Paul Weller:
More Modern Classics:
Universal/EMI:
CD/LP/DD:
Out Now:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
It's been 16 years since the first Modern Classics collection, issued at a time when Paul Weller was at the peak of his solo game. Make that the first peak. Weller has been far from a slouch since the turn of the century - he's issued nearly double the amount of singles found on that first volume, so many that not all could fit on this latest compilation. Welcome to his second peak.
Mind you, 21 songs' worth is not to be sniffed at, many of which represent some of Weller's most aggressive output, as well as his most colourful. Interestingly, not all of More Modern Classics were his biggest hits - He's The Keeper barely scraped into the Top 75 but admirably opens the album while the title-track from 22 Dreams didn't set the world alight either. Conversely, there's no place for his cover of Thinking Of You (a top 10 smash) or Here's The Good News.
All of which matters little - Weller's got enough in his canon to entertain the troops and his most memorable songs such as It's Written In The Stars, Wake Up The Nation, Sweet Pea, From The Floorboards Up and his earnest cover of Wishing On A Star are perhaps the highlights here. Naturally, The Jam's timeless blueprint occasionally permeates through - All I Wanna Do resembles elements of The Bitterest Pill in places - but most of his solo work borrows from Stax, Atlantic, Punk and British electric blues.
It's a heady brew with some of the lesser singles failing to captivate as much as, say, Wildwood or You Do Something To Me but still holding their own when put up against similar peers such as Johnny Marr or The Enemy. And am I the only one who can hear the spectre of Damon Albarn on When Your Garden's Overgrown? Damned fine tune though. For true fans, there's a 3 disc set containing rarities and b-sides, reminding us that his prolific intent has remained for the past 15 years or so.
As revealed in a recent interview, Weller's one wish is to continue playing while he still can. Who's betting against a volume 3 of Modern Classics, then?
More Modern Classics:
Universal/EMI:
CD/LP/DD:
Out Now:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Mind you, 21 songs' worth is not to be sniffed at, many of which represent some of Weller's most aggressive output, as well as his most colourful. Interestingly, not all of More Modern Classics were his biggest hits - He's The Keeper barely scraped into the Top 75 but admirably opens the album while the title-track from 22 Dreams didn't set the world alight either. Conversely, there's no place for his cover of Thinking Of You (a top 10 smash) or Here's The Good News.
All of which matters little - Weller's got enough in his canon to entertain the troops and his most memorable songs such as It's Written In The Stars, Wake Up The Nation, Sweet Pea, From The Floorboards Up and his earnest cover of Wishing On A Star are perhaps the highlights here. Naturally, The Jam's timeless blueprint occasionally permeates through - All I Wanna Do resembles elements of The Bitterest Pill in places - but most of his solo work borrows from Stax, Atlantic, Punk and British electric blues.
It's a heady brew with some of the lesser singles failing to captivate as much as, say, Wildwood or You Do Something To Me but still holding their own when put up against similar peers such as Johnny Marr or The Enemy. And am I the only one who can hear the spectre of Damon Albarn on When Your Garden's Overgrown? Damned fine tune though. For true fans, there's a 3 disc set containing rarities and b-sides, reminding us that his prolific intent has remained for the past 15 years or so.
As revealed in a recent interview, Weller's one wish is to continue playing while he still can. Who's betting against a volume 3 of Modern Classics, then?