A Brand New Start
Chandler Haun | Costa Mesa, CA United States | 11/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a longtime devotee of Paul Weller's music, going back 21 years (yikes!) I've weathered the brilliant (first solo album & Wild Wood), the decent (Stanley Road & Heavy Soul) and the drought (Heliocentric). I have to admit that though the last proper studio album had it's moments, it seemed Weller was treading the same muddy waters and had riffed his way into a tight corner. The soulful optimism that characterized his best work gave way to mostly ponderous minor-keyed bluesrock reminicent of 70's era Clapton. Of course he is still the best songwriter of his generation and such meanderings are forgivable, but I couldn't help but wonder after three albums of this stuff if this was the end result to such a diverse and richly measured musical expression. Well, I should've learned my lesson back in the late Style Council days. You can never count the geezer out. With the release of his new album 'Illumination' Weller has moved the furniture around again and opened the windows... wide. This is his brightest, freshest sounding album since his eponymous debut. It could with repeated listenings become my personal favorite. His voice is smooth and soulful, the songs beautifully crafted and uplifting (!). He seems to be in a much happier state of mind (though he gets some political jabs in here and there) and the music reflects this with remarkable grace and maturity. The mood is easy, playful and reflective. It's a summertime record for the winter chill, and a welcome retreat from these hostile and unstable times. I could go from song to song, but the whole collection is really of a piece and deserves better words than I can summon up, though I will single out "Leafy Mysteries" as being on par
with "My Ever-Changing Moods" and "Kosmos", and deserving a place in the upper pantheon of Weller classics.
The same could be said of the lead-off track "Going Places". In fact, this record is much closer in tone and spirit to his first solo record, it could almost be a bookend. Having jettisoned longtime producer Brendan Lynch to produce himself was a step in the right direction. Gone are the over-indulgent sound effects (that did get old after awhile) and the muffled low-end drum sound that marked the later albums and at times seemed at odds with Steve White's magnificent drumming. Lynch certainly served a purpose in the early days, but it's time to move on and Weller does an expert job handling the reigns. This is seriously a top-notch recording. I can't express that enough, and one that deserves better reviews than it probably will get from the blowhard music press. But I don't care, my new decade just got off to a rousing start. The Changingman is back!"
Dig the old breed
John C. Mariz | Dulles, VA United States | 11/04/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This album created all kinds of buzz in the UK -- Weller back on his game, etc. I don't think he was ever off his game. "Heliocentric" his previous effort, is outstanding, and even "Heavy Soul," before that, generally considered the nadir of the Weller solo oeuvre, is a fine album. Neither of those albums are particularly bubbly affairs, though, and this one is -- that's what's got the notice of the UK crowd. From the ringing first acoustic notes of the first track, "Going Places" this record has an infectiously refreshing feeling to it, best demonstrated on the first UK single, "It's written in the Stars." (I notice that the track order that I have, which is the UK release, is not what is listed here, but identical to the Japanese import listed, without the bonus tracks)Aside from the issue of whether Weller is happy or sad, the bottom line is that he continues to put out great straight-ahead rock. The main gripe with Weller these days seems to be that he's become predictable/boring. This after he got slagged off for being a dilletante during his Style Council days. Weller has succeeded at everything he's ever done, punk, northern soul, you name it (the exception is that his forays into rap and hip-hop were godawful). It seems like he can't please the people who loved one aspect of his career and are furious that he won't stick to that alone. If he's got late sixties and early seventies Brit-rock on his mind at the moment, sit back and enjoy. Somebody once said of Elvis Costello that he was "well-listened." That applies equally well to Weller: nobody distills his influences and puts them back on record beter.For those who miss the Jam, a Jamesque feel is more and more creeping back into some his most recent work. This was especially true on "Heliocentric" and true on this record as well, witness "A Bullett for Everyone." Weller continues to exhibit great craft on this record: he's a fantastic singer -- I don't know why he doesn't get more credit for this -- and an impecable arranger. The only sour note here is "Who gives Joy." Why can't Weller write a decent love song? This one is, like most of his other attempts, perfectly lovely. But the lyric is laughable. Oh well, you can't have everything."
