Search - Paul Weller :: Heavy Soul

A Different Side of Weller

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 06/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"During the punk era and on into the nineties, I was heavily into jazz and tango. So I missed The Jam, the Style Council, and the first part of Paul Weller's solo career. My introduction to the music of Paul Weller came via an article in a business magazine (of all places) that highly recommended Illumination. The commentary in the recommendation was so intriguing that I ordered that and subsequently a couple of other Weller recordings. But it wasn't until my purchase of the great As Is Now that I became a confirmed Paul Weller fan.

A couple of months ago, I spotted Heavy Soul and a couple of other Weller CDs I did not have at a good price in a favorite Encinitas record store and decided to buy the bunch. Well, Heavy Soul turned out to be the "heaviest" of the group. When you compare it to the music Weller is best known for, the style is very different.

Some reviewers complain about elements of psychedelia in the music. The classic late-sixties style of lettering on the CD sleeve should have tipped them off that Heavy Soul is not the typical Weller album, if indeed any one is. The open-minded fan should find a lot to like here. There is some great rock and roll, some funky jive-honky soul, and touches of psychedelia throughout.

My favorites are the title cut, Peacock Suit, Up In Suze's Room, Brushed, Science, Golden Sands, and As You Lean Into the Light. If you listen carefully, you will notice that the bass line on Driving Nowhere is evocative of early Love, while the introduction to Heavy Soul Pt. 2 sounds like a slow-motion lead-in to Neil Young's Southern Man.

Those Weller fans who do not yet have Heavy Soul should take a chance on it. The CD is accompanied by an attractive booklet containing pictures, lyrics, and pertinent album information. And judging from the offerings here, the price is right!"