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Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: June 01 2008, 12:51 Yes I could`nt believe it either.I`ve been listening to a download version of his brand new album for the past few days now and it`s frankly oustanding.Can`t wait to wrap me earholes round the real version released tomorrow(2nd of june)..21 tracks almost 70 minutes long that`s kind of a concept album based around the cycle of the seasons.The amount of styles and genres Weller dips into here will astonish even the most hardened of his "dadrock" detractors.And I dare say it will suprise confuse and delight a broad section of his fan base as well.Folk,Rock,Jazz,Soul,Krautrock,Spaced out psychedelia.It`s all in there in one form or another.Added to all that are some of the finest songs he`s ever wrote imo.I have to say I thought his last album As Is Now was something of a return to form.Harking back as it did to his strongest solo albums Wild Wood and Stanley Road.But this album is something else,and quite possibly the finest thing he`s ever done.It`s easily his most ambitous that`s for sure. But don`t just take my word for it,check out some of the review links on the wikipedia page below..        Wikipedia 22 Dreams Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: June 02 2008, 21:29 I'm ambivalent about Paul Weller. I've liked some of the Jam, Style Council, and solo work, but something about him puts me off - and I can't pinpoint what it is. The last Weller album I bought was Heliocentric which I mainly enjoyed - "Love-less" being my favorite track from it. And that is probably indicative of my general preference for the 'Style Council'-esque sound ("Above the Clouds" from Weller's first solo album is another fave) - one I find more to my taste than the others. Curious about what this new album will sound like, I checked for some audio clips at AmazonUS, but it appears the album won't be available there until later this month. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: June 03 2008, 06:02 There are some sound clips of his new album on his website here Sweetpea.When I downloaded the album last week the track titled 111 played in my media player first.Which is a kind of feedback/sound collage piece of weirdness that had me wondering if i`d downloaded something from Can or somebody by mistake.A bit like having Revolution 9 at the start of the beatles white album I suppose.It really knocked me sideways for a minute or two,but it kind of fits when you listen to the album as intended.I bought the album yesterday and with repeated listens it`s really just starting to sink in now how great it is to me. Yeah ambivalent about Paul Weller,I think know what your saying there.I don`t hero worship the bloke or anything but I`ve always really liked him myself.Even when I`ve found myself questioning his whole integrity at times as well.I think a lot of that stems from kind of growing up with him I suppose.The Jam were massive in this country for a couple of years.At the time I think you either identified with that whole suburbia/working class thing that he was so entrenched in back then or you did`nt.It`s a tough one because even then I was a little bit dubious of it in a way.I just felt like he was one of "us" somehow.I know that sounds a bit corny and antiquated.Possibly even elitist in some sense.I don`t know I think I still relate to a lot of that early stuff though.I can`t really help myself.He has always been a big music fan himself of course of all kinds of different stuff.And he still kind of talks about it in the way that your every day fan would.I`ve always really liked that about him as well.He was a big champion for Blur in this country in their early years.Right when the music press were all writing them off in fact.It was a really weird thing at the time,because I was right there with him.Like I knew he was going to be proved right about it in the end.And of course the ironic thing now is he`s seen as the guy that Oasis like to knock around with. It took me a while to appreciate The Style Council.I don`t think my musical tastes were sufiicently mature enough at first.But he kept putting out so many good singles for about a two/three year period back then that I eventually started to get into them.Oddly enough Heliocentric is the one Paul Weller album I don`t like at all.I just felt he was trying too hard to be Ronnie Lane on that one and he got a bit carried away with it all.That`s the thing with him at times,the whole fan side of it.He almost loses himself in the style sometimes till it overcomes the substance.But then that`s part of who he is as well,that`s what makes him.Imo a lot of people don`t get that or understand it at all in fact.You know it`s like.."So who the hell is he then?" Sometimes I don`t even get it myself,but I still keep buying his records.And for the most part I really enjoy listening to them.Immensely so with his latest effort. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: June 03 2008, 08:13 I'm not familiar with Ronnie Lane, and I expect I should be. I think Heliocentric must be the "dadrock" you mentioned? Not very popular, I guess. I also think Wild Wood is his best solo album, though I haven't heard them all. Thanks for the link, Dirk. Outside of Amazon, I'd never thought to look him up on the net, before. Silly me! -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: June 04 2008, 03:06 Wild Wood is my favourite as well,although I do feel this new album may surpass that.I`d give an honourable mention to his first solo album as well which you also mentioned earlier.It only got a kind of lukewarm reception at the time of it`s release,and I think partly on the back of that he decided to ditch some of the more "jazzier" type elements to his music for a while.I personally felt that helped improve his focus at the time,especialy on Wild Wood.Although it`s nice to hear with his new album some of those elements returning a little bit. I actually sold Heliocentric to a bloke down the market here I was that disappointed with it.And then thinking I maybe had`nt given it a fair hearing first time round I went out and bought again a couple of years back.Anyway I still could`nt get into it unfortunatly,the whole thing just seems to wash over me a little bit.Maybe I`m off-base with the Ronnie Lane thing I don`t know,because I am a fan of his music.It was just the over riding impression I got from that album at the time. Anyway Ronnie Lane bass player with the Small Faces and then The Faces of course.But he made some very under-rated albums with his own band Ronnie Lane`s Slim Chance during the mid-late 70`s.I actually only own his singles collection Kucshty Rye,but I still play it quite a lot.Especialy on hot summer days for some reason,it just has that kind of great easy feel about it.Not too mention the strength of some of the songs on there as well.Sadly he was diagnosed with MS sometime during the late seventies and died about ten years ago now after a long time of suffering.As a solo artist he`s probably still most famous for his hit record How Come.I think his old mate Rod Stewart covered it a little later as well. Back to top

3Wheeler Group: Members Posts: 828 Joined: Aug. 2007 Posted: June 04 2008, 03:27 Ill get it on your Recommendation ... Ive got Wildwood... Im in the "Uneasy" camp as well...  Probably cause I wouldnt be seen Dead buying a "Jam" Record ..  Something about the Vocals... But the Amazon Write up is OK so Ill take a punt on it  in the near Future ... -------------- We're Flying Aeroflot, We've Got Reservations. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: June 07 2008, 12:30 Well after bringing up Ronnie Lane earlier.Listening to this album today has made me realise how much a lot of it reminds me of a late period Small Faces album.Well Autumn Stone in fact to put it bluntly.It`s even got it`s very own cockernee type sing-a-long track in a kind of Steve Marriott early David Bowie sort of way.Of course as a vocalist on the rockier tracks Weller is no Steve Marriott that`s for sure.He tries to compensate for some of that with a whole lot of bravado sometimes which can be a little off-putting I`ll admit.He could do with turning the mike up a little higher on a couple of them as well.It`s like Wham Bam Thank You Mam all over again in places.God only knows what Marriott was singing on that track but it`s still a belter of a song. So anyway I`m not knocking any of that here really because it`s still a tremendous album.Besides which there are a whole lot of other influences on display well outside The Small Faces canon,and some fantastic songs to boot.The six minute instrumental at the end for instance is quite phenomenal.Not what you`d expect from Weller at all in fact.Also I just thought I`d mention that I`ve just noticed there`s a two disc version of the album with some bonus material on the second disc.I hav`nt got the two disc version so I can`t really comment.But it`s worth bearing in mind if anybody wants to order online etc. Back to top

3Wheeler Group: Members Posts: 828 Joined: Aug. 2007 Posted: June 14 2008, 14:41 Playing it now... Had it for a Birthday Gift Today... .. 22Tks ... Bit of Information Overload to Comment yet.. Not a Great Fan of his Vocal Style... But cannt fault the Effort made ..  Production is Tight and reckon this will be a grower album ....    Like the Last Instrumental Tk..!!   Had   the Goldfrapp album   MOTS  & Exotic Creatures Albums on Board already so cannt complain this year.. Everyone of those is a Gem.. Hope this works its way up to those lofty heights.. Yep Sea Spray & The last Instrumental are the Main Highlights for me..  May need to cut it down to 10 tks .. On the Pc to play it regular..  Some Songs I sort of Wish Peter Gabriel was doing the Lead Vocals... .. -------------- We're Flying Aeroflot, We've Got Reservations. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: June 14 2008, 19:17 I`m pleased you liked the instrumental at the end 3wheeler,what a great piece of music that is.Imo the track before it Sea Spray was strong enough to close any one of his albums.But then of course that goes straight into this kind of freeplay pastoral psychedelia thing that is just so really inspired and emotive.And you can hear the musicians playing off each other you know, just fabulous I think.It actually reminds me a little of a track called It`s Too Hot To Sleep from Virginia Astley crossed with an early Pink Floyd track or something.I`m sorry the reference is a little obscure but if you heard the two pieces of music back to back you`d maybe know what I meant.Or maybe not of course..   Reading some of the reviews for the album you know Weller has kind of dropped some relatively obscure names over the years as music he enjoys listening to.Anything from Can and Alice Coltrane to composers like Walton and Vaughan Williams.But you`d never actually hear any of that coming through in his own work until now I guess.Song For Alice is dedicated to Alice Coltrane featuring Robert Wyatt on trumpet of course (a little tenuos Oldfield connection there perhaps) And Lullaby Fur Kinder certainly reflects some of his interest in people like Vaughan Williams as well I think.And you can kind of hear it creeping into some of the songs as well when you`ve listened to it a few times.Becuase it does take a number of plays for it to really all sink in I have to admit.It completely goes against the grain of the way most modern albums are presented imo.You know in a kind of "one style fits all" sort of way too scared to step outside of their comfort zone or something.I don`t think you could level that critiscism at Weller for this album,unlike some of his efforts in the past.That said on hearing some of his own instrumentals here I think I`d probably like to hear him actualy record a whole album of them.I think there`s enough evidence here to suggest he could certainly sustain people`s interest over an album`s worth of instrumental music.Although whether that`s something that would actually interest him or not I would`nt like to say. Anyway aside from the instrumentals my favourite songs from this album seem to keep changing on an almost daily basis.At the minute I honestly can`t choose between about nine or ten songs here.That`s a whole bloody album for most people.And then tomorrow I`ll probably change my mind again.What a joy!   Back to top

Major Gowen Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: June 2008 Posted: July 01 2008, 23:10 I'm excited by this new Weller album, I haven't heard it yet but the reviews and what I've read on this post make it sound very intriguing. I lost Paul Weller around the time of Stanley Road, I thought it was an overrated record and achieved its success on the back of the Modfather/Britpop connection. As such I didn't buy anything by Weller for ages, I heard the other albums but they sounded pretty weak compared to Wild Wood. Then I took a punt on As Is Now and was overjoyed that Weller had finally made another good album - yes there was plenty of the over-earnest 'real musicians making real music' vibe about it, but it was full of great tunes and he seemed to have his bite back. I then saw him live on the tour and he was much better than the last time back in 1995. So I'm glad to welcome him back into the fold. The Jam were a huge part of my teenage years so it was great to listen to his new material and think 'he's still got it'. I remember reading an interview with him after he had won the Brit Awards Lifetime Achievement thingy, and he was asked to give his thoughts on previous winners. He pretty much slagged them all off, including some artists like Bowie who I like a great deal. But he did it in an open and honest way, and funny too. The two people he did have time for were Van Morrison and Status Quo, an unlikely combination! Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: July 02 2008, 03:26 Hi MG.I`m glad to find another admirer of Paul`s As Is Now album,I thought it was very much a return to form from him as well I have to agree.Imo his latest effort is even better though,..songs are stronger,..more variation of styles,..a lot of new stuff he`s never even tried before.I have to admit the initial "novelty" of the tracks God and 111 does tend to wear off quite quickly for me.But two "filler" tracks out of 21 isn`t bad going at all I think.I dare say some people might be really into those two pieces of music anyway,so who am I to judge? Ever the one for kind of "backtracking" on comments he`s made in the press.Paul Weller recently admitted that he`d begun to re-discover the music of David Bowie,and kind of apologised for his comments after The Brits.Apparently Bowie got wind of Paul`s new found admiration for him and sent him an old picture of himself with a hairstyle not too dis-similar to Weller`s.The note/email attatched read..."Nice one Paul...Can I have my haircut back now?".. I think the take on it was that Bowie obviously appreciated Weller`s comments,but could`nt resist a sly dig at the same time.Oddly enough there`s a track on 22 Dreams that probably would`nt sound out of place on one of Bowie`s earlier albums.Black River it`s called with a vocal straight out of Lonon`s east end.I wonder if Bowie recieved a similar phoograph sent to him by Anthony Newley?..       Back to top

Major Gowen Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: June 2008 Posted: July 02 2008, 14:35 Hello Dirk Star. Yes I think it's the recent Mojo interview where Weller states that he's getting into Bowie. To be fair he's always liked Hunky Dory and Low. I imagine the two of them have more in common than they realize, certainly they could have a good old chinwag about Syd Barrett for instance. Back to top

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