Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Yeah, this is fine.
I don’t dislike this, just not sure why it’s here. It was……….an album, I guess. Just an album.
The beginning was nice and I wasn’t really understanding all the negative reviews…and then that rap happened. It was okay, though.
Listened to at home in mn
not bad. Jazz new wave.
221223 18:20 3.5
Pretty fun album. All over the place stylistically but had some enjoyable moments. Other than “Gospel” there weren’t any truly bad songs. I’m glad to have heard it.
I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that I was completely wrong to hate Paul Weller with his stupid hair. The Style Council is not what you'd expect from Paul Weller with his stupid hair: it's much more soul-oriented and it doesn't sound anything like The Jam; in fact, I thought "You're The Best Thing" was a Lenny Kravitz number. And then Paul Weller with his stupid hair did Wild Wood, which successfully veered into singer-songwriter territory. You have to be both brave and sure-footed to pull such career u-turns off, but Paul Weller with his stupid hair is one of the few who can do it.
White guy rapping
Cosy lounge music! Some songs were instrumental, some with vocals, I liked both. As the album went on it became more upbeat. Stand-outs: Headstart for Happiness, My Ever Changing Moods,
Twas okay. Decent funk but nothing that stood out. Listened to it while playing stardew valley with josh
I loved this in the 80s and 90s.
Meh-iest meh ever
So good
Fantastisches Album, jazz, Frauenstimme, richtig gut.
When I first heard the Style Council shortly after Paul Weller's previous band, The Jam broke up, I was very disappointed. Gone were the Mod-inspired punk rock rhythms and finely crafted pop-rock songs replaced by a cool jazz-style incorporating soul, pop, and funk. I should have suspected that Weller was evolving his sound, moving away from the youthful frantic energy of punk to a more "mature" music that was already evident in some later Jam songs. Cafe Bleu opens with a piano instrumental that sets the tone of the record. Piano lounge jazz replacing Rickenbacker guitars with Waller exploring all kinds of genres, including some kind of rap/Hip Hop fusion on a couple tracks. It's not all bad, but it's surprising and it's hard to believe the front-man/singer/songwriter from the Jam and the Style Council are the same person. Forty years later, my tastes have also evolved and I kind of dig (and understand) some of this album now, but I much prefer anything by The Jam. When I finished listening to the record, I immediately blasted, The Jam's, live compilation, Fire And Skill...oh, sooooo good!
Early proto-Europop that is probably best left where it was.
Some background music, but other than the two singles, no memorable tracks at all.
Not what I expected at all. Quite serene, but even while smoothly gliding through snowy landscapes on a high speed train... Ultimately a bit boring.
This album is freaking awesome. I can’t believe I hadn’t listen to these guys before I’m gonna have to dig more into this genre.
Þetta var óvænt stuð. Hafði aldrei heyrt um þessa plötu eða band og svo var þetta bara það sem ég þurfti. Fjör.
Would be great as background music for a café or a bar. Probably a little boring on its own.
So the frontman of the Jam and the keyboardist from Dexy's Midnight Runners came together for this and produced something that sounds like Simply Red meets Spandau Ballet. Go figure! I like it though.
It was pretty good. Pretty jazzy but overall not my fave
3.5. I liked it, nice and jazzy. Might stick it in the background, and I think I’d appreciate it more if I focus up
Volvemos a los coñazos habituales.
First half was ok, then it kinda took a turn that I did not like. Not really my style to begin though. Will I listen to again: 0%
Nice and cool from the Modfather :) Whilst I really loved The Jam and their unique sound, you can't argue that Paul Weller's voice and writing style is perfectly suited for soul too. Really nice stuff
this is like. okay: imagine you're me, working at a restaurant that tries a little too hard to act more upscale than it is. like an entree is $22 and the owner is an alcoholic so we have so many different kinds of fancy liquors but the servers are still wearing t-shirts yknow. and it's december 9th. and i'm in charge of the music for the dinner shift. and i'm already at the point where if i hear one more christmas song i will go batshit. but i know the owner will write me up if i don't put on holiday music. so this is what i'll put on. do you understand?
okey groovy al nis posebno
u snooze u looze
quite forgettable and why is he rapping?? 2/5
bit rand0m
3.5
Tres fade 5/10
Pretty good!
Started stronger than it ended
This album just goes to prove how versatile Paul Weller is, soul, pop, jazz and blues he has a voice that works well with any of those styles. Rap… No, just no Thank God he didn't pursue a career as a rapper
the listed genre of this album should just be “yes” 10/10
jazzy!
Paul Weller does jazz. Surprisingly well. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: You're The Best Thing Date listened: 08/11/23
Smooth album, although I didn't feel the need to masturbate to it.
This IS music I assure you, just not very enjoyable music
Just ain’t my style. Didn’t care for it at all
Dammit
There’s a lot of fun to be had here in the jazzier/poppier tracks, but the tone of this album is a bit too inconsistent to keep me holding on the whole way. The softer piano tracks are a bit sleepy, even if the lyrics and talent are there. And I’m not sure where the rap came from. I honestly thought I accidentally put on a different album. But even with all that, it didn’t bother me enough to dislike the project. I’d like to understand a bit more about how this record came to be, and try to understand Weller’s vision. I can sort of see it, but maybe it just wasn’t executed as expected. Trim some of the fat, and this is an easy 4 star.
I was kind of taken off guard by how stylistically diverse, yet of a piece, this record was; even the awkward missteps are endearing.
Jazz-pop-rock. Mezcla curiosa.
Wow, that was all over the place and potentially one of the least cohesive albums I’ve come across. With that said, it’s not terrible but I think trying to be too much at the same time and I’m not convinced that it worked.
I had very expectations for this album, but it exceeded them. I wasn't ready for the diversity of styles it brought. Some really fun surprise packed in here.
I liked this even though it was not at all what I was expecting. I swear I've listened to The Style Council before too. Anyway, I'm docking a star for that rap. In the words of the used to be much funnier Dennis Miller, ouch babe. P.S. the rest of the album that directly follows A Gospel (the rap song) is exactly what I was expecting before I listened.
Starter morsomt, litt funky på et vis. Sklir ut i litt intetsigende pop, jeg fikk hvertfall ingen nye favorittlåter.
Ooo right from the first track I was very into this! Fuck yeah, I'm here for all the funky jazzy keyboard noodling and fun the Style Council has to give! Oh wow, okay left turn. This is such a diverse album in and of itself. Another left turn! And another! Wow. It should feel like an uncomfortable mishmash of moods and styles that give you whiplash with the constant change up track to track, but you know, somehow it WORKS! I enjoyed every second of this strange fun journey, and I loved not knowing where it was going to take me next. I don't know how they fused and melded so many different vibes into this thing without it feeling like a cloudy confusing clusterfuck. It's absolutely brilliant. I love it, will be listening on loop all day today. Great album, flawlessly crafted.
I thought I turned on the soundtrack for "La La Land" by mistake.
Competent snooze-fest. Not my thing.
Weird to have this so close to the Haircut 100. This one leans even more into the jazz side of things, at least at first. There’s a wonderful appearance from the always welcome Tracey Thorn, but a misbegotten attempt at rap in the second half sours the whole thing for me. Another shrugworthy record
I thought I knew what to expect on these albums where I can’t tell the difference between the name of the band and the name of the album. Especially with the name of this, the cover, and the time period all compared to yesterday’s album, I was expecting more of the same. When the first track started, I knew I was wrong. This was really nice to listen to and reminded me of old lounge music at times and then turned into weird rap music? Yes, please. I don’t know. It caught me right and I stand by my rating. Come at me, bro.
I liked it more than I thought I might but still not a total convert
I gave this two listens and basically reaffirmed my first opinion. It's not bad, but it's not some hidden gem either. I suspect this is again something that's on the 1001 due to the UK bias and timeframe bias of the author.
I don't know what I expected but it wasn't this weird, easy-listening, elevator album. It was on track to get a middling 3-star review until we got to "A Gospel" and musical crimes were committed. Instant deduction. What were you guys thinking? Gross.
The first half is some great contemporary jazz, in the 2nd half there is some cheese white-boy 80s hip-hop. It's probably a 3.5 but I was so surprised how much I enjoyed the 1st half, I gave it a 4 star.
first listen bouncy affair, fun too
This is lovely 3
No jaa ei tämä paljon tunteita herättänyt 2/5
Taitavaa musisointia, mutta jotenkin häiritsevällä tavalla levällään koko levy. Ois ollut kiva kuulla enemmän The Paris Matchin tyylisiä biisejä. 2,5/5.
Levyn alun jazz-pianot oli ihan hauskoja mut toi räppi ei kyllä oo kauheen nätisti vanhentunut. Muutenkaan ei kokonaisuutena kovin vakuuttava. 2/5
Instrumentals are good
Not bad but not really my jam
Chill. Need to give it another listen
Pretty jazzy but bounces back and forth to 80s Brit pop
Favorite Tracks: Mick's Blessings, The Whole Point Of No Return, Me Ship Came In!, Blue Cafe, The Paris Match, My Ever Changing Moods, Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse
Pretty fun and jazzy. Distinct 80s British sound with some cool jazz.
Fun songs, but wasn't really my vibe
Café Bleu is obviously an album that just tries to do too many things. I don't particularly like the hip hop elements, but the more jazzy stuff is really pleasant. Then again, for some reason the album has stuck with me since I heard it the first time - I just don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.
I could’ve almost forgiven the lazy jazz were it not for the horrendous rap. Do not, I repeat, do not accept councel from this council.
I liked it. Very different than what I normally listen to
3/5
A very interesting listen. A well done jazz/blues kinda album. Its got some ballads that hit well, and it manages to not drag between highlights. The unfortunate part of this album is that, unlike the legend Barry B. Benson, I do not like jazz. This album just lands flat for me.
Really bad. Nothing that really appeals to me at all. 1/5
6.5/10, positively surprised by the jazz
jazzy so far. lets see how it holds up. eh. 3 . some fun ideas but not really an earworm to me.
Smoother than velvet, and just as dated. Must have been a head scratcher for fans of The Jam when this came out - it's not actively bad, just very different and not as good!
Listened Before? N It was okay. I was surprised that it seemed to be mostly piano based. I don't feel like it really sticks out. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: The Paris Match
Pretty good, if you take away the odd-fitting rap songs.
4.0
4 stars!
I was really surprised by the album, given the person behind it being the guitarist from The Jam. Not what I expected at ALL. The instrumentals like "Mick's Blessings" were really groove-y. Not groovy, man, but has a lot of groove to it. Really appreciated and enjoyed it. Definitely will listen to again.
A nice surprise; interesting album with some cool pieces. I did not know Paul Weller went this way after The Jam. It has a distinct 80's British feel - like George Michael meets Sade meets Howard Jones. Sometimes that was good and sometimes it was bad. The good - Mick's Blessing (nice upbeat kick off to the album), The Whole Point of No Return and My Ever Changing Moods and You're the Best Thing (I recognized the last two but all are nice attempts at soul and good vocals for a guy I thought had limited vocals), Strength of Your Nature (oh so funky and cool), Here's One That Got Away (feels reminiscent of The Jam), and Headstart for Happiness (jazzy feel reminiscent of Chicago). The bad - Blue Cafe (I think I know what they were trying to do in setting a mood but I found it boring), A Gospel (terrible 80's rap), and Council Meetin (again, I get that they're trying to set the mood musically but as an album closeout, I thought it could've been better). More to like than dislike, but not quite a 4. Probably a 3.5.
Alex, I'll take cheesy 80s albums for $800. Answer: "Thank you for holding...your call is important to us..." "Attention K-Mart Shoppers" "This rap is horrendous." "Cheesy 80s production." "Now for more smooth hits on CD101.9" What is "thoughts that shouldn't go together on a single album?" Right you are! (Tracks I thought were ok - My Ever Changing Mood, Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse, Here's One That Got Away)
Played this for my grandpa and he fell asleep. Go to Starbucks if you want to hear more exciting smooth jazz.
Peruskauraa.. Kuitenkin hipelevä albumi..
The first track, "Mick's Blessings," is a short one at 1:15, but I enjoyed it and I was optimistic about the album. Sadly, it's my favorite 1:15; the rest didn't do much for me.
I liked the jazzy songs, but the album took a weird turn & was all over the place.
Actually really run album, different styles and good grooves
It was fine.
Take away the cheesy instrumental light jazz songs and this is better than decent. My Everchanging Moods and You're the Best Thing are both above average pop songs from the mid-80's. Kill the instrumentals and play up the R&B angle and you have something.
I’ve listened to each of these albums with as much of an open mind as possible. This was bad. What genre are we focusing on? What’s the theme? Very weird.
It’s fine.Theres nothing really noteworthy about this album.It’s pleasant enough.Nothing really stands out.
Get it? They're being arty!
Great album and such a switch for Paul weller from the Jam, the rap song in the middle really lets this album down though and loses it a star, 3 stars should be on the list but won’t be on my regular rotation
Very varied songs, starts of as jazzy but then some rap songs in there which is interesting. At various points the album was 2**/3***, nothing was particularly something that blew me away
An absurdly pretentious load of nonsense. Two really good songs but even one of those was ruined by the acoustic arrangement. I can't quite believe he did this.
Holy shit, this has got the Men Behaving Badly theme tune on it! I'm not sure it's actually it but it basically is. Hmm. I've only heard Our Favourite Shop before, with bangers such as Walls Come Tumbling Down and Shout to the Top, and being generally really good, it was kind of difficult to understand why the music press in the 90s had such a hard on for treating the Style Council as one big joke. Now I basically do, if this patchy album of dinner party jazz was the debut. I probably preferred the many instrumentals because I dislike the smooth style in which Weller sings on every song here. Well not every song. A Gospel. Bring back the smooth, Paul, you're crazy! Oof, strength of nature is really bad too, aged like milk, this is in danger of getting one star. Might just scrape a 2 for being such a mad listen.
Meh
Complete and utter rubbish. Just a self regarding, self pleasing cacophony, finished in such a smug style (LOL) - there are thousands of artists making this kind of music doing so with heart and soul and flair which these jokers just tried to ape. I couldn't wait for it to be over. Painful. Extra star because of Tracey Thorn's vocals on The Paris Match.
The kinda jazzy piano of the first song is pretty good The whole album feel like a new orleans jazz club, with a very light touch of new wave (synthetizer) and soul. Like its very unique at my knowledge a new wave jazz album in 1984 anyway its very good
Everything but Everything but the Girl
Chill music, nothing more to add.
Interesting mix of different genres but besides the novelty and surprise element of this, not much stands out
Before today, I'd never heard of The Style Council. I came to learn that they were formed by prior The Jam frontman Paul Weller, and prior Dexy's Midnight Runners keyboardist Mick Talbot. I've reviewed a record by The Jam on here already (Sound Affects), and remember being kind of underwhelmed by it. Apparently, Paul tired of making post punk music, and wanted to take The Jam in another direction. The rest of the band didn't want to change, so Paul quit, and formed this band. This is actually their first full length album. You can really tell that Paul didn't really have a direction figured out yet, because this album is all over the genre map! The first 7 songs sound like a typical low quality jazz album, then all of a sudden on track 8 (A Gospel), you're hit with a typical shitty 80's rap number for some reason. After that, you get Dexy's Midnight Runners style of 80's pop for the last few songs. Overall, not a bad record. It kind of suffered sonically from not having a clear direction. It more kind of ambled about, trying many different genres and not really mastering any of them. It would have been better if they had settled on one genre, and really perfected their sound around that. Otherwise, this was a fairly average record. Not one I would actively seek out, but not the worst thing this generator has served to me either. Favourite songs: Strength of Your Nature, A Gospel, Blue Cafe, Mick's Blessings, Me Ship Came In!, Headstart for Happiness Least favourite songs: You're the Best Thing 4/5
No! I mean just no! How did this even make the list? If we are putting this on the list there aren't 1001 great albums.
It was music, there were instruments and vocals. Possibly the worst album we've had so far.
What a mess of an album. This should never have been included in this list.
Really interesting. I didn’t know what to think. Well produced. I like the various vocalists.
Growing up, my father loved Paul Weller, and I really loved The Jam and his combination of spiky but well written lyrics and punky guitars with a funky edge. So this was an odd listen. It's not that it's 'bad' per se. You're the best think and My ever changing mood are gorgeous songs. It's just that it doesn't seem to know what it is. Some of the instrumentals sound like they're designed to be background music on a mid-afternoon property development TV show, but the 'A Gospel' is like very early hip-hop, which is pretty far stylistically from any of Weller's other stuff. I admire musicians who think outside of the box, and it's only the variety that makes this a 3 rather than a 2. Unusual, but not in a way that makes me want to go back to it...
3rd listen 🎧 s where it hit me. I enjoy how different this album is and the bluesy jazzy vibes. Different from what the Jam produced, and still good.
Excellent, uplifting and elegant. The piano solo version of "Ever Changing Moods" is lovely and this might be one's favorite all-time pop song. The jazz playing is well beyond competent – it swings, in fact – and they don't try and do too much with it. "Cafe Blue" and "Paris Match" are heartbreaking, swooningly so. A classic of sophistication and, as with nearly every Weller program, this looks forward even as it appreciates the best of what's past.
It's a hit and miss for me but mostly (60/40) songs i would expect sitting in a cafe while reading the newspaper.
Weird but ok (starts with blues goes to... rap?)
This does a good, but not great, job at blues, jazz, and rock. I still enjoyed listening to it though and it’s the first time I’ve liked something 100% brand new to me on this website I think
I’d never heard of The Style Council, but sappy eighties pop is about what I expected from the album cover. I don’t hate sappy, but they could’ve done it better. Songs like “The Whole Point Of No Return” and “My Ever Changing Moods” reveal that the Style Council is really just a diet Elvis Costello (as a side note, “Everyday I Write The Book” was the first song to appear on shuffle once the album finished). The early hip-hop-inspired “A Gospel” is a welcome stylistic choice, and is probably my favorite song on the record. Across the other tracks the voice seems just a bit off-key, which can sometimes add to the music (think Mick Jagger, Kurt Cobain, or frankly, Elvis Costello). In the case of the Style Council, it detracts. I’m not a fan of the vocals, but I can jam to the purely instrumental tracks, especially the rhythmic piano of “Mick’s Blessings,” the Austin Powers intro credits feel of “Me Ship Came In,” and the anti-Reagan rhetoric of “Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse.” Strip the vocals out of this album and it may just be a three.
I found the mix of musical styles on the record endearing. It's overtly political and is still nice on the ears. Glad this one was served up for us.
Prefer Mr. Weller to be punky rather than jazzy!
This was interesting and engaging until the second half. It went from jazz and lounge to very odd hip hop.
The best Paul Weller album by a country mile. So much more ambition and excitement here than anywhere else in his oeuvre, which otherwise tends to be dead stodgy Brexit rock for dads with bad haircuts.
Hate the Style council almost as much as I hate NLC
Wow...this album took a sharp left turn in the middle! It was like two different albums shoved together
What an unusual collection of songs - there wasn't particularly a 'theme' through the album, but the songs themselves were okay. 3.5 stars if I could
Stylish. Different to what I expected in places, but with some old familiar tunes in there as well.
Right off the start I kinda dug the piano and thought this will be a fun album. Didn't take very long to realize I was wrong. I did like some of the music parts early, but something happened halfway through the album. I believe I heard some rap in there? I don't know and don't really care at this point. I'll give a 2 for the simple fact I stated I liked some of the music. 2
I liked this a lot. It actually felt like sitting in a smoky jazz club listening to different musicians play and having fun doing it. I think I'll come back to a fair bit of this. 3.5
1.5 Lame and pretentious - I mean, the genre of this album being labeled as “sophisti-pop” probably tells you everything you need to know. There is nothing interesting going on in the first half unless slow, unimaginative lounge jazz is your thing. When it came to the back half, it feels like the duo caught on to the fact they were going down a very boring route, and decided to spice things up with jarring attempts at hip hop, dance pop, and even a bit of folk. The attempts made them the more remarkable songs on the album for me, but they feel very out of place as a whole. I was kind of surprised that they didn’t have more plays on Spotify, or at least Strength of Your Nature, because I feel like those tracks at least all had mildly enjoyable qualities to them - I have no idea what would drive people to listen to My Ever Changing Moods or You’re the Best Thing instead. One thing’s for sure, they’re not getting another play out of me - this album sucks.
In theory, this should be totally in my wheelhouse. Paul Weller and R&B? I regret to say it doesn't work. Sometimes it starts going in a good direction and then takes a turn for the worse. Few things in music history are as ill-advised as Weller rapping. Stick to The Jam and leave the Soul and R&B (and for god's sake, hip hop) to the professionals.
The piano medley intro was killer, and I thought with the next 2 songs that this album would be onto something. However, it descended into pop, and while not bad, it kept on going further into the weird soul, RnB borderline appropriation crap. The rap was fitting of the decade, but not fitting of the record vibe. I was really hoping for the them to fit the exposition.
Jack of all genres master of none.
...and now where are my Jam records? Ah! Just at hand.
Not what I expected, is it a mess? Kind of, but it's ok.
Ehh not my thing. Again like white guys discovered more genres of music. At least a black person did the rapping. 2.5/5
My high expectations were not met. Sounded very dated, which is never a good thing for music.
A bit all over the place.
Las canciones más o menos bien pero los instrumentales me sobran. El rap de "A gospel" ha envejecido muy mal. No sé, me siento mal dándole un 2 pero es que no creo que sea mucho más.
Found my new anthem today
Rough start but pretty fun! Kinda all over the place style-wise but I don't mind that. Didn't love all the vocals.
Who elected this so-called "Style Council"? I sure didn't get a ballot. I would have voted for people that knew that doing something good is better than doing a lot of things at the same time poorly.
I listened to this and almost immediately forgot it, which is indicative of its attempt at a lot of diversity with no cohesion in my opinion.
'A band imitating other bands' makes this is one of the most eclectic albums I know. It meanders through styles like jazz, funk, hiphop, new wave and pop but the whole album, even though of high quality, lacks a kind of soul, lacks some tension to keep it interesting. What turns me off this album is that every song is being done better by other artists instead of this replicated version. I don't think I'll ever listen to this album again and won't miss it.
Heeeeel rustige muziek. Beetje blues-achtig soms. Niet zo mijn ding, al klinkt het verder prima.
Jazz Club....nice Ultimate wankery
Hörde talas om The Style Council som Andres Lokkos favoritband. Några dagar senare dyker de upp här. Livet är allt bra förunderligt ibland va!!!!!!!!! Visste ingenting på förhand, men min nyfikenhet växte när jag fick reda på att det var Paul Weller från The Jam som låg bakom detta. Och det börjar bra. Gitarrstrummandet i andra låten, 'The Whole Point of No Return' är orgasmiskt. Sedan följer ett par instrumentala spår innan 'The Paris Match' med Tracey Thorn på sång drar igång. Den låter som en regnig dag på det allra bästa sätt. 'My Ever Changing Moods' också underbar, Wellers känsliga sång och pianot samspelar på en hög nivå. Därefter har albumet lite svårt att välja riktning. Det fortsätter på den inslagna vägen, med jazzig instrumentell vibe innan 'A Gospel' kommer och levererar en sorts old school hiphoplåt? Efter det kommer 'Strength of Your Nature', en snabb synthig dansdänga. Tvära kast. 'You're the Best Thing' är en av deras största hits, men tycker inte det är en av de bästa på albumet. Ganska fin, men något överdrivet smörig. De tre avslutande spåren är fina, men flyter ihop i varandra. Bitvis jättebra album. Vissa låtar mer svåra att ta till sig. Det blir en trea, men potential för att det växer till en fyra efter ytterligare lyssningar finns! Bästa låt: Dött lopp mellan 'The Whole Point of No Return', 'The Paris Match' och 'My Ever Changing Moods'.
Reminds me a lot of Was Not Was: a big variety of styles, jazz and funk and rap and more. It’s a good listen.
p523. 1984. 2 stars. Self indulgent mismatch of styles and ideas - faux jazz, angry 80s Brit pop, and the abomination of failed white rap that is The Gospel. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple of Weller classics, but there are is far too much fat to repay repeated listens.
nice and smooth - perfect for a start to a work day
What a hidden pearl. I never heard of this album or the artist, but I fell in love. Such good music, especially the opening song Mick's blessing. Good mix of Jazz and pop.
Ass tbh
Paul Weller was in The Jam before he was in The Style Council - you couldn't get two totally different groups. The Style Council are a strange mix of jazz, soul, and funk. Not for me.
dejó de ser punk para regresar a los orígenes de algo.
Yeesh more instruments and less singing. Was amateurish at best jazz/pop? Was just all over the place. 4/10
Genres: Pop, jazz, soul, new wave, sophisti-pop Formed: 1982 Run time: 13 songs, 43 min, 56 sec This is the debut album released by the band. Despite containing 13 songs, the album is only 43 minutes long. If you’re expecting this album to be a continuation of the Jam, it isn’t. Weller has taken his music in other directions. It’s a good album and easy to listen to. As expected, the songs are well written and well played. The first half is clearly jazz influenced, then the later tracks take a different direction. Track 1, “Mick’s Blessings”, track 4, ”Blue Cafe”, and track 7, "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse" are all jazz instrumentals. The first two are very short. Track 8, “A Gospel” is a rap song. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it just doesn’t fit with the rest of the album. It does seem to be the dividing point between the halves of the album. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tie the two halves together; it separates them with a fence. Track 10, "You're the Best Thing” is the most popular track on the album, with over 27M plays on Spotify. The least popular is track 9, "Strength of Your Nature" with over 3.4k plays. I like the tracks on an album to have a similar feel or to follow some theme. One curve ball is fine but this album was just too disparate. Listen Again?: No My Rating: ***
3.1 - "Strength Of Your Nature" is a funk jam reminiscent of Zapp or Prince and "You're The Best Thing" is an adult contemporary love ballad that sounds like Simply Red as interpreted by Mac DeMarco. Both worth a listen. As for the rest, to paraphrase Robert California, an underrated character on the American version of "The Office": "It's jazz for people who don't like jazz. It's rap for people who don't like rap. It's pop for people who don't like pop."
Intéressant mais bien trop déconstruit
PREFS : The Whole Point of No Return, The Paris Match, My Ever Changing Moods, Dropping Bombs on the White House, Here's One That Got Away, Headstart for Happiness MOINS PREF : A Gospel
uemm
Honestly forgettable
Molto molto molto cool e allegro
Bit too smooth, and a bit too jazzy for my tastes. Didn’t mind the more Go-Go inspired A Gospel, but it all sounded very much of its time. I also prefer the voices other than Weller’s here. I kind of get what they were trying to do but wasn’t grabbed by it all.
I've always found this such an uplifting album full of optimism. Our Favourite Shop may be TSC' masterpiece, but this is equally worthy for the joy it spreads. The two contrasting sides work really well. Weller was pushing it / taking the piss with the jazz club feel on side 1. Flip it over and side 2 makes you want to run free and celebrate life. I still get that buzz almost forty years later. Headstart for Happiness is such a calling card for all that is possible. Infectious.
It's hard to define the album and band style, and I think it is a little messy. However, I enjoyed almost all the songs, which gave me the will to look for more of this sophist-pop stuff.
Café Bleu is the debut album by the English band The Style Council. It's a sophisticated album of pop, jazz, and soul music with a dash of rap that will have you appreciating the little things in life. It was critically acclaimed and may be the band's best work. I love to hear that classic jazz and soul music every once in a while, and this album scratched that itch. It was a fabulous piece of music that I'm glad I had the chance to listen to. Recommended to any other fans of jazz/soul music, but also pop lovers can enjoy this album too.
Loved the opening. Was grooving to a number of the tracks, but it felt inconsistent and incongruous their l throughout. 3.5
Groovy, but not a particularly fun listen for me.
Interesting but not my bag
El nuevo proyecto de Paul Weller, guitarrista y compositor de The Jam. Un excelente disco Mod, que toma un poco de Jazz, un poco de rock, pero sobretodo el espíritu del Muzak para subvertirlo con una capa de ironía.
The instrumentals were ok. Then he started rapping? Singing? I dont even know. Track 9 was just plain awful. Stick to instrumentals. 2.5 at best.
Pas mauvais, mais rien d'impressionnant. Ça sonnait jazz très accessible, ça manquait de personnalité un peu. 5/10
I can't define what this is. It has jazz, rap, and new wave. They can't decide what to be, it's not bad, just all over the place.
i did not like this
If I'm rating on Keytar usage alone, it's an easy five. The rest is, for the most part, well written but all over the place. Jazz, 80s white man rap, new wave. I liked some of it but then it would change. Hard to keep up.
I know its not tge Jam, but happened man
The beginning of the sad decline.of the modfather. More Jam please.
"Yes!" I thought, "The Style Council! Great!" It turned out I was thinking of The Jam.
Apart from the hits, I'd never listen to anything else by The Style Council. I was half expected it to be more of the same from Weller as The Jam, but no, it's in a totally different direction. Interestingly, (this where I bang on about distribution formats), it's another album of 2 halves. Side A is quite chilled, soulful, like café jazz... with a welcome appearance from Tracey Thorn. Side B, pop ballads, and urgh The Gospel - what was going on with white pop rap in the early 80s? Wham, Blondie - glad that fad ended. I preferred Side A, despite You're The Best Thing is still stuck in my head a day later.
one of the worst albums of all time
Officiële debuutalbum van de Britse new wave band The Style Council. Een uniek jazzy popalbum met duidelijke jaren 80 invloeden, zowel muzikaal als politiek. Prima album, maar mist een edge. leukste nummer: Here's One That Got Away Album heeft naast de band zelf veel gastmusici gecredit staan, de "Honorary Councillors", waaronder Everything But The Girl.
Pretty decent, upbeat. Would be really boring if not for the variety.
cant imagine why this is one of the 1001 albums you have to hear before you die i dont like genrefluid albums and the good parts (jazz) were too inoffensive and safe
Really difficult to gage. Really good in some parts, kinda cringe in others. Didn’t enjoy the hip hop attempt. I think it’s gonna boil down to the fact there was one song I enjoyed enough to add to my playlist. 2 for the album. “Blue Cafe” is the song.
i do not care for this.
Banger banger banger, why haven't I heard of them
incredible album
Mid
The Style Council... they are certainly all over the place stylistically. While there are a few ok songs on this album, I found it overall rather disappointing.
Crazy album… kinda nice dock…
Slick, cool r&b influenced pop. The best tracks are great but as an album it’s a bit too unfocused. Strong 3
Helt trevligt och söt white boy rap.
Pretty basic
It was fine, I only really liked one song (You’re The Best Thing)
"Café Bleu" is the debut album by English band The Style Council. The Style Council consisted of Paul Weller (vocals, guitar, bass), Mick Talbot (keyboards, piano, organs, synths) and Steve White (drummer). There was also a lot of extra musicians on the album including members of Everything But The Girl. The music is classified as pop, jazz, soul, new wave and sophisti-pop with one critic nailing describing it as soul-tinged pop songs and other songs being too eclectic and over ambitious. I'd say, Weller tries to travel the word on the first side alone. The album was renamed "My Ever Changing Moods" when released in the US for the single of the same name. The first side is more of the jazzy album side and opens with an instrumental "Mick's Blessing." A pretty bare-bones jazzy song with piano, tambourine, hand clapping and a bass. By the way, about half these songs on the album are instrumental. Tracy Thorn of Everything But The Girl does a nice vocal job on "The Paris Match." Also, jazzy again with the piano and guitar. Missing a loved one and former boyfriend. Weller's soulful voice takes over on thr first single "My Ever Changing Mood." Piano dominated. Intriguing lyrics and about the threat of nuclear war and a relationship, I think. Side One also has a bossa nova and a jazzy bebop song. Side Two continues elelectism with the funky "Strength of Your Nature." This is trying to sound like an 80's R&B pop song and comes across like a blend of Oingo Boingo and Janet Jackson. A catchy chorus though. "You're the Best Thing" highlights Weller's soulful vocals again. He's crooning. Great backing vocals. Jazzy with percussion. It's the one song I immediately think of when The Style Council is mentioned. An instrumental "Council Meetin'" ends the album with a dane-pop beat. This album had me confused. The soulful-pop singles are fine. And then we have bossa nova, piano bar jazz, bebop, rap and attempted funk. When put together, it didn't really connect for me. It sold well in the UK and the pop songs are highlights so if you're willing to filter through some of the misses, you might like this.
This is a memorable album for me. Not necessarily because I liked a lot of it, there are songs i don't like at all, but the overall feel of it and how it flowed from different styles really make me sit up and take note.
Good for some background noise but nothing to want to make me come back
Way prefer Weller in The Jam
This album I very special and magical - basically every song is in a different style or genre, from baroque pop, through hip hop, to post punk. Incredible versatility by The Style Council. All the tracks had another thing in common - I didn't like any of the songs. The album felt pretentious and forced, all form no content. It was a really hard time, trying to get through the record, but fortunately it's short, so I could save my mental health state in good condition.
Hard to say… I liked it somehow but it’s not my style. Bonus points for Paul weller
Paul Weller makes a jazz / soul album with some interesting results. Lots of variety, the songs vary from overly nostalgic to the point of unintended parody to interesting interpretation of styles to, hey this is pretty cool. Wildly uneven but interesting for sure. Styles include; ragtime, lounge jazz, 60s bop, bossa nova, blue-eyed soul and even a bizarre rap experiment that should not have made the final cut. Ultimately too all-over-the-map to really grab hold. 2.5 stars
I liked that the piano was so prominent in this album! Solid overall
tunes were good, so long as talky man was quiet
Piano AND trumpet, with sax in an appropriate supporting role? Yes please. What a pleasant surprise. Never heard of this band but this album is them throwing every genre at the wall to see what sticks, with not 100% success but enough to have fun with.
WTF is this bullshit?
Soft jazzy music. Background dinner music.
not terrible, but a mix of stuff that I didn't much like, especially the jazzy bits
Bijna geen album te noemen. Een hoop verschillende stijlen, maar wel allemaal wat matig en erg jaren '80.
It's very mixed, a lot of different styles (!) and influences at play. But very well produced
Big fat meh. Go back to the Jam Paul
As per Paul Weller’s biography, “[Cafe Bleu] left some fans confused and critics divided”. I’m not really a fan and I’m confused.
Not really my thing, a few nice tracks
I've just given a 1/5 grade to that Paul Weller solo album on the list. So what can I do now? Go *negative*? Can I revise my gradings? I know they're very different beasts, but assigning the same grade to Def Leppard and The Style Council is pretty unfair to Def Leppard, I believe. Which tells you a lot about The Style Council. To be clear, I don't give a damn about Weller and his pals' "musicianship". Side 1 of *Cafe Bleu* is just derivative muzak--anyone trying to say the contrary is in full denial mode, period. Worse, anyone denying this *in here* is actually insulting the very concept of "essential" music. As for side 2, it is... well, I can't even begin to describe what side 2 is. The best lead I have is with the back-to-back tracks "A Gospel" and "Strength Of Your Nature", since they best exemplify what's dead wrong with the whole LP. They're the lowest point in a record made out of a series of low points. In that sense, those tracks are so bad that they unwittingly become endearing at times. They deserve a full paragraph devoted to them. Let's start with "A Gospel", probably one of the most embarrassing attempt at rapping I have ever heard from a white boy. "Awkward" is not a word strong enough to convey how f*cking dumb its lyrics are : "Ghetto's, gateaux, and eating it too." Seriously Paul? And, please, please, don't you guys give me an excuse such as "well, all rap made in 1984, or around that year, has aged poorly". Have you ever listened to Afrika Bambataa? As for "Strength Of Your Nature", I won't say much about the true nature of this synth-blue-eyed-soul number with far less class, impact and meaningful energy than what Eurythmics was doing at the time. Except that it sounds like shit, obviously. Conversely, and as I've just suggested before, you could argue that bad taste is still taste somehow. The thing with those two tracks I've just mentioned is that you can remember them at least. Everything else is indeed so bland, so instantly forgettable, that I won't even bother going through the motions here. Oh, there's only one notable exception, the only bearable track on the whole LP: it's a jazz instrumental named "Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse"--a cut that could fool you for being the real thing from the sixties. But ironically, this gives me the opportunity to vent my anger at Dimery and co. this time. How many *important* jazz LPs were sacrificed to make room for The Style Council, Robert? How freaking many? Jesus H. Christ... In case you haven't heard... Decades after the release of *Cafe Bleu*, Paul Weller now pretends his career and discography are better than the ones of The Cure. Sure Paul, sure. Just don't forget your morning pills, and everything's gonna be alright... How ironic to mouth off Robert Smith given that even a relative letdown in The Cure's discography such as *The Top* (also out in 1984) is still ten times better and more adventurous than this album here was. You see Paul, you're an excellent musician, I'm not denying this. But when you're a good musician, browsing through "styles" without applying any personal touch, or using your imagination to make those styles truly your own, is NOT adventurous. It's just being lazy. Turns out "The Style Council" is aptly named as a band. They're all style, no susbstance. Plus, Paul Weller is a moron. And I guess that certainly can't help us be nice now, can it? Number of albums left to review: 645 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 177 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 84 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 100 (including this one)
Not at all what I expected but this was a rather nice and chill album. I very much enjoyed the instrumental songs, but once they start singing it kind of ruins the experience as it becomes very much ordinary and even terrible.
Really dug this one I’m definitely gonna need to listen more to appreciate it fully
Utterly smooth and filled with a level of soul that really speaks to you. The pure force of this album really surprised me, and I found myself being enthralled by nearly every track. Solid stuff and is just the right length to perfectly hold your attention and then move on. Faves: The Whole Point Of No Return, My Ever Changing Moods, Here’s One That Got Away, Me Ship Came In!, Headstart For Happiness, The Paris Match, You’re The Best Thing, Mick’s Blessings
This was shaping up to be a decent album. I liked the smoother tracks and some of the jazz instrumentals. The rap song was completely unnecessary and derailed the whole album. This might’ve been a 3/5 without it but as an album on the whole it’s not as good because of it. Some songs I would listen to but not the whole thing. 5.2/10
1-2 moments of good music, and lots of meh
I’m not really sure why this is on the list. It’s not really a defining record in any sense.
This one should've been in the companion volume, "1001 Albums You Can Safely Skip Before You Die". Feels like a whole album of filler tracks, kinda. Not sure who the audience is supposed to be... It feels like it's doing a lot of different things and none of them particularly well, so most of the tracks just feel vaguely disappointing. The final track was pretty fun though.
A very interesting album with a mashup of styles and genres. The tracks range from soulful ballads to upbeat pop songs, but the standout track is undoubtedly "A Gospel", a rap track that tries to incorporate religious themes but falls flat. The delivery is awkward and the lyrics are underwhelming, making for an unenjoyable listening experience. However, the rest of the album is just okay. The instrumentation is solid and the vocals are decent, but the tracks don't necessarily stick with you after the first listen. Overall, worth a listen for fans of The Style Council, but don't expect it to be a standout album on this list.
Not what I expected and changes things up about half way through the album.
I was enjoying parts of this album for sure, but the way it’s jumping all over the place was quite surprising and confusing. Definitely didn’t anticipate the, what like 2 rap tracks in there? So weird lol Saved songs: The Whole Point Of No Return, The Paris Match, My Ever Changing Moods
Chill, good for work.
cafe brun
Pleasant enough
местами красиво, местами фигня какая-то
Good jams n great vocals, a lot of the album started to sound the same as I went however. Got boring at points and too crazy at others, but OK project overall.
+Usually not a fan of instrumental songs but some of these were actually nice to listen to as background music, I like it that they're short so they don't get boring -I don't hate the album, but there's nothing special about it either, the second part of it is full of skips
This is some kind of new wave jazz. It has elements of easy listening which makes it sleepy. It's fine for what it is, but it's not what I want.
Mercilessly bright and upbeat. Not really for me but I didn't hate it!
So this is weird as fuck, it's starts off as a instrumental album which I was like yeah, cool I can get on with this. Then a female vocalist comes in for one track who is great...then...I think a new album starts playing because Weller (I think) starts rapping...and it's the worst fucking thing you've ever heard. Imagine if the super weird guy who works in finance was trying to do a rap ...are you cringing into yourself? Because that's what happened to me. Then it's a weird love song, then it's a weird Frank Sintra esq thing...its so all over the place. Its 3.5 so rounding it up to a 4...but fuck me that rap is awful
Dette albumet har alt, men det blir kanskje litt for mye! Mye kult, endel corny greier
This album just starts groovy. At first, I was kind of thinking (and hoping) it would be completely instrumental, but was quite happy that a number of the other songs were instrumental. Something I enjoyed was the dichotomy I felt between the beginning instrumental songs and songs with lyrics. Feeling the positives only to be thrown into some more down sounding tunes like 'The Whole Point Of No Return' and 'The Paris Match' kept it interesting. The former of those two was where I first got a glimpse of Paul Weller's old punk/new wave stylings. I thought something apparent was the lack of vocal talent, especially on 'My Ever Changing Moods'. I don't mean to say Weller was a bad singer, but if you compare him to some of the great blues and jazz singers, he's obviously not them. This led to more intrigue on my part than anything because of the feel it gives the song. I checked out the Jam to hear his punk and new wave beginnings and it makes sense. His voice is a little raspy, which fits punk just fine. And I love the raspiness of punk vocalists straining to hit the notes. 'Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse' was great. Again, I felt like that title gets back to punk roots and punk's politically driven material. In this case, just the title. The only part of the album I really disliked was the run of 'A Gospel', 'Strength Of Your Nature', and 'You're The Best Thing'. The first two were just not good songs to me. Plain and simple. I was more disappointed with 'You're The Best Thing' because it had so many plays, until it was pointed out that it was probably played at weddings a lot. That made sense. There was a little synth(?) solo on 'Strength Of Your Nature' that was a redeeming quality, but the song last 2 minutes after that were tough. The end picked it back up to me with those upbeat sounds again. 'Here's One That Got Away' and 'Headstart For Happiness' were easily more enjoyable than 'You're The Best Thing'. I'd dance around to both. And to close, 'Council Meetin'' is an instrumental version of the end credits of anything. A great way to end after jumping in with an instrumental to kick the album off. Can't say I'd listen consistently, but I'd put it on again sometimes probably.
Listened to this album while making dinner. Sophisti-Pop eh? Never heard the term but I think it pairs well with dinner. Really pleasant easy to listen to smoky cruise ship lounge music up until “A Gospel”. From this point the album takes a turn. Such a strange choice to make this switch. “A Gospel” is a little bit cringey BUT I’ll give it a pass for having some pretty slick instrumentals. Then we move into “Strength of Your Nature” which is another song that seems so out of place on this record. It’s like they wanted to make this Ray Parker Jr. cheesy 80s album but decided to throw in some jazz into the mix. I will say, once again, Strength has plenty of fun shit going on to make it stand out to me. The little vocal bits, the funky guitar, the funky synths. “You’re the Best Thing” was definitely someone’s wedding song. “Headstart for Happiness” is a fun little number but yet again, I am reminded of a wedding band (a really really good wedding band) playing for drunk wedding guests. I’m stealing my friend Max’s line here, Council Meetin’ is straight up end credits music. All in all. Good album. Had fun. It took a serious turn at “A Gospel” that made it feel a little disjointed to me in terms of a “vision” but regardless of that it was a good spin.
I really liked this! Sure wish I’d discovered it in 1984 — I think it would have been one of my favorite albums of the 80s. Love the range of styles, though a few songs (Gospel and Strength of Your Nature) push that range too far and would keep this from being one of those albums I would have listened to straight through. But the rest is great, especially The Whole Point of No Return, The Paris Match and My Ever Changing Moods.
Loved the ideas on this album and they were executed beautifully- some notable highs and lows for me though - especially in the latter half of the album.
This one’s new to me! Side A kicks off with a bang. I am really into the jazzy, new wave cross over; sophisti-pop I suppose. Not a genre I’m all that familiar with outside of Roxy Music’s Avalon. The first reference that came to mind in reading about The Style Council and listening to this album, was Talk Talk’s post synth-pop albums, namely The Color of Spring and Spirit of Eden. Talk Talk’s musical evolution reminds of that which Paul Weller made between his former band, The Jam, and The Style Council. Both are stories of two artists, at peak commercial success, who grew restless, threw that success to the wind and used their newfound notoriety to craft music more soulful, jazz-influenced, and totally different; long-time fans be damned. Obviously, this debut isn’t as experimental and left-field as Talk Talk’s post-rock, but still it’s a jarring turn for Mr. Weller, far from his punk rock roots. And I dig it! Side B meanders a little. I enjoy, in theory, the divergences taken to experiment with rapping on “A Gospel,” and with the melding of hip-hop, funk, and dance on “Strength of Your Nature,” but those forays make me stray a little, in turn. I only return for a few cuts, namely, “You’re The Best Thing,” and the fantastic closer, “Council Meeting.” But I think those few tracks in between that didn’t grab me will only grown on me with time. Actually, those two I mentioned are the only two I wasn’t shakin’ my booty too, I really liked the second and third to last tracks too. This whole affair reminds me a lot of Japanese City Pop. Which is cool. Thoroughly enjoyed this album. It’s really pretty fantastic. 4/5.
I’m left a little confused by this album. Stylistically it’s all over… and many instrumental records that feel out of place. I’d say the rap… wasn’t bad?… but the songs played for me too close to their genre templates, and didn’t really surprise me. It’s eclectic, but throughout the album I was hoping for more cohesion, more of a reason why.
Nothing special.
I like the instrumental tracks, but don't think Paul Weller's vocals did this any justice.
Is this the music they play in the theater before the movie starts? I liked the especially bluesy tracks.
I thought The Style Council were good before I heard this awful album of terrible jazz-style coffee shop music.
Quite the jarring tonal shift from coffeehouse jazz on side one to delirious 80s synth pop on side two.
It mostly blended into the background.
This was not what I expected; it was ok, nothing special
I don't understand this album. I had it on in the background and every time I paid attention it was a different style.
I was a big Jam fan and loved Weller's later work but have always avoided this period in his life horrified like Van Gogh turning to Pop Art. However since I was forced to listen to this again after almost 40 years I found myself enjoying it. Hogdammit Paul's consummate skill as a song writer just shines through despite the insipid 80s vibe.
It's interesting, but feels a bit random. Got fully instrumental bluesy bits, got solo vocals and duo. Saved tracks: Me Ship Came In!, My Ever Changing Moods, Headstart For Happiness
2 All over the place.
"I listen to grown-up music!"- Peppa Pig on UK sophisti-pop in the early 1980's HL: "The Paris Match", "Headstart for Happiness", "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse", "The Whole Point of No Return" December 16, 2022
It's definitely just the mood that I'm in because I hit 1500 on chess.com while listening to this album, but what a fun album. It's like a perfectly unique mix of jazz, soul, 80s pop, and even hip-hop. I also learned that paul weller started The Jam, whose albums I've given like twos and threes but this is such a step up from that. My Ever Changing Moods is a great exhibit of the first 3 of this combo and is my favorite on this album. It also reminds me of that prefab sprout album I gave a 5.
Overall this album was fine but very frontloaded. This album had very strange sequencing. This album goes from mediocre 80s pop to instrumental jazz to more mediocre 80s pop to rap then finishes with some more mediocre 80s pop. I still enjoyed this album more than I probably should've though. 6.5/10
Jazzy and snazzy! This was a really fun listen, and it really oozed Sophisti-pop. I've never listened to The Style Council before, and I enjoyed this album. There were definitely some odd tracks on here that felt like they didn't fit, but overall, this was a pretty solid album.
Fomísimo
Huge Paul Weller fan, whilst generally hating most 80's music. This wasn't too bad though
Some good moments; liked when it was jazzy; don’t expect to come back to it.
Good musicians! Boppy but forgettable. I have a hard time coming up with highlight tracks when I sit down to write this.
I didn't know this band. Cool music.
Instrumentals are A+. I don't mind the vocals too much, but that rapping was uhhh...not the greatest. 4/5 since I still enjoyed most of what I heard.
I got this album on release since I liked the Jam and wanted more music like that. Typical good news / bad news scenario. Bad news: they didn’t sound anything like The Jam. Good news: I really liked it. On release I liked every song on the album except the two singles. Over the years I gave this vinyl a spin occasionally but play side 1 only to avoid the singles. 1001 made me listen to side 2 again and, surprisingly, I now like the singles. I like the genre hopping on this album. The jazz is quite good. The old school is kind of funny so many years later. My favourite song is Paris Match. I particularly enjoy the “glass half full” lyrics: “Empty skies say try to forget. Better advice is to have no regrets“ Tracey Thorn sings this song beautifully. It might be her best singing ever. It’s interesting how some singers deliver better than ever on an album that isn’t their own. The same could be said of Maria McKee’s vocals on “If Love is a red Dress . . .” on the Pulp Fiction sound track
This is a brave LP, with its mixed bag of jazz, funk and soul, not quite a U-turn for Paul Weller, since The Jam was moving toward a more R&B sound on their final album. “My Ever-Changing Moods” would have been a good title track, since there’s no shortage of variety, as songs jump from one genre to another. I like the straight-up, swinging jazz tunes like “My Ship Came In” and ballads like the title track and “Paris Match”. They sound less convincing with funk. The arrangements are good but the song-writing and chanty choruses don’t appeal to me.
There’s no doubt that Paul Weller is immensely talented. He founded the punk group The Jam and then did basically a 180 with The Style Council, and although they sound diametrically opposed, both were great groups. He also has a knack for recruiting top shelf musicians such as Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt from Everything But the Girl, who are also a great band. This album starts off rocking with Mick’s Blessings, but where it really shines is with the downtempo tunes like The whole point of no return, Blue cafe, Paris Match (with Tracey Thorn’s lively crooning). The best songs IMO are his slimmed down cover of My ever changing moods and You’re the best thing. I also really enjoyed the up-tempo jazz numbers like Dropping bombs and Council Meetin’. It’s too bad that he dropped a couple of rap songs in here that just sound completely out of place here.
Jazz. Pop. La parte jazz, buena, la pop, normalita. Algunos temas instrumentales.
better than expected
One of the most eclectic albums I've ever listened to. Wasn't "good" by any means but maybe it's on this list because it's so unusual.
sottofondo, variegate. Molto bello ed interessante gruppo da approfondire. Brani di molta esperienza compositiva e maturita'. struttura solida
I like it. Surprised with the rap in the song "A gospel". The album feels very jammy and is all over the place and doesn't stick to one genre.
This is honestly up there with The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter for bad albums on this list for me. It thinks it's good, that's what bugs me. It's lazy lounge music sung by pretentious jazzy twats who just have to have an accent in the album title. I tried a few songs, skipped to the "hits" on the album, cleaned up the puke on the floor and had to pull out. Would be a zero if I could. Hard pass.
Another repeat from the dozen or so I listened to before starting a group - I quite enjoyed it at the time and it was a notable contrast to the music by Weller I was familiar with, but I also really didn't feel any desire to relisten to this even though it was nearly a year now since the first go through, which I guess says something about the album... idk, not enough for me to drop it to a 2, let's keep the rating as it was
3.5/5. First time hearing the whole album. A couple classics and the reat are really good.
This was a really nice surprise. Funky, jazzy and mellow. Those two house tracks are a bit out of place, mind...
Really interesting eclectic mix of styles. I didn't realize that this was Paul Weller of The Jam before. I definitely like some tracks more than others but overall a cool listen.
The kindest thing I can say is that it's pretty ambitious with its genre hopping. However, others have done it much better. This was just annoying for the most part. I couldn't wait for it to stop. That rap track...lololololol Kudos for trying, in 1984 no less, but woof was that bad. That's coming from someone who generally enjoys old school sryle hip hop. It probably doesn't deserve a 1, but its getting it for annoying thr shit out of me. That's always a ticket to 1 star town.
Was expecting a rock album, instead got a jazz-blues pop fusion. Very soulful. A couple of really solid stripped down ballads. Definitely can tell it was made when it was. A gospel was a hip hop song also. Interesting. For some reason it went with the album too. Probably wouldn’t come back to this album to play any specific song but it’s a good album nonetheless.
What even is this? This sounds like Nurse With Wound's Huffin' Rag Blues, but minus all the experimentation and humor. It's just a cavalcade of jazz vomit. Nothing sounds terrible, but it's like AI-generated art. The closer you look at it, the more it just reveals itself to be nothing.
You’re The Best Thing is a classic, but the rest was quite boring.
Not for me. Probably the quickest I forgot an album. Usually if I do this I will try again but nah
Weird vibes of funk-jazz-soul music? Just not for me
Paul Weller moves from the mod revival of The Jam to something altogether different. A pleasant mix of jazz and funk-equally at home in a Starbucks or while driving on a rainy evening.
Cool piano forward jazz-pop stylings. A Gospel is fucking bullshit. Here's One That Got Away is very Goo Goo Dolls.
quirky, interesting album. Would like to listen more!
Sir, this is a Café Bleu. I mean seriously, wth are you doing?
Very schizophrenic album. They should have stayed with the jazz tunes, I felt they did those best
Good musicians but I don’t like the music. Cheesy, jazzy, and just not my style. Plus they use synthesizer/organ a lot, or which I generally am really not a fan.
very interesting album, some of the music was fun & jazzy & made me feel like i was sitting in a cafe, some of it was up beat & poppy, i enjoyed it all
The different styles make this album pretty diverse, it's nice to discover
I'm not sure what this was, but it started great and went downhill fast.
So weird.. it sounded like many different albums of completely different genres mixed together.. Something was amazing (instrumental jazz), something was annoying (rap??).. mah
This was an unexpected treat! Really great. A lot of very different moods and vibes. Will for sure be returning to this in the near future.
you can see the Weller was enjoying the freedom to do what he wanted. Bit all over the place but some great tracks on here
Beautiful voice
This is a good album and I will listen to it again.
Some of the instrumentals we're good, but the rap was cringe and the rest was kinda boring
A bit boring imo
zany and eclectic 80s jazzercize pop. enough goofy kitschy cringe to be endearing
No words no thank you
Where’s the words