Paul Weller: Whats' the point? Discuss...

Posted by: Tony2011 on 20 April 2012

I have just "seen", it will make sense in an minute,  Paul Weller for the upteenth time on Jools. To  my very "average" listening ears,  everytime he comes up with a "new" record, it sounds exactly as the previous one.  Am I missing something?

Tony

Posted on: 20 April 2012 by TomK

I have a couple of his albums but I'm not a great fan. I certainly don't see him as the genius some would have us believe but then I thought the Jam were a quite mediocre pop group.

Posted on: 20 April 2012 by California Jim

I saw him on jools, once again, and wondered why he is so revered.

I've never heard anything exceptional...so I agree with you guys.

 

California Jim

Posted on: 20 April 2012 by Gale 401

I love all Paul's work from the 70's to now.

I have not bought a album of his for years though.

Reason.

I get given them.

I would have stopped buying over 10 years ago though.

I want to see him change back to a style council or even just Jam with them?

He has also  been so hit and miss live over the last 20 years imo ?

Shame.

Stu.

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by Ron Toolsie

Can't say Paul Weller has had much impact on me....when the Jam played the St. A Students Union I didn't attend as the price seemed astronomically high (I think it was a fiver back in the late 70s). A year or two later I did end up going to Surrey to buy a guitar at a shop that happened to be owned by him. A Gibson L6/S for 225UKP. I wish I had never sold that one. 

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by Quad 33

Not a fan of PW. All the'Mod Father' thing gets on my nerves. All style no pun intended over musical substance IMO. 

 

P.S Also  think Jools has lost the plot with regard to the bands / guests he has on the show.

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by Paper Plane
Originally Posted by TomK:

I have a couple of his albums but I'm not a great fan. I certainly don't see him as the genius some would have us believe but then I thought the Jam were a quite mediocre pop group.

My feelings exactly.

 

steve

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by The Strat (Fender)

 

Overrated - in fact talentless arrogant spiv. Whenever I see him interviewed he is so full of himself and ready to rubbish other musicians.

   

Strat

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by Guido Fawkes

I liked the Jam (OK they were no Clash, Desperate Bicycles or Television Personalities), but feel Paul lost his way a bit after that and grew to sound a bit too Wigan Ovation; still he is preferable to some I could mention, to my ears at least. 

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by TWP
Originally Posted by TWP:
Originally Posted by Paper Plane:
Originally Posted by TomK:

I have a couple of his albums but I'm not a great fan. I certainly don't see him as the genius some would have us believe but then I thought the Jam were a quite mediocre pop group.

My feelings exactly.

 

steve

I would have to disagree that the Jam were just a " mediocre pop group." they made some of the best post punk albums of the time,and to say they were mediocre is the same as  calling Queen just a pantomine act ! but each to there own 

 

I would agree though that Paul Wellers solo efforts are not that great and he does tend to live on the Mod Father image. His best was when he was an angry young man, not middle aged musician paying for private school fees.   but again how many lead singers from great bands achieve the same success as a solo artist.

 

Posted on: 21 April 2012 by osprey
Jam was a good band - maybe not one of the best in the history but certainly one to be remebered. What comes to Paul Weller he might be a bit of an arrogant side of a person but that that does not prevent me to like his music.
 
and +1 what's said below.
 
Originally Posted by TWP:
I would have to disagree that the Jam were just a " mediocre pop group." they made some of the best post punk albums of the time,and to say they were mediocre is the same as  calling Queen just a pantomine act ! but each to there own
 
I would agree though that Paul Wellers solo efforts are not that great and he does tend to live on the Mod Father image. His best was when he was an angry young man, not middle aged musician paying for private school fees.   but again how many lead singers from great bands achieve the same success as a solo artist.

 

 

Posted on: 22 April 2012 by RoyleBlue

I've seen him twice - a couple of years ago at the Norwich UEA when he was great, then recently at the RAH for the Teenage Cancer Trust and he was not so great - six acoustic songs with nothing from  his early days zzzzzzzzzzz!

Posted on: 22 April 2012 by Rattlesnaic

And why is his new album Sonik kicks £31 on vinyl

Its only a single disc and doesn't appear to be 180gm either

Posted on: 22 April 2012 by Hook

Wow....sure are a lot of PW haters on this forum! 

 

I have all of the old Jam and Style Council albums, along with a few of his solo efforts.  A couple of bootleg concert albums as well.  Never saw the Jam live, but it sounds to me like they put on one helluva good show!

 

Weller strikes me as someone who has taken advantage of every ounce of talent he has, and who has remained remarkably productive throughout his long career.  Not the the best voice, not the most talented guitar or piano player, not the greatest songwriter or arranger of music, but pretty good at almost everything it takes to produce popular music.

 

His last two solo albums were universally praised by music critics.  And apparently one or two others agree, as Sonik Kicks, his latest, reached #1 on the UK charts.

 

Plenty of worse musicians to criticize IMO.

 

Hook

Posted on: 23 April 2012 by maze
I bought sonic kicks still trying to get my head around it, to be honest I haven't heard anything decent from pw since stanley road, heavy soul was ok, I prefer his live albums of which there are several to choose from.
Posted on: 23 April 2012 by Huwge

The Jam at Guildford Civic Hall was always a great gig. Nothing since then has floated my boat but someone must llike him as he keeps churning out the albums

 

Posted on: 24 April 2012 by Mike Hughes
The Jam were a truly incredibly live experience which the albums could never match. The albums were patchy and although All Mod Cons had the plaudits it was always Setting Sons for me and after that the singles collection. The Style Council were such a shock at the time I walked away completely. It's very much of its time but there is some great stuff in there. I totally get why people might not like the solo stuff either. His first solo album is much under-rated whereas Wildwood and Stanley Road chimed with the times rather than being great albums per se. The new stuff is interesting. More life and vitality than anyone else on the whole of later and actually quite refreshing. The programme itself was a rare good one bar The Maccabees but I do think you'd have to be fairly deaf and blind to not recognise Weller as being on fire on the Tuesday night whether you like his music or not.
Posted on: 25 April 2012 by JWM

Head above parapet. in principle I like PW.  I may be running with the herd, but Wild Wood is one of my fave albums.

 

However, that's not an uncritial liking.  Recent offerings have been pretentious and really not very good.  Unless he has a change of direction I can't see me buying any more, 22 Dreams was a step too far.

 

Having said that, he was excellent live at Thetford Forest on the 22 Dreams tour.  And Ocean Colour Scene's guitarist Steve, who also plays for PW, is also excellent.

 

 

 

Posted on: 28 April 2012 by tonaimbutafew
I liked his music in the jam an Stanley road is a great album. My bf grew up just around the corner from Stanley road. Clare