The Paul Weller Thread

Deadman

The Jam were my life when I was a nipper. I also LOVED The Style Council. I'll always be a Weller fan but like most am disappointed with his latest efforts. I get the feeling he's trying to reinvent himself sometimes and while I don't doubt he's enjoying himself, I'm not. 22 dreams was shit. I've listened to Wake up the nation and Sonik kicks less times than I care to remember. As is now was his last great work in my opinion.
I'm going to say it.....
He's getting boring.

Neil

Deadman said:

The Jam were my life when I was a nipper. I also LOVED The Style Council. I'll always be a Weller fan but like most am disappointed with his latest efforts. I get the feeling he's trying to reinvent himself sometimes and while I don't doubt he's enjoying himself, I'm not. 22 dreams was shit. I've listened to Wake up the nation and Sonik kicks less times than I care to remember. As is now was his last great work in my opinion.
I'm going to say it.....
He's getting boring.

He's getting older. 

Iamnobody

Deadman;351931" said:

I get the feeling he's trying to reinvent himself sometimes and while I don't doubt he's enjoying himself, I'm not. 22 dreams was shit. I've listened to Wake up the nation and Sonik kicks less times than I care to remember. As is now was his last great work in my opinion.
I'm going to say it.....
He's getting boring.

Can't really argue with that. Even As is Now has too much filler. You could probably make one decent album out of the last four...

Starting with Blink and a few others off As is Now like Floorboards.

Deadman

Excellent vid @Iamnobody. Blink is a fantastic song. We used to cover Come on lets go in my old band. Good times.
I have to say that I don't think it's a coincidence that he started getting......dodgy......after he decided it would be a good idea to stop using Steve White's services.
This new line up and new direction is the problem. He's gone too far for me.

TheOtherDennis

Used to really like The Jam when I was a kid (I loved his cover of David Watts, and A Bomb on Wardour Street) though I was baffled that he ripped off the Beatles' Taxman so blatantly with Start.

Never keen on The Style Council, though they did some lovely stuff occasionally (Long Hot Summer is gorgeous).

Bought Wild Wood when it came out, thought it was pretty good but then he seemed to me to just keep repeating it. I saw a profile of him, where he came across as a right knob (the bit where he discussed being sued for non-payment of royalties by Foxton and Buckler was a treat - "Why would you sue someone you called a friend?" he said sulkily. Erm, why would you keep over £250,000 of your friends' money?) and went off him big time.

I've always thought he had talent as a writer and a player, but I just don't like him any more.

I've never thought he was underrated, though - I've seen plenty of press (from the early years when he was in NME virtually every week through Q and Mojo and the broadsheet papers) that always seem to rate him very highly indeed. I'm not saying he's overrated, just that I don't think he's as underrated as you think.

Moe_Zambeek

Wazmeister said:

eventhelosers said:

Sorry, I can't get on the weller love train. IMHO He's a serial plagiarist who hasn't contributed a single original idea in any of his music and is the musical equivalent of a tape worm. Professes to be a 'modernist' but has had both feet firmly rooted in the past throughout his career. His records are a bit like listening to the rutles but not as funny.

Each to his own my friend, and I understand that Weller's arrogance can promote such views....

Just for the record, 'modernist' refers to a rise in consciouness; and more important, the whole ethos of the 'Mod' movement - building something new, inspired by the past, full of soul and purpose, clean living under difficult circumstances...

For example, "what's the point is saying destroy... I want a new life for everywhere"

Mod and Modernism was pretty literal in its first incarnation, in the 60s. The subsequent mod scenes and revivals have been (and continue to be) in stark contrast to that original ethos. Attending mod events is like historical re-enactment now, ironically! And usually with a high incidence of Weller-esque hairdos adorning those who still actually have hair I like the Jam, Style Council not so much and I thought his solo output was a bit samey over the years, all the same he's a great vocalist and guitar player with a solid catalogue. *edit...where are my paragraphs going? I am putting them in!***

Deadman

TheOtherDennis;352324" said:

Used to really like The Jam when I was a kid (I loved his cover of David Watts, and A Bomb on Wardour Street) though I was baffled that he ripped off the Beatles' Taxman so blatantly with Start.

It's not quite as bad as Changing man vs ELO's 10538 overture though is it?

EricTheWeary

Deadman said:

TheOtherDennis;352324" said:

Used to really like The Jam when I was a kid (I loved his cover of David Watts, and A Bomb on Wardour Street) though I was baffled that he ripped off the Beatles' Taxman so blatantly with Start.

It's not quite as bad as Changing man vs ELO's 10538 overture though is it?

got ELO in Hyde Park on the red button and as I read that they started 10538, bugger me yes that's Changing Man!

Iamnobody

Brendan Lynch gave Weller the ELO riff...allegedly.

monquixote

Does anyone else think he's starting to look more like Geoffrey from rainbow as he gets older?

richardhomer

monquixote;352394" said:

Does anyone else think he's starting to look more like Geoffrey from rainbow as he gets older?

Very much so.

And 'Geoffrey from Rainbow' really is not a good look....

Philly_Q

richardhomer said: monquixote;352394" said:Does anyone else think he's starting to look more like Geoffrey from rainbow as he gets older? Very much so.

And 'Geoffrey from Rainbow' really is not a good look.... No danger of confusing them in reality though, Geoffrey actually used to smile sometimes.

(In fact all the time, pretty much...)