Customer Reviews

Wake Up The Nation

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

 

 

Ever since Paul Weller rediscovered his creative mojo on 2008's "22 Dreams", he's been firing from all cylinders. Hooking up, for the first time in 28 years with Bruce Foxton from The Jam on bass, this is just as creative and eclectic as its predecessor though briefer at 16 tracks.

With an average song length of 3 minutes, the album flies past in little or no time, opening with the bombast of "Moonshine" (with a nice piano riff and atonal guitar breaks), and the chugging "Wake up the nation" both vintage Weller Rockers. The majestic "No tears left to cry" is sixties Rock/Pop, while the gently galloping "She speaks" is filled with jangly and gritty guitars and reverb.

The psychedelic "Andromeda" is captivating with tender lyrics ("My mood gets lifted with the gravity's pull/Looks like I'm smiling but I'm dying too"), while "Whatever next" is a brief instrumental with chiming effects.

The falsetto-sung "Aim high" is groovy Motown-style Soul, while the absolutely brilliant "Trees" is a constantly morphing Blues/Jazz/Rock delight with haunting female harmonies, at just over 4 minutes, a 5 part mini Rock Opera (inspired, he says, by visiting his dad just before he died). "Grasp & still connect" is Blues with hyperactive percussion, "7 & 3 is the striker's name" is a woozy Rocker, while the lovely retro "Pieces of a dream" is filled with magical piano swirls.

Most of the lyrics were apparently made up spontaneously in the studio, resulting in a free form, relaxed delivery. At almost 52, the Modfather confirms he's in the midst of a seriously impressive creative rebirth. Highly recommended!

You have to give Paul Weller credit, he plays what he wants to play, critics and fans be damned. We should all be grateful that he doesn't feed us warmed-over musical pap left over from his last burst of musical energy but always seems to come up with something new and challenging. On Wake Up the Nation, it is no different. Experimental is the word. He really comes out swinging and charges hard and fast, punching out sixteen songs in just under three-quarters of an hour.
Though it reminds me in the way it flows of Elvis Costello's great Imperial Bedroom and Spike albums, it sure wasn't love at first listen. As a matter of fact I didn't like it at all the first time I heard it. But this is Paul Weller, and I knew I'd eventually come around and so I have. And though this doesn't reach the glory of what I consider to be his best solo effort, As Is Now, it is a fine album nevertheless.
Here's what I like best: The title cut; No Tears to Cry; the driving Find the Torch, Burn the Plans; Aim High, a song unmistakeably Weller; the rocking Grasp and Still Connect; and the raucous Two Fat Ladies.
Paul Weller is one of the most talented musicians and songwriters on the scene today and along with the aforementioned Costello, should certainly be considered in the first rank of those who came from punk. He reinvents himself continually and it takes an adventurous listener to stay with him through thick and thin. But those who do will be aurally rewarded.
Wake Up the Nation is housed in a standard jewel box and is accompanied by an attractive booklet containing album info, lyrics, a few pictures, and a little commentary. If you are a true Weller fan, give this one a chance even if you are turned off at first as some have been. It's bound to grow on you and you will be glad you stayed with it.

One thing I can say is that Paul gets an A for ambition here - the 16 songs, clocking in at barely 40 minutes, are stylistically all over the map here. Whether that makes it a tour de force or a bloody mess -- that's for you to decide.

What's jumping out at me the most, naturally, are the more Jam-like (especially their Sound Affects/ripping-off-Revolver period) songs, especially the highlight for me so far in the quasi-psychedelic "Find the Torch/Burn the Plans," its melodic counterpart and more Carnaby Street-feeling closer "Two Fat Ladies," the title song which features our old neo-Mod buddy intoning "We're gonna wake up the nation / Don't be no drag," and "Fast Car/Slow Traffic" which probably could've qualified for (the now almost 35-year-old) In the City, for crying out loud.

On the more psyched-up side'd be "Andromeda," "She Speaks," and the almost Stranglers-like "7 & 3 Is the Striker's Name" ("my wings are clipped / but I still might fly away" - nice). Soul Paul is still more than present here too, in the rollicking opener "Moonshine," "No Tears to Cry," and "Aim High" (including a sampling from the old Blood Sweat & Tears song "Spinning Wheel.") The instrumental "In Amsterdam" ventures back into Style-Council café music territory. And don't even ask me about "Trees," which changes genres five times in the same freaking song (and by small coincidence, at 4+ minutes is the only song that breaks 3:10 here).

Not a bad guest list here, by the way. In addition to finally having Bruce Foxton back in the fold, we also got Kevin Shields, Bev Bevan (!) and Clem Cattini (!!!).

Paul's voice has gotten a little more shrill and clipped over the years, but the urgency and restlessness that marks his best work clearly hasn't waned here. The quality of the songs themselves... well, again, still working on that...

And I gotta give props to Simon Dine's production. I keep thinking someone's over my shoulder, the music sounds so live here. I've read other people complaining about it, but I don't know what they're talking about. It forces you to listen. Which again is good, because there's a lot to process here. And I'm gonna keep on doing that.

after 22 dreams came out in 2008 i wasn't sure if paul was taking a break from music or what.I picked up wake up the nation and was surprised it had gumption and great song writing on it still.The modfather's album is catchy ,grungy and not hard on the ears as one writer says.His albums always are different in many ways and never boring.Two fat ladies is a great song and the moody instrumental IN AMSTERDAM is cold and eerie.One thats strange is find the torch ,burn the plains which stayed with me through out the rest of the album.WAKE UP THE NATION IS ANOTHER MEDAL TO PIN ON THE JAMS FRONT MAN.

..with this album right now and am eagerly awaiting my Vinyl copy in the post.

I've never been what you would call a P.W. or Jam fan. I appreciated and even loved certain songs now and then over the years but neither were an album proposition for me.

This Album- and it it is just that - is blowing me away right now.

The songs are quite basic and moreishly short but the delivery is done with true gusto, energy and commitment.
The arrangements are utterly exqusite in their detail ; 'pieces of a dream' indeed.

Weller was always a fine singer but now has a truly authentic voice to match that talent ' husky and warm, strained and strong ; utterly believable.

There are even some Walker Brothers style arrangments which is a delightful suprise.

A truly rich, pioneering, and consumately eclectic work that has me as a fan at 39 - finally.

Im searching out the B sides...

I just got this CD today and have not been able to stop playing it. What I love about him is his 'ever-changing moods'. Hard driving riffs, changing styles and a constant willingness to experiment with new things. His wit is intact after all these years. And after the classic '22 Dreams' what better direction to turn than the short, sharp two to two and a half minute song he did so well in the early days with The Jam? Nice to hear Bruce Foxton on a couple of tracks too. (Could a Jam reunion be in the works? Please?)Granted, we will probably never see another 'Sound Affects' or 'The Gift', or even 'Cafe Bleu' for that matter, but at 52 he's still as vital, fresh and as relevant as artists half his age. Keep them coming Paul, we love ya!

Weller has been on a roll lately (Illumination, As is Now, 22 Dreams..) and now Wake Up the Nation. Things are a edgier on this release than 22 Dreams but it retains a sense of experimentation that it's predecessor had in it's pastoral, psyche, soul sounds. It's a busy mix but it works. Wake Up the Nation is a winner for sure.

I'm kind of speechless. This is Paul at his best- challenging, fun and brilliant. This record is destined to become a classic. It sounds like nothing he's ever done, but yet familiar. I am beyond impressed. Good job once again Paul.

"Wake Up the Nation" is Paul Weller's latest album, and it's a mixed bag of tunes, quality-wise. Having most of his other albums, I found this to have occasionally solid tunes, but overall is probably not an album I'd say is going to go down as one of his best: the songs are of inconsistent quality, and the sound/production is a bit loud/overproduced - really raw sound (almost garage-y?) but it tends to sometimes overwhelm the songs. There's a fair amount of UK-name-guest-star talent here on select cuts - Bruce Foxton from the Jam guests on a couple of songs, Bev Bevan from The Move & ELO drums on a couple of songs, Steve Craddock from Ocean Colour Scene (he's a veteran of Weller's band), and Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine guest on guitar. When Weller rocks, he rocks convincingly (on the first three cuts) but then there are just too many other songs where it sounds like the ideas aren't fully developed, and the songs devolve into noise/noodling/annoying plinking that had me hitting the next-track button ("Fast Car/Slow Traffic", "She Speaks", the show-tuney "Trees", "Grasp and Connect", "Whatever Next" are examples of material I didn't feel was up to snuff). The material here, while wide-ranging stylistically (rock to soulful ballads, and more), simply doesn't always hit the mark. At this point, Weller really has nothing to prove in his career and I give him credit for stretching out, even if he misses more than he hits here (he's long ago established his credentials as a UK rock legend; if only he were appreciated as much here in the US) and this album probably shouldn't be the starting point if you want to get familiar with him & his body of work - I'd recommend a good Jam anthology, or an album like "Stanley Road", "Wild Wood", or "Illumination" for that. On the other hand, if you're a devout Weller fan, you'll likely find at least something here to like. i'd ordinarily give this 2 1/2 stars but since i can't do the half, i'll give him the benefit of the doubt and, thus, three stars (for trying something different).

I have been a huge fan of Paul Weller since the moment I heard the song "Clues" playing over the speakers at Tower Records (back in 1992), when I bought the CD immediatly and have purchased every new Weller release since. That being said, I am a bit dissapointed with "Wake Up The Nation". Maybe I just haven't put it on at the right time or with the right mood but the album just seems unlistenable to me. Of the 16 tracks on the disc, I only found 2 that I can even listen to ("7&3 Is The Strikers Name" and "Two Fat Ladies"). I do respect Paul Weller's ability to stay fresh and continue to cover new musical ground consistantly but when I put on a cd, it's nice to actually be able to enjoy listening to it!