Paul Weller
Heavy Soul (Go! Discs 524 277)

It's hard not to get excited about shoving a CD with a cool name like Heavy Soul into your home stereo … however, it's EASY to get disappointed by a CD that kicks off with a not-as-cool album track, especially when it's from an artist who historically starts all his albums with rocking pop songs.

The initial track "Heavy Soul (Pt.1)" broke my spirits early going into this one. Uninteresting. "Peacock Suit" follows, and would have made a much better kickoff, juggling some mid-60s Beatle chords with a melodic power jangle. "Up In Suze's Room" is unique and plays with a few tempos and flavors, but falls a little short, or technically long (at 4 minutes and 21 seconds, that is).

"Brushed" rocks. It's a slightly angrier Paul Weller, who finally tips the ol' cap to his past, packing a power pop wallop. Even in 1997, I knew that when Paul would eventually put out a greatest hits album, "Brushed" would be guaranteed a slot. In a remarkably bad Southern drawl, I borrow from an overplayed Lynyrd Skynyrd tune we all know too well, and request that you "turn it up." "Driving Nowhere" has a fairly good story to tell, and I revel in its clever Steve White drum fills. "I Should Have Been There To Inspire You," maybe the longest titled song in the Weller catalog, is kind of a typical trip to the house of Weller, and really, we've quite memorized the floorplan by now. Then, apparently because the slightly dull "Heavy Soul (Pt 1)" wasn't enough…look out! It's "Heavy Soul (Pt 2)"! This song falls flat in every way that "Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)" parts 1 and 2 succeeded on the Wild Wood album.

I'm not sure if I need a calendar or a road map to get to "Friday Street," (perhaps both!) – anyway it's a good, basic Weller tune that speaks its mind, getting the job done in a nice small package. "Science" sounds a little funkier than I remember when I took the class in grade school, although one thing is the same: it still bores me after two minutes. "Golden Sands" takes a Wilson Pickett/Sam & Dave setting and spins it into a contemporary 90s context that works. It's catchy and worth a listen. "As You Lean Into The Light" bobs up next, but sinks to a watery grave. Keeping the water metaphors rolling, "Mermaids" is next, and I like it. It's just a rock song. That's all it is. It's all I want.

Heavy Soul ultimately washes out through several sections, tempting the fast forward fingers of even the most devoted listeners. I believe if the Paul Weller who made "Brushed" and "Peacock Suit" had shown up for the whole album, he undoubtedly would have created an album worthy of many repeat listens and widespread acclaim. Unfortunately, it just feels like there's a lot of filler throughout. Paul Weller doesn't need to sound familiar all the time, he just needs to sound like he's not merely punching the clock to collect a paycheck. Heavy Soul might even be a good album for some artists, but for Weller it's kind of mediocre at best. Even so, I remain faithful; he always seems to have some surprises in him.

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by Casey Blick