|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Innovative blend of sounds.,
By Jimmy.M (New York City,USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: 22 Dreams (Audio CD)
The legendary rock star, Paul Weller makes his comeback!
If nothing else, you tend to associate Paul Weller with lean and muscular music - rock without any flab or fripperies. So the big surprise about the epic "22 Dreams" is just how much latitude Weller gives himself to wander off down intriguing musical backwaters. Some 30 years spent as a bedrock of great British songcraft is time enough for a man to be allowed to indulge himself a little. Hence this Paul Weller 70-minute concept album relating a young man's journey from heartbreak to spiritual awakening, blending together an eclectic array of genres, spanning two discs, 21 tunes and much of the musical spectrum: trad folk, lounge, psychedelia and piano balladry included. Yes, there are the mod anthems, spirited evocations of Sixties R&B, like the title track. But there are instrumental interludes which run the gamut from eastern classical to blithe jazz, all invested with a dream-like quality. Even so, all are unmistakably Weller. The voice of a generation can't be disguised by shifting genre. Despite the eclectic aspirations, standouts recall the vibrant English soul that first marked the latter days of the Jam. There are curiosities like "Light Nights", which is earnest folk with a whiff of Pentangle about it, and "Why Walk When You Can Run", a pining bit of acoustica which could almost belong on the latest Neil Diamond album. There are liberal dose of strings, occasional whiffs of Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye and, with the apparent theme of changing seasons, a sense of something epic happening, but without the dreary sense of self-importance which often comes with a concept album. The electrifying title track and "Have You Made Up Your Mind" suggest that this album would be up there with Weller's best, were it not 21 songs long -too many of the more experimental soundscapes are surely only of interest to their creator. Yes, Weller can't be begrudged such gratification, but "22 Dreams" would have been all the better for a trim. Despite that, the album has the ring of a classic. He may no longer be a spokesman for anyone but himself, but Weller is still setting standards for his generation. "22 Dreams" features various collaborations with other well-known artist: Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer of Oasis, Graham Coxon of Blur, Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene, Little Barrie and an ex-Stone Roses guitarist, Aziz Ibrahim. Fresh new tracks "Echoes Round The Sun" and "Have You Made Up Your Mind" are set to be released to dominate the radio airwaves.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Return of the Modfather,
By Russell D. Melling "World's Greatest Anglophile" (Coatesville, Indiana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: 22 Dreams (Audio CD)
At this late point in his illustrious career Paul Weller manages to pull off a feat which few artists of his stature (or vintage) can do; produce a nearly-perfect comeback record. While it may not have the stylistic flashes of Wildwood or Stanley Road, the Modfather doesn't have to impress anyone but himself. A great release well worth waiting for.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Somehow singing "I had 21 Dreams last night" doesn't have the same punch,
By
This review is from: 22 Dreams (Audio CD)
Okay, so there are 21 songs, not the expected 22. Don't let it bother you. This is the first disc in a long time that feels like a fully realized album to me. It isn't a concept album--I don't find any common thematic thread musically or lyrically, yet somehow each song rolls perfectly into the next. In particular, the flow from the title track to All I Wanna Do (Is Be with You), to Have You Made up Your Mind? to Empty Ring to Invisible to Song for Alice feels like one unbroken continuum, despite their varied musical styles. Yes, there are a couple of tracks that might have been better left off the disc (for instance God or 111), but somehow they don't bother me as they would on another artist's record. Perhaps it's because I feel like Weller really believes in those tracks. In another musician's hands, they would strike me as pretentious. On 22 Dreams, they just feel like a couple of good ideas that didn't work out. As a long-time Paul Weller fan, I've long since given up on hoping for a return to The Jam's sound. You hear it here and there, but what is great about Weller is that he continues to move forward as a musician long after many other guys would be living off the royalties from their greatest hits boxed sets.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|