![]() Long Hot Summers will be available from UMC October 30 - the same day a new documentary about The Style Council, featuring interviews with Weller, Talbot, White and Lee, will premiere on Sky Arts in England. The latter's mixed critical reception was followed by the experimental Confessions Of a Pop Group (1988) the following year's Modernism: A New Decade was rejected by Polydor Records, after which Weller called the group off for a solo career. Top 40 hit), 1985's chart-topping Our Favorite Shop and 1987's The Cost Of Loving. The group earned three straight gold records in England with 1984's Café Bleu (released in America as My Ever Changing Moods - the title track of which became a U.S. (Along with Billy Bragg and Jimmy Somerville, Weller was active in Red Wedge, a collective of Labour-sympathetic musicians working to drum up support against England's prime minister Margaret Thatcher.) But Weller's signature songwriting was still at the helm - as well as a growing political bent. Lee, Weller's work in The Style Council largely eschewed the punk leanings of The Jam for more overt New Wave, slick soul and sophisti-pop influences. Working with Dexys Midnight Runners keyboardist Mick Talbot, drummer Steve White and vocalist Dee C. Long Hot Summers: The Story of The Style Council provides an extensive overview of Weller's work through the '80s after the dissolution of The Jam.The 37-track collection, available across 2 CDs or 3 LPs, includes a healthy mix of the group's biggest singles, album cuts, B-sides and two unreleased tracks: an extended version of 1984's "Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse" and a string-laden demo of the band's biggest worldwide hit, "My Ever Changing Moods." But you'd be missing out if you were to ignore it.Ahead of a forthcoming documentary on the second famed band of Paul Weller's career, the revered British rocker has co-compiled a new collection devoted to The Style Council. Rounding out the album are the lurvely, romantic "Walking the night", and the so-called 'hidden track' (it wasn't listed on the UK LP) "A woman's song", a stinging piece based on a children's lullaby.Ĭould this have been a better album? Sure. Additionally, "Fairy tales" (politics aside, a party tune) was mixed by the great Curtis Mayfield. Not only do these two songs come the closest to achieving the soulful sound TSC appeared to be striving for, but they're also the most passionate songs on the album - not to mention the most political. The real highlights of the album, in my view, are "Heavens above" and "Fairy tales". "It didn't matter" was the biggest hit from the album though slightly droney, its passion carries it through. ![]() However, the title track suffers from a needlessly clunky arrangement (a much-improved, re-recorded version was released later that year as the b-side of "Wanted"), "Angel" is a bit lackluster sounding, and "Waiting" was Weller's first single in many years to miss the UK top 40. Only the group's decision to bring in different people (among them Curtis Mayfield) to mix each song was in keeping with this tradition.Īs far as the songs go, the only serious misstep is "Right to go", ruined by some embarrassing (and dated) "rappin" by The Dynamic Three. It was also the first Style Council album to boast a proper band lineup, whereas the group had previously been Paul Weller and Mick Talbot with an ever-shifting cast of Honorary Councillors. The overall sound of the album seemed to reflect this, lacking the spirit of its predecessors. Unlike the previous TSC albums (including the US mini-LP compilation, Introducing The Style Council), which had come out in either spring or summer, The Cost of Loving came out smack in the middle of winter. ![]() The first problem with the album was the timing of its release. However, many folks feel the need to dismiss the album altogether this is too bad, because, though the album is decidely flawed, there really are some fine songs to be found here. You'd be missing out if you were to ignore it.Ĭompared to the rest of the group's catalog, this is a fair assessment. ![]()
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