I'm dancing through the fire just to catch a flame

   

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

17/12/21 : An Orchestrated Songbook - Paul Weller



Across his career, I've had a lot of time for Mr Weller and his ever changing moods as he went from The Jam to The Style Council and then his earlier solo stuff.  However, I must admit that in recent (OK - the last 10 or so) years I've found his stuff to be, well, just a bit shit and my only interaction has been some eye-rolling whenever I bump into him (mostly on Jools).  And I didn't even know this existed, so had no idea what to expect.

Ah - it's the old "let's record the old stuff with an orchestra" cliche rolled out, so I'm expecting one or two interesting versions with the rest having all the rough edges smoothed out to the point of tedium.  But, I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong and this is one of those cases.  Because every single track here has been reduced to utter pointlessness - I just don't understand what anyone involved in this thought they were doing.  The only possible exception is Celeste's contribution to "Wild Wood" but the pair of them could have made a much better version than this if they'd put some effort in.  I also can't be rude about "You Do Something To Me" because it was our first dance, but this version adds absolutely nothing to the original.  Part of Paul Weller's appeal has always been the energy and intensity he puts into things and it just feels like he can't be bothered here.  It's also billed as a live album but the only applause you hear sounds as though there were about ten people in the room.

We reach a new low in the chart this week with this debuting at #4 (with Ed, Adele and Abba ahead) and it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that it dropped down the charts rapidly, managing four weeks before it disappeared from view entirely because I struggle to imagine anyone listening to it more than once.  If this had come in at #5 then I would have got to listen to Buble's Christmas album and that would have been far preferable (even in the dark depths of early February).  And Wikipedia has nothing on the album either - spend your time reading Mr Weller's entry because he's had a fascinating life.

"Customers also listened to" The Style Council, Stone Foundation (never heard of them, but apparently they often play live with Mr Weller) but nothing from The Jam (which does not surprise me).  All in all, this album was 78 minutes of blandness which I'm never getting back - I think I'm going to have to put Snap! on just to kick start my brain.

10/12/21 - I didn't see this one coming
24/12/21 - Some Swedish nostalgia


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