![]() With a string of chart hits, “The Style Council” were one of the defining pop bands of the 80s. The songs still carried the social commentary that was so prevalent in the lyrical genius of “The Jam” check out such songs as “Wall Comes Tumbling Down”, “Lodgers” “Internationalists” and “Life At A Top Peoples Health farm”, but Weller also allowed himself to be more willfully eclectic, insightful and arty. From the smooth soul of songs like “You’re the Best Thing”, the Euro-pop of “Long Hot Summer” to the foot stomping Northern Soul of “A Solid Bond In Your Heart” and the Acid Jazz of “Café Bleu”, it’s all here on this release. He wanted to have the freedom to create music that was the sum of all his influences not just musical, but taking inspiration from both photography and literature as well, especially the book “Absolute Beginners “by Colin Macinnes and with the help of Mick Talbot, Dee C Lee and Steve White, that is exactly what he did. He created a band /collective that wasn’t to be pigeon-holed. The things that strikes me the most when listening to this anthology is that I think Paul Weller achieved what he set out to do. I pre-ordered the coloured album vinyl set and it hasn’t been off the record player since.Īll the songs you would expect are here, including the band’s debut top five single ‘Speak Like A Child’, alongside a series of other hits, ‘You’re the Best Thing’, ‘Ever Changing Moods’ and ‘Shout to The Top’. Three LPs and they are packed to the rafters with six years of “The Style Council”. Now 38 years later they have released “Long Hot Summer”, the ultimate career-spanning anthology. I remember gathering around the radio to hear the first airplay, and as I heard the first bars of Micks Hammond organ kick in and the opening lines of Weller’s vocals, the relief was tangible it sounded amazing! It still retained enough of The Jam to help with the transition, but it also showed a more soul-influenced style, and my love of “The Style Council” began. I questioned Was I going to like it? Would it be much different to the Jam? What if I didn’t like it? What then? ‘The Style Council’, cool name! Their first single was going to be “Speak Like A Child” and Radio 1 was going to be playing it for the first time on March 11, 1983. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that Paul Weller had formed another band with Mick Talbot (Merton Parkas), Tracie Young (and then Dee C Lee) and the awesome Steve White on Drums. I was devastated when “The Jam” announced they were splitting up on The TUBE on 30th October 1982. ![]() “The Jam” became MY band Paul Weller became my musical hero and a major influence in my formative years. The first record I bought with my own money was Eton Rifles by “The Jam”. ![]()
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