Track Listing

1. If I Could Only Be Sure
2. Wishing On A Star
3. Don't Make Promises
4. The Bottle
5. Black Is The Colour
6. Close To You
7. Early Morning Rain
8. Thinking Of You
9. One Way Road
10. Hercules
11. All Along The Watchtower
12. Birds

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26554 in Music
• Released on: 2004-09-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
After the Jam's Motown covers, the Style Council's appropriation of smooth 70s funk, and solo forays into white soul, what of Studio 150, an album of nothing but covers? It's certainly a brave move, and a mostly successful one, thanks to the eclectic, thoughtful selections and the Weller trademark sound. That's not to say it's just his usual rock style- "The Bottle" is Weller at his funkiest, and "Don't Make Promises" has some commendable Band-esque looseness to it. However Weller succeeds most when he put a twist on household classics with new, mostly enjoyable arrangements. "Wishing On A Star" is twisted into downbeat nightclub rasp, while Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" becomes a keyboard-heavy jam with arresting gospel vocalists. Similarly, the less known songs may well inspire his fans to check out the originals and win himself some new ones along the way- Neil Young's "Birds" is sympathetic to the original- Weller's gruff voice standing in contrast to Young's high tenor of the original. Add to this the general usual excellent musicianship (albeit slightly less guitar that you'd expect) and Weller's always-passionate voice, and you have an album that should appeal to fans of Weller and the original legends alike. Thom Allott

CD Description
The follow up to 2002's experimental 'Illuminations' album sees the former Jam and Style Council frontman pay homage tohis musical heroes via a covers album. Recorded in Amsterdam's Studio 150, the "Modfather"'s choice of covers is quite eclectic, ranging from disco-funk such as Sister Sledge, through to classic folk-rock (Bob Dylan and Neil Young) and more unknown northern soul tracks (Nolan Porter).

Customer Reviews

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, more Muzak than Music???
As a Paul Weller fanatic, I'm still not convinced by this release. It's listenable, yes, but it is like an album of B-sides from singles perhaps and maybe a more suitable follow-on from the "Button-Downs" Disc on the 'Fly On The Wall' compilation. Weller has stated that this is something he wanted to do for a long time, and his new lable (V2) have given him all the freedom to do it. Maybe just a bit too much freedom perhaps. Sure, the songs are good, but re-working classics is never going to be a sure fire hit for someone who as written hundreds of classic songs in a career over 25 years old, especially from his solo years. He said that he didn't want to do songs from the likes of Small Faces, Kinks, The Who, The Beatles etc because he didn't feel he could add any more too them, but maybe he should've included a couple as that is what a lot of fans would love to hear - for example in the past he's played 'Tin Soldier' by the Small Faces on live sets, 'Magic Bus' by The Who is almost routine now as an ending to 'Bull-Rush'. Not that these songs should be covered for an LP, but we'd love to hear his voice covering those legends we hold him in the same regards as (Steve Marriot, Roger Daltrey, John Lennon). This is where V2 should have maybe showed more control and asked him to add a few more popular classics on there, in space of a very feeble version of the Bacharach and David penned song for the Carpenters, 'Close To You', and 'All Along The Watchtower' is always going to remembered as a Dylan or Hendrix track, this version doesn't compete on their levels.

The higlight for me was the opening track, 'If Only I Could Be So Sure', and 'Wishing On A Star' is good, covered almost along the same thematic lines as 'Broken Stones' on the Stanley Road album.

I await the return of his high standard in song-writing, hopefully this won't be a long wait. Maybe he needs to change his line-up a bit, as this is what made albums such as Wild Wood and Stanley Road such a success - the various sessioning from established musicians.

Weller at his best
Awesome is the only way to discribe Mr Wellers latest offering. This guy has produced an eclectic selection of covers, from the lounge sounding first single wishing on a star to the funk workout of Bottle. The highlight comes from Thinking of you, and turns it into his own.

If you like Paul Weller you will enjoy this album.. I must say from some negative reviews from the likes of Q(2 star) It was totally unexpected to find this album of covers producing their own stamp on the originals and reworking a Noel Gallagher composition into a classic Weller Track.

His best album since Wild Wood

Brave, but successful move
It was Weller's performance on Jonathan Ross that got me to buy this album. I've grown up listening to Paul's music, in particular his solo stuff, but I was a little sceptical of a complete album of covers. However it's an album that does grow on you. Some of the songs that sounded strange when I first heard them (his version of Gil Scott-Heron's The Bottle for example) but after a while I really took to them, There were other songs I'd never heard before such as Birds that I really enjoyed. Weller on piano is so good, I know others prefer his guitar tracks but these slower songs do work.

I think this is an album for established fans, not those who have never heard Weller's own compliations of the past. Still, a really enjoyable gamble that I think has paid off.