''After As Is Now I thought the time was right to make the sort of record Iwanted to make,'' says Paul Weller of the creative process which ledto his striking ninth solo album 22 Dreams. ''Instead of worrying aboutanyone else, I wanted to really push the boat out. I think the result is goingto surprise a few people.'' Surprises have always been part of the artisticvernacular for the man who changed rock forever with The Jam, explored a host of eclectic influences with The Style Council and cemented his position as the patriarch of Brit pop with his legendary solo work. 22 Dreams is the latest chapter in a creative journey spanning 30 years, with material spanning the full breadth of popular music rock to classical, avant garde to funk and spoken word to experimental. In addition to a cast of Weller s frequent collaborators including Steve Cradock and producer Simon Dine, 22 Dreams also features some of the largest beneficiaries of Weller sincalculable musical influence. Noel Gallagher and Gem from Oasis lendtheir talents to Echoes Around the Sun, a writing collaboration betweenWeller and Gallagher. Ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon appears on BlackRiver. The spirit of collaboration and an in-the-moment creative approachhave resulted in one of Weller s most spirited works and one that is sure toexpand the artistic canon of the one and only Modfather.
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