Paul Weller’s 11 favourite British albums: “Quintessential”
When looking back upon the greatest British songwriters of recent times, it is difficult to ignore the incredible volume of work produced by Paul Weller.
A poster boy of quintessentially English musicianship, the ex-Jam frontman can often be found adorned in union jacks for press shots and record covers. An icon of the strangely nationalistic modernist subculture – characterised by a love for plastering Union Jacks onto Italian scooters and cheap parkas made in East Asian sweatshops – the majority of Weller’s career has been inspired by American soul and R&B music.
However, he also remains true to his roots in British rock and roll. He writes stories that capture the streets around him. Born in Woking to a boxing taxi driver, Weller reflected a sort of English version of Raging Bull in his earliest works, composing classics like ‘That’s Entertainment’ after absconding from the local pub back to his council flat.
Yet, his work has always represented the broad stroke of our eclectic ways. From his early days in the punk rock movement with The Jam to the soul excellence of The Style Council and his diverse and endlessly exciting solo career, the Modfather has a seemingly endless reservoir of songwriting inspiration to draw upon.
As his discography developed, Weller began to draw upon an incredibly broad range of influences, from Brazilian tropicália to old-school English folk, but he never really lost his early adoration for the rock scene of 1960s London. No matter where he ventures on the sonic canvas, there’s always a slight hint of LS Lowry’s realism to his characterful work.
Yet, even this approach goes back to the world he knew growing up. As he explained, “When I was a kid in Woking, every week you went to the football dance, and every week the top kids would be wearing something different. You were constantly trying to catch up with them – which you could never do because, by the time you’d saved up enough to buy the item, they’d moved on to something else. That’s the whole Mod thing, I suppose.”
While you could never say he was ever musically ‘catching up’ in his trailblazing career, there is a definite sense of new outfits for the same communal dance. That is something that has made him eternally beloved.
The influence of groups like The Kinks, The Who and The Small Faces on the work of Weller is undeniable, particularly when looking at the material he created with The Jam. In fact, songwriter Ray Davies was so influential on the young Weller that he chose to cover The Kinks’ ‘David Watts’ for their 1978 record All Mod Cons. Throughout his illustrious career, Weller has repeatedly taken the opportunity to discuss his eclectic range of musical influences, going from the early days of rock ‘n’ roll to the modern artists carrying on its legacy.
Over the years, Weller has compiled various lists of his all-time favourite albums. Generally, these lists and interviews all follow similar themes, detailing Weller’s adoration for the vibrant worlds of soul, jazz and, of course, rock. Seemingly, Weller has a record collection which spans the globe, encompassing vastly disparate genres, styles and time periods. Talking to Entertainment Weekly back in 2005, the songwriter spoke of his love for the likes of Stevie Wonder and Roland Kirk, as well as prominent British artists like Nick Drake and The Kinks.
Weller seems to be a particular fan of what he calls the “quintessential English melancholy” of Nick Drake, with the late songwriter capturing something unknowable knowable. Listing both Five Leaves Left and the follow-up, Bryter Layter, as some of his all-time favourite records, Weller even picked out ‘River Man’ as one of his Desert Island Discs in 2007. In more recent years, the songwriter’s own solo work has reflected his interest in the melancholic folk of Nick Drake, particularly on tracks like ‘Aspects’ from 2018.
Not all of Weller’s favourite British albums are from the days of yore, despite his penchant for the British invasion and swinging sixties. In 2015, he revealed some more of his listening habits to The Quietus, including an appreciation of more recent artists like Laura Marling and Gruff Rhys. It seems as though he is most often drawn to tranquil and acoustic-focused music, backed up by incredible songwriting, as opposed to the youthful rock of acts like The Kinks or The Zombies.
As one of the greatest British songwriters of his generation, it is probably worth taking note of Weller’s listening habits. After all, the Woking-born songwriter is all too aware of what makes a track both groundbreaking and emotionally compelling. So, with that in mind, we have compiled a list of the Modfather’s all-time favourite albums to come from the shores of Great Britain.
Paul Weller’s favourite British albums:
- Face To Face – The Kinks
- Revolver – The Beatles
- Odessey & Oracle – The Zombies
- The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks
- Five Leaves Left – Nick Drake
- Electric Warrior – T.Rex
- Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
- Low – David Bowie
- Hotel Shampoo – Gruff Rhys
- Once I Was An Eagle – Laura Marling
- Chasing Yesterday – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
