Customer Reviews

Illumination [Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album is a huge accomplishment, a diverse and brilliant collection of songs. Paul Weller plays most of the instruments himself, and doesn't waste much time with studio work. I was a little thrown at first listen, expecting something more Stanley Road-like, but I keep having to hear it again and again. Buy it now, then go to ticketmaster and check him out live on his US tour in February. Twenty-five years of making music, and he's still one of the greatest out there. All hail the Modfather!

If you're reading this review, I am fairly certain you recognize the contributions Mr. Weller has made to the world of pop music. The Jam are one of my Top 5 of all-time, and now that Joe Strummer has passed, Weller is probably my nomination for 'Coolest Man Alive.' Weller is a living legend. But I digress.....

Weller's solo albums see him getting back to rootsy mod-sy rock-n-soul. And Illumination may be his best solo outting yet. I must admit, I've been somewhat disappointed with his last few. "Wild Wood" and "Stanley Road" are untouchable, obviously, and this joins the fray. The album ROCKS with a fierce sense of purpose. From the opener "Going Places" to the quieter moments of "Now the Night is Here" to the in-between's "Standing Out in the Universe" to the VERY Kinks-y "Push-Button Automatic" This album is classic.

Paul's usual dark themes and his curmudgeonly tone seem to have been replaced by an almost 'positive outlook' and the album flows along like a spring through the Woking countryside on a sunny day. A summery pastiche of songs that rock and roll as well as relax.

Perfect Weller. I'm so impressed with this record, so let's get the terrace chant going for the Modfather:

"Wellah....Wellah....Wellah...."

I've followed Paul Weller from The Jam to Style Council and through his solo career and the thing that astounds me the most is that not only are his records almost always completely listenable but also that he was able to switch styles and genres so effortlessly and still put out a quality product. Illumination is a very good album. I wouldn't put it in the same category as Wild Wood or Stanley Road, my two favorite Weller solo discs, but it's got some great hooks, catchy melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and excellent production. I like Leafy Mysteries, Bag Man, It's Written In The Stars, and the bonus track Push Button, Automatic the best myself.

Paul Weller always seemed to fall into that great underappreciated songwriter category, like Neil Finn, Peter Case, or Chris Isaak and once again he doesn't disappoint. The biggest mystery to me is how still relatively unknown he remains to the U.S. audience but I get the feeling that is gradually changing and all it will take is one breakthrough song to remind former Jam and Style Council fans that Paul is alive and well and recording.

Why is it reviews of Weller always mention The Jam and Style Council? They were great bands, and I'm certainly a fan of them. Regardless, it's 25 years on, and let's listen to Illumination for what it is rather than the what it's not. I'll also applaud Mr. Weller for making music on his terms rather than cashing in on past glory.

Mr. Weller is a rare musical talent. His songwriting on Illuminatin reflects universal thoughts and emotions. It is recorded with minimal technological interference. This gives it a very laid back vibe, and an almost live feel. In a time where music recording electronically modifies pitches so everything is perfectly in tune, this is a welcome change.

Mr. Weller doesn't like to revisit old material. He challenges the listener to go with him. Most of his albums are growers. This is no exception. I've probably changed my favourite song off this CD 25 times.

I intended to write a song by song analysis, but my comments were all sounding the same. I'll just say I have an emotional connection to every one. Mr. Weller expresses his thoughts extremely well, and I've shared the same feelings. It's a that's-what-I-was felling perspective. Or a I've hoped for that too thing. There are several guest appearances. Each guest leaves you with a happy to play with Paul emotion. It's rare you have collaberations like this which are focused on music not dollars. For listeners not familiar with Brit music, you'll be enticed to investigate the Stereophonics due to Kelly Jones' collaberation

The bonus dvd is a wonderful extra. As a US fan, chances to see Weller live are minimal. The DVD illustrate the power, beauty, and passion in his songwriting.

A must buy for any music fan.

Illumination is a great, well-rounded collection of songs that gets better and better the more you listen. If you bought the import when it first came out in the UK, it is definitely worth getting this US DVD/CD combo for the 5 videos and 3 extra songs alone.

The DVD has 3 songs from Paul's Hyde Park concert, including two of his classic love songs, 'Sunflower' and 'You Do Something to Me,' as well as a new song, 'Standing Out in the Universe'. The concert was filmed on a summer day around dusk and everything is bathed in a gorgeous light. It is a rare treat to see Weller in concert in the US. With this DVD we finally get a taste of Paul's amazing live chemistry with his audience and his stellar band (including longtime drummer Steve White, and Steve Cradock and Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene). Plus we get videos for the new singles, 'It's Written in the Stars' and 'Leafy Mysteries'.

The other bonus is the addition of 3 new tracks: 'Horseshoe Drama,' 'Push Button Automatic' and 'Talisman.' These are fast becoming my new faves off the album. 'Horseshoe' rocks, 'Push Button' is a catchy, funny, Kinks-y tune, and 'Talisman' may just be the finest song on this album. It has anger, intensity, power, and a 'Funeral Pyre'-esque riff (or is it 'Scrape Away'?).

This album is fresh, diverse, tender, angry, and heartfelt. Many songs will be immediate favorites; others have hidden depths that will open up on repeated listening. Add the superb extra tracks, live footage, videos and you can't go wrong.

Paul Weller was the leader of the seminal, British, punk-soul band, The Jam. Like his former group (and his group after that, The Style Council), Weller has always been more popular in Europe than in the States. Nevertheless, he has consistently recorded solid, well-crafted albums of which this is his latest example. While Weller is willing to wade into uncharted waters once in a while (we think Elmer Fudd once said that), dabbling in hip-hop, electronica, raga, country&western, and folk, he is most assured and successful when sticking to the more familiar confines of rhythm & blues. For those unacquainted with his vocal style, we'd suggest a more ragged Eric Clapton, a more refined Joe Cocker. Although the songs are finely polished, Weller's rough-hewn, oft off-key delivery and the casual production somehow give the album an added immediacy and emotional depth.

I've been a Weller fan for about 15 years now and I consistently cite him as one of my top three musical influences (along with Ray Davies and Joe Strummer). I was SO excited when he put out his first solo album and I really enjoyed it - and still do. Unfortunately, Weller has not really progressed at all since he ventured out on his own and I feel that he is getting a bit stale. There are some decent tracks on the album but taken as a whole it's rather lackluster in my opinion. I think that vocally he is weak, especially on the ballads. I always am excited when Weller comes out with something new but with the last few efforts including this one I have been somewhat disappointed.

I've had this album for a few months now and it has only gotten better and better with each listen. The melodic hooks are brilliant, the lyrics are genius, and Weller sounds as fresh today as in the late 70s. I would put this album on par with Wild Wood and Stanley Road. If you are a Weller fan, I think you'll definitely dig this one.

Few pop stars age gracefully. Some descend into irrelevance (Elton John) or are canonized on the basis of recordings made during the Stone Age (Clapton). Sting, whose outfit the Police was roughly contemporaneous with the Jam, re-invented himself as a crooner of schmaltz and composer of TV commercial soundtracks. It's enough to not trust anyone over 40.

Enter Paul Weller and and 2002's Illumination. Whether a soulful ballad or guitar-saturated rocker, Illumination has an edginess often lacking in today's hipster bands. "Going Places," the CD's opener, is a gentle yet stubborn paean to mutability in an era of diminished expectations. After more than a quarter century in the business, Weller has moved beyond the youthful anger of the Jam's Setting Sons, yet Illumination proves that Weller has retained that most elusive of accolades -- street cred. He manages to pull off a seemingly insipid romantic ballad like "Now the Night is Here" with a passion & directness unusual, perhaps, for a man in his forties. Not since the Flying Burrito Brothers' little-known gem, "Here Tonight," has a love song sounded so uncontrived and sincere.

The "bonus" songs, especially the Kink-ish "Push Button, Automatic," blend right in, unlike most CD add-on tracks. The DVD is an appropriate finale, with strong live performances of "Sunflower" and "You Do Something To Me," from earlier solo albums, and Illumination videos, including the Squeeze-like "It's Written in the Stars."

As the millenium settled in Paul Weller had a wealthy and successful solo career going for him,already prolific enough to produce many classic albums and enormous ammounts of respect. One of the things I myself always appreciate most about Weller is his love of soul,funk and jazz and his respectful treatment of them all in his music,either by himself or with the two bands he led,The Jam and Style Council. As with just about every artist who is prolific there are going to be uneven albums. It's really up to personal taste what people consider uneven. Personally I find this to be one of those uneven Paul Weller albums.

It has nothing to do with his songwriting ability or musical ideas. In this case it's occasionally his singing style and production/mixing/musical choices. A lot of these songs are relitively ordinary acoustic pop/rock songs-Paul on acoustic guitar that don't honestly possess much of his imagination or inventiveness. Also on a couple songs his singing is very worn,horse and even downright off key at times. Not always a crime or bad creative idea but somehow he sounds exhausted on these. On the other hand the retro soul of "It's Written In The Stars" and "All Good Books" are very beautifully crafted and even mildly haunting.

Heavy rock & soul numbers such as "Horseshoe Drama and "Going Places" are decent but a bit cluttered while the clever McCartney/Beatle type cyber/internet culture send up "Push Button,Automatic" is a highlite. It's probably not Paul Weller's weakest solo album. But it's not exactly his strongest or most consistant either. Most it consists of acoustic or heavier blues/rock numbers that aren't very individual and unique either musically or in terms of songcraft. Probably a lot of people's fault anyway. Weller is a moody artist and human like the rest of us. Because he's done music pretty close to incredible (very very few in life things truly defy credibility),expections for his music sometimes runs a bit high. Did for people such as Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. And I guess it does for Paul Weller.