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Paul Weller - 22 Dreams (2008)

Paul Weller - 22 Dreams (2008)

Paul Weller - 22 Dreams 2008
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22 Dreams is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Weller. It was released on June 2, 2008


Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (all music)


Of all the many things Paul Weller has done in his career, he has somehow managed to survive three decades without a double album to his credit. 22 Dreams rectifies that wrong, offering a luxurious sprawl that's proudly, staunchly classicist, just like Weller's solo career itself. Weller's embrace of rock & roll tradition might suggest that he has taken his double album as an opportunity to offer a summation of his career, to summarize where he's been and perhaps where he's going. Tempting though this may be, especially given the record's elastic, elegant eclecticism, this isn't quite a self-conscious summation, nor is it quite a risk-taking tour de force in the vein of the White Album, even though this encompasses everything from fragile folk to the resurrection of the sophisticated collegiate jazz of the Style Council. Instead, 22 Dreams has a floating romantic quality that justifies the dreams of the title, drifting from sound to sound, sometimes taking elaborate detours, sometimes stopping for a brief picturesque sideshow. In some ways, it's the flip of the piledriving As Is Now, where Weller indulged in harder inclinations, as this finds Weller exploring his softer side, often in ways he hasn't quite done before. There's still a crustiness to Weller – he'll get sensitive, but he won't get sappy – but there's an openness to 22 Dreams, in how he eases into a Curtis Mayfield homage as comfortably as he pays tribute to Alice Coltrane with Robert Wyatt in tow. Wyatt isn't the only guest here, either, as Weller expands his core band – without leaving right-hand man guitarist Steve Craddock – with cameos by Graham Coxon and Noel Gallagher (only he could unite these Brit-pop foes), the latter collaborating on a thick, hazy psychedelic "Echoes Round the Sun." This is about as dense as 22 Dreams gets, as it has a lighter touch, so graceful that it can disguise the number of styles Weller touches upon here, as he skips from electronica and pastoral jams lingering from Wild Wood to jazz and soul. Initially, this doesn't sound radical – it is recognizably of a piece with his solo work, fitting neatly alongside either Stanley Road or Illumination – but more listens reveal just how finely textured and woven this tapestry is. And although it shares superficial sonic similarities with his other records, 22 Dreams is really unlike any of Weller's other albums, as it's rich in sound and feeling, possessing a shimmering dreamy quality. It's an album to get lost in.

Tracklist:

Track listing

All tracks by P. Weller except where noted

1. "Light Nights" - 3:45
* 12 String Guitar - Steve Cradock
* Vocals - Hannah Andrews
* Violin - John McCusker
* Cello - Andy Lewis
2. "22 Dreams" - 2:48 (P. Weller/S. Dine)
* Guitar - Barrie Cadogan
* Drums - Billy Skinner
* Bass - Lewis Wharton
* Cowbell, Horns, Guitar & Siren - Simon Dine
3. "All I Wanna Do (Is Be With You)" - 4:36
* Vocals & Guitar - Steve Cradock
* Drums - Charles Rees
* Bass - Andy Lewis
4. "Have You Made Up Your Mind" - 3:15
* Drums, Guitar, Celeste & Vocal - Steve Cradock
5. "Empty Ring" - 3:03 (P. Weller/S. Dine)
* Orchestration & Percussion - Simon Dine
6. "Invisible" - 4:07
7. "Song For Alice" - 3:38 (P. Weller/S. Dine/S. Cradock)
* Guitars & Piano - Steve Cradock
* Trumpet & Piano - Robert Wyatt
* Orchestration & Percussion - Simon Dine
8. "Cold Moments" - 5:00
* Drums - Steve White
* Drums, Guitars & Percussion - Steve Cradock
9. "The Dark Pages of September Lead to the New Leaves of Spring" - 0:45 (S. Dine/P. Weller)
* Vocals - Steve Cradock & Hannah Andrews
* Orchestration & Percussion - Simon Dine
10. "Black River" - 3:48
* Drums - Graham Coxon
* Peacock Voices - Models Own
11. "Why Walk When You Can Run" - 4:14
* Electric & Acoustic Guitars - Steve Cradock
12. "Push It Along" - 2:53 (P. Weller/S. Dine)
* Drums - Pete Howard
* Guitars, Drums & Percussion - Steve Cradock
* Vocals - Hannah Andrews & Steve Cradock
* Marimba, Moog, Guitars & Oo-Ahh - Simon Dine
13. "A Dream Reprise" - 1:09 (S. Dine/P. Weller)
* Guitar - Barrie Cadogan
* Drums - Billy Skinner
* Drums - Lewis Wharton
* Horns & Sonic Elements - Simon Dine
14. "Echoes Round the Sun" - 3:09 (P. Weller/N. Gallagher)
* Bass, Piano, Mellotron & Wurlitzer - Noel Gallagher
* Guitars & Mellotron - Gem Archer
* Guitars & Drums - Steve Cradock
* Drums - Terry Kirkbride
15. "One Bright Star" - 2:58 (P. Weller/S. Dine)
* Vocals - Hannah Andrews
* Spanish Guitar - Steve Brookes
* Orchestration & Mandolins - Simon Dine
16. "Lullaby Fur Kinder" - 2:23
* Violin - Arlia De Ruiter & Lorre Lynn Trytten
* Viola - Mieke Honinh
* Arrangement - William Friede
17. "Where'er Ye Go" - 2:47
* Violin - John McCusker
18. "God" - 2:03
* Spoken Word - Aziz Ibrahim
* Vocals - Hannah Andrews
* Acoustic Guitar - Steve Cradock
19. "111" - 2:24 (P.Weller/S. Dine/S. Cradock)
* Moog - Simon Dine
* Mellotron - Steve Cradock
20. "Sea Spray" - 3:55 (P. Weller/H. Andrews)
* Guitar, Mandolin, Bazooki, Percussion & Drums - Steve Cradock
* Horns, Hornpipes & Vocals - Hannah Andrews
* Orchestration - Simon Dine



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