It’s long been acknowledged by all but the most ardent Paul Weller fans that the man struggles with Fogerty Syndrome. Lately, I’ve also begun seeing him as England’s answer to Lou Reed. Not in terms of subject matter, but rather career arc and relevance. Dig: Following a youthful burst of musical overachievement, the man has produced a large body of work that is occasionally brilliant, artfully self-absorbed, humorless, pompous, and constantly evolving and ambitious in concept if not in scope. 22 Dreams is not only the album Weller had always wanted to make but the album he was obliged to make. As this album and the press release that announced its arrival demonstrate, it’s hard work being Paul Weller.
As leader of The Jam, Weller led a small force of two supporting musicians with an iron fist. It must have been a driven young man’s dream band to lead, especially a young man seemingly devoid of self-doubt. The young Weller could stick his dick on the table with the full support and blind loyalty of his “happy to go along for the ride” bandmates, much like John Fogerty must have felt with his rock-by-numbers backing band in the prime of CCR. Who was going to challenge Weller’s authority in The Jam? Although Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler would chafe at Weller’s management style, they would not risk the exposure of deserting the mission. Until someone laid the first Pigbag single on Weller, it was full-steam ahead!
Paul Weller, “22 Dreams”
As a fellow Modfather fan, a very perceptive post, Mr. Mod. I got my copy a few weeks ago & it strikes me as your typical Weller album w/ a bit o’ diversion. The one thing I don’t understand is the big whoop about this being a “double album”. It’s 68 minutes long on a single CD. Most albums today are usually 55-70 minutes long. Also, isn’t the concept of an “album” becoming obsolete in this digital download age?
P.S.: I dig the J. Beckett/J. White thing on the top.
No, no, no, no NO. Seriously, busting on “Empty Ring” while singling out the corn-studded “Where’er Ye Go” for approval is just WRONG.
Come on, Mod — are you telling me you can take Weller seriously when he (suppressing serious guffaw here) croons into the mic, head upturned, one hand just touching one ear, eyes closed in gentle contemplation, “…where’er ye go…”?
WHERE’ER YE GO?! Who the fuck says “where’er ye go”?! Chaucer? 19th-century Irish potato farmers? Even Gordon Lightfoot had more taste than that.
If you can explain to me how using that insincere, bathetic olde englishe-ism *doesn’t* ruin that song (if not make it outright hilarious), I’ll reconsider. I mean, come ON.
I need to hear from you on this. I’m really concerned.
HVB
Futhermore…
Two observations about Weller the 50-something dude:
1. That’s got to be the worst-looking hair in all of today’s rock and roll. And that’s saying something!
2. I swear, he looks and sounds like a gum-chewing Nigel Tufnel in that interview segment.
I love me some Paul Weller, but I gotta call ’em like I see ’em.
You’re batting 1 for 2 so far, HVB! I know that the song I singled out is hard to take seriously for the title alone, but as a piece of music it floats into my ears and makes an impression. He put way too much effort into that title, but the song itself flows better than most of this stuff.
I used to buy all of Weller’s solo records. I liked some more than others. Somehow my interest in him just finally dribbled away. I was surprised to discover I had his last one (As Is Now 2005). I’ve got to say these tracks here did nothing to tempt me. The guy’s a pro, but I just don’t think he has anything to say to me anymore.
The hair is pretty embarrassing, and the Tufnelocity of the interview is undeniable.
Q: What is there left for you to do?
A: Just carry on livin’ really.
“Tufnelocity”…RTH Glossary term anyone?