This summer Paul Weller laid himself bare. He stripped his songs down to their acoustic, folksome bones and went on the road.
Noel Gallagher, Steve Cradock, Steve White and others may have helped out every now and again but mainly this was one man and his songs, for the first time in Weller's twenty five year career. It was a brave move. It was fantastic!
But what got many a balding thirtysomething sobbing into their pint was the fact that Weller was playing old Jam and Style Council songs alongside his more recent material. For those who didn't catch the modfather's early shows as a solo artist - which were sprinkled with songs from his two former bands - this was the first time they had heard these songs in the flesh in over twenty years. Which made for truly emotional, lump-in-the-throat entertainment indeed.
'Days Of Speed' - title taken from the lyrics to Jam classic 'That's Entertainment' - captures the mood of those gigs perfectly, taking 18 selected tracks from nights in the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy.
What becomes apparent when listening to 'Days Of Speed' is just how well these songs stand up on their own, without shiny production or lavish orchestration or robust rhythm section. These really are folk songs in the truest sense of the word.
Perched precariously atop his bar-stool, Weller also reveals himself to be a mighty fine guitarist. The sheer angular energy and passion of Weller's performance threatens to topple him to the ground at any second, as he delivers fine versions of 'Brand New Start', 'Out Of The Sinking', 'Above The Clouds', 'You Do Something To Me', 'Science' and more from his solo back catalogue.
But it's The Style Council's 'Down In The Seine', and 'Headstart For Happiness' and The Jam's 'English Rose', 'That's Entertainment' and 'Town Called Malice' which get the discerning elder fan all moist and unnecessary.
One tiny gripe though. Classic Jam B-side 'The Butterfly Collector', which went down so well at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, is conspicuous by its absence. But hey, some people are just never satisfied are they...
