Entire albums of cover versions are alright for some. If you’re teenage soul superstar Joss Stone, then a debut LP bulging with Seventies renditions gets you off to a flying start. When Tom Jones’ career was flagging, the boyo gave himself a boost with covers collection "Reload". Hell, UB40 have essentially been a highly successful reggae tribute band for years.
For other, more credible artists though, recording a whole album of other people’s songs could be regarded as a sideways step. When you’re Paul Weller for instance, a national hero and prolific songwriting talent for almost thirty years, fans could be forgiven for wondering whether your creative fire is starting to go out. After all, why would the man who wrote hundreds of classic songs feel the need to turn to the back catalogues of others?
Perhaps then, the Modfather’s muse has left him momentarily for "Studio 150" (the place in Amsterdam where it was recorded) contains no new Weller compositions. While no stranger to the cover version, Weller’s tributes to heroes like The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks or Curtis Mayfield have always cropped up live or as solitary album tracks or more often than not, B-sides.
Surprisingly too, Weller’s first album for V2 doesn’t delve into his beloved Sixties favourites. As he said recently: “There was no point in me doing a Kinks, Small Faces or Beatles song as I couldn’t add any more to it.” Instead "Studio 150" reveals a man with a wide knowledge of, and huge passion for, music choosing a disparate batch of songs he feels he can make his own.
By and large he succeeds, breathing his brand of gutsy, urgent, heartfelt soul into twelve tracks. Best here are the bluesy licks and brassy swells of "If I Could Only Be Sure" (Nolan Porter’s Northern Soul classic); the sublimely soulful R&B of Rose Royce’s "Wishing On A Star" and the bouncy, folksome swagger of Tim Hardin’s "Don’t Make Promises".
Gil Scott-Heron’s ode to alcoholism "The Bottle" gets a funked-up, breathless and brassy treatment, Aaron Neville’s "Hercules", a live favourite, is here in all its glory, Noel Gallagher’s "One Way Road" features backing vocals from Liverpool outfit The Stands and Sister Sledge’s "Thinking Of You" is lightly interpreted.
The only trough comes from a half-baked version of Bacharach and David’s "Close To You" – which apparently started as a joke with Weller and his children on holiday – and the folky picking of traditional Scottish song "Black Is The Colour" with mandolin, tabla and fine violin from Eliza Carthy. The closing brace meanwhile - Dylan’s "All Along The Watchtower" and Neil Young’s "Birds" (both featuring soaraway backing vocals from Carleen Anderson and Sam Brown) are more than capable, rousing renditions.
Sincere of intent and, as ever by Weller, stylishly and deftly delivered, "Studio 150" is a pleasant enough listen, which nevertheless will leave die-hard fans hankering for new Weller material. We can but wait.
