Customer Reviews

Home & Abroad: Live

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are 2 versions of this cd. Be sure to get the british version. The opener of Big Boss Groove on the british cd is worth the extra bucks as it is not available on the us version.Paul Weller is as usual,in fine form,especially on songs like Call Me. This is one of my favorite live albums ever by any artist and would be a great addition to anyones collection.If you havent dicovered the genius that is Paul Weller by now, this is a good start,as it is not as heavily accented as the Jam,nor as introspective as his solo work. But buy this,and you'll be hooked and his other works will soon be in your collection also.

Paul Weller, father of mod, came up with a funk-jazz group known as The Style Council in the 80s. The result: a beautiful music creation. This album gives you some of the best songs from Cafe Bleu and Our Favorite Shop album in live performance. Live performance versions of Lodgers (dig the Motown horn section at the end of the song), With Everything to Lose, and Ever-Changing Moods are simply spectacular. Looking for a good collection of Style Council music? Grab this album now!

I found this album to be an outstanding piece of artistry.Style Council has created the perfect blend of Motown, jazz,and European pop.Upbeat energy exudes from every track, especially "Shout to the Top".My personal favorite, however, is "The Lodgers".This tune is a wonderful companion on a long late night drive with that special person beside you.The sound mix is a little off, but all in all, a great album for cruisin' on a spring day or cuddlin' on a cold, snowy night.From smooth and soulful to sophisticated and jazzy, this album has it covered.

If you have any interest in The Style Council buy this CD. The band is almost impossible to categorize. Read the online reviews and notice how everyone's definition of their music is different. "White Soul" is one description that sticks with me and is supported by this CD. Unlike many bands, they sound even better live, probably because they are great musicians. They are loose but groove really well on this recording. It's a great mix of some of their finest songs at the peak of their history. This is the album that introduced me to The Style Council and it remains my favorite. The horns are strong, the strings are real and the band is tight. Camille Hinds is a fantastic bass player and Steve White is the most underrated drummer I know of. Listen to his little fills that show his jazz foundation. I also own the video tape version of this concert and it's the most enjoyable concert video I've seen. This is what pop music can achieve but rarely does - polish, soul, melody, instrumentation and class.

Since I got spoiled by TSC In Concert, it's really hard for me to find Home & Abroad any more compelling or outstanding. Yet, since these are the only 2 "official" live releases of TSC, we are just lucky that these got released at all. (I mention official, because maybe somebody out there managed to bootleg and release some other TSC shows that could probably be sold for alot of money, or worse, have bad sound/packaging for alot of money) Nevertheless, you can tell that all the material is from the Our Favorite Shop tour, so there isn't really any room for extra b-sides or "demo" material from Cost of Loving. But all nit picking aside, the music is still great. Mick asks the question "Is that so wrong?" on Headstart for Happiness after his solo is over, with Paul & Dee C. taking over the vocals from there. One dissapointment is the bass and the sound of the cd itself. I have to boost the bass all the way on my cd player just to feel any bottom end, and if this cd were ever to be re-mastered, then maybe it would sound as it should. It probably doesn't because when this got released in 86, I think sound engineers were playing it safe with the eq & compression, and just expected your average hi-fi to boost the volume at a level the listener is comfortable with. But if I listen to this on the bus, I barely hear it, even when I crank it all the way to 10.
As a time capsule, Home & Abroad will probably make you feel like you were there with Paul, Steve, Mick, Dee C, and the rest of the musicians on stage. But In Concert is the live album that really does TSC justice. I'm not saying don't buy it, or it's horrible, but it's just got it's shortcomings. If that doesn't bother you, you'll probably enjoy this live set, but if you really want to groove, put on In Concert.

Whatever, this really grooves. I'm listening to the '86 vinyl release and it only has 10 tracks compared to the cd with 24 tracks, that would make this cd more than twice as good as the vinyl copy. Paul weller was one very cool guy and I can understand why he was and still is huge in the U.K. Check out his recent solo release "Illumination" ,nothing like this, as it is more mellow and bluesy, without it being blues, persay.

I bought this album while in Japan and it was the smartest musical purchase of my life. The Style Council is a fantastic band and this live performance doesn't miss the mark. During their hey-day of the 80's this talented British band was over-looked in the States--lost somewhere between New Wave & Wham. Paul Weller and his band made fine music though. "The Lodgers" and "Internationalists" are my favorite cuts on this exceptional recording. Funk, R&B and Pop collided and the result was Style Council. Check them out!

Previously available as a high-priced Japanese import...now available as an MP3 download as well. One of the few bands that sounds BETTER live than in the studio. My high points: Big Boss Groove and Our Favourite Shop. These guys channeled Curtis Mayfield, Todd Rundgren, early Hall and Oates and even some jazz grooves into a fascinating concoction of soulful pop.