s new musical direction than I was. After all, it was new to me, and Weller was new to me.
The musicianship on the title track was impeccable, and it remains Weller’s only song to crack the US Top 40. Steve White sure didn’t sound like he was an 18-year-old drummer, and Mick Talbot commanded the Hammond B3. Of course, Weller played all types of guitars in all different styles – except he played nothing that sounded like The Jam. There were no crunching hooks, no In The City or Going Underground- type riffs. There were even instrumentals. There was a song with a guest vocalist (Everything But The Girl’s Tracey Thorn on The Paris Match). One song featured a fiddle. And then there was A Gospel, a rap song sung by someone other than Weller. That had to ruffle the feathers of Jam diehards who felt disgraced and disrespected that Weller could do such a thing. The sound may have been different, OK radically different, but the biting commentary of the lyrics remained. "And those whose greed was the strongest of all/Took upon themselves to lead the call/That some must work while other rest/Without the question of what is best."
There was something about this stew that seemed so new and full of promise to me. Songs about Whigs and Tories, about Margaret Thatcher, about the British economy (which were even more numerous on their follow up CD, 1985’s Internationalists in the US and Our Favourite Shop in the UK) somehow resonated with this kid from Louisville, KY. Why? Because it was the human element that Weller focused on. He wrote of the worker and underdog rising up. (The lords and ladies pass a ruling/That sons and girls go hand in land/From good stock and the best breeding/Paid for by the servile class). It was a lyrical evolution from his days with The Jam when he wrote about the power and change offered primarily by the young.
The Motown stomp of A Solid Bond in Your Heart was not derivative in the least to me. Instead, it was such a fresh antithesis to 80s hair bands on this side of the Atlantic. It was vital and full of life. Even You're The Best Thing was a cut above other love ballads at the time, filled with passion and sincerity. Headstart for Happiness owned a classic soul sound, but it was fresh as Weller and D.C. Lee traded vocals and updated the whole late 60s R'nB duet style. The lyrics were of personal and not political power. (You'll find it can happen/You'll find you've got the strength/You can move a mountain/You just need the confidence.) They were words I reminded myself whenever I would slip into the unworthy self doubt of my high school years. In fact, it became my senior quote four years later.
Not everything on the album worked. Strength of Your Nature comes off like a frantic and unfocused Funkadelic b-side. It doesn’t sound any worse or better after all these years. Sometimes I forward through the song; sometimes I leave it on. My Ever Changing Moods is not the best album I own. It’s not even The Style Council’s best album. But it was a landmark purchase. It allowed me to set no boundaries in music, to throw out expectations, and to listen more maturely. It brought me awareness of Weller, who along with Bruce Springsteen, has given me decades of music, much of which has connected with me on an emotional and personal level.
Along the way I have gotten copies on cassette and CD because of bonus songs. I still own the vinyl, and even its cellophane wrap still remains. But maybe the most important thing that remains is the feeling it gave me. That excitement of new music, a certain type of sound you knew you liked, a certain, sometimes inexplicable, connection you had to the music. Yes, the summer of 1984 will also be remembered to me as the summer of Born in the USA, but by that time, I was already a Springsteen fan, and thanks to my brother, had access to all of Bruce's albums. But that leap of faith to buy My Ever Changing Moods based on the hit single and no previous knowledge of the artist, was the defining moment in my record buying life.
Twenty-five years later, I have just about everything Weller has released since 1977, but at the time I had no idea how his music would affect me the way it has. All I knew was that this was a special record unlike any pop record I had heard before.
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