Happy Birthday To The Modfather

On this glorious day, May 25, 1958, the world was graced with the birth of musical genius Paul Weller, leader of The Jam, leader of The Style Council, solo artist extraordinaire.  Paul Weller strikes me as a bit pretentious, but I'm ok with that.  I mean, during The Style Council years, the liner notes were written by someone called The Cappuccino Kid.  Yeah, that doesn't smack of pretension.  Most singers I like seem a bit pretentious...Michael Stipe of REM, Matt Bellamy of Muse, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Arcade Fire in its entirety...they're not coming over to my house for a night of pizza and Wii, so what do I care?  I think you probably need a bit of pretentiousness in order to survive the music business.

I first became aware of Paul Weller and The Jam in early 1983.  A friend was saving every penny to go to England after graduation, marry her boyfriend and see The Jam on their farewell tour.  Yes, I learned of The Jam as they were breaking up.  (I lived in the middle of nowhere, give me a break!)  And while our young couple did get married and then get divorced, everyone's love for The Jam is enduring.  For Paul Weller and I, well, it was love at first "The Bitterest Pill".  From there I moved backward to "A Town Called Malice", "English Rose", "Absolute Beginners", "Modern World" and on and on.  However, "That's Entertainment" is my favorite The Jam song and so I share it with you.  I love his hair in this video.  And with Paul Weller, that's not something you can say very often.

Toward the end of The Jam, you can hear a new direction in their music.  Paul Weller continues this direction through the 1980s with The Style Council.  Many hardcore The Jam fans find The Style Council to be a bit dodgy, but I like them.  Stylish, jazz-tinged, romantic love songs, longing love songs, songs about the terrible economic times that Britain was going through in the eighties.  I think it is safe to say that he has been marked off  Margaret Thatcher's Christmas card list.  When he sings "may I slash my wrists tonight", the brutal word picture is a jarring counter to the lilting melody and it is just damn beautiful.  I have favorite The Style Council songs as well, "It Didn't Matter", "Waiting", "You're The Best Thing", "Long Hot Summer" and "Wanted".  I think their best album is Our Favourite Shop, released in America as Internationalists.  You have to buy the import now, so just look for the first title.  As The Style Council went on, Paul's hair got more and more blond.  It was a little weird at first, but then he started dressing in all white, like the coolest Good Humor man on the planet, and it just seemed to fit. 

On to Paul Weller, the solo years.  Let's face it, you don't care about Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler from The Jam, nor do you care about Mick Talbot and Steve White from The Style Council.  You want to see and hear Paul Weller, and since he's now solo, you can admit it without shame.  He is friends with and collaborates with Neil Gallagher.  (Oops, I forgot to add the Gallagher brothers on my pretentious list.  Sorry guys!)  He has influenced Blur, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and who knows who else.  And he has done an album of cover songs, because Paul Weller does not care what you think!  He knows how cool he is!  And what a glorious album of cover songs it is.  Below is his cover of Sister Sledge's "Thinking of You".  Yes! Sister Sledge of "We Are Family" fame!  Who would have made that connection! I sure as hell do not remember this song.  This is a wonderful live version, although I have to admit the flute kinda bugs me.

Well, we have now come to the end of our homage to Paul Weller, brilliant, beautiful musician.  As an added treat, I will give you one more song, "A Town Called Malice".   Happy Birthday to The Modfather, long may he reign. 

(I'll add the songs back in later.)