Product Description

Paul Weller returns with his most hard hitting solo album to date. As Is Now finds Weller plugging in, and turning the volume up louder than he has in years. The first single "From The Floorboards Up" is out now and is 2 minutes 27 seconds of edgy, malevolent rock'n'roll. Possessing the same urgency "In The City" had 29 years ago, it shows Paul Weller rejuvenated--a livewire and firebrand ready to take on all comers on this his eighth solo album.

Track Listing

1. Blink And You'll Miss It
2. Paper Smile
3. Come On / Let's Go
4. Here's The Good News
5. The Start Of Forever
6. Pan
7. All On A Misty Morning
8. From The Floorboards Up
9. I Wanna Make It Alright
10. Savages
11. Fly Little Bird
12. Roll Along Summer
13. Bring Back The Funk (Pt 1 & 2)
14. The Pebble And The Boy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8066 in Music
• Released on: 2005-10-10
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

For what we are about to receive...
In 2005, a single called "From The Floorboards Up" came out and pairs of loafers danced. A roar of pride. In at number 7. The man had done it and reminded people what he could do. It sounded like Johnny Kidd & The Pirates. It sounded urgent. In the autumn came "Come On/Lets Go" and 2005 sounded good and alive.
"As Is Now" is not a consistent peak across its fourteen tracks. The aforementioned singles are the cream of the album. That is not, however, to say that the rest of the album is poor.
Kicking off with some stodge in "Blink And You'll Miss It" and the lumpen "Paper Smile" you could be forgiven for wandering off. However track 3 comes good with "Come On..."
"Here's The Good News" is charming enough. "Savages" is a belter. "Roll Along Summer" could be "Cafe Bleu" and I mean that in a good way. "The Pebble And The Boy" is a classy piano-led closer that works very well. "The Start Of Forever" doesn't seem to lift much which is a shame as it's not without charm. "Bring Back The Funk Y'All" - yes now the band can play. But they're not The JB's. Nor are they Cymande. But at least they're playing about like this and not stuck in the stodge-rock vein. "All On A Misty Morning" is ok but an image of Weller's loins is one I can live without.
"Pan" on the other hand is quite simply bizarre and sounds like it comes out of failed musical written by Mike Read. Quasi-mysticism and an overwrought tune. No thanks.

Aside from the two lead-off singles there are no tracks here that stand-up with the man's best.
Not a bad album but not the testament of quality that Paul Weller's still capable of.
3/5 for the album. 5/5 for each of the 2 lead off singles.

As he ever shall be
Yes, this is a strong album alright, but not perfect. There are one or two songs which are a little strained and 'Here's The Good News' is the kind of hony-tonk tune (replete with trombone) which Leo Sayer or Elton John might have performed on a Saturday night variety show in the '70s, although Paul pulls it off rather better than either of those two would have.

But there's some really good material too. Strongest is the single, 'From The Floorboards Up', which is typical, driving Weller. If it were more consistent, it would be a five-star album, and the whole thing might grow on me yet. Mind you, I'm definitely getting off the Weller bandwagon if he moves from honky tonk to barbershop...

Weller's best since Stanley Road
A real barnstorming album this one. Three great rocking tracks stand out 'Blink and you'll miss it'- my personal favourite, 'From the floorboards up' and 'Come on - let's go'. This has been played over and over in my car CD since it came out. Together with the just released live album 'catch-flame' must represent the best quality two CD releases by anyone