Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2012 18:37:12 GMT
What are peoples thoughts on this band?
When I was younger seeing the video of Weller rubbing another bloke up and down & pictures of him with bleached blond hair & a pearl necklace really did horrify me. Not to mention stuff like Long Hot Summer which to me was just the same as listening to Wham or Spandau Ballet. I can't imagine what it must of been like to of been 17/18 and a die hard Jam fan & then Weller breaks up what was the most popular band in the UK at the time & to change direction completely.
Imagine Noel splitting up Oasis after Morning Glory to make a Reggae album. Or Chris Martin leaving coldplay to get into dubstep. It's crazy when you think about it.
As time went on I started to like a handful of their singles that you'd hear on the radio with Walls Come Tumbling Down being the song that really grabbed me. Over the past 3/4 years I've dipped in & out of their albums but never sat down with them long enough to form a full opinion.
Over the past few days I've listened to nothing but Style Council records. My thoughts regarding them as a whole is a complete mixed bag. I have to give it to Weller that even when he got things horribly wrong (& there is plenty of examples of this) he still managed to do it with a sense of conviction.
I don't rate any of their LP's THAT highly. The debut E.P. Introducing The Style Council & the debut Café Bleu I'd say are good records but problematic. Listening to Café Bleu I have to admire Weller's ambition, there is not a stone unturned on that with literally a new genre explored with each song. It doesn't make for a cohesive record but there are some great moments spread throughout.
Their next album Our Favourite Shop has some really great moments but just as many moments where the ambition & quirky ideas have gone a step too far. I think the debut manages to avoid this but there are a few moments where you step back &
on Favourite shop. Overall a decent record.
After that for me personally the Style Council are not worth bothering with. The Cost of Loving somehow feels more cohesive than their first two albums but simply doesn't have any songs that can match the high points. There is also plenty of cringe worthy moments.
Somehow Their last album Confessions of a Pop Group sounds like Weller had a real focus of how he wanted the Style Council to sound & it does feel a complete piece. However, Lounge music with a bunch of poor funk thrown in is not something I'm fond of & I can see how the fanbase of dwindling Jam fans & even Style Council fans would of had their patience more than put to the test by now.
Then there is Modernism: A New Decade, the Deep-House album that was rejected by their record company and as far as I know not released until the tracks came available on The Complete Adventures Box Set. House music is something I think you had to of been about at the time to get. I've heard bits and pieces & it's never done much for me. What I will say is Modernism doesn't feel any better or worse than any House I've heard but maybe I've just not heard the right stuff, though some of the vocals seem needless with god awful cheesey lyrics. Once again I get the feeling Weller was 100% intro this at the time, it wasn't a case of trying to go with popular trends which I'd imagine would of been peoples reaction had it come out.
However there some really fantastic Non-album singles & some even better B-sides that I've come across due to that showcase more of Weller's traditional songwriting style which are absolute gems that really do deserve to be heard.
What are your thoughts on the Style Council? I know the dutch mafia dig.
Overall I still find this era of Weller fascinating & despite me despising a huge chunk of their output there are more than enough gems to make them worthwhile.
I've knocked up a cracking best of which I'll PM a link for if anybody wants it. It's mostly made up of Singles, B-sides & the best bits of the first two albums. I think for anybody who can't be bothered with the albums it'd be ideal.
01: Shout To The Top
02: Here's One That Got Away
03: Headstart For Happiness
04: It Just Came To Pieces In My Hands
05: Mick's Company
06: Ghosts Of Dachau
07: Walls Come Tumbling Down
08: Down in the Seine
09: Council Meetin'
10: A Solid Bond In Your Heart
11: Francoise
12: Have You Ever Had It Blue (Uncut Version)
13: Speak Like A Child
14: My Ever Changing Moods
15: Blood Sports
16: All Gone Away
17: You're the Best Thing
When I was younger seeing the video of Weller rubbing another bloke up and down & pictures of him with bleached blond hair & a pearl necklace really did horrify me. Not to mention stuff like Long Hot Summer which to me was just the same as listening to Wham or Spandau Ballet. I can't imagine what it must of been like to of been 17/18 and a die hard Jam fan & then Weller breaks up what was the most popular band in the UK at the time & to change direction completely.
Imagine Noel splitting up Oasis after Morning Glory to make a Reggae album. Or Chris Martin leaving coldplay to get into dubstep. It's crazy when you think about it.
As time went on I started to like a handful of their singles that you'd hear on the radio with Walls Come Tumbling Down being the song that really grabbed me. Over the past 3/4 years I've dipped in & out of their albums but never sat down with them long enough to form a full opinion.
Over the past few days I've listened to nothing but Style Council records. My thoughts regarding them as a whole is a complete mixed bag. I have to give it to Weller that even when he got things horribly wrong (& there is plenty of examples of this) he still managed to do it with a sense of conviction.
I don't rate any of their LP's THAT highly. The debut E.P. Introducing The Style Council & the debut Café Bleu I'd say are good records but problematic. Listening to Café Bleu I have to admire Weller's ambition, there is not a stone unturned on that with literally a new genre explored with each song. It doesn't make for a cohesive record but there are some great moments spread throughout.
Their next album Our Favourite Shop has some really great moments but just as many moments where the ambition & quirky ideas have gone a step too far. I think the debut manages to avoid this but there are a few moments where you step back &
on Favourite shop. Overall a decent record.After that for me personally the Style Council are not worth bothering with. The Cost of Loving somehow feels more cohesive than their first two albums but simply doesn't have any songs that can match the high points. There is also plenty of cringe worthy moments.
Somehow Their last album Confessions of a Pop Group sounds like Weller had a real focus of how he wanted the Style Council to sound & it does feel a complete piece. However, Lounge music with a bunch of poor funk thrown in is not something I'm fond of & I can see how the fanbase of dwindling Jam fans & even Style Council fans would of had their patience more than put to the test by now.
Then there is Modernism: A New Decade, the Deep-House album that was rejected by their record company and as far as I know not released until the tracks came available on The Complete Adventures Box Set. House music is something I think you had to of been about at the time to get. I've heard bits and pieces & it's never done much for me. What I will say is Modernism doesn't feel any better or worse than any House I've heard but maybe I've just not heard the right stuff, though some of the vocals seem needless with god awful cheesey lyrics. Once again I get the feeling Weller was 100% intro this at the time, it wasn't a case of trying to go with popular trends which I'd imagine would of been peoples reaction had it come out.
However there some really fantastic Non-album singles & some even better B-sides that I've come across due to that showcase more of Weller's traditional songwriting style which are absolute gems that really do deserve to be heard.
What are your thoughts on the Style Council? I know the dutch mafia dig.
Overall I still find this era of Weller fascinating & despite me despising a huge chunk of their output there are more than enough gems to make them worthwhile.
I've knocked up a cracking best of which I'll PM a link for if anybody wants it. It's mostly made up of Singles, B-sides & the best bits of the first two albums. I think for anybody who can't be bothered with the albums it'd be ideal.
01: Shout To The Top
02: Here's One That Got Away
03: Headstart For Happiness
04: It Just Came To Pieces In My Hands
05: Mick's Company
06: Ghosts Of Dachau
07: Walls Come Tumbling Down
08: Down in the Seine
09: Council Meetin'
10: A Solid Bond In Your Heart
11: Francoise
12: Have You Ever Had It Blue (Uncut Version)
13: Speak Like A Child
14: My Ever Changing Moods
15: Blood Sports
16: All Gone Away
17: You're the Best Thing
. In all honesty, I think the fact that everyone hates them is maybe the biggest factor to why I like them. Petty, yeah... 
