Stuff I Love - Paul Weller

The Yorkshire Windbag has a new idol. Paul Weller. Ok with his unfashionably mullety fag ash grey hair and wrinkles caused by too many cigs and sunbed sessions he does look a bit like the thinking man's Rod Stewart. But as Mark E Smith once almost said 'Check out the guy's track record'.

I must admit to blowing hot and cold over the years with Mr Weller. I was late to the party with the Jam (they'd broken up by the time I decided I liked them); hated the Style Council; and flipflopped over his solo career. But I watched a program the other day showing various performances from the BBC. Starting from early Jam stuff and going all the way up to a recent session on Later. To see all this back to back made me realise how underrated this guy is.

Yes I said underrated! This man has been making great music on and off since 1977. That's 35 years for goodness sake.

Lets start with the Jam. Ok they were a bit shaky at first with a couple of good singles ('In the City' in particular) papering over the cracks of a couple of dodgy albums. But then suddenly they hit their stride. From 'Down in a Tube Station at Midnight' through to 'The Beat Surrender' I don't think they released a duff single. Ok none of the albums were classics (although 'Setting Sons' was pretty solid) but there were also great album tracks and b sides such as 'Carnation', 'Thick as Thieves' and 'The Dreams of Children' along the way.

Remember as well that the Jam released their first record in 1977 and broke up in 1982. To put that in perspective the Stone Roses released their debut album in 1989 and its belated follow up in 1994 before breaking up in 1996.

After the Jam Weller then went on to form the Style Council. Having watched a few songs on the BBC show I'm still not a big fan. But you've got to admire the way that Weller tore up the blueprints of the Jam and started something completely different. Even though I wasn't keen on the music I like the attitude. For a guy who is reckoned to be a conservative (with a small 'c' obviously) he took a lot of chances during that period of his career. He also championed other acts and even had his own record label for a while.

Then eventually when the Style Council reached its natural conclusion (a shrinking audience and lack of record company contract finished them off I believe) Weller finally went solo. Just like the Jam he didn't instantly convince. But his second album 'Wildwood' was a bit of a classic with songs like 'Sunflower', 'As My Fire Really Gone Out?' and the title track itself.

Then though as Britpop took off and Weller got pally with Oasis he seemed to take his foot off the gas a bit. This was his 'Dadrock' phase. Although the songs were still of decent quality. 

But then he came back with 'From The Floorboards Up' which was a really fiery number and a statement of intent. Since then he's released three pretty good album that have mixed his 'Dadrock' with folk, punk and even 'Krautrock' (whatever that is!).

Overall as with any musical artist Weller has had his peaks and troughs. But show me an artist who hasn't. Dylan hasn't made a decent album since 'Blood on the Tracks' in my opinion but people still rave about him. Neil Young, Paul McCartney and Van Morrison are also artists that are living off past glories. Yet everytime they release a new album we're told 'its a return to form'. In the world of 'classic rock' Weller has a back catalogue to compete with all those guys. Plus he's still open to new ideas and turning out albums that are decent.

When people talk about great post sixties British rock acts he never gets a look in either. Instead we hear about the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Oasis etc. The Jam alone are as good as any of those bands. Better in fact than most. Possibly the Clash and the Smiths would stand comparison but most of the rest have based their careers on one album. As for the likes of Pete Doherty - don't get me started.

So get yourselves out to HMV or That's Entertainment (and that is a classic song that you must own) and have a rummage in the two for a tenner/fiver sections. Get yourself some Jam or solo Weller stuff (maybe even some Style Council). Prepare to be amazed.