PEOM. Paul
Weller.
Over the last 13 years Paul
Weller has been as a contemporary artist. Once nicknamed by the
music press as “the spokesman of a generation” due to
his concern and interest for young peoples’ welfare. Weller
was founder member, lead singer and main songwriter of The Jam.
One of Britain’s major bands, their songs were full of gutsy
lyrics, backed up with a defined rhythmical guitar sound, riff style
bass –lines and powerful drums.
They sang about England, the class struggle,
nuclear war, egoists love affairs, racism and unity. These topics
have to be sung with caution. If they are not handled with care,
they come across as very corny. However Paul Weller sang the songs
with a pure honest sound (an English soul voice) backed with the
Jam’s stylistic approach to the music world, clothes, attitude
and outlook. They not only became a band but a phenomenon across
the UK. A YOOF EXPLOSION! The Jam gave an intelligent argument.
Young people were not just listening to lyrics
of pointless love affairs or how wonderful they were, but instead
they showed an understanding of the world. Their gigs were in my
personal opinion religious – like ceremonies. They gave their
fans a personal feeling of achievement. When The Jam reached No.1
(which they did four times) it gave a Jam fan a feeling of pride,
a kick in the guts to the sloppy music world. I remember when “A
Town called Malice” reached No.1 , I walked to school with
my head in the air , thinking this means more to me than a good
report.
A feeling of unity was felt amongst The Jam Fans, a feeling of optimism.
We had a desire to question our surroundings, a taste of style ,
my first lesson in real modernism. Then at their peak –“The
Beat Surrender”- THE END, all over in the UK.
Tears rolled down the fan’s faces but there was an understanding
that their career would come to an end, leaving a mark in the UK’s
history, as one of the best bands ever.
That was in 1982, and shortly after, Paul
Weller emerged again, teaming up with Mick Talbot to form The Style
Council. It was break away from a rock’n roll/ new wave line
up and a move into a more soulful, jazz, funk, rhythm and blues.
The lyrics were still strong as ever. Again causing a reaction throughout
the music world. Paul Weller’s feelings are positive on the
success of both bands.
“The Jam were a good band however I
feel that the Style Council were better. A lot of people I know
will disagree with me. Some things we did with The Style Council
were misinterpreted or over their heads”
Paul Weller’s success lay on a number
of factors. His musical abilities (such as his unique guitar playing)
His conscientious lyrics, youthful looks, honesty, outspokenness
towards issues which a majority of people would reserve their opinon
and his separation from the rest of the musical world.
Due to circumstances involving the rejection of the Style Council
album , they spilt. Their last ever appearance was July 1989 at
The Royal Hall, which caused a mixed reaction amongst fans and musical
press alike. It was a concert that was a breakaway from the norm.
an adventurous dance project, instead the fans wanted to hear “
Walls Come Tumbling Down”
Over the last 18 months no one has seen or heard Paul Weller’s
actions. He has not done an interview for two years.
His one time aggressive teenage fans, who are now in their 20’s
felt that something was missing. When PEOM tracked him down, the
man confessed all.
“I’ve left Polydor and my publishing
deal. Polydor dropped our last album, which was called “A
New Decade of Modernisms”. They have always been out of date
and they felt it was too housey. Maybe it was a good thing it was
dropped. But I feel they don’t understand. Their dance label
“Urban” is just a token gesture”
Paul Weller feels bitter with the last remaining
years of the Style Council.
“The Style Council should have ended
2- 3years ago, it was dragged on. I don’t know whether it
was laziness, maybe I fell into a routine. The fire was missing.
A good band should make a record because it wants to, not because
it has to. I was pleased with the last released LP “Confessions
of A Pop Group” however there seems to be a little magic missing
on side 2.”
So with the Style Council dead and buried.
Weller seems to me to have stopped, looked in the mirror and begun
a fresh start.
“I’d like to think that I’ve
changed for the better. Recently I’ve been playing on my strengths.
I have realised that I am a good songwriter. There have been times
in the past, when I didn’t like my voice. Recently I’ve
felt very proud of it. I’m also proud of my guitar playing-
not a formula but a natural style. I’m a musician , it’s
in my blood. Growing older had made me see my faults, that is the
beauty of age, you become mellow and wiser. Since my departure from
Polydor, I’ve been time to breath. I’m not stuck in
my compound.”
Paul Weller has always been known for an interest
in other projects, such as producing. My personal feelings are that
he might become more involved in the background work.
“I’ve co-produced the Style Council’s
stuff but when I work with other people. I always feel I could do
it better. Maybe I am too moody, too quick tempered. I have no interest
in working on re-mixing projects. My next move is to bring out an
album and a few dates towards the end of the year, under my name”
I was surprised to hear that Paul Weller was pursing a solo career.
“I have always been a keen fan of band
names, but I see this a reflection of myself, a new light.
(He said with a childlike smile)
Paul Weller has always been known for his
interest and understanding towards youth/music movements. His feelings
towards the current scene are mixed.
“Well, it is obvious that something
like this was going to happen. A natural cycle. I always thought
it was strange everyone was taking acid and E in 1988, but it occurred
because people got fed up with a scene created for them, not by
them.”
During this conversation, I asked if he thought
there was a revival of new mods (not 1979)
“Possibly” he answered, “There
may be aspects of mod spirit, but the late 80’s and early
90’s have a different environment. In the 60’s there
was economical pressure”
“People are not afraid of change. Today, people seem to be
beaten into submission. The circumstances of the 60’s were
not golden. People still stuck in their council houses, still trying
to make two ends meet. The drug taking is similar, but more on the
negative side. In the 60’s you had hippies falling about on
the floor on acid whilst for some people it opened doors. In the
60’s it was more of a movement. The student placing flowers
in the gun – barrel”
“I’m not too much in favour of drugs. I’ve lost
some very good friends due to drug taking such as Dave Waller. In
the old times, when I took drugs I felt like a Catholic whipping
myself. I was too intense, too serious. I am more relaxed and more
open minded these days. Society is to blame; the pressure placed
on people leads them to take drugs as a form of escapism”
“The drug aspect is a small percentage
of what is going on. On the more positive side, the rise of exciting
DJ’s, new clubs, fanzines, new bands, the remixing of records.
Sadly, other creative projects such as actors, playwrights, illustrators
have been unable to make a mark in this scene”
Paul Weller has studied the development of
bands, the music press, DJ’s and clubs.
“I’ve heard a couple of the Stone
Roses tracks. I thought they were good but I am going to be biased
because they look like Mods. I feel bands like The Stone Roses,
the Happy Mondays are just a reflection of what is. In the next
six months there may be a new generation of bands, but they are
yet to come”
Maybe it is like the punk movement
“I hope not. Punk was a load of crap.”
(Weller ripping up the fanzine “Sniffin Glue” and shouting
this is your bible and the little scrap with Sid Vicious)
“A lot of these bands have seemed to
be a student buff band who gone out and bought their spiritual acidtop.
A classical case of jumping on the bandwagon. Punk was a white movement
and so has this called Indie dance. The white rock press, who hated
the club scene 2-3 years ago, now write it about. Now it’s
their biggest selling point.”
“Answer me this?” he says, pointing
his finger at me in an aggressive manner. “The club scene
is dying for a band. The music comes from black roots but why are
the bands white with a Euro-white audience?”
“The club scene is good but personally
speaking, I am more into the jazz scene. I feel it has more expression.
I like high on Hope, Norman Jay, Giles Peterson. The club DJ’s
such as Terry Farley, Andrew Weatherall I haven’t heard them
yet. I went down to Shoom once expecting to see young people on
acid, listening to “Kraft work” but I instead I enjoyed
the club. I’ve heard Danny Ramplng on Kiss FN but only bits
and pieces so I will reserve my opinion. Something that is talked
about is the influx to me. Rap is one of the musical banners which
contains worthwhile lyrics”
At this point in the discussion, a heated
debate started up, when I stressed to him that I thought Rap contained
a lot of racist and sexist lyrics.
“Not true, from the new school of RAP
such as Del La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, their lyrics are positive
optimisms”
“Now the charts are dominated by dance music, but I feel this
is a token gesture. Occasionally a racial song may filter through
the net, but the charst are the lowest common denominator. There
is a growth in the independent labels but in time the major will
swallow them. They wish to have a monopoly on the record buying
public”
Weller raised the point that the charts were
the lowest common denominator. Didn’t he feel that the charts
have given him recognition as a songwriter?
“Before “Going Underground went
to No.1, I had recognition as a song writer. To me and The Jam it
was a commercial success”
Paul Weller and his 2 bands have never been
great lovers of the lime-light and his relationship with the media
ended some 2 years ago.
“I feel I have nothing to say to them
anymore. The NME is purely a comic. I won’t fit into them
and they won’t fit into me. I don’t know what I have
in common with you (Meaning PEOM) but the girls in “Sign of
The Times” persuaded me to do it. But your fanzine is a point
of view from someone within the scene, not the outside.
I would like to do something like Red Wedge again, but not for the
Labour Party. I became disheartened with it all. I still have the
same views, but how do you go about it?”
A few years back, Paul Weller started Riot-Stories(a
publishing company) is there a likelihood of other projects?
“I went a few publishing companies for
a book called “The Soul Stylists”. It was going to be
a chronicle history of counter-culture stemming from black music.
From Mods to today. But the publishing companies didn’t think
there was a market for it. But it would appeal to a widespread readership
from first generation mods, 70’s skinheads and today’s
18 year olds. But is this not a long cause. It is still in the pipeline.
I feel intelligent enough to put my mind to other projects although
I am rather lazy in that respect. I haven’t read a book in
about 5 years!”
So after an in depth chat with Paul
Weller, he seems as strong as ever. Excited about his new projects
and an objective of moving forward and not clinging to his past.
Not moaning or becoming a beer-gut musician singing “In The
City” at 50. I will leave him with the final words.
“We must learn to live together, with
the Gulf War crisis. People are aware of this factor, but we forget
that 20 years ago we were supplying them. Peace is not a hippy liberalist
view, but a point of survival”.
Matteo
Sedazzari
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