Paul weller wild woods4/29/2023 Perhaps the only less successful track is Weller’s take on The Small Faces' "I’m Only Dreaming", but we see a gospel influence on the previously unreleased "Oh Happy Day" and even a fantastic demo version of Neil Young’s agit-pop, "Ohio". The CD also includes no less than 28 bonus tracks, demos, b-sides, mixes, alternative versions, BBC tracks and unreleased songs from the period which stand-up and would be sought after by any self respecting songwriter today. Whether singing about how life gets you down ("Wild Wood") or broken relationships, ("All The Pictures On The Wall"), there’s always counterbalancing hope as in the acoustic folk soul of "Country" ('I know a place not far from here/ Where life’s sweet perfume fills the air/ And if you want I’ll take you there'). Layered with organ, piano, flute and Moog synthesizer there is always space in the songs, interspersed by instrumentals. They even left in a lot of the mistakes during recording, which makes this a one-off, built on the foundations of Weller’s acoustic guitar and huskily soulful timbre. The whole project, personally overseen by Weller and producer Brendan Lynch, has a real live quality to it. Wild Wood was Weller making a record for himself and no-one else sounding like an album that could have been made in the 70s. This deluxe, digitally-remastered collector’s edition from the original master tapes, features the classic hit singles "Wild Wood", "Sunflower", "Hung Up" and "The Weaver", which allude to a plethora of classic influences, where songwriting really is an art in the vein of the pastoral folk/pop heroes such as Nick Drake, Van Morrison and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Following the double whammies of The Jam and the Style Council, Weller truly established himself with his second solo outing, Wild Wood. Original LP 4-1/2 stars, with bonuses 5 stars.Paul Weller AKA the Modfather has delivered a library's worth of quality music, style and sharp haircuts in his 30-year career that has made him somewhat of a national institution. The extras enrich an already rich LP, giving the best look yet at the beginnings of Weller's third phase. A pair of demos for "Sunflower," for example, shows the path from folky original to drum-heavy final. Highlights include Portishead's modernization of the title track, B-sides from the album's singles (including "The Loved," "Ends of the Earth" and the original "Magic Bus"), and covers of The Small Faces' "I'm Only Dreaming," Edwin Hawkins' "Oh Happy Day," and Neil Young's "Ohio." Also included are demos of album tracks that demonstrate how songs evolved to final form. Yep Roc's 2008 expanded two-disc reissue augments the album's fifteen original tracks with remixes, B-sides, live versions, covers and previously unreleased tracks, all of which help illuminate the album's musical background. The adolescent unrest of his youth fueled the Jam, the know-it-all-comfort of his 20s spawned Style Council, and the uncertainty of his 30s led here. Weller wonders aloud "Has My Fire Really Gone Out," and answers his own question 'no' with a superb pop-psych jam to close the song. WILD WOOD Paul Weller Capo 2nd fret Easy way to play this classic song, Im not sure if the endings right tho. The album's lyrics find Weller in the transition of his mid-30s, lamenting lost relationships and moving on, seeking guidance and questioning the future, offering reconciliation and recovery, and navigating introspective ennui. The opening "Sunflower" is a good example of the album's alchemy, combining memorable electric guitar playing, rumbling bass and drums, impassioned vocald and soulful harmonies, wrapped with little production touches (processed vocal doubles, phase shifts and passing keyboard accents) that add a modern edge to the more rustic '70s vibe. The combination of gutsy guitar, commanding vocals and polished production combine the energy of The Jam with Weller's soul influences without devolving into retro imitation of either. Weller's love of soul emotion is still to be heard, but couched in jazzier changes that brought to mind UK greats like Traffic and Humble Pie. His eponymous re-debut turned out to be only a warm-up for the following year's "Wild Wood," an album whose earthy title portends its organic sound. Stripping away the synthesized layers, Weller looked back to earlier eras of rock and soul, blending echoes of Motown and Stax with the heavier sounds of 1970s UK rock. Jam fans that didn't follow Weller to the ersatz modern soul and balladry of his follow-on project, The Style Council, found his re-emergence as a rock-based solo artist in 1992 more to their liking. Weller's second great peak, grandly expanded to two CDs
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