July 2024
Polydor Records 5888429 (CD), 5885024 (LP)
Formats: CD and LP
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
English singer-songwriter Paul Weller turned 66 on May 25, 2024, the day Polydor released his 17th album. Weller began writing and recording the songs for 66 in 2021, during the COVID-19 lockdown, and collaborated with other songwriters on most of the album’s 12 tracks. He also pulled in a long and varied list of musicians to help with the sessions, which took place over a three-year period at his Black Barn Studios in Surrey, UK.
Weller wrote “Ship of Fools” with Graham McPherson, who is better known as Suggs, the moniker he used as lead singer with the group Madness. Weller provides the acoustic guitar and electric piano that give the track a bouncy tone, in contrast to the lyrics, which describe the experience of living in a constantly shifting world. Musician and actor Max Beesley plays vibes, adding to the song’s easy, jazzy feel; Jacko Peake plays a wonderfully lighthearted flute solo that helps the song stay airy and bright.
McPherson also cowrote “Nothing” with Weller and Andrew Chalk. The track is reminiscent of the sophisticated mix of jazz and soul that characterized the Style Council, the band Weller started in the 1980s after his previous band, The Jam, folded. Steve Trigg and Dave Boraston play a flugelhorn arrangement that gives the tune a warm bath of tones, and Steve Brown’s Moog synthesizer solo adds a hint of nostalgia without sounding dated.
66 is eclectic, but Weller’s albums have often moved easily between different styles of music. “Rise Up Singing,” a collaboration with Dr. Robert, of The Blow Monkeys, is a slice of sweet soul disco, with a lush string and horn arrangement that carries the song’s upbeat lyrics forward. “I Woke Up,” on the other hand, wouldn’t sound out of place on a Paul McCartney solo album. Weller seems both pleased and bemused by domesticity—much like Sir Paul, on occasion.
Weller gives in to his predilection for experimental electronic keyboards on “Flying Fish,” which features members of the French quintet Le SuperHomard. Even with various synths and a Mellotron circling around, Weller’s rhythm guitar remains at the center of the arrangement. Christophe Vaillant, Le SuperHomard’s leader and producer, cowrote “My Best Friend’s Coat” and “A Glimpse of You” with Weller and produced both tracks. Both tracks are sumptuously arranged pop that shows Weller’s appreciation for Burt Bacharach.
“Jumble Queen,” a collaboration with Noel Gallagher, rocks solidly on a foundation of Weller’s pounding guitar: the horns and backing vocals give the song a soul-music kick. Jake Fletcher’s bass helps Weller’s guitar to propel “Soul Wandering,” which features another fine horn arrangement by Trigg. It’s a smart mixture of rock and soul, the kind of mash-up that Weller brings off with ease.
The arrangements on 66 are subtle and well matched to the songs, which show Weller’s versatility and willingness to try different styles. The recording is rich in instrumental detail—Hannah Peel’s string arrangements on five of the tracks add a layer of complexity and lushness. Weller plays guitar and bass on the album, as well as a variety of keyboards, and many of the other players, including Steve Cradock, Dr. Robert, Ben Gordelier, and Jacko Peake, have contributed to Weller’s albums since the beginning of his solo career.
A sticker on my vinyl copy of 66 told me it was pressed in the Czech Republic, so probably by GZ Media. The 180gm LP was flat and well centered. The vinyl was generally quiet, with just a bit of static on the opening seconds of the first track. A vacuum cleaning of the LP didn’t eliminate that faint sound, but otherwise the record played through cleanly.
Compared to the CD, I heard a bit less compression, more space between instruments, and a more solid bass presence on the LP. However, I didn’t think the CD was overly compressed, and the music sounded fine in both formats. The vinyl package includes a full-sized (12″ × 12″) booklet of lyrics with photos, as well as a large poster of Weller. Sir Peter Blake did the album cover art.
I thought 66 sounded a bit reserved at first, but the understated complexity of the arrangements began to pull me in by the third or fourth play. Weller’s voice is at the center of every track, even more so than on his other albums. He’s a supple and skilled singer, and the songs let him show several sides of his vocal abilities. Even with all the collaborators, the whole album is unmistakably Weller.
Weller has never been as popular in the US as he has been in the UK and the rest of Europe. That’s always puzzled me, since he’s among the finest songwriters of his generation. 66 continues a run of albums that is hard to match for quality and consistency. His fans in America will be happy to learn that Weller will be touring North America this fall, for the first time since 2017.
. . . Joseph Taylor
josepht@soundstagenetwork.com
