It is a surprising revelation considering his seventies punk past but Paul Weller's musical development has become parallel to that of the Black Crowes. He draws from similar influences musically, although being from Woking, with a more restrained delivery.
This set marks a slight move away from the Free, "Mr Big" influences of Wild Wood and its live sister CD Live Wood. Though a little introvert and the tunes not as catchy, nevertheless the songs are frequently as sophisticated as any he's ever done and certainly this is a more varied collection.
Stevie Winwood, a longstanding hero of Paul's, is playing keyboards on a few of the songs here, PW always sang like a cross between him and Paul Rodgers. Stevie's Traffic have long been noted by critics as an influence on Weller's latter works.
"Changing Man" the opening track borrows the bass riff from "I Am The Walrus". It is an unusual performance in that Weller puts on a strangely gruff singing voice unlike ever before. He plays some pretty good Paul Kossoff guitar. Paul sings here of his belief in personal and artistic change. Indeed this is several steps away from the style of anything he's previously done.
"Porcelain Gods" is track two, though downbeat, slow and a bit glum, when it takes off it again sounds a bit like Free. Paul has been jokingly described as a "moaning old get" by his friend Oasis guitarist Noel. Here he bemoans his role as (as he sees it) fading figurehead of a generation.
Paul has frequently mentioned his recent conversion to the joys of Neil Young; amazingly he didn"t pick up on him until 1992's Harvest Moon. "Walking On Glass Splinters" smoulders like Crazy Horse. It's a snarling prowling guitar song which is the longest on the CD. The simulated 'stylus getting stuck" at the end is a rather cute nod to the olden days of vinyl that this raucous song recalls. "Splinters" is the only non- Weller composition on the record. "Whirlpool's End" on the second side is also Neil Youngish in its theme and in its tune as well as the crashing guitar. It recalls "I"ve Been Waiting" from the first Neil Young solo LP. Another track which rocks out on this new collection "Woodcutter's Son" must be the first Paul Weller song to start with a riff since the 70s - T Rex's 20th Century Boy to be exact. A nice acoustic slide emphasises the end of the chorus. It has an infectious Bo Diddley beat a la Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away".
"You Do Something To Me" is a gentle ballad. It features a rather nice Dave Gilmour-esque guitar solo, akin to some of the guitar work on Live Wood. This is in the vein of Free's ballads.
"Time Passes" has a hook that reminds me of Bobby Womack's "Poet 1". A nice slow ballad, it ends with a trippy swathe of psychedelic noises. This is the kind of superior soul/t'n'b which the Style Council were capable of, yet sadly rarely rose to accomplish. This one is an absolute treat and worth the purchase price of the CD alone. The other vaguely souly number "Broken Stones" has a tune recalling "Let's Just Kiss And Say Goodbye" by seventies smooching soul kings the Manhattans though a rock song. It doesn"t vary throughout and is a little pedestrian though pleasant enough.
The psychedelic sounds fading after the end of "Time Passes" are really the prelude to the next, and the one truly psychedelic song on this CD. "Stanley Road" has a stomping 60's Move beat, with "Mellotron" mini moog suggesting psychedelic Traffic paranoia despite the strident guitar and keyboards. This song reflects upon Weller's childhood home street in Woking in a weirdly wistful fashion. The cover design of the album is by Peter Blake of Sgt Pepper fame, and the collage of images recalls earlier times - old buses, Beatles toys, a photo of the suited Lennon, Aretha, a poem, and hallowed icons such as the soccer player George Best. The centre depicts a young boy-presumably the young Mr Weller with his adult self photographed in the middle, as if held up by his young self.
Paul doesn"t entirely depart from the pattern of previous couple of albums. "Out Of The Sinking" sounds a lot more like the Wild Wood set than anything else here. It has a nice hook, and familiar Weller Traffic guitar riffs, topped with a nice resounding chorus which is as good as say "Above The Clouds" or "Can You Heal Us Holy Man" from the best of the past couple of year's material. "Pink On White Walls" -a very puzzling title- is also Wild Woodish with its jaunty melody and Traffic guitar. Both of these tracks hail from the easier-to-listen-to second half.
"Wings of Speed" the final track has piano accompanying, angelic choirs and Carleen Anderson in the background. Is this a hymn to amphetamine? This song improves with further listens, and is somewhat moving.
Weller is still cutting it, this is without question. This is a complex and highly varied album, and aesthetically satisfying if not quite as immediate as some of the Wild Wood set. There are enough classic Weller songs here to make Stanley Road well worth a visit. I wonder if the fans have nicked the road sign yet?
