Unfashionable, 'timeless' MOR and light-classical styles, which make Though, on 'Confessions of a Pop Group', he went with 'It's true that he (Weller) has a history of embracing fashionable It, but it seems reasonably consistent to me. I'm not saying that everything he's done is great, far from Great fan of Stevie Winwood & Traffic and they weren't particularlyĮarnest). It's *intended* to be a joyous return to his roots (he's obviously a Think it's fair to describe his more recent stuff as 'earnest rock'. He has a history of embracing fashionable styles (eg the move towardsįunk in the early 80's, and his conversion to House in the lateĨ0's), but he always harnesses them to his core beliefs. His obsession with 'Mod' and the R&B/Soul of the 60's. The thread that runs through the whole thing is I don't see anything particularly contradictory in Weller'sĭirectional shifts. Of soul-fuelled semi- globalism (TSC), back to earnest rock sweat and Parochially-concerned young 'face' (the early Jam records), to ratherĮarnest 'voice of a generation' (the late Jam records), to some kind Shifted so violently from aggressively upfront, uptight very Of Weller I find interesting more than I find most of his music, ifīut what I find curious about Paul Weller, and still has meīaffling about the man even today, is how his self-positioning has It), can shine so brightly and briefly, and then sink so definitivelyīack into the mire from which he came. Suburban perception of 'sophistication' is what I find charming about I do find it interesting how one man can promote an aspirationallyĬosmopolitan, culturally ambitious ethos (the naivety of TSC's Globalism (TSC), back to earnest rock sweat and irrelevance (solo).

Generation' (the late Jam records), to some kind of soul-fuelled semi. Young 'face' (the early Jam records), to rather earnest 'voice of a Man even today, is how his self-positioning has shifted so violentlyįrom aggressively upfront, uptight very parochially-concerned But what Iįind curious about Paul Weller, and still has me baffling about the The Style Council made a few inroads into the US chart). Phenomenon and meaningless in the US and mainland Europe (admittedly Like The Smiths / Morrissey and the Manics, is essentially a UK I'm not surprised at Omar's response because Weller's entire career, The 'Cost of Loving' album, seem like minor offences. White House'), and hamfisted embracing of early UK hip-hop on ('Iwasadoledadstoyboy'),boring dinner jazz ('Dropping Bombs On The Hands', 'Changing of the Guard') to make their clunky cod-funk Them not singles ('Headstart For Happiness', 'A CasualĪffair', 'Party Chambers', 'It Just Came To Pieces In My Rather strained dud, but there are enough good songs there, many of Their consensus of cool, from the title down, that that makes them a IĬan see what Tom meant about the Style Council being so obsessed with Well, response was initially as I suspected - dismissive andĭerogatory - but over the last few replies it's got more positive. To feel guilty about liking 'Wildwood' and 'Stanley Road'. Yeah it's trad, yeah it has guitars and mellotrons, but I'm not going Solo work is just fine up to the patchy Heavy Soul and Heliocentric. The Style Council, but admire his effort to do something new. The Jam were a great, great band -I don't really like

Rational, but so far in this thread most people have taken theĪttitude that it's totally UNDERSTOOD that he's crap without giving Guitar-haters, dad-rock (whatever that is)- haters, 60's-haters, and Weller takes the flak from all directions - from the At any given time there are usually aįew artists who are hated in 'cool' circles beyond any rationalĮxplanation. The posters here either don't like Weller's influences or the way All artists, fans andĬritics seem to have reference points of 'coolness', so maybe most of Over the 'right' film dialogue sample to use. For example, analog synth buffsĭiscussing a 1972 Moog, or hip-hop and dance officionados agonising Authenticity fetishism is found just about everywhere, so it seems a

The style council the cost of loving