British pop icon Paul Weller has described his new double-disc album, 22 Dreams, as "a year in my life." It tracks Weller's course through the changing seasons, even including the sounds of a rainstorm through the open door at his Black Barn Studio. Maintaining remarkable cohesion amidst a kaleidoscope of influences from rock and soul to classical, Weller can always be counted on for refreshingly ambitious and edgy music. In a session with host David Dye, the former Jam frontman performs material from 22 Dreams.
Decades after the dissolution of The Jam and Style Council, Weller remains one of the most influential Britpop acts of the past 30 years. He got his start as the frontman for the late-'70s new-wave punk band The Jam, which came from modest beginnings to become a force atop the British charts. The Jam helped establish Weller as one of the most visible and imitated rock artists of all time, but he further experimented with his sound upon the creation of The Style Council, which melded pop, jazz, soul and more. Since the end of The Style Council in 1989, Weller has cranked out a wide variety of albums on his own.
This segment originally ran Sept. 4, 2008.
Copyright 2008 XPN