Great Music, awful soundIt strikes me how nobody is talking about how awful this record sounds. It is loud, compressed... It seems to have been mixed directly into an mp3 player; the saddest thing of all is that it has some of the better songs Weller has ever written... Someone has to do something with the awful sounding records released today, because nobody seems to notice.
a flavour for everyoneThis has been variously described by others as a concept album, theatrical, self-indulgent and rubbish. I don't agree with any of those descriptions (and certainly not the last one!).
While I don't like every track on this album, there are more than enough great songs for anyone. I can understand that it's not everyone's bag, but let's face it, PW can't just keep on recording new versions of the changing man and peacock suit! We went to Paul's Bristol gig earlier this year where we heard lots of these for the first time. Sometimes difficult to hear a song for the first time, but you could still tell they were quality!
Have you made up your mind? is, for my money, an absolute classic, and one of the stand-out tracks on the album. But sea spray is my personal favourite. It reminds me of when I moved back home to the seaside and always brings a tear to me old eye! For that alone, thanks Paul. See you in November!
Older, wiser, mellower?This has been going around my stereo for the last six weeks which means it can't be at all bad. Infact once you get past the cover, which I thought resembled the set off of Teletubbies, there's some good stuff here. Catchy tunes and introspective poetry in abundance.
Opener 'Light Nights' has that 'Wickerman' soundtrack feel to it and works well as an intro track, before '22 Dreams' kicks in like a brass heavy soultrain to throw you completely off the scent. Singles 'Have You Made Up Your Mind' and 'All I Wanna Do' are simply structured pop songs with those catchy little riffs that Weller and his band of choice always seem to capture so effortlessly. 'Push It Along' and 'Echoes Round The Sun' are soul/psych babies and it comes as little surprise that they have appeared on the single releases from the LP as extra tracks or B sides.
The other side of the sixpence includes the acoustic drenched 'Why Walk When You Can Run', the Style Councilesque 'Cold Moments' and the very esoteric poem 'God' (which features a slightly disturbing narration from guitarist Aziz Ibrahim who contributes to several tracks on the collection). Not everything here sticks in the head instantly but I think that is to be expected. After all, how much of the 'White Album' (to which this LP has been constantly compared to, albeit 'Weller's White Album') was considered to be garbage before the Beatles Renaissance declared everything touched by the hand of the Fab Four musically and artistically infallible? 22 Dreams, like The White Album, works because the tracks belong together on it, in it and around it and nowhere else.
This is a hotch potch of styles stuck together on an LP made by a man whose music has guided a million once angry young men into worldly and mellow middle age whilst picking up younger affiliates on the way. To me this sounds like the creation of someone enjoying their work and it does indeed for the most part...work! Give it a blast on it's own merit as opposed to judging it on what's been before. Shame to cut one's nose off to spite the face, wouldn't you say?
ALL WELLER AND GOODPaul Weller seems to be back in favour after spending quite a few years being hailed as the nations leading perveyor of 'dad rock'. His last album was a distinct return to form, and, with the single 'From The Floorboards Up' he also scored a major top ten single.
22 Dreams is Weller's 'White Album'. A sprawling collection that visits many genre's - folk, rock, pop, country and spacey wigouts - to varying degrees of success. Both 'Have You Ever Made Up Your Mind' and the Style Councily 'All I Wanna Do' are amongst the Mod Father's greatest solo singles - accessible, catchy and huge of chorus. '22 Dreams' itself sounds like a prime Jam song whilst 'Invisible' is a lovely understated ballad with a terrific and touching Weller vocal.
As with all double albums 22 Dreams has it's share of filler and experimentation - 'Echo's Round The Sun' (a collaboration with Noel Gallagher) is dissapointing sub Oasis swamp rock and 'Push It Along' is a great groove in search of a tune.
With this release Paul Weller has undoubtabley flexed his creative muscles, for probably the first time since the majestic double whammy of Wild Wood and Stanley Road, but 22 Dreams would still have benefitted from being pruned to just 11 or 12 great songs.
Still with the man in such fine voice (his voice does just get better and better with age) it's hard to argue with a talent that still wants to push the boundaries after 30 years of making music.
Devoted Weller heads will lap it up.
TOO EXPERIMENTAL FOR ME - DIDN'T LIKE ITThis is a "marmite" album you either love it or hate it. For me it's very much the latter. In fact there are only about 3 tracks I like and they are the tracks which stick with the Weller genre of bluesy/rock which he has delivered consistently over the years.
This album simply crosses every genre you can think of so you never know what's coming next, the problem with that is that the artist is delving into areas perhaps he shouldn't be getting into. Why try and fix a winning formula? However, it appears many fans like this album but for me I want Weller music, not experimental classical music to feed Weller's creative ambitions.
Not for me this one.
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