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New Album Details

An article in the March 2008 issue of Mojo Magazine can confirm that Weller's new album is titled '22 Dreams' and will be a 2-disc set.

More information in the full article:

THE MODFATHER TURNS 5O, RECORDS A
DOUBLE AND IGNORES THE HATERS. BY
CLIVE PRIOR

Paul Weller turns 50 this May, and is to mark the occasion with his
ninth solo record, and his first double-disc set, 22 Dreams. "I feel
I live and die by my last album," he says from his
Black Barn studio in Ripley, where he's putting
the finishing touches to the follow-up to
2005's As Is Now. "And this one I can definitely
live by. I feel rejuvenated by it."

It's also his most eclectic outing since his
days with The Style Council. "I wanted to do
something different. I felt I'd gone as far as I
could with my band, Ineeded to instigate a
change to become inspired. There were no
failings-out but I stripped it down to a nucleus of
just me and Steve Cradock. lt's really worked."

He had flirted with the idea of creating an album of
duets, "like the great soul andjazz singers", but also partly
inspired by successful collaborations on single with each
Graham Coxon and singer/guitarist Andy Lewis last year.

Instead, though, he opted for inviting a few guests to join in. Coxon
turns up again on a song called Black River, John McCusker adds
violin, Little Barrie play on two funky rock'n'roll blasts and
Steve White, his drummer since 1984, appears on one
track too.

"I started it last spring and it follows the passing of one
year into the next, going through the seasons," he says. "It
takes in soul, rock'n'roll, there are some folky moments,
some psych bits, a classical piece, some avant free
form. There's a tribute to Alice Coltrane and a
spoken-word piece called God - about
spirituality, not institutionalised religion. It's
been liberating and a lot of fun."

One potential fly in the ointment, though, is
the publication of Paolo Hewitt's book The
Changing Man, a vehicleforthe once Cappuccino
Kid to bad-mouth his former friend and
mentor. Weller has yet to comment. "There's too much
talk of nostalgia," he opines. "I could spend all my time
talking aboutThe Jam but it's just not my way."


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