Weller's second great peak, grandly expanded to two CDs
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 02/05/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Jam fans that didn't follow Weller to the ersatz modern soul and balladry of his follow-on project, The Style Council, found his re-emergence as a rock-based solo artist in 1992 more to their liking. Stripping away the synthesized layers, Weller looked back to earlier eras of rock and soul, blending echoes of Motown and Stax with the heavier sounds of 1970s UK rock. His eponymous re-debut turned out to be only a warm-up for the following year's "Wild Wood," an album whose earthy title portends its organic sound. Weller's love of soul emotion is still to be heard, but couched in jazzier changes that brought to mind UK greats like Traffic and Humble Pie. The combination of gutsy guitar, commanding vocals and polished production combine the energy of The Jam with Weller's soul influences without devolving into retro imitation of either.
The opening "Sunflower" is a good example of the album's alchemy, combining memorable electric guitar playing, rumbling bass and drums, impassioned vocald and soulful harmonies, wrapped with little production touches (processed vocal doubles, phase shifts and passing keyboard accents) that add a modern edge to the more rustic '70s vibe. The album's lyrics find Weller in the transition of his mid-30s, lamenting lost relationships and moving on, seeking guidance and questioning the future, offering reconciliation and recovery, and navigating introspective ennui. Weller wonders aloud "Has My Fire Really Gone Out," and answers his own question 'no' with a superb pop-psych jam to close the song. The adolescent unrest of his youth fueled the Jam, the know-it-all-comfort of his 20s spawned Style Council, and the uncertainty of his 30s led here.
Yep Roc's expanded two-disc reissue augments the album's fifteen original tracks with remixes, B-sides, live versions, covers and previously unreleased tracks, all of which help illuminate the album's musical background. Highlights include Portishead's modernization of the title track, B-sides from the album's singles (including "The Loved," "Ends of the Earth" and the original "Magic Bus"), and covers of The Small Faces' "I'm Only Dreaming," Edwin Hawkins' "Oh Happy Day," and Neil Young's "Ohio." Also included are demos of album tracks that demonstrate how songs evolved to final form. A pair of demos for "Sunflower," for example, shows the path from folky original to drum-heavy final. The extras enrich an already rich LP, giving the best look yet at the beginnings of Weller's third phase. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]"
A Star is Reborn
scody | 02/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As the previous reviewer alludes to, Paul Weller's first solo outing after the implosion of the Style Council was a good, solid record, with some fine songs... but it wasn't really until "Wild Wood" that a star was truly reborn. Joe Strummer, who once famously took a swipe at Weller in the Clash's "White Man in Hammersmith Palais," eventually came to consider him "Britain's greatest soul singer" -- and "Wild Wood" shows why, boasting some the richest, warmest vocals of Weller's career.
Besides the tracks that comprise the original album itself (strongest among them "Sunflower," "Shadow of the Sun," "Hung Up," and the haunting, lovely title track), the deluxe edition's bonus tracks especially underscore Weller's soul credentials. "Ends of the Earth" (both the b-side version and, in particular, the demo) is a little gem, with an effortless, soaring vocal, while "Price to Pay" and the previously unreleased "Greetings" are both quietly heartfelt songs that demonstrate Weller's sensitivity as both lyricist and vocalist.
Musically, the album is a great aural collage of a particularly British combination of pastoral bluesy rock, veering from fiery to tender, ferocious to sorrowful. Much has been made of "Wild Wood"'s influence on a generation of Britpop artists (the guitar solo alone in "Hung Up" gave Oasis a few year's worth of mileage), but it also showcases the range of artists that have influenced Weller, too, including Traffic, Nick Drake, Robert Wyatt, Neil Young (check out the cover of "Ohio"), Tim Hardin (cover of "Black Sheep Boy"), and the Small Faces (an exuberant, if not necessarily definitive, cover of "I'm Only Dreaming").
Besides the sheer pleasure of two dozen additional songs, the deluxe edition of "Wild Wood" is a top-notch remastering of a record that had sorely needed it (the original release of "Wild Wood" was hampered by a frustrating mix that seemed almost muffled). The result is a much more expansive sound, with breathing room for the layers of instrumentation as well as the vocals. All told, "Wild Wood" is arguably Weller's finest album (for those who don't fall on the Stanley Road side of that argument), and hands-down one of the definitive releases of the '90s."
The definitive release of Wild Wood, thank you UMG UK and Ye
Matt Woore | CA USA | 07/23/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought the UK release prior to Yep Rock release in the US; same mastering and similar packaging. Soooo, what's to say? Top-notch remastering, B-side and demo bonus tracks up the wazoo, well written booklet with great photos... this is the one to get! Too bad Yep Rock didn't see fit to release the previously done UK deluxe version of Stanley Road (equally well done) as well."
Track Listings (22) - Disc #1