![]() ![]() "You Do Something to Me" (from 1995's successful Stanley Road ) still shimmers above the hedgerow, "Amongst Butterflies" (from 1992's Paul Weller ) possess a certain naïve charm, but on the whole this is heavy going indeed. Contrast the older songs here-a lacklustre "That's Entertainment", a desultory "Headstart for Happiness" from the Council's excellent 1984 album Café Bleu, "Town Called Malice" divorced of its driving Motown beat (surely its main part)-with the newer version of Weller, a "mature" Weller, a Weller that clearly thinks the concerns of the world are no longer his. ![]() Yet he insists on singing in a wooden fashion-you could kindly compare him to Steve Winwood, if Weller wasn't so clearly his own man-and writing songs that continue to ignore the outside world. How is it, they want to know, that the man responsible for one of the most inspirational commercial punk-era bands ( The Jam ) and the cosmopolitan verve of the early 1980s nouveau jazz/pop Style Council is so seemingly content spending his twilight years turning himself into a third-rate Eric Clapton ? Clearly, he's not lacking in talent (or fervent support, as the applause on this album proves). ukĭays of Speed, recorded live and acoustic at various shows during his 2001 global tour, will do little to further Paul Weller's standing among critics, who have a blind spot when it comes to Paul Weller. In true and earnest Weller fashion he has constantly and steadfastly refused to revisit his considerable catalogue of classics during his live shows, instead sticking to output from whatever his current incarnation was the king of dad rock has finally come of age with two simultaneous firsts, live acoustic shows and a newfound willingness to draw from his entire cannon What we get then on Days of Speed is the Jam, the Style Council and Weller's later solo material delivered stripped down, raw and acoustic, often offering up new insights, as he presents his work in the classic singer/songwriter medium Sony. The original vinyl versions of these fan favourites have been much sought after over the years. Days of Speed, recorded live and acoustic at various shows during Paul Weller's 2001 global tour. The Guardian, 4/5 (Illumination) The long-awaited vinyl reissue releases of Paul Weller ’s early ’00s long-players Days of Speed and Illumination will be released on October 15, 2021. ![]()
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