Studio 150

Paul Weller

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 2004)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: V2 North America
• ASIN: B0002SPQ3Q
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,269 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. If I Could Only Be Sure

2. Wishing on a Star

3. Don't Make Promises

4. Bottle

5. Black Is the Colour

6. Close to You

7. Early Morning Rain

8. One Way Road

9. Hercules

10. Thinking of You

11. All Along the Watchtower

12. Birds

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

After the Jam's Motown covers, the Style Council's appropriation of smooth '70s funk, and solo forays into white soul, what of Studio 150, an album of nothing but covers? It's certainly a brave move, and a mostly successful one, thanks to the eclectic, thoughtful selections and the Weller trademark sound. That's not to say it's just his usual rock style--"The Bottle" is Weller at his funkiest, and "Don't Make Promises" has some commendable Band-esque looseness to it. However Weller succeeds most when he puts a twist on household classics with new, mostly enjoyable arrangements. "Wishing on a Star" is twisted into downbeat nightclub rasp, while Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" becomes a keyboard-heavy jam with arresting gospel vocalists. Similarly, the lesser known songs may well inspire his fans to check out the originals and win himself some new ones along the way; Neil Young's "Birds" is sympathetic to the original--Weller's gruff voice standing in contrast to Young's high tenor of the original. Add to this the general usual excellent musicianship (albeit slightly less guitar that you'd expect) and Weller's always-passionate voice, and you have an album that should appeal to fans of Weller and the original legends alike. --Thom Allott

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Live the ModFather!, September 20, 2004

By	J. Koger (Martinsville, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been a fan of Paul Weller's since 1982, when I first got into the Jam. Being a Weller fan in the US has never been easy, with little or no radio play, NO US TV coverage (hello, MTV?!) and years in between tours (if you can call 6 cities a tour). Things have gotten better in recent years with his newer cd's and even dvd's being available here. Which brings us to Studio 150; this is an amazing cd! We all know of Weller's habit of cover versions as B-Sides, but an entire cd worth is heaven! I for one am glad he didn't do the "obvious" covers (Beatles, Who, Kinks, etc.). This collection shows just how diverse his musical tastes are, and kind of explains alot of his song choices from the whole of his career. The Jam were a paradox,with raw power-driven songs like "Eaton Rifles", "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" and "Going Underground" being balanced out by beautiful ballads such as "English Rose" and the pre-Style Council cafe' jazz of "Shopping". Then of course, the Style Council had R&B, soul and jazz influences galore. Weller's solo career found him returning to his guitar, but also keeping a tight grip on his R&B influences. (Weller has one of the most soulful voices of ANY singer - EVER!) The songs on Studio 150 are an intermission until the next studio album per se.Alot of interesting song choices here, with songs made famous by the Carpenter's, and Neil Young. Many obscure songs that I for one had never heard before. The highlight of the cd for me is definitely his version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain". There have been many versions of this song over the years, including one by Elvis. Weller's version puts them all to shame. The sparse arrangement and soulful vocals are a spine-tingling combination that brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it. Simply amazing! Do yourself a favor, and buy this cd; it is testimony of Weller's amazing talent and incredible voice, nearly 30 years on. Keep on, Paul! Jeff Koger

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a voice, November 10, 2004

By	jackiep9 - See all my reviews

I had never heard of The Jam or Paul Weller until recently, so decided to give this a go. Now I'm going to buy everything else he's ever done. I cannot stop playing this album.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Destined to be Classic, September 22, 2004

By	Ray "Ray" (Philippines) - See all my reviews

I never listen to Style Council before. It was guts that pushed me to get Paul Weller's "Studio 150", after I saw Paul Weller's Live In Hyde Park DVD (Wonderful DVD, im recommending it to everybody...) Man..this cd is great. My personnal favorites: "Black is the colour", "early morning rain", "all alone in the watchtower" and "birds". Suprisingly, "close to You" came out great. My least choice is "If only I could Be sure". But hell, its still a great album...destined to be classic.