Confessions of a Pop Group [Import, Original recording remastered]

Style Council | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Universal I.S.
• ASIN: B00004WGZL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #44,423 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese reissue of 1988 album that's out-of-print domestically and remastered from 2000. Also includes original sleeve and insert with lyrics. Packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pop Goes Deeper Than Ever Before, December 1, 2001

By 

Jamie S. Rich (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Confessions of a Pop Group (Audio CD)

After making an incendiary noise with The Jam, Paul Weller formed the Style Council in order to do something completely different. CONFESSIONS OF A POP GROUP, the Council's swan song, was where the experiment came to fruition. You may find the use of the word "pop" in the title misleading, but I prefer to think that Weller (along with Mick Talbot and the rest of the band) was stretching pop to its many logical extremes. You're not going to find a lot of dance beats or super-catchy hooks on this record. Instead, you'll find piano suites, soul singing, and lush orchestration, building an overall picture of broken hearts, lofty ideals, and a modern life fraut with pitfalls.

The Style Council are often written off as an overcalculated effort, the weakest period of Weller's career (he followed with a pretty successful solo career). Don't buy it. The Style Council was a daring move for a man who had made his reputation through loud guitars and vitriol. Take this album to heart, give it a chance, search out its center--you'll never want to stop playing it if you do.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one and only "Pet Sounds" of the eightys, June 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Confessions of a Pop Group (Audio CD)

"Confessions" was widly meligned by critics and fans of the Style Council alike. As for me, this record changed my life. It was a soundtrack for me personally. I call it the "Pet Sounds" of the eightys simply because of it's lush beauty, and emotional impact. Songs like "Change of the Guard" and "It's a Very Deep Sea" hit hard and cuddle you into a sea of goose-bumps. Why no one seemed to notice is beyond me. The Style Council always stived to do their own thing, and do it as well and as lovingly possible. Their only short coming was to care too much. TSC , it could be said, just weren't made for their times. Funnily enough, Weller speaks of the greed of this period with lyrics full of venom, but sung like a gospel on the title track itself. "Confessions 1,2, and 3" succeeds where their previous album, "The Cost of Loving" failed, in that the lounge element is in full effect, but the arrangements are perfect. Every detail of this record was well thought out, and I'm so glad it's been re-released for a new generation to fall in love with. Pay close attention to the liner notes as well. These too were despised in the U.K., but to anyone who doesn't give a toss about what the critics say, then it could be an added bonus. I was 15 years old when I bought this record, and now I'm 25. I couldn't live without it in my collection. Don't take my word for it, make up your own minds. Still, you may find your heart when you find this album.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars can't find the superlative, July 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Confessions of a Pop Group (Audio CD)

This is perhaps the most phenomenal album I own. TSC has long been my favorite band, and this CD embodies the innovativeness the style council brought to the often delineated genres of their decade. I am inclined to agree with the "Pet Sounds" analogy. It took me nearly a year to appreciate the depth of this album. As a wee 16-year-old, I was only intrigued by the first "act" of the album upon it's release. However, I soon realized that it was the latter half of the album which really showcased the immense eclecticism of Weller's talent. These remain my favorite classically inspired pieces to this day. It was a shame Paul failed to expound upon this classical penchant. I could listen to track #s 5 on for the rest of my life, such is the inexhaustible pleasure they bring. They embody, for me, an age of endless possibilities and hope for the future. If there is one album I could be buried with, it would be this one...