Friday, August 31, 2018

Paul Weller - Brand New Start - Non-Album Tracks (1996-1998)

I've come to the conclusion recently that Paul Weller probably is the hardest working guy in music. Or at least he's close! I saw some interview videos where he admitted he has no hobbies because all he does is eat, sleep, and breathe music. He even broke up a perfectly happy marriage in the mid-1990s because he was afraid of being TOO happy, and thus not feeling creatively challenged enough. (That's what his hit song "The Changingman" is about.)

Anyway, one result of his work ethic is that I have a ton of stray tracks albums to post, covering his entire career. The only other musician I know of who probably is more prolific with material NOT on official albums is Robyn Hitchcock, so I'm posting a ton of his stuff too. I wouldn't bother with either of these guys, except their non-album material is usually just as good overall as their album material.

This Weller album, covering 1996 to 1998, is a particularly good one. It includes some nice originals, such as the hit "Brand New Start." Five of the 12 songs are covers, but I think they sound exactly like Paul Weller songs. Two of them - "The Circle" and "I'm Gone" come from such obscure source material, and sound so much like quality Weller originals, that you'd have to do some research to even find out Weller didn't write them.

In my opinion, this album is just as good (and slightly longer) than the official album that came out in this time period, 1997's "Heavy Soul."

01 The Circle (Paul Weller)
02 Will It Go Round in Circles (Paul Weller with Jools Holland)
03 Eye of the Storm [Instrumental] (Paul Weller)
04 Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City (Paul Weller)
05 I'm Gone (Paul Weller & Jools Holland)
06 Shoot the Dove (Paul Weller)
07 So You Want to Be a Dancer [Instrumental] (Paul Weller)
08 The Poacher (Paul Weller & Ocean Colour Scene)
09 Brand New Start (Paul Weller)
10 Right Underneath It (Paul Weller)
11 Science [Lynch Mob Remix] (Paul Weller)
12 Tales from the Riverbank [New Version] (Paul Weller)

https://www.upload.ee/files/15849256/PaulW_1996-1998_BrndNewStrt_atse.zip.html

For the cover art, I just used the cover of the "Brand New Start" single.

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