Paul’s presence drew the crowds, allowed us to play bigger venues and pulled in other artists, so his commitment was key.
Paul was crucial – he was such as big star that people took us seriously. We started having meetings at their HQ in Elephant & Castle with the likes of Peter Mandelson, Charles Clarke and Patricia Hewitt. I’d done a Jobs For Youth tour in early 1985 that was kind of like a dry run for Red Wedge. I thought it was worth trying to work with the Labour Party. The Paul I knew then was very political, supporting the likes of the Young Socialists and Youth CND. All of us were very inspired by the civil rights-era in American soul music. “Walls Comes Tumbling Down” best summed up what we were trying to do in the mid-’80s. The sensibility of using music to put across political ideas was one thing Paul carried over from The Jam. The gigs weren’t dour and political at all, they were a celebration, like the Stax/Volt revue. Later, he invited me to open for The Style Council on one of their early tours. Motivated by The Miners’ Strike, Red Wedge and Frankie Goes To Hollywood (“You don’t have to sit back and relax!”), Weller fought back with this uplifting Northern Soul anthem.īilly Bragg: The first time I met Paul, we were doing a gig for the Young Socialists on a tiny stage on the South Bank, where the London Eye is now. I’ve got about 15 cars, and there’s a copy of Snap! in all of them! I still listen to his music all the time.
#PAUL WELLER 80S MOD#
He started off being influenced by the Mod thing but he surpassed that influence a long time ago. That’s why I think ‘The Modfather’ tag is a bit of a misnomer. I thought it was great when he didn’t accept his BRIT for Stanley Road. He deliberately keeps his distance from the music industry. He’s a very serious man, he doesn’t like things to be frivolous. He had written love songs before, but this touches people because it’s from the heart. It’s the sound of a songwriter going back to his roots in Woking, taking 25 years of experiences and putting it all to music. Weller the elder statesman sounds more invigorated than ever as he cheekily tries every musical trick under the sun.Steve Jordan, chairman, Crystal Palace FC: Stanley Road is a brilliant album. If there’s one thing On Sunset doesn’t evoke, it ’ s the twilight of a career. Weller diehards, however, will be all the more impressed by his reunion with former Style Council partner Mick Talbot, who deliciously lathers a trio of tracks with his one - of - a - kind Hammond o rgan sound. ” Th e latter tune is less glammy than straight up gypsy folk, of all things, but its Tom - Waits - meets - Rod - Stewart vibes make for a unique mix of artsy accessibility. The fact that Weller is unafraid to revel in the confines of this genre, despite its lack of trendiness today, make s “Village” all the more fun to listen to.īlues and gospel are also ripe for Weller’s picking on the swaggering “Baptiste,” and a glam rock legend of his youth, Jim Lea of Slade, play s violin on “ Equanimity. The same can be said for “Village,” whose smoothly crafted bridge and harmlessly hummable chorus would make Elton John or Rod Stewart jealous as they strived for AM radio stardom in the ’ 90s. Those elements differentiate the record from the standard easy - listening fair that Weller isn’t merely competing with, but is clearly trying to blast past. However, a smoldering escalation of tempo and volume give s the song unexpected art isan textures. Lead single “Earth Beat” harkens back to Weller’s ’ 80s second act, thanks to its stadium - sized guitar and fuzz y, outsized synths.
Not all of O n Sunset ’s songs are so varied, but the sounds between the tracks certainly transition quickly. Weller un locks each sonic shift like opening up a Russian Doll, deftly capturing the listener’s attention and leaving them eager ly awaiting the next twist. Purring, robotic synths contrast the low, lumbering rock of the rhythm section, before hand - tapped drums rattle and resound. ” Calling it experimental or eclectic would be an understatement-instead, Weller stuffs the song’s seams with a myriad of genre elements. Be it the violin- laced glam rock of the early ’ 70s before forming T he Jam, the blue- eyed soul he sang as part of The Style Council in the ’ 80s, or the raw and esoteric pop rock of his solo career in the ’ 90s, every facet of Weller is encapsulated i n this richly detailed LP. For nearly half a century, Paul Weller has been immersed in Britain’s music biz, and t he breadth of those decades of experience are nearly as vast as the title of his 15th solo album, On Sunset.
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