PAUL WELLER - 22 Dreams ...another interview, from todays Sun...Enjoy! -- WHO BRINGS JOY

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Date Posted: 17:28:48 05/30/08 Fri
Author: A.K
Subject: PAUL WELLER - 22 Dreams ...another interview, from todays Sun...Enjoy!

PAUL WELLER - 22 Dreams

Rating *****

PAUL WELLER turned 50 on Sunday.

When we meet, just a few days before his big day, the bags under his eyes suggest that the celebrations might have started early.

Immaculately dressed, as ever, in a navy woollen jumper with his grown-out mod cut, he�s very different from the paunchy, balding figures most men of his age present.

He tells me he rolled in from a gig in Leicester in the early hours. �You know what it�s like � we had to celebrate with a few beers after.�

Whether he means a few or a few too many, what�s clear is that it�s been a long, long day. Hung over, he�s been rehearsing at the BBC�s Later . . . studios since morning.

�We had to get here at 10 o�clock. What�s that all about?� he says in his gruff Woking accent.

On Monday he releases his ninth solo album, 22 Dreams, a double CD containing the most varied music of his solo career.

�I was determined to make a double album for my 50th � a present to myself. I thought it would be what people would least expect.�

As with his career, when it comes to birthdays, Weller is down to earth.

�I�m not having any big birthday party. I�m not doing anything to be honest. I�m not really a***d about it one way or the other. As for any surprise parties, they�ve all been f***ing warned about that!� he laughs.

Turning 50, says Weller, means nothing. �I don�t feel any different to, say, 20 years ago though I�m sure I look different. But then if I stop and think about being 50 it is quite monumental.

�I never thought I�d be alive at 50, never mind making music. When I was younger I couldn�t imagine beyond 25 � I thought life stopped.�

But Weller admits his half-century has made him question his mortality.

�It has made me appreciate things more, especially life. I appreciate my kids and I appreciate still making music � good music, in my opinion.�

22 Dreams is Weller�s most diverse offering yet. Style-wise it covers the whole of his 30-plus-year career from his angry days of The Jam to the white soul music of The Style Council as well as elements of his highly successful solo career.

From opening track, the folky and eastern vibes of Light Nights to the Krautrock instrumental 111, 22 Dreams includes some of Weller�s weirdest as well as most wonderful tracks. All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You), Cold Moments and the sublime Have You Made Up Your Mind, are numbers high on his all-time solo list.

He says: �We�ve touched on some of the styles before but not all of them. But I suppose it is the most eclectic album I�ve made.

�I wanted to do something different. I didn�t want to make As Is Now part two.

Return ... 9th solo album

�A few people have said it covers my career. It wasn�t intentional. Whether it happened on a subconscious level, I don�t know.

�It just came out of the desire to move on without being too stylised or false.

�There was an air of: F**k it, just go for it. Really push the boat out and don�t worry if people think you�ve gone mad.

�Because I was working with new people � there were four of us producing � it wasn�t all on my shoulders. Everyone put in ideas and brought different things to the table.

�It�s me and (Ocean Colour Scene guitarist) Steve Cradock playing most of it with a few guests, then Simon Dine from Noonday Underground and also Charles Rees, our engineer down at the studio. It was just everyone pitching ideas.

�And I can remember getting to the end of the record and us all having a playback and everyone in the room loving it. Then we thought, �we�ve still got to go and play this to people and that will be the moment of truth�.�

Weller says 22 Dreams doesn�t have any real meaning behind it but just fitted the record.

Poetic
�I thought 22 Dreams sounded like a poetic title. It�s a little journey � I don�t want to get too poncey about it � but it took us a whole year to make the record, so we saw the whole cycle of a year. There are elements of the seasons, the elements, thunderstorms, and bird sounds. That kind of stuff.�

Talking about the album, he is visibly proud of his latest work � and the writer�s block that dogged him a few years back has gone.

�I�ve lived long enough to know that the creative process comes and goes. Sometimes it flows and sometimes it doesn�t and you�ve just got to wait for it to happen again.�

As if to mark a new chapter musically, Weller has a new band line-up with guitarist Steve Cradock, his long-time accomplice, the only remaining member.

Weller explains: �(Drummer) Steve White didn�t fancy doing it. Not for any animosity or bad feeling, I just think he�s enjoying having a bit of time off, which is fair enough because we�ve played together for 17 years or something mad like that.

�In a way it was good because it forced the issue to get a new band � Steve Pilgrim from Liverpool band The Stands plays the drums. Andy Lewis who I did a track with for record label Acid Jazz last year is playing bass for us now. Then there�s Andy Crofts, who was in The On Offs, playing keyboards.

�And it�s been really good � for me, Steve Cradock and for the music. The music is fresh again and we�re enthusiastic about it.�

Echoes Round The Sun is Weller�s first track written with Noel Gallagher � something fans have been waiting for since they performed Talk Tonight on TV show The White Room in 1995 and covered The Beatles� Come Together as The Smokin� Mojo Filters in the same year. �It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. We had got to the end of the record and I was saying to everyone that I needed one more rocking tune for the balance. I just spoke to Noel and said �Do you fancy writing for the album?�

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�He sent me a very rough idea of the drums on Echoes and I did a little bit of work on it. Then we sent it back and forwards and then he and Gem (Archer) came down for an afternoon. We had the backing track done in about half an hour.�

Surprisingly, Weller admits he could never start writing a song from scratch with his great friend, as both would feel uncomfortable.

�It wouldn�t work for me and him sitting in a room with two acoustic guitars. I�d be too self-conscious. I�m not the sort of person who can do that. And I think he�s the same.

�Although we�ve got a lot of common ground � we�ve both come from working-class backgrounds and both like The Beatles and The Sixties, there are loads of things about us which are totally different as well. It�s just mutual respect really.�

Weller also enlisted ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon for cameo duties on track Black River and one-time Stone Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim on God, a spoken-word track that suggests The Modfather has found religion.

�I�ve had the poem for ages. I�ve not been able to use it even though I liked the sentiment in it. Then Steve Cradock was saying we really needed a poem on this album. Aziz just came down on a social visit and we got him to do it. It�s an interesting one because he�s a very devout Muslim man � it�s an interesting twist.

Deep
�I don�t know about finding God. God finds you, I think. I don�t have any belief in any organised religion. I find that all very divisive.

�I wouldn�t knock any organised religion. If it gives people faith and strength it�s a good thing. But if it divides people it�s the antithesis of what it�s supposed to be about.�

And if God is the biggest surprise on 22 Dreams, then 111 is Weller�s most experimental.

�Some tracks on this album are like springboards into the future for me. I I don�t know if I�d want to do a whole album of it but I�d like to enlarge on some of that stuff more.

�I love the last four tracks on the album. There�s something spiritual about it, and really deep.�

A poignant moment on the album is Why Walk When You Can Run, which was inspired by the youngest of Weller�s five kids, Mac.

�I wrote that watching my three-year-old son last summer in Spain. That fearlessness they have when they�re that age, watching him just run into the sea. I saw it as a metaphor for how to live life. Don�t let people hold you back. Go for it.

�My kids are by far my biggest inspiration today. Kids keep you young as you have to be optimistic and positive for them. You can�t sit around complaining, criticising and being cynical.

�From a 20-year-old son to a three-year-old with all the slots in between, it�s brilliant, even though they�re knackering.

�I still have my angry moments but I�m quite happy to change and adapt, as this album shows. I can still be fiery in my music when I want to or need to be.

�My music still has and always will have that passion.�

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Great Concept But A Big Opportunity Missed.One Good Album In This And Too Much Dross !! -- The Beat Surrendered, 14:41:35 06/02/08 Mon

>PAUL WELLER - 22 Dreams
>
>Rating *****
>
>PAUL WELLER turned 50 on Sunday.
>
>
>When we meet, just a few days before his big day, the
>bags under his eyes suggest that the celebrations
>might have started early.
>
>
>Immaculately dressed, as ever, in a navy woollen
>jumper with his grown-out mod cut, he�s very different
>from the paunchy, balding figures most men of his age
>present.
>
>
>He tells me he rolled in from a gig in Leicester in
>the early hours. �You know what it�s like � we had to
>celebrate with a few beers after.�
>
>
>Whether he means a few or a few too many, what�s clear
>is that it�s been a long, long day. Hung over, he�s
>been rehearsing at the BBC�s Later . . . studios since
>morning.
>
>
>�We had to get here at 10 o�clock. What�s that all
>about?� he says in his gruff Woking accent.
>
>
>On Monday he releases his ninth solo album, 22 Dreams,
>a double CD containing the most varied music of his
>solo career.
>
>
>�I was determined to make a double album for my 50th �
>a present to myself. I thought it would be what people
>would least expect.�
>
>
>As with his career, when it comes to birthdays, Weller
>is down to earth.
>
>
>�I�m not having any big birthday party. I�m not doing
>anything to be honest. I�m not really a***d about it
>one way or the other. As for any surprise parties,
>they�ve all been f***ing warned about that!� he
>laughs.
>
>
>Turning 50, says Weller, means nothing. �I don�t feel
>any different to, say, 20 years ago though I�m sure I
>look different. But then if I stop and think about
>being 50 it is quite monumental.
>
>
>�I never thought I�d be alive at 50, never mind making
>music. When I was younger I couldn�t imagine beyond 25
>� I thought life stopped.�
>
>
>But Weller admits his half-century has made him
>question his mortality.
>
>
>�It has made me appreciate things more, especially
>life. I appreciate my kids and I appreciate still
>making music � good music, in my opinion.�
>
>
>22 Dreams is Weller�s most diverse offering yet.
>Style-wise it covers the whole of his 30-plus-year
>career from his angry days of The Jam to the white
>soul music of The Style Council as well as elements of
>his highly successful solo career.
>
>
>From opening track, the folky and eastern vibes of
>Light Nights to the Krautrock instrumental 111, 22
>Dreams includes some of Weller�s weirdest as well as
>most wonderful tracks. All I Wanna Do (Is Be With
>You), Cold Moments and the sublime Have You Made Up
>Your Mind, are numbers high on his all-time solo list.
>
>
>He says: �We�ve touched on some of the styles before
>but not all of them. But I suppose it is the most
>eclectic album I�ve made.
>
>
>�I wanted to do something different. I didn�t want to
>make As Is Now part two.
>
>
>
>Return ... 9th solo album
>
>�A few people have said it covers my career. It wasn�t
>intentional. Whether it happened on a subconscious
>level, I don�t know.
>
>
>�It just came out of the desire to move on without
>being too stylised or false.
>
>
>�There was an air of: F**k it, just go for it. Really
>push the boat out and don�t worry if people think
>you�ve gone mad.
>
>
>�Because I was working with new people � there were
>four of us producing � it wasn�t all on my shoulders.
>Everyone put in ideas and brought different things to
>the table.
>
>
>�It�s me and (Ocean Colour Scene guitarist) Steve
>Cradock playing most of it with a few guests, then
>Simon Dine from Noonday Underground and also Charles
>Rees, our engineer down at the studio. It was just
>everyone pitching ideas.
>
>
>�And I can remember getting to the end of the record
>and us all having a playback and everyone in the room
>loving it. Then we thought, �we�ve still got to go and
>play this to people and that will be the moment of
>truth�.�
>
>
>Weller says 22 Dreams doesn�t have any real meaning
>behind it but just fitted the record.
>
>Poetic
>�I thought 22 Dreams sounded like a poetic title. It�s
>a little journey � I don�t want to get too poncey
>about it � but it took us a whole year to make the
>record, so we saw the whole cycle of a year. There are
>elements of the seasons, the elements, thunderstorms,
>and bird sounds. That kind of stuff.�
>
>
>Talking about the album, he is visibly proud of his
>latest work � and the writer�s block that dogged him a
>few years back has gone.
>
>
>�I�ve lived long enough to know that the creative
>process comes and goes. Sometimes it flows and
>sometimes it doesn�t and you�ve just got to wait for
>it to happen again.�
>
>
>As if to mark a new chapter musically, Weller has a
>new band line-up with guitarist Steve Cradock, his
>long-time accomplice, the only remaining member.
>
>
>Weller explains: �(Drummer) Steve White didn�t fancy
>doing it. Not for any animosity or bad feeling, I just
>think he�s enjoying having a bit of time off, which is
>fair enough because we�ve played together for 17 years
>or something mad like that.
>
>
>�In a way it was good because it forced the issue to
>get a new band � Steve Pilgrim from Liverpool band The
>Stands plays the drums. Andy Lewis who I did a track
>with for record label Acid Jazz last year is playing
>bass for us now. Then there�s Andy Crofts, who was in
>The On Offs, playing keyboards.
>
>
>�And it�s been really good � for me, Steve Cradock and
>for the music. The music is fresh again and we�re
>enthusiastic about it.�
>
>
>Echoes Round The Sun is Weller�s first track written
>with Noel Gallagher � something fans have been waiting
>for since they performed Talk Tonight on TV show The
>White Room in 1995 and covered The Beatles� Come
>Together as The Smokin� Mojo Filters in the same year.
>�It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. We had got to
>the end of the record and I was saying to everyone
>that I needed one more rocking tune for the balance. I
>just spoke to Noel and said �Do you fancy writing for
>the album?�
>
>
>Advertisement
>
>�He sent me a very rough idea of the drums on Echoes
>and I did a little bit of work on it. Then we sent it
>back and forwards and then he and Gem (Archer) came
>down for an afternoon. We had the backing track done
>in about half an hour.�
>
>
>Surprisingly, Weller admits he could never start
>writing a song from scratch with his great friend, as
>both would feel uncomfortable.
>
>
>�It wouldn�t work for me and him sitting in a room
>with two acoustic guitars. I�d be too self-conscious.
>I�m not the sort of person who can do that. And I
>think he�s the same.
>
>
>�Although we�ve got a lot of common ground � we�ve
>both come from working-class backgrounds and both like
>The Beatles and The Sixties, there are loads of things
>about us which are totally different as well. It�s
>just mutual respect really.�
>
>
>Weller also enlisted ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon
>for cameo duties on track Black River and one-time
>Stone Roses guitarist Aziz Ibrahim on God, a
>spoken-word track that suggests The Modfather has
>found religion.
>
>
>�I�ve had the poem for ages. I�ve not been able to use
>it even though I liked the sentiment in it. Then Steve
>Cradock was saying we really needed a poem on this
>album. Aziz just came down on a social visit and we
>got him to do it. It�s an interesting one because he�s
>a very devout Muslim man � it�s an interesting twist.
>
>Deep
>�I don�t know about finding God. God finds you, I
>think. I don�t have any belief in any organised
>religion. I find that all very divisive.
>
>
>�I wouldn�t knock any organised religion. If it gives
>people faith and strength it�s a good thing. But if it
>divides people it�s the antithesis of what it�s
>supposed to be about.�
>
>
>And if God is the biggest surprise on 22 Dreams, then
>111 is Weller�s most experimental.
>
>
>�Some tracks on this album are like springboards into
>the future for me. I I don�t know if I�d want to do a
>whole album of it but I�d like to enlarge on some of
>that stuff more.
>
>
>�I love the last four tracks on the album. There�s
>something spiritual about it, and really deep.�
>
>
>A poignant moment on the album is Why Walk When You
>Can Run, which was inspired by the youngest of
>Weller�s five kids, Mac.
>
>
>�I wrote that watching my three-year-old son last
>summer in Spain. That fearlessness they have when
>they�re that age, watching him just run into the sea.
>I saw it as a metaphor for how to live life. Don�t let
>people hold you back. Go for it.
>
>
>�My kids are by far my biggest inspiration today. Kids
>keep you young as you have to be optimistic and
>positive for them. You can�t sit around complaining,
>criticising and being cynical.
>
>
>�From a 20-year-old son to a three-year-old with all
>the slots in between, it�s brilliant, even though
>they�re knackering.
>
>
>�I still have my angry moments but I�m quite happy to
>change and adapt, as this album shows. I can still be
>fiery in my music when I want to or need to be.
>
>
>�My music still has and always will have that passion.�

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