Paul Weller Studio 150

This new album by Paul Weller is named after the studio it was recorded in. In this interview over at the Rolling Stone site he explains he always wanted to do an album filled with covers, and this is it. It turned out pretty good, some songs stay closer to the originals than others. For example Close to me (of Carpenters fame) is very different from the original, where Wishing on a star is more close to the original, though somewhat more modern. Some songs stand out for me though, like Black Is The Color, which is a tradional according to this site, very touching, especially when you’re in an emotional mood ;). Neil Young’s birds, which is pretty much the same as the original, added some nice background vocals, suits Weller’s vocals really well. Always liked Gordon Lightfoot’s Early Morning Rain, especially Elvis rendition and even Dylan’s version on Self Portrait (yeah I know, sue me), but this one is done with a lotta love for the song, sung from the heart. Actually that goes for all the songs on this album. Speaking of Dylan, All Allong The Watchtower is excellent as well, a refreshing arrangement. This album is definately a keeper !