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Elder statesman of punk still rocks...
In middle age, Paul Weller could have slipped into sanitized mode, dubbing down in the interests of corporate rock and designer fashion.
He is already cited by the controller of BBC Radio 2 as a "favourite artist". But, hey, this excellent DVD shows that he hasn’t lost any of his old bite. Maybe his attitude has mellowed, but the opening two tracks in
particular set the tone for what is an effective mix of back catalogue and last studio album Illumination.
Weller has always been a good songwriter which is why he has worn better than many contemporaries and the DVD includes four tracks
from the halcyon Jam days. His 'soul boy' period in the eighties is sometimes conveniently skated over although, interestingly, a few Style Council
tracks crop up here. But the solo albums 'Stanley Road' and 'Wild Wood' are well represented too.
For fans, this DVD will be just perfect with a running time of over two hours and some 30 songs featured. If Paul Weller isn’t quite the Godfather of
English Punk, he is certainly its respectable elder statesman proving that talent will always win out - even if it came out of a decidedly mixed-ability era
like punk.
****
Review by David Randall
© 2003 All rights reserved.
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