Reviews (page 4 of 8)
First half: It’s not that bad, you guys are just mean Second half: oh
The second half was a lot better. A bit too faux Marvin Gaye for me. A low 3.
Absolute trash
Madd he went from the jam to being involved with a song like A Gospel🤣
Weller, as usual, marcando la pauta, con estilo, determinación y compromiso. Todo un cambio musical desde la urgencia mod de The jam hasta un pop orientado al jazz, soul, funk e incluso bossa nova, sin perder el instinto melódico. De nuevo a la vanguardia, aunque temas como A gospel no hayan envejecido nada bien (si querían sonar como Kurtis Blow, se quedaron lejos y da un poco de grima aunque en su momento pudo ser algo avanzado). Entre este y Our favourite shop es difícil elegir, tal vez este suene más fresco, luego ya fueron derivando en algo más complejo o abriendo brecha con el House. Eso sí, temazos siempre los han tenido. Hubo discos mejores en el 84, por mucho, porque ese año estuvo Born in USA, Purple Rain o Let it be. Siempre han publicado muy buenos temas, algunos formidables, de aquí los clásicos son The Paris Match con T. Thorn (y ben Watt) y You´re the best thing, el resto no está a esa altura, lógicamente, pero My Ever Changing Moods, Headstart for Happiness (una canción realmente buena) y Here's One That Got Away (con su falsete y su violín, un homenaje a los Dexy´s) no andan lejos. The whole point of no return es otra pequeña joya, mientras Me ship came in! o Blue Cafe son delicados temas casi easy listening o lounge. Cierra otro buen instrumental para mover algo más que los pies, a cargo de Talbot.
Mér fannst mjög gaman hvað þeir skiptu ört um stíl! Eina stundina er ég að hlusta á jazz, þá næstu á hip hop og þarnæst á kántrýskotið popp
Skemmtileg instrumental inn á milli. Ég fíla þetta alveg svolítið. Og ég er jákvæður í dag.
80er jazz, mit rap elenenten
no likey, but ok as background noise
Not too bad.
Honestly, I don’t know what the heck is happening here - this may be the most unhinged album I’ve heard so far on this 1001 journey. No thank you.
Initial impression: Here we are again with the vapid "sophisti-pop" genre this book seems to fancy so much. Fucking ugh. I started writing this review before I put the record on, and even if it is Paul Weller's post-Jam band, I'm ready to hate this. Let's see how it goes... Perhaps I'll just be indifferent to it? A couple tracks in and so far this is clearly an artist branching out and trying new things. And we are totally worse for it. This ridiculous genre mostly reminds me of what Patrick Bateman in American Psycho would consider "cultured" because it was from the UK, sort of left of the dial, and exotic compared to Huey Lewis and The News. To me, most of this sounds like elevator lounge music for dudes in pastel suites with too much mousse in their hair. Gross. Looking over the list on Wikipedia of bands that fit in the genre confirms that I have apparently hated this stuff since I was a kid. No indifference here—I came by my vitriol honestly and early, at least. The songs on this record are totally unremarkable. The levels of cringe attained with the cracker-ass rap pantomime on "A Gospel" deserve a fucking award. So embarrassing. This thing is as bad as I thought it might be, but I am surprised there aren't as many trumpets. I expected way more bad brass lines. "Here's the One That Got Away" sounds like the only decent attempt at a folksy strummer that has traces of the Jam's greatness in it. "Council Meetin'" might be the best song on here, a sort of Northern Soul instrumental, but this thing is not even 3 minutes long. What a slog. When I think of artists that branched off from a cool band to launch into a solo career or other project, there are those who made it a lot more interesting and fun, like Terry Hall from the Specials doing Mushtaq; and Nick Cave from The Birthday Party doing anything; David Johansen from The New York Dolls becoming a campy lounge singer; and even insufferable supercunt John Lydon from The Sex Pistols graduating to the amazing Public Image Ltd...the list goes on. Suffice to say, it can work, gentlemen. Then there's the flipside: like Mick Jones from the Clash ear-beating the world with his truly awful Big Audio Dynamite project; Tim Booth from James doing boring, bad collabs with Angelo Badalamenti; Dee Dee Ramone from The Ramones rapping as Dee Dee King, aaaaaand now we have Paul Weller from The Jam doing whatever this watered-down cocktail bar whitebread pop nonsense is. Sigh. Word is he wanted to break free from the constraints of The Jam to do what? Write treacly soft rock for me to furiously skip through, evidently. This doesn't work. At all. Initial impression confirmed. This sucks. That said, the album art design is pretty decent. The use of the classic Antique Olive typography and overall layout give it a bit of throwback 60s design feel that I like. The monochromatic blue wash is a bit on the nose given the album title, but this is obviously trying to appeal to a mainstream market, so I reckon you gotta dumb it down a bit, sure. The typography is hard to read on the white on white parts, so that's a bit of a failure. Even though the album art works, I would have either (a) been duped by the Paul Weller thing and bought it on that alone and been outraged, or (b) not bought it at all because The Style Council is also a dumb fucking band name. If only I could give this zero stars....
This album was a trip, and not like the one the one that Mia is on. This album was an unexpected gem, that combined various genres, with a strong Jazz Pop presence. It reminded me of a 2000's band called the Kings of Convenience, and maybe a little bit of Belle & Sebastian.
This was an eclectic mix of interesting genres, well worth the listen.
Sublime. From Beat Surrender to Café Blue in little over 12 months, an astonishing metamorphosis by Weller when he could have just kept milking The Jam until way beyond their sell by date. The fact that he was only 24 when he split The Jam at their peak never ceases to amaze me. Took me and many others along with him, kicking and screaming, before blinking into the open sunlight. My soundtrack to the summer of 1984, which may or may not have been long and hot.
But what Style is it??????? I think there is a reason most albums/artists stick to one genre and that is to hone their craft in that area so it comes out great. While I somewhat enjoyed the variety in my fly by through every genre on planet earth today, it was too much of a gear change with no cohesive voice or vibe, and let's face it, others are gonna do it better if you're just having a dabble.
Ok
Kannte ich noch nicht. Gefällt mir sehr gut.
Not bad started a bit slow but picked up at the end
I like The Jam and I liked the two songs I already knew off this, but the rest of it wasn't great. Paul Weller is definitely a better singer and guitarist than he is a rapper.
Not really my type of music, the kind of droning you’d expect to hear at a hotel restaurant, or in a film with one. Odd song titles as well and then completely different song styles later in the album. Overall, not a terrible listen, but not one I’ll seek out again.
Instrumentals were great, vocals were terrible. Don't even get me started on the rap!
As soon as I saw Paul Weller and Peter Wilson on the cover of this album in dusty trenchcoats, I thought to expect a lot of "dusty trenchcoat music". Think angry new wave 80s social-political rants set to ska basslines. What I didn't expect to find was soft jazz. After hearing the first song, "Mick's Blessings", I was thinking that this was going to be a great album. Unfortunately, it was a false flag - everything after the first song is incredibly dull. Songs like "The Whole Point of No Return", "Blue Cafe", "The Paris Match" and the likes, have nice jazzy chords, but are soft, mundane and, essentially background music in an overpriced restaurant that has squeezed in extra tables for Valentine's Day. The livelier songs like "Me Ship Came In!" or "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse" add a bit of life, but only a bit. I still feel like I'm stuck in that restaurant, uncomfortably touching elbows with the couple at the next table. The most recognisable songs on the album, "My Ever Changing Moods" and "You're the Best Thing" are recognisable as songs that have always gotten on my nerves. Today, they continue to get on my nerves. Then there's the weird rap songs in the middle of the album that feel as if Spotify has glitched and accidentally served up some random 80s commercial pop/rap crossover album. I mean, I'm fully expecting a cartoon cat to make an appearance in the middle of "A Gospel" or "Strength of your Nature", to tell us about how opposites attract. The whole album feels like Vincent Adultman, from Bojack Horseman: a hodgepodge of different genres of music, perched on each other's shoulders, pretending to be something else, disguised by a dusty trenchcoat.
LOVE the mix of genres, moods and songs/instrumentals on this album. So fun. Think it's especially cool to start and end with instrumentals instead of reeling people in with a catchy song and finishing on a banger; love the confidence there that folks will stick around and leave satisfied (and it worked! I was intrigued and both tunes were good).
No me ha llamado demasiado.
What a strange album this is, I really like how varied it is. The first half sounds like a typical, of the era Jazz album. It's inspired by the 50's vocal Jazz and has this overall overpolished and kitsch aesthetic to it. Kind of like a Pat Methany Group but without the gut to it. But then, a fucking rap song out of nowhere. And then there comes R&B, and by the end it's a blend of pretty much every sound of the era. It's all done very competent as well. Overpolished at times but the variety makes it really enjoyable.
Okay but a bit boring, 2.5/5
3.5 stars. Upbeat sophisti-pop (never heard of this genre). Approachable amount of jazz and the bits of soul add in at times make it a good listen. Long stretches of just instrumental music are mostly better than when there's singing. Didn't care for the rap parts though and was glad there wasn't much of it. Enjoy this alternative to the more standard 80's pop.
I gather it's not actually him doing it, but this album forced me to reckon with the concept of Paul Weller rapping, and I'm afraid that's not something I'm prepared to put up with. When they get guest vocalists on, it's quite a lot better, and Ever Changing Moods is good, but on the whole this is a plus one in the 'Weller is bad' argument.
This one was all over the place and not really in a good way.
little bit of everything
Was reading their Wiki and the way I interpreted it was that they basically broke up because they stopped making good music, which I think is a rare but respectable decision
Disjointed
I started out really enjoying this as the first half is a mix of chilled out jazzy 80s pop rock. Then they jump into a pretty rough “rap” track and some more cliche goofy 80s pop sounds, finally picking back up on the last few tracks. Overall an interesting listen but sort of squandered some of its potential.
What a ride. It has a little bit of nothing for no one. Bad 80s jazz? I think. Music from a bad 80s movie soundtrack. By that I mean the movie, soundtrack and music are all bad.
For a while, I couldn’t decide if I liked this or not. But I’ve decided I do.
A bit all over the place, at first I thought I was listening to a jazz album and then other things happened. It's dull, but at least each track is distinct unlike some of the other albums.
The Style Council’s Café Bleu is a fun listen in places, but it’s all over the map. One moment it’s silky soul and jazz, the next it’s half-baked new wave. The result is a mix of brilliance and mediocrity that never quite settles into a groove. I can understand why it made the “1001 Albums” list—I don’t regret giving it a spin—but I wish the band had picked a lane and stayed there. Best tracks: “Me Ship Came In!,” “Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse” Worst tracks: “A Gospel,” “Strength of Your Nature”
These guys just slapped a bunch of genres into a hat and then pulled them out randomly. Most of the songs are just fine, but a few.... Like the Fresh Prince inspired A Gospel are just hot garbage.
Love Style Council. This is not what I was expecting from one of their albums. Almost felt random the mish mash of songs put together on here. One minute its barroom jazz then its hip hop? Did really like the piano and vocal version of Ever Changing Moods a log. 7/10
не зашло, сори..
I don’t feel like I listened to this but I did
Ope
A Sophisti-Pop album that drifts between lounge-like instrumentals with jazzy piano, crisp drumming, smooth guitar, and brass, and vocal pieces that shift from soulful crooning to casual, conversational phrasing.
Immaculate vibes
A complete change of direction from Paul Weller but ever since I heard this - I wasn't a Jam fan - I've just loved listening to this record. I heard this for the first time on the Cape Verde Island's and the sea, beach and local vibe along with this record's jazzy smoothness made it all the more perfect. Memories abound whenever I hear this or put it on. Simply put, I love it.
Well this was a suprise. I love Weller but this sounded nothing like what i expected. I barely recognised his voice and the 80's soul vibe was very odd. When i got past the suprise, i found i didnt really like this. The songwriting quality was still there and this is shown by a couple of these songs sounding fabulous on his later orchestral album.
It's ok 4/10
Dogshit
Eclectic as hell. Jazz, ragtime, rock and pop with an aggressively 80s British flair.
Immediately - Love the Southern Soul-Gospel piano to kick off the album. Overall, this sounds like a show and collage of moods and styles. The vocal performances are pretty alright, and some tracks give me a Ben Folds vibe. Piano playing almost sounds like it could cover off of Rocking the Suburbs - even though this came out 20? years earlier. I laughed out loud at "A Gospel". Please see the Wendy's Employee Training from the 80s. British dudes singing... rrm... writing about American politics is always weird to me. The Wiki states that this is more of a compilation, and academically, it includes some solid music ideas and examples. The recording is simple and not overworked. "Here's one that got away" is a great example of that, but I'd almost prefer a comp of various artists who really embody these genres and styles.
Fun
Interesting but in a forgettable way? Props for giving rapping a shot, random 1980s British band.
Of 3? Idk?
Far more likeable than I had anticipated. Smooth but not super irritating with it.
What absolute dribble. I cannot for the life of me imagine the type of person who would want to listen to this gobsite.
"Hey what genre should this album be?" "Yes" Honestly how can you hate it, each song is different from the last and pretty much all if them hit. The rap and cheesy 80s one were a little suspect, but I couldn't help but laugh and kind of enjoy it, seemed like these guys were just having fun. "You're the Best Thing" is one of my all time favorite songs
All the people giving this album 1 and 2 stars must not like fun. It’s certainly not perfect, but this album is fucking fun. It’s like a movie with a plot twist.
The album was perfectly vanilla and 100% forgettable up until they started rapping. After this I had to pay attention to how much I disliked it.
Odd to be on the list. Very generic and disjointed. 2.0
Amazeballs
Sympa mais pas coup de coeur
Instrumentally very fun but the vocals killed my enjoyment
Not my style. Well sung but didn't really light a fire for me
A weird album to pick for 84. Nothing here is making me go "yeah this needs to be on this list!" Feels like a random album somebody found at a yardsale, not something that is 1 of 1001 albums to listen to in your life or else. And then the second half of the album sounds like a completely different band. One that's worse than the jazz of the first half. "A Gospel" and "Strength of Your Nature" are awful. A 2.
Strange album to rate... The switch to brit-hip-hop was so jarring it felt more like a dare from a friend to include on the album. The tracks that lean deeper into jazz (The Paris Match, song with a title I probably should not write online) are very pleasant to listen to. But when this album falters, it really trips and breaks its entire leg.
Why is this on this list? Very uneven. The rap song is awful.
Here’s another one of those English bands that I never heard of until now. This is their debut album, and there is a wide spectrum of music on it, including, pop, smooth jazz, rock, and rap. It appears that they were trying to prove that they could handle all these genres. Overall it’s pretty good for a debut.
This is so unfamiliar to me I would have assumed the band is called Café Bleu, not the album (probably because I'd be mixing them up with Café Tacuba). But it seems esoteric, so they have my attention. And the genre is listed as "Sophisti-pop". Amazing, that's a new one to add to my genre lexicon. The sapiosexual of genres? The sound is some nice instrumental jazzy stuff (which I like), but also some sleepy singing (which is fine but uncaptivating). Certainly a step above Norah Jones, but too mellow for me to really love it. There's a mid-album interlude that veers more energetic (and political), but not enough to save this from the 'it was fine' 3s. Highlights: 'My Ever Changing Moods' (this one has a little vim to it!), 'Strength of Your Nature' (this too!), & the song titles overall, particularly 'The Whole Point of No Return' & 'Me Ship Came In!' (exclamation point included)
Unusual blend of musak-y jazzy ballads, poppy instrumental jazz pieces, and then suddenly appear a couple hip hop/very 80s pop tracks. Kinda amateurish-sounding to my ears, but also fairly enjoyable.
I really liked it. It was varied, humorous, and pleasant to listen to.
Cool but strange album that is so eclectic it sounds like different bands or songs from different albums. Mostly jazzy but some mid 80s pop as well.
Gotta be in the mood for this. I should probably give this a 4 but I’m a hater.
What the hell? I mean, I like The jam, I like quite a few solo albums of Paul Weller, but this? Half a side with lazy jazz that can easily be categorized as muzak which feels like cocktail lounge music rather than anything genuinely adventurous... I mean, I know better jazz records that should belong to this list, better pop albums too, not to mention the song "The Gospel" which is maybe the worst white-boy attempt to rap. Then comes an utterly crap attempt to make a funk song (Strength of Your Nature), just to be followed up by a horrible sugarcoated 80's love ballad (You're the Best Thing) that with it's right belongs to a "Now This Is What I Call Music" compilation. but certainly not on this list. Terrible. 1/1
Wierd jazz instrumentals and then cafe music combined. Not so good that I enjoyed the jazz instrumentals, not so memorable that I could sing the pop songs, so.. meh.
Alguna canción de jazz alegre que es perfecto para poner de ambiente en una soirée o cena, pero no creo que escucharía normalmente salvo esas ocasiones. Mezcla muchísimos estilos, desde instrumental a canciones con letra e incluso rap. Algunas canciones las escucharía de noche mientras cocino. No me ha desagradado para nada, pero no es lo que suelo escuchar
Like the variation. Need a proper listen though
easy stuff this. it was when Weller went a little bit Radio 2ey' - preferred his more rebellious early days with the Jam.
I always thought I wouldn't like Paul Weller. Now I know for sure. File under: the who, Tom Petty and other uninteresting dudes.
Cool and smooth
Brother, he kinda went everywhere, didn’t he?
Ok. Average.
JAZZ ALBUM??? labeled as a rock album! wild and amazing
So aptly named, Paul Weller could coax the cool from anything. This vibe just sets you right.
I did not think I would hear jazz and hip-hop on the same album. This piece of work was odd but enjoyable -- although there was consistency in the funky groove, I found myself wishing we got more of the jazzy elements. I could have done without 'A Gospel' and the second-to-last two tracks, I think. "My Ever Changing Moods' felt so Stevie Wonder inspired!
Handed Down From Fathers To Sons 1001 Albums Generator 110 (09/03/2025) Cafe Bleu is an interesting, eclectic album. The first side features much more jazzy instrumentation, with the instrumental tracks especially feeling like straight-up jazz. The vocal tracks on the first side are not as great, with The Whole Point Of No Return being especially droll. However, I really like the samba inspired Me Ship Came In! and the hard bop of Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse. The second side (after a hip-hop song and a really weird disco-ish tune) is much more tame, forgettable sophisti-pop slop. The hiphop song, A Gospel, is actually really good in my opinion, although it seems I'm in the minority with that opinion. The disco tune, Strength Of Your Nature, is really weird in a bad way. I do not think this experiment works at all. And unfortunately, that is the last experiment The Style Council really take on this album. Everything else is unremarkable, but Council Meetin' is pretty good. Cafe Bleu is less than the sum of its parts, taking some really good flavors and merging them into a soup that doesn't sit well on the tongue. 2.5/5, rounded down to 2. Favs: Me Ship Came In! Blue Cafe Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse Least Fav: Strength Of Your Nature
Nice one.
Nice. Hadn't heard.
I can’t believe this is from the same guy that was The Jam. Not good at all.
Meh
A totally fine modernish jazz album. 2.5/5 - > 3/5
Jeg er fan! Første del var god, anden del måske lidt for funky? Den får ihvertfald tre, selvom den havde potentielle til fire.
boring jazz. random styles second half. still boring.
If you like The Jam, and don’t like Jazz, you’re going to have a bad time.
2.5
Definitely the tale of two sides. I actually really liked the soft sophistopop jazz leanings of the first side. I especially liked the US hit, and the title track of the US version of this album, "My Ever Changing Moods". The second side however was more of a mixed bag. It starts off totally on the wrong foot with the absolute worst songs of the album. There's a better pop Fair as the rest of the side moves along. And ends pretty well with "Headstart for Happiness", and the jaunty instrumental "Council Meeting" i do kind of wish the additional US track was on there "A Solid Bond in Your Heart" (a UK non album single) which would not only be a side to highlight if it were there, but probably be the second best track on the album after "Moods" If the album had stayed in the vein of side one I probably would have gone with a solid four, but I think the second side really doesn't do as much for me to keep it at that high of a rating 7.6 ★★★½
Jazz and soul background music paired with lousy old-school hiphop. 2 stars
When I first heard this album, I thought it was really bad. Hard to believe this guy made The Jam's Sound Affects just a few years prior. I've kind of warmed up a little this time there are a couple good songs here, namely "You're the Best Thing" and "My Ever Changing Moods". But the overwhelming majority is just the cheesiest music you can imagine. Someone should've intervened with Paul Weller before stuff like "Me Ship Comes In!", "A Gospel", and "Strength of Your Nature" were ever committed to tape. 2.5 stars.
4.5
Gets a nice stylish 5 star bump because Style Council even though roughsville hip hop experiment A Gospel with guest star Dizzi Hites should really preclude it from that rating. First side is extremely nice and hush with smooth gems such as Whole Point Of No Return, soaring solo piano version of My Ever Changing Moods and the super sultry Paris Match with guest fellow sophistipop duo Everything But The Girl. Second half is choppier because of the dodge hip hop excursions but still has classics such as You’re The Best Thing. As great and as 5 star worthy as Style Council are this is possibly not their most fully formed work and Our Favourite Shop and Confessions Of A Pop Group would have been stronger 1001 entries.
Opens with a tv theme song. Whole point is cool. Ship is some more good instrumental. Paris match is fine; I'm waiting for something to drop, like why is this rated so low? It's not great, but it's not a 1 so far. Moods is another fine song. Bombs is more okay Jazz. The rapping on Gospel is not good but it's not any worse than anything else. There's plenty of rap from that time that he's obviously emulating. Strength of your nature is borderline good but way too long. You're the best thing is a good song. The rest is all fine. Yea, three feels way too high. But 2 is too low. Just know this is the absolute lowest three I can give. Like, Vol 4 is now effectively 3.99999 and this is 3.000000001.
Sounds like a less-polished version of the alternative bands I loved in the 90s.
Some of these performances could work in isolation, but something about the way this album was constructed feels like a car crash. A car crash of crooning brits, up-tempo piano jigs, string sections and bad rap. Strange album!
Love the jazzy, hip hoppy, folk rock diversity of this album. Me Ship Came In was super playful jazz. Heres One That Got Away was the cherry on top of solid album of various genres (no song credit for the fiddle player).
Yawn. Who is this for?
Who the hell is this for? That rap was cringey af.
Love their instrumentals! Hate Paul Weller's vocals in this iteration (he sounds fine in The Jam).
Holy shit. "The Whole Point of No Return", wat een pracht. Ik dacht dat ik deze plaat helemaal niet kende, maar "My Ever Changing Moods" heb ik wel degelijk eens op de radio gehoord. Ook mooi. Eigenlijk is de band op zijn best als ze echt liedjes schrijven. Helaas staat er veel pastiche op de plaat, van fotorealistische jazz tot een Prince-parodie en een beschamende poging tot hiphop. De plaat eindigt sterk, met onder andere "Headstart for Happiness". Daarom toch vier sterren. Leuke ontdekking!
I was familiar with The Style Council, but had not heard this one. I was hooked on Confessions of a Pop Group from 1988 and played the heck out of it. This one started out like that, but it fell apart for me. I'd have to cherry pick just a couple of songs from this, and trash the rest.
Never heard of them before or of this genre of 'sophisti-pop' Overall really enjoyed most of this album, it was a wild ride of styles though. Overall a 4 star I think.
I got through the whole album before realizing this was recorded in 1984. For the time, the eclecticism on this album was pretty much unheard of. It's quite impressive. That being said, the collection of songs doesn't make sense as a whole. The quality of individual tracks is generally pretty high, but there's a decided lack of cohesion across the whole album. On the strength of the majority of the individual songs, it would be 4 stars, but the overall lack of cohesion and somewhat jarring sequencing of tracks would be 2 stars. I'd give this 3.45 stars overall, but rounding down to 3 for this site. 3 stars
I thought this was fine. I love The Jam as well as some of the supplemental artists on this album. But nothing here really gripped me the way that other music by these very same people does. Nice piece of pop culture, but I don’t see myself coming back to this.
A few songs in I thought this was going to be a mediocre white boy jazz album, but then they decided to try and make less than mediocre songs from seemingly every genre on the second half of the album. 1.8
1.6 My jaw dropped when I heard A Gospel, go directly to jail, do not pass go. This is some pretty corny shit
Some songs are really good. But running through all genres with quite some surprises (rap?) doesn't do the album good. It's too random. 2,4
Love The Jam, love Paul Weller, never really got into The Style Council. Still, it’s good. 3.5 stars.
REALLY good! every song sounded unique, almost different genres, but it was very cohesive and honestly almost perfect
Who?
Cool start weird ending.
6.3/10 not really vibing with it but it's a good ambum, just not my taste. actually it's pretty cool, lil wrap thing going on too but i wound't put the album on again
Yeah, it’s bad Costello
Das war eindeutig besser, als ich erwartet habe. Ziemlich abwechslungsreich, gab ein paar Überraschungen. 2 1/2 aber ich runde mal auf.
geiler stil, einfach mal sehr coole mukke
I wasn't a fan of the style council then, like most popular music it didn't have any edge
Boring jazz and then fun jazz and then dope P-Funk\hiphop and then yacht rock. I didn't the English had it in them
You know, the highs were.. alright, the lows.. The lows tho. The boutte de rap™ was solid.
Some bluesie and trumpet samples. Solid but too artsy for me
Decent hif
Oh boy, I did not enjoy this. It started off well with a boogie woogie piano number but by track four I found myself listening to the most awful kind of easy listening lounge jazz. Not for me.
really takes you on a journey, but a journey that i enjoyed!
Ok this was kinda insane. Becomes more basic (but good) sophisti-pop after “A Gospel” (once I hit that song I couldn’t fathom what was in store for me…) but it was quite good! Successful jazz & pop!
Jazz! Nice!
hey! this was fun
dobar pocetak serijala, dosta pjesama samo instrumental, od ovih sa tekstom tekst je dosta jednostavan, razumljiv (+). dobar album, fun vibe
toks man rodos jazz cia bet nezinauu quite like it tik kad nervuoja kad nerazodziu dainoj viena daina praskipinau nes uzpiso
Grew on me…
Just didn’t meet the mark. I kind of feel like it could have but it just didn’t. 2
Very fun and enjoyable first half, and then you get to a gospel where a white guy in the late 80s starts rapping poorly. From this point onwards the album tries a lot of different things, but to me never really reaches the highs of the first half
Ok
This is just superb. So different from what he was doing with The Jam. Jazzy laid back with instrumentals!
Pretty eclectic. The instrumental songs don’t do a ton for me but those with lyrics are definitely a bit better. Nonetheless I’m not sure if counseling the Brits on style is the wisest choice… 5/10
This was all over the place. Really liked some songs, others were crap
When 'a gospel' started this made me want to listen to the Jam, not for good reasons.
Not my fav of theirs
Album fantástico muito diferente do que se fazia na década.
well crafted ans pleasant, if not my cup of tea
I feel like I'm losing my goddamn mind. 2 weeks ago, I didn't even know that "sophisti-pop" was a thing. I'd never heard of the term. But for some reason, this album project website decided that it would be the funniest thing ever if I got THREE albums from prominent sophisti-pop bands in the span of just 10 days. What the fuck? Prefab Sprout, Everything but the Girl, and now the Style Council! Why? To be fair, I have 2 points to make. Point 1 is that the ETBG album in question, Walking Wounded, was later in their career and not very sophisti-pop-esque, so I can't exactly say that all 3 albums sounded the same. The second point is that all 3 albums I've gotten have been varying degrees of good. However, Café Bleu is the worst of the three. Sound-wise, this album's not bad at all. It does remind me of Prefab Sprout quite a bit, and I liked that album so that's okay. This is definitely an 80s album alright. The vocals and writing aren't bad. Paul Weller seems like a talented guy. Maybe I'll enjoy the other 3 albums on the list that he's prominently featured in more. The songs are the most interesting thing here. Café Bleu's best songs are very good. "My Ever Changing Moods" and "You're the Best Thing" are stellar. I love the bass on the latter. It reminds me of the Sega Genesis. I like that. There's a few instrumental tracks in here that are solid. Not every song is made equal though. There's two songs in particular that appear back-to-back at the beginning of side 2 that don't work for me. I'll start with the latter. "Strength of Your Nature" is a pretty repetitive dance song. This one's definitely better, but it feels kind of out-of-place on this album and it's not my favorite. But it's not my least favorite either! What where they thinking with "A Gospel"? Why is Paul Weller rapping on this song? Hello? I guess I can kind of respect the willingness to try new things, but the rapping also sucks so there's only so much kindness I can give towards that song. This album's weird. It's got some pretty high highs and embarrassing lows. It's a product of its time but also slightly ahead of the curve. It is Café Bleu by the Style Council. High 3/5.
Nikako nije moj đir iako je ok
1984. I was looking forward to this, and a strong start left me feeling that I'd foolishly overlooked TSC in the past. I like Weller's dip into jazz/jazz funk, which sits well in my ear. However, the second half of the album was a mishmash of differing styles that didn't really belong with each other on the same record, so I probably won't return. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Good in places ★★★☆☆(6/10)
Je dois avouer que j’ai un faible pour l’instrumentale! Surtout quand on retrouve des petites brides de différents style. Je n’ai pas l’info, mais j’ai l’impression que cet album aurait pu influencer St-Germain pour son album Boulevard… ne serait-ce que pour la pochette!
Pauvre Paul Weller qui passe de The Jam à The Style Council... Je donne une étoile de plus juste pour le titre de chanson ''Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse''.
Ça fait mal à écouter 😭😭😭 C'est le truc le plus cheesy ever. A Gospel est carrément dégueulasse.
C’est… special, mettons. Les chansons syrupeuses avec les interludes jazz; un album sans direction qui ne sait pas trop ce qu’il veut. Certains des singles sont bien, notamment my ever changing moods. Mais l’album en entier est un « mess ». Next!
Really liked the atmosphere created by the first half, really feels chill and the songs seem timeless. Then A Gospel and Strength of Your Nature really derail the albums flow by sounding completely dated.
I like this game. Putting on an album in the morning, having no idea the style I‘m about to listen to. It‘s light jazz? Oh it‘s already over. It’s easy listening? Another short funny jazz tune? Ah no, it’s Cafe del Mar without electronic instruments? Oh, a Dave Brubeck inspired piano. No singing? Oh wait they have a great singer! Oh wait, they DO have synths? A Hip Hop song!? While this was a great ride I don‘t think it works as an album. The songs are nice and pleasant but no song really stuck out. On top of that the ever changing lineup of musicians causes the band to not sound cohesive. They don’t play „together“ enough and for some songs it sounds a bit amateurish.
Strange raps and almost kids tv music.
This album is truly a tale of two sides. Starts off with somewhat enjoyable and jazzy, piano-based instrumental tracks. Then delves into some unexpected and quite dorky rap numbers on the second side. There was a lot going on in this record, but I'm not sure I fully enjoyed it all the way through.
i was about to give this album a 5 because the vibes on the first half are giving parisian cafe lattes and smokes which is MY VIBE but the rap track completely derailed things for me and made me contemplate my life and taste so i have to dock stars but i'm definitely going to listen to the first half of this album again in the future
some songs i really love but some songs i really hated so LMAO.. i wish you could do half stars... this is 2.5
One of the best albums I’ve listened to yet for sure. There is just so much funk, especially in A Gospel, one of my favorites. Really wish I had known about this album sooner.
Great
Horse shit
Cool funk and jazz sounds but slightly ruined by 80s pop sounds.
The instrumental tracks on this album are stunning. However, the tone of this album is all over the place. A bizzare rap song in the back half just begs the question "who is this really for??"
Never consistent on albums, this was their weakest.
3 Stars (8/15)
Thoughts before listening: is this Paul Weller's band after the Jam? I like the Jam so chances are I'll like this. Review: Well this is different. Definitely nothing like the Jam's punky power pop. This is a pretty eclectic mix of jazz instrumentals and soulful ballads. There's also a rap song. The jazz songs are my favorites on here, but ultimately this is just okay. I guess the appeal is ex-punk grows up and tackles other genres, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be good. 2-stars.
The attempt at rap was quite cringy and brought everything down. Yeah, this didn't belong in the book.
I remember this one was interesting
I was going to be kind and give this a 2 but it's honestly so fucking shit I just can't.
Side 1 better as it's more batshit. Deserves a decent mark just for how much it must've pissed off the Wellends
Sounds like lounge music of the 70’s
80’s jazz vibe
I was liking this in the first half which leans more until the smooth jazz sound. It shows Paul Weller's versatility as a song writer for sure When the styles start to vary more with A Gospel and Strength of Your Nature introducing rap and funk into the mix it starts sounding a bit all over the place. 3* seems fair for a hit and miss album
I can't say it's rubbish, because I'm no musician, but I hate the arrangement, the singing, the lyrics, barely a redeemable feature. I absolutely love Weller as a solo artist, and adore the Jam, but this is not for me.
Day559 - i was thinking it was gonna be new wave but it was much more. definitely one of the best surprise albums i’ve had so far
Interesting! Kind of all over the place like a mixtape.
This was such a pleasant surprise honestly. I have not heard any of these songs at all before, yet at the third and fourth listen I felt like I've always known them. This is the kind of album why I'm suscribed to this project. Best tracks: Blue Cafe The Paris Match My Ever Changing Moods You're The Best Thing 4/5
Strength of Your Nature has a Talking Heads thing going on. Tracey Thorn from EBTG is on here, which is pretty cool. hey quick question why is the guy from The Jam rapping? there's a lot of shit being thrown and the wall and not much of it sticks. it's fine. deserves to be one of the 1001? no
This was interesting. The first song sounded like the opening credits of an 80's sitcom. Then every song after that was...unexpected, and frankly, not that great. I thought the instrumental jazz songs were okay, but the pop rock was all over the place, and then when I got to the rap song I just had to laugh.
Violent Femmes should have been 4
Starts off decent and for awhile but takes a huge inexcusable nosedive on song 8 i believe ("a gospel" maybe it was called) Like listening to Dee Dee Ramone try to rap. The rest of the album after this track was meh.
Interesting, different styles
Correcto
A fun and enjoyable experience.
I don't know what that was but I know I didn't really like it and I have no interest in listening to it again.
Groovy!
Dated
Good album, it reached a lot of different genres and tones throughout the album. While grounded in a jazzy swing, it has ballad tracks, almost hip hop like delivery in A Gospel, and full instrumentals. I respect it a lot even if some of the sound is a little 80s dated, glad to have been recommended it because I wouldn't have ever found it otherwise
First half was pretty nice, but the vocals started to drift away from my liking.
Great dinner party album
OK, minus a star for that awful rap, but this album was wild - it was like a movie soundtrack- the songs all thematically fit together, but sound like they are from nine different artists. Nope. It's all the Style Council. I like the idea of dropping bombs on the White House.
Interesante sonido tiene el disco. Algunas canciones muy lindas.
Feels like cheesy elevator music in a department store
It was an interesting album. The combination of instrumental jazz Melodies and songs with vocals and mix of genres make it for me.
no. I’m good. I’m sure Paul Weller and his associated acts have a lot of fans, but I’m not one of them.
Actually the whackiest shit i've ever heard. I can't believe it kind of works? The rap was sorta cringe but not as bad as I was expecting. Plus it's only 1 track? Ya'll are exaggerating big time. Rap track was the worst, rest honestly is pretty good for it's time.
The kind of music you'd hear in a jazz café where your friend brings you one time and keeps saying 'this is REAL music'. Don't get me wrong, it's decent, but you're not exactly blown out of the water after listening to this. It's more like a gentle splash.
Left little impression on me, the instrumentals are competent but sound thin. Almost artificial. The one rap song left me quite unimpressed, daring but I guess you also need to actually launch some good lines to have it hold up. The instrumental outro is elevator music.
I forget sometimes that bands used to sequence their albums with the Side A / Side B of vinyl in mind. That's definitely the case here. Side A is all cool, loungy jazz. Nice music all around. Then Side B explodes with a variety of styles including old school hip-hop, R&B, and pop. There's even a trio of songs at the end of the album that could be on a Dexys Midnight Runners album, a comparison that comes to mind because I saw on Wikipedia that the keyboardist here was briefly a part of that band. Interesting, eclectic album!
"The Style Council" is a fun name, and I love this intro song- great energy and impressive piano playing. This was a really enjoyable listen. I feel like it strives to be eclectic, but it can't help but sound tight and true to itself when it tries to not. Which I really like! It bounces around a lot between bluesy jazz and different subgenres in there- like bossa nova ("The Whole Point Of No Return"), ballads, big band ("Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse") and a few that sound like more traditional standards ("Blue Cafe"), but then after track 8 it really has a tonal shift. "A Gospel" is a 80's/90's hip hop track, "Strength Of Your Nature" is a 90's pop R&B track with synths. Very cool. I really like "Here's One That Got Away", it sounds like a 90's Brit pop rock song- with strong acoustic guitars and a fun violin. They've certainly got style. It's cool and interesting and I really enjoyed it. A band like this would feast in today's indie scene.
Great energy on this album. The instrumental songs were all good. The songs with lyrics have the sound of their era, but still somehow sounded fresh.
This was an album with a genre identity crisis. Instead of making them sound versatile, it felt very disjointed. Old school hip hop to break up easy-listening-leaning instrumental jazz is weird
So this reminded me of a lounge band being told by some drunk dude in the bar yelling “play your stuff more jazzy”. You never listen to that drunk dude but this band did (1st bad move) and they made it into an album (2nd bad move). I actually recognized “Ever Changing Moods" and "You're the Best Thing" from when they were released and I thought they were fine - glad I never bought the album!
Yeah, I don't know. There really wasn't much consistency song to song - just a collection of random music.
I liked "The Paris Match". Album was a variety of genres. I thought the rap in "A Gospel" was just OK but I liked the jazz style tracks best.
I liked this overall, but that rap track is pretty bad.
Good jazz. Not particularly gripping.
Wild ride
I have to say, I didn't know what to expect, but this was pretty cool. Very interesting musical choices overall. Very chill record.
another gem! loved this album <3
The instruments started out well, then they opened their mouth to sing and rap. Would have been better if just played instruments with no words.
Let’s just say I am not a Brit pop fan
Why are there so many utterly mid Brit bands on this stupid list. Dudes voice is whiny and doesn’t sound good falsetto (which he does a lot). Lyrics are just bland like plain spaghetti. Overall sound is fine but wouldn’t like more instrumental tracks, they sounded best on those. Otherwise totally mid and did not need to hear this before I died.
first-more Brit pop?? tried to go in with an open mind & was pleasantly surprised with instrumental tracks. not bad-decent background music. much preferred those over the vocal tracks-especially the final 4 or 5 tracks. the rap attempt and remaining songs felt very bi-polar compared to opening instrumentals. confusing album & confused that it is taking a place on this list.
De her Paul Weller sideprojekter får mig til at stille spørgsmåltegn ved, om jeg overhovedet er fan af The Jam. De instrumentale og enkelte af numrene er vældig gode, men alle involverede i dette album skal straight to jail for det rapnummer
Klassisk eksempel på et britisk band som nok ikke havde behøvet at være i den her bog. Det var sgu kedeligt. Vildt nok at vi har haft to Paul Weller albums men ikke noget The Jam endnu.
Not really sure what to say... Not exactly great or any ear worms..
Sort of good. Not unpleasant. Decent
Slightly better than what I thought a generic 80s record would be. Has some good jazz music. Moody Bill Evans-esque Blue Cafe and The Paris Match were really beautiful. Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse and A Gospel were groovy and funky. You're the Best Thing was good too. Rest of the album was boring and forgettable. I'll give it a 2.5
I applaud their taking the risk with their genre departures from The Jam, but these tracks come off as a band pretending to actually understand American jazz and hip hop when they clearly don't. The songs seem to lack that piece of authenticity that are vital to those genres. Accomplished instrumental performances, but comes of a bit flat.
The opening track’s campiness took my by surprise, but I continued on and found some appeal to the second track.
Highlights: Mick’s Blessing, Head Start for Happiness, Dropping Bombs On The White House. In a nutshell: “it’s been done” Note: The Wikipedia page is misleading. Cafe Blue is a mix of genres- blue eyed soul, soft jazz, pop *and* sophisti-pop. Could this be a supergroup instead of a collab, as The Style Council are members of The Jam and Dexy’s? There are some nice pieces but it doesn’t feel cohesive and it’s confusing. Pretty sure I heard some Chet Baker and Elvis Costello influences on here. Definitely Dexy’s with Mick Talbot on board. I wonder how many times The Style Council has featured in movies… Overall: 5/10
Actually liked this one a little more than Our Favorite Shop. 3.5/5
First one in a while that I'd never heard of. Seems like this list is super heavy on the brit pop and new wave. I do like new wave every now and again so this one should be interesting at least. Ok so this isn't bad, it's just kind of all over the place. I wouldn't call it new wave or Brit pop. It's more like jazzy easy listening with other random pop and R&B elements thrown in? I don't know. It's fine but nothing I would listen to a second time. 2.5/5
I have had a MASSIVE crush on Paul Weller since I was listening to these guys as a teen, hard to be objective here..I'd give this record a 5 just for Everchanging moods, one of my favorite songs of all time. Also You're the Best thing and Headstart for happiness, all indicative of the time but don't seem dated to me, more like old friends. I love Style Council and all the influence they had on so many so this gets a 4, even though there are a few tracks I could forget forever
This is a wild album. I thought it was tidy jazz, polished...but then the rapping began. I even checked to ensure I was on the same album, assuming it had ended, and the algorithm was off on a tangent. I was a bit surprised to learn that wasn't the case. Not sure what to think.
Love the Jam. Love the early 90s Paul Weller. I have never understood the intervening years of The Style Council. Hated it when I was younger. And it got worse and worse - to my young ears - as they went along. I was so happy when he finally ditched the gig. With that - I was curious how I would feel to revisit and if these soft jazz rock was more palatable. I can say it's better than I remember. It was hard to get past the angry young man I knew from the Jam laying down jazzy arrangements. More tolerable as a singles band whe you avoid experimental disasters like "A Gospel". Weller is still a great songwriter with an expressive voice. He deserves credit for taking a chance. Happy the revisit this era to understand it wasn't as bad as my young ears remember but I'm still happy this era ended.
No idea what this was. It’s all over the place. Some of it isn’t bad, but as a whole, this is bad.
That's a pretty odd album, have not listened for a long time. One of those albums that used to be common in 2nd hand record shops. Well it's not the Jam, though I do give PW credit for trying something different
Um... It was nice, þough it was honestly all over the place.
Kind of an odd album. Not something I can see myself listening to agian.
Good
Bland 80s pop
Not awful
3.75
## In-Depth Review of *Café Bleu* by The Style Council *Café Bleu*, released on March 16, 1984, marks The Style Council’s ambitious debut, signaling Paul Weller’s sharp departure from the mod-punk sound of The Jam into a cosmopolitan blend of soul, jazz, and pop. The album is widely regarded as a bold, genre-hopping statement, both celebrated and critiqued for its eclecticism and stylistic risks[2][4]. --- ## **Lyrics** *Café Bleu*’s lyrics oscillate between biting social commentary and introspective romanticism. Weller, liberated from the constraints of The Jam, explores new thematic territory: - **Political and Social Commentary:** Tracks like “The Whole Point of No Return” directly critique Thatcher-era Britain, with lines such as “The laws made for and by the rich / It would be easy / So, so easy,” reflecting Weller’s leftist leanings and disillusionment with the establishment[4]. “A Gospel” features a rap by Dizzy Hite, delivering a scathing critique of propaganda and societal dysfunction: “Eating propaganda and shit spoon fed”[4]. - **Personal and Romantic Themes:** Songs like “You’re the Best Thing” and “Headstart for Happiness” pivot to soul-infused explorations of love and optimism, showcasing Weller’s ability to write tender, emotionally resonant lyrics[1][4]. While the lyrics are often sharp and evocative, the album’s frequent instrumental interludes and stylistic shifts sometimes disrupt the narrative flow, making the message feel fragmented[1][4]. --- ## **Music** *Café Bleu* is a masterclass in genre fusion, drawing from: - **Jazz:** Instrumentals like “Mick’s Blessing” and “Blue Café” foreground Mick Talbot’s jazz piano, setting a sophisticated, lounge-like mood[1][4]. - **Soul and R&B:** “You’re the Best Thing” and “Here’s One That Got Away” channel 1970s soul, with slinky rhythms and lush arrangements[1][4]. - **Pop:** “My Ever Changing Moods” (in its stripped-down album version) and “Headstart for Happiness” are prime examples of blue-eyed soul-pop, balancing melodic hooks with emotional depth[2][4]. - **Rap and Experimental:** “A Gospel” ventures into early 1980s rap, an unusual and divisive move for a British pop act at the time[4]. The album’s musical diversity is both its strength and its Achilles’ heel. While the stylistic breadth is impressive, the sequencing can feel jarring—moving abruptly from jazz to rap to soul, sometimes at the expense of cohesion[1][3][4]. --- ## **Production** Produced by Paul Weller and Peter Wilson, *Café Bleu* was recorded at Solid Bond Studios (Weller’s own facility) and CBS for string sections[2]. The production is polished, with a clear emphasis on live instrumentation and organic arrangements: - **Instrumentation:** The album features a rotating cast of “Honorary Councillors,” including Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl), adding depth and variety to the sonic palette[2][4]. - **Sound Quality:** The mix is clean and spacious, with particular attention paid to the interplay between piano, horns, and strings. The use of real instruments over synthesizers gives the album a timeless, sophisticated feel, distinguishing it from many contemporaneous 1980s pop records[2][4]. - **Sequencing:** The album’s sequencing, especially on the UK version, has been criticized for its lack of flow, with abrupt transitions between genres and moods[1][3]. The US version (*My Ever Changing Moods*) attempted to address this by reordering and omitting tracks, but opinions remain divided on which version works best[3]. --- ## **Themes** *Café Bleu* is thematically ambitious, tackling: - **Social and Political Discontent:** Several tracks reflect Weller’s dissatisfaction with the political climate of 1980s Britain, using both direct and allegorical language[4]. - **Personal Growth and Change:** The recurring motif of change—both personal and societal—is encapsulated in “My Ever Changing Moods,” reflecting Weller’s own artistic evolution[4]. - **Romantic Optimism:** Love and hope are central to tracks like “You’re the Best Thing,” offering a counterbalance to the album’s more cynical moments[1][4]. The album’s thematic ambition is admirable, but the frequent instrumental detours and stylistic experiments sometimes dilute the impact of its messages[1][4]. --- ## **Influence** *Café Bleu*’s influence is substantial, particularly within the sophisti-pop and jazz-pop genres: - **Trailblazing Sound:** The album paved the way for acts like Everything But The Girl, Matt Bianco, and Basia to explore jazz/pop hybrids, legitimizing a more refined, adult-oriented pop sound in the mid-1980s[4]. - **Legacy:** Despite mixed contemporary reviews, *Café Bleu* has grown in stature, earning a place in *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* and being cited as an essential sophisti-pop album[2]. - **Paul Weller’s Career:** The album established Weller as a restless innovator, willing to abandon past glories in pursuit of new artistic directions—a trait that would define his subsequent solo work[4]. --- ## **Pros and Cons** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Bold, genre-defying experimentation | Lack of cohesion due to abrupt stylistic shifts[1][3][4] | | Strong, soulful pop songs (“You’re the Best Thing,” “My Ever Changing Moods,” “Headstart for Happiness”) | Several instrumental tracks feel like filler or mood pieces rather than essential compositions[1][4] | | Lyrically ambitious, blending social commentary with personal themes | Some tracks (“A Gospel,” “Strength of Your Nature”) have not aged well and disrupt the album’s flow[1][4] | | High production values, live instrumentation, and guest contributions | The sequencing, especially on the UK version, undermines the listening experience[1][3] | | Influential in shaping the sophisti-pop and jazz-pop genres | Overambition sometimes leads to a lack of focus[2][4] | --- ## **Conclusion** *Café Bleu* is a fascinating, if flawed, debut that captures Paul Weller’s restless creativity at a pivotal moment. Its willingness to traverse jazz, soul, pop, and even rap was both ahead of its time and, at times, its undoing. The album’s finest moments—“You’re the Best Thing,” “My Ever Changing Moods,” “Headstart for Happiness”—are among the best of Weller’s career, showcasing his gift for melody and lyricism in a sophisticated new context[1][2][4]. However, the album’s lack of cohesion, reliance on instrumentals, and occasional genre misfires prevent it from achieving classic status in the eyes of some critics. Still, its influence on the sophisti-pop movement and its role in redefining Weller’s career are undeniable. *Café Bleu* remains a bold, intriguing listen—one that rewards both casual fans and dedicated students of pop innovation. In summary, *Café Bleu* is an album of great highs and frustrating lows, a testament to the risks and rewards of artistic reinvention. Its legacy is secure as a touchstone of 1980s British pop, and its best songs continue to resonate decades later.
This album is an absolute trip in the best way. No two songs feel like they are really the same genre or inspiration. And yet, through all the change, everything sounds great. While listening, one of my comments to my friends was that it seemed like the record label asked them to define their genre and they replied with "lol you'll never guess"...and looking up the band on Wikipedia that's basically the whole purpose of the band to begin with! Absolutely nailed it. This album was an absolute delight. nothing at all like what I expected based on the cover, and I can't wait to check out their other albums. Absolutely fantastic.
I could have done without any of the vocals. This album just didn't seem very organized.
WAY better than i expected gonna rememeber this one when i travel to london
I usually enjoy albums with a variety of sounds, but this one took it too far—there were so many shifts in style that it completely lost its sense of cohesion. The songs I liked were good and the songs I didn’t like were meh, but no one song really blew me away.
pretty nice
Always thought of SC purely in terms of their singles - first time I’ve listened to a full album. It shows its age, but would have been an intriguing to the sophistipop canon back in 84…
“Me Ship Came In!” as a title is good. That’s about all I’ve got to say about this one, but if anyone wants to tell me why this album is considered essential… by all means.
Hot damn!!! Probably my favorite album I’ve heard from this project so far. Insane range as far as genre and musical style goes (just within this album), and some really awesome features on some tracks as well. The mix of instrumental and vocal tracks are perfectly balanced and do well to show both musical chops and leave room to just listen. Really excellent and cohesive album that has something for everyone, very close to being a 5 star for me. Fav Track: My Ever Changing Moods
Some really awesome stuff in the first half. Lost me a bit in the second half but still an enjoyable listen
First half of this album was delightful. Jazzy little ditties to tap your toe along on a nice cool morning. Takes a turn at A Gospel which functions as the Jazz Police of this album in the literal sense. Strength of Your Nature felt like when Monty Python yelling "and now for something completely different" halfway through the album. Overall an extremely pleasant listen, probably a 4.5.
A strange album, that goes from background elevator to poppy jazz. There are some decent tracks, but it mostly doesn't move me much.
I enjoyed listening to this for the first time, although I’d never seek it out again.
80s chill
This album was all over the place, but I liked it.
An interesting dance/pop album with some jazz mixed in.
I enjoyed this thoroughly. I liked the switching of styles from jazzy to dance and back again.
Hard to believe this is the same guy who led The Jam. Something must have happened to his testicles between 82 and 84.
Sorry Tracy, but being on an album where Paul Wller raps can only be a black mark on your record.
What a pleasant surprise. Jazzy and funky and great
Aight
Pretty chill popish music that I have never heard before. Nice vocals and relaxed 80's music. I don't really remember any songs standing out but as a whole it would be nice to listen to during a relaxing evening.
Strange and not quite cohesive
Almost a pleasant listen with the two well known songs "You're The Best Thing" and "My Ever Changing Moods". worst: "A Gospel"
Mid-80s soft-pop mixed with jazz and even rap. Stylistically it is too all over the place for me, especially when rapping came right after the jazz song. It's well made and produced and some songs were good, even fun but I wouldn't come back to it again, it's not my cup of tea.
Joyful and elegant. Loved this.
So this is what Paul Weller got up to after The Jam. Sophisti-pop. The jazz and soul infusions were fine, sometimes smooth and enjoyable, sometimes smooth and wishy-washy. I cannot and will not condone the rapping on "A Gospel", holy shit. The swerve into 80s dance on the following "Strength Of Your Nature" was strange as well. "My Ever Changing Mood" holds up.
I like the Jam a lot, so this was pretty disappointing
The Paul Weller band I’m least familiar with, and, apparently, the Paul Weller band that sounds the least like Paul Weller (for better or worse). I was gonna give this credit for having a consistent aesthetic, but then halfway through it seems to completely flip, so it doesn't even have that going for it. I find the cool jazziness of side one a bit tedious, while side two indulges in many of the worst indulgences of 80s pop. Occasionally it's fun, but mostly, nah.
one half of this album is great, the other half is meh. the single version of My Ever Changing Moods is a personal fave though 🩷
Wow, my freshman college roommate used to play this all the time but I completely forgot about it! That’s what I love about this project. Thanks for refreshing my memory, Album Gods!
This album surprised me - I didn't expect a Blues/Jazz record, albeit with the production values of the 80s. But there you are. 3.5/5
Paul Weller… what the fuck? This is a mess. The first half is jazzy slow rock sophistipop garbage. The second half starts off with two hip-hip songs with some truly terrible 80’s production and then becomes funk/soul?
All over the place stylistically. A few of the songs were fun, but there was some abysmal muzak sprinkled in alongside wannabe rap. No idea why this is on the list.
Not for me
I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about it. I think that’s because it plays with so many sounds and styles.
Bittelitt skuffa
Not sure what this is about. Some weird novelty album that I for some reason needed to hear?
Not my favorite album by "The Style Council." Café Blue lacks drive overall for me. Yes, it's very relaxed, but I much prefer "Our Favourite Shop." A good album, with a few flaws. What's the point of that rap, for example, it's really bad. So, 3 stars, and I'd rather listen to their second album.
The jazz heavy tracks are so insanely good but the more pop forward tracks seem like relics of their time.
Wow what a way to start the album. It immediately grabbed me. The piano on this record is excellent and I love the instrumental tracks. I'm not into the vocal tracks though. WTF was that rap track??? The second half of this record caught me off guard with the style change haha.
I was all in on this record until the midway point, then I pretty much hated it after that. The piano heavy jazz fusion with the kind of yacht pop was really doing it for me, but then it went full shit pop and really bad rap and I stopped liking it.
I didn’t know wham made a Freeform jazz/bosssnova record. I also probably could have come up with a better example than wham, but my knowledge of 80s British pop isn’t great.
Their name is a hint: the style of this record may have been agreed through collective action before songs were conceived. I've been critical of Weller before, but this record confirms a tendency to redeem an album of mood-setting sketches with one or two songs that bang hard. I almost deafened myself in the car this morning turning up “You’re The Best Thing”.
The Style Council seemed to feature on every compilation I bought in the '80s, and provided decent filler in between the latest Duran Duran, Frankie and/or Nik Kershaw hits I was really interested in. Never sat through an album before, and I don't regret my prior restraint - aside from the singles this offers aimless instrumentals or much worse; "A Gospel" is a special kind of "so bad it's really bad" experiment. Had me reaching for their Singular Adventures, which is decent although the best bits sound like leftover songs from The Jam, as is probably accurate. Quite poor, although kudos for their militant anti-Thatcher attitude throughout.
oooh I'm diggin this jazzy shit today. Wow there's even some rap in here.
Jazzy. Lots of piano. Some singing better than others. Love the instrumentation. Maybe a little coffee housish? Mixture of slow and fast beats.
I enjoyed this, very fun listen. Sort of ragtime piano going on, very upbeat, but a large variety of songs on it. There was some very jazzy songs and more electric songs. I liked "Here's the one that got away" a lot. Good album
I’ll give these guys credit. They aren’t just terrible jazz musicians. They are also terrible rappers. This is amongst the worst albums I’ve encountered on this list and that’s saying something, as I’m like 950 albums in. I will never listen to this band again and might take proactive measures to ensure that I am never in a position to encounter the slightest risk of encountering this band again.
Would've been a 2, but I'm gonna give it +1 for the Tracey Thorn collab.
Good find
Good, not bad. Very much of its time. Never heard of this band.
What a great jazz album!
Cool variety! I'm used to the full band version of Ever Changing Moods, which is a fantastic song, but this version is definitely good as well.
Alti molto alti, bassi molto bassi
Not bad
Nfm
More like cafe poo
This one's tricky to rate. It starts off great - cleanly produced jazz and soul with great vocals - then A Gospel is an abomination and Strength of Your Nature isn't much better, then You're The Best Thing is a classic and pulls you right back in. Close to being a solid 4 without those two tracks spoiling it.
Wasn’t expecting these vibes but I dig. Solid 3 want to go up but cant.
Not Mr Weller’s finest hour A couple of good songs save it from a 1 but only by a whisker
I don't feel like this album had a clear theme other than 80s. I can't say it's boring though. Best Songs: My Ever Changing Moods, Here's the One That Got Away, Headstart for Happiness Worst Songs: Strength of Your Nature
I like the Jam but this was just a little out there
good piano, some bangers