Hello New Cuers! In today’s subscribers only edition, Ted stakes a claim for Paul Weller being Britain’s most consistently great songwriter and performer. Here it is, Exhibit A: “He’s been in a competition with himself to raise the bar every 18 months or so for over forty-five years and miraculously, at 62 years-old, he’s still doing that. I am going to go out on a limb and say that no other British songwriter and performer has managed anything similar, not even Bowie or McCartney – they both had longer barren spells. Weller never stepped away for longer than the three years between the end of the Style Council in 1989 and the start of his solo career in ‘92. Other than a couple of slightly below-par solo albums a good decade or more ago, he has had his foot to the pedal throughout.”
He then went on to challenge readers to a fight about it but instead of that, what with social distancing still in place and everything, how about our first ever TNC thread? Is Weller the UK’s most consistently great songwriter? Please discuss. And bring along all the hard evidence, Spotify and Apple Music links, and anorak B-Side knowledge you can muster.
Here’s a playlist TK put together to support his case. For the past hour and 15 minutes, it’s only been available to our loyal and really, really, really amazing subscribers, but you can have a listen too now:
I'm neither an out right Jam fan and parts of the Style Council were bobbins but Weller is one of but a handful of artists whose music in later life is as valid and important as his early releases. Very few artists have ever managed to achieve this and most seem to confuse sales with importance. BIG is not always clever. So many great artists never really recovered from their creative apex. Is there a Prince album worth owning after Alphabet St? Did Kraftwerk have anything new to say after Computer World? Weller has continued to evolve and push himself where most have creatively dried up by this stage. On his current run of form I would have to whole-heartedly agree.
McCartney floats in his own space because of the sheer power of the hits when they hit and his general Beatleness, but his solo catalogue is also stuffed more cheese than a fromagerie. The thumbs aloft shit is often unbearable. And Bowie obviously had the Tin Machine-era and some unwise 90s experiments. I basically agree with Ted. I don't think Weller has as many all-time classic songs as either Bowie or McCartney but his good taste has been far more consistent, even as he's remained open to trying new things.
We just don't appreciate him enough. I can't think of another artist or group with such a sustained period of excellence over such a long time, with only minor rare dips. There are no issues with creative burn-out with this guy - he's not only constantly trying to break new ground, but is also ridiculously prolific. And in spite of this, he has still somehow held onto his audience. So on every front - consistency, quality, creativity and commercial success - the man's a marvel.
For consistent high quality over an incredible 40+ years, no-one can stand comparison. In my opinion, time has been kinder to The Style Council than anyone would have thought circa 91/92 when their name could barely be mentioned in most circles without most people (wrongly) guffawing up their sleeves. The singles were always excellent but I listened to Our Favourite Shop the other week and it is outstanding. Even Weller’s troughs (circa 2000-2005, 1990-92) had good songs in them (has anyone been as honest as Weller was on Frightened on Heliocentric for example) and the quality and difference of every album from 22 Dreams onwards is astonishing. So yeah, King Consistent he is.
Here’s a question - do we love artists who give us dizzying highs and crashing lows more than those who are consistently decent? Is Bowie more appealing for his noble failures and consequent redemptions than Weller who makes records to an evenly high standard? For this reason I personally find Paul Weller easier to admire than love.
between The Jam, The Style Council and his Solo Career no-one has managed to stay that relevant, reinvent so often and so well from that generation. If there's a room for great British songwriters/artists, he's in it. He might not be at the top table with Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Bowie etc - but he's definitely on the guest list.
I have a lot of time for Weller, I like the cut of his jib, but if the ask is for "Britain’s most consistently great songwriter and performer" then there is, undoubtedly, by any possible measure, only one answer – Robert Smith.
A 45 year career and The Cure aren't a heritage act, they're still a huge, vibrant, contemporary live and recorded music force. The consistency of quality of the songwriting is undimmed at stage in his career and the breadth is staggering – there simply is no possible human emotional state where you can't find a Cure song to match. No-one else has achieved that.
not a fan of everything he's ever done but along with Elvis Costello and Shane MacGowan completes a triumvirate of great British and Irish songwriters in my lifetime - always looking forward and breaking new ground. Fair play
I'm neither an out right Jam fan and parts of the Style Council were bobbins but Weller is one of but a handful of artists whose music in later life is as valid and important as his early releases. Very few artists have ever managed to achieve this and most seem to confuse sales with importance. BIG is not always clever. So many great artists never really recovered from their creative apex. Is there a Prince album worth owning after Alphabet St? Did Kraftwerk have anything new to say after Computer World? Weller has continued to evolve and push himself where most have creatively dried up by this stage. On his current run of form I would have to whole-heartedly agree.
McCartney floats in his own space because of the sheer power of the hits when they hit and his general Beatleness, but his solo catalogue is also stuffed more cheese than a fromagerie. The thumbs aloft shit is often unbearable. And Bowie obviously had the Tin Machine-era and some unwise 90s experiments. I basically agree with Ted. I don't think Weller has as many all-time classic songs as either Bowie or McCartney but his good taste has been far more consistent, even as he's remained open to trying new things.
We just don't appreciate him enough. I can't think of another artist or group with such a sustained period of excellence over such a long time, with only minor rare dips. There are no issues with creative burn-out with this guy - he's not only constantly trying to break new ground, but is also ridiculously prolific. And in spite of this, he has still somehow held onto his audience. So on every front - consistency, quality, creativity and commercial success - the man's a marvel.
For consistent high quality over an incredible 40+ years, no-one can stand comparison. In my opinion, time has been kinder to The Style Council than anyone would have thought circa 91/92 when their name could barely be mentioned in most circles without most people (wrongly) guffawing up their sleeves. The singles were always excellent but I listened to Our Favourite Shop the other week and it is outstanding. Even Weller’s troughs (circa 2000-2005, 1990-92) had good songs in them (has anyone been as honest as Weller was on Frightened on Heliocentric for example) and the quality and difference of every album from 22 Dreams onwards is astonishing. So yeah, King Consistent he is.
Martin Gore of Depeche Mode has been contributing great songs for the same amount of time.
Here’s a question - do we love artists who give us dizzying highs and crashing lows more than those who are consistently decent? Is Bowie more appealing for his noble failures and consequent redemptions than Weller who makes records to an evenly high standard? For this reason I personally find Paul Weller easier to admire than love.
Need to check out his solo stuff, which has mostly passed me by to be honest (not the best endorsement for greatest anything).
Apart from being inconveniently Australian, would like to nominate Nick Cave’s body of work.
between The Jam, The Style Council and his Solo Career no-one has managed to stay that relevant, reinvent so often and so well from that generation. If there's a room for great British songwriters/artists, he's in it. He might not be at the top table with Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Bowie etc - but he's definitely on the guest list.
I have a lot of time for Weller, I like the cut of his jib, but if the ask is for "Britain’s most consistently great songwriter and performer" then there is, undoubtedly, by any possible measure, only one answer – Robert Smith.
A 45 year career and The Cure aren't a heritage act, they're still a huge, vibrant, contemporary live and recorded music force. The consistency of quality of the songwriting is undimmed at stage in his career and the breadth is staggering – there simply is no possible human emotional state where you can't find a Cure song to match. No-one else has achieved that.
not a fan of everything he's ever done but along with Elvis Costello and Shane MacGowan completes a triumvirate of great British and Irish songwriters in my lifetime - always looking forward and breaking new ground. Fair play