PAUL WELLER
Weller At The BBC Vol.2 (Parlophone)
Picking up where Weller At The BBC left off, with its 1990-2008 compilation of Beeb performances, this three-disc second volume exhaustively covers 2008-2024. This time, the Modfather has opted for an out-of-chronology approach which varies the live/studio performances and instrumentation nicely: there’s a big difference between the more intimate Sofa Sessions, compared with the Radio 2 In Concert orchestral performances.
So it’s a surprise that the whole thing doesn’t really hang together. Paul Weller has produced consistently strong albums over the past two decades, from 22 Dreams to On Sunset. But what this compilation shows is that as good as he is at crafting new original collections, the songs, individually, just don’t stand up against his earlier material.
Luckily, there’s some Broken Stones and Shout To The Top to lift the level, and Weller’s roadworn voice on the quieter numbers is very moving. But this is a long 48 tracks for anyone to wade through, and with only occasional moments of magic to reward the effort.
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES
