release date: Jun. 23, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]
producer: Paul Weller, Brendan Lynch
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Heavy Soul (Part 1)" - 2. "Peacock Suit" - 6. "I Should Have Been There to Inspire You" (live on Later) - 8. "Friday Street" (live) - 12. "Mermaids" (live)
4th studio album by Paul Weller is not as tight as his two previous albums. It's more relaxed in funky, bluesy and / or soulful ways. There's some fine songwriting, lyrically, I just don't like the sound and resulting tone. There's too much 'jam-session' in it for my taste. In its most mediocre places it's like Weller jamming with Keith Richards and James Brown at the same time, and that would most likely be a dream come true for a lot of fans. I just do not like that. To me it's a bit like The Style Council rendezvous when they were most unorganised, and to me it's also a bit like the natural follow-up to his solo debut only less poignant.
[ allmusic.com hands it 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]
