“ On Sunset was quite lavish in places, whereas with this one I wanted to limit it in some ways, make the production less expansive.”īeyond that desire to keep it frill-free and tight, sonically Fat Pop (Volume 1) is a diverse selection of sounds. What a great set that would be.” Live is where he imagines On Sunset and Fat Pop (Volume 1) working in tandem, because they don’t act as companion piece albums otherwise. But in the imaginary gig in my mind I can see us playing all of the songs on Fat Pop live, along with the songs from On Sunset, blending them with some of the old favourites too. “God knows when that will be, bearing in mind where we are with the virus. “But more than anything I wanted something vibey, something we could play live.” He laughs ruefully at the irony of that. “After True Meanings I thought I wouldn’t have any acoustic guitars for a little while, so I’ve largely avoided those with On Sunset and with Fat Pop,” he says. No matter what situation you are in, and we’re in one now, music doesn’t let you down, does it?”Īs ever, Weller’s sonic masterplan was to avoid whatever had recently preceded it. “It’s a celebration of music and what it’s given us all. “I thought we’d add Volume 1 to it just to keep my options open in the future for a second volume!” The title track, a tight, heavy blast of ultra-modern funk, is itself the conceptual key to the whole album. “I quite liked the idea and every song does stand up as a single, I think,” chuckles Weller, “but no, we couldn’t do that really.” Instead, he plumped for Fat Pop (Volume 1). They all have that strength and immediacy, I think, and they’re all short, three minutes or so maximum.” Producer Jan ‘Stan’ Kybert was so taken with the concept that he half-jokingly suggested that the album be called Greatest Hits. “I even thought about putting every song out as a single first then gathering them all on an album, but that wasn’t practical at the moment. “That was a conscious decision,” he confirms.
Weller wanted to deliver an album of singles, twelve short, distinct blasts, each strong enough that they could stand alone if so desired. By this stage, the shape of the album was clear to all. The band reconvened at Weller’s Black Barn studio in Surrey during the summer when restrictions were lifted to finish the work, with several of the songs being cut live. “It was a bit weird not being together, but at least it kept the wheels rolling. “I had lots of ideas stored up on my phone,” he explains down that same handset, speaking from outside his London home, “and at least this gave me an opportunity to develop them.” So he started to record songs on his own, doing just vocals, piano and guitar, then sending those sound files to his core band members such as drummer Ben Gordelier, Steve Cradock on guitar and various other instruments, and bassist Andy Crofts for them to add their parts. When lockdown was declared in March 2020, Weller decided immediately that he wanted something to focus on, since it seemed unlikely he’d be able to tour On Sunset as planned that summer.
It’s not hyperbole to state that this new album is among his most compelling collections, bar none, including all of his era-defining work in the 1970s and ’80s with The Jam and The Style Council.
Paul Weller will not let us down when we need him most.įat Pop (Volume 1) is Weller’s 16th solo album since his self-titled debut in 1992, his fourth in as many years and his second in just under 12 months following June 2020’s magnificent, chart-topping On Sunset. And for many there is further significant comfort to be drawn from the knowledge that Paul Weller is in the midst of an unbelievably prolific purple patch. But everyone knows that art provides succour, that music is the most reliable balm. T HE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “We may be cursed to be in the midst a global pandemic, buffeted by all of its stresses and pain.
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