The Style Council-One of the most original pop

"When OUR FAVOURITE SHOP dramatises rather than simply delivers slogans, it can be a powerful and even moving record."

Formed by influential guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Paul Weller (with ex-Merton Parkas keyboardist Mick Talbot) after the break-up of his legendary band The Jam, Style Council traded in The Jam's mod/punk guitar rock for heavily R&B- and disco-influenced pop. Interestingly, the ever-enigmatic and uncompromising Weller chose to match his highly accessible modern soul music with lyrics based on European Socialist rhetoric, in the process instantly limiting his group's appeal. Unsurprisingly, Weller eventually found the band's highly stylized music limiting, and left to begin a solo career.

If you're a musician, you have to look at Paul Weller with a somewhat jealous eye. He was the frontman for the Jam, he had a brilliant solo career, and along with Mick Talbot, he co-led one of the funnest bands of the 80s, the Style Council. Though it didn't have any mega-hits, CAFE BLEU is one of the fan's faves.

An inexplicable #29 hit in the US (Paul Weller’s first-ever taste of American chart glory—and his last), the Style Council’s definitive moment may be sophisti-pop’s, as well. Cool keyboards, strummy guitars (including an acoustic atop everything), a general jazz-club vibe (organ doesn’t hurt), extra percussion (are those wood blocks being hit together?), and lyrics from a certain point of reserve—oh, did I neglect to mention the brass section, an utter must? Weller almost looked pretty around this time to boot (nothing, sadly, could help his partner Mick Talbot). This got it all down, and in many ways laid the blueprint for what was to come.

This is one excellent and memorable import to obtain !...