The Style Council | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Guitarist/vocalist Paul Weller broke up the Jam, the most popular British band of the early 80s, at the height of their success in 1982 because he was dissatisfied with their musical direction. Weller wanted to incorporate more elements of soul, R&B;, and jazz into his songwriting, which is something he felt his punk-oriented bandmates were incapable of performing. In order to pursue this musical direction, he teamed up in 1983 with keyboardist Mick Talbot, a former member of the mod revival band the Merton Parkas. Together, Weller and Talbot became the Style Council -- other musicians were added according to what kind of music the duo were performing. With the Style Council, the underlying intellectual pretensions that ran throughout Wellers music came to the forefront. Although the music was rooted in American R&B;, it was performed slickly -- complete with layers of synthesizers and drum machines -- and filtered through European styles and attitudes. Wellers lyrics were typically earnest, yet his leftist political leanings became more pronounced. His scathing criticisms of racism, unemployment, Margaret Thatcher, and sexism sat uneasily beside his burgeoning obsession with high culture. As his pretensions increased, the number of hits the Style Council had decreased; by the end of the decade, the group was barely able to crack the British Top 40 and Weller had turned from a hero into a has-been. Released in March of 1983, the Style Councils first single "Speak Like a Child" became an immediate hit, reaching number four on the British charts. Three months later, "The Money-Go-Round" peaked at number 11 on the charts as the group was recording an EP, Paris, which appeared in August; the EP reached number three. "Solid Bond in Your Heart" became another hit in November, peaking at number 11. The Style Council released their first full-length album, Cafe Bleu, in March of 1984; two months later, a resequenced version of the record, retitled My Ever Changing Moods, was released in America. Cafe Bleu was Wellers most stylistically ambitious album to date, drawing from jazz, soul, rap, and pop. While it was musically all over the map, it was their most successful album, peaking at number five in the U.K. and number 56 in the U.S. "My Ever Changing Moods" became their first U.S. hit, peaking at number 29. In the summer of 1985, the Style Council had another U.K. Top Ten hit with "The Walls Come Tumbling Down." The single was taken from Our Favourite Shop, which reached number one on the U.K. charts; the record was released as Internationalists in the U.S. The live album, Home and Abroad, was released in the spring of 1986; it peaked at number eight. The Style Council had its last Top Ten single with "It Didnt Matter" in January of 1987. The Cost of Loving, an album that featured a heavy emphasis on jazz-inspired soul, followed in February. Although it received unfavorable reviews, the record peaked at number two in the U.K. That spring, "Waiting" became the groups first single not to crack the British Top 40, signalling that their popularity was rapidly declining. In July of 1988, the Style Council released their last album, Confessions of a Pop Group, which featured Wellers most self-important and pompous music -- the second side featured a ten-minute orchestral suite called "The Gardener of Eden." The record charted fairly well, reaching number 15 in the U.K., but it received terrible reviews. In March of 1989, the Style Council released a compilation, The Singular Adventures of the Style Council, which reached number three on the charts. Later that year, Weller delivered a new Style Council album, which reflected his infatuation with house and club music, to the bands record label Polydor. Polydor rejected the album and dropped both the Style Council and Weller from the label. Paul Weller and Mick Talbot officially broke up the Style Council in 1990. In 1991, Weller launched a solo career which would return him to popular and critical favor in the mid-90s, while Talbot continued to play, both with Weller and as a solo musician. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 26 Title: Introducing the Style Council Released: 1983 Tracks: 7 Duration: 34:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Long Hot Summer (07:03) 2 Headstart for Happiness (02:50) 3 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 4 Long Hot Summer (club mix) (06:57) 5 The Paris Match (03:46) 6 Mick’s Up (03:13) 7 Money-Go-Round (club mix) (07:44) |
| Introducing the Style Council : Allmusic album Review : A solid EP collection of the bands initial British singles, it includes the ersatz soul of "Long Hot Summer," the bubbling pop of "Speak Like a Child," and "Money-Go-Round," a fine British funk manifesto. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 26 Title: À Paris Released: 1983-08 Tracks: 4 Duration: 16:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Long Hot Summer (extended version) (07:00) 2 Party Chambers (02:53) 3 The Paris Match (03:48) 4 Le Départ (02:43) |
 | Album: 3 of 26 Title: My Ever Changing Moods Released: 1984 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Ever Changing Moods (05:40) 2 Whole Point of No Return (02:40) 3 Blue Café (02:17) 4 Paris Match (04:23) 5 Dropping Bombs on the White House (03:11) 6 Solid Bond in Your Heart (03:14) 7 Youre the Best Thing (05:38) 8 Gospel (04:42) 9 Strength of Your Nature (04:18) 10 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 11 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 12 Micks Blessings (01:14) |
 | Album: 4 of 26 Title: Café Bleu Released: 1984-03-23 Tracks: 13 Duration: 44:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mick’s Blessings (01:17) 2 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 3 Me Ship Came In! (03:07) 4 Blue Café (02:17) 5 The Paris Match (04:26) 6 My Ever Changing Moods (03:39) 7 Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse (03:15) 8 A Gospel (04:45) 9 Strength of Your Nature (04:21) 10 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 11 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 12 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 13 Council Meetin’ (02:31) |
| Café Bleu : Allmusic album Review : Style Councils first proper album Cafe Bleu was one of their better efforts, but it indicated the groups fatal flaw -- a tendency to be too eclectic and overambitious. Amidst the lazy jazz instrumentals, many of them courtesy of Mick Talbot, Paul Weller inserted several solid soul-tinged pop songs, including "My Ever Changing Moods," "Headstart for Happiness," "Youre the Best Thing," and "Heres One That Got Away." However, that doesnt excuse the rap experiment, "A Gospel." The album was later released with a slightly different running order as My Ever Changing Moods in the U.S.; the American edition included the U.K. hit "A Solid Bond in Your Heart." | ||
 | Album: 5 of 26 Title: Internationalists Released: 1985 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Homebreakers (05:04) 2 All Gone Away (02:13) 3 Come to Milton Keynes (03:02) 4 Internationalists (03:04) 5 A Stones Throw Away (02:15) 6 The Stand Up Comics Instructions (01:28) 7 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:04) 8 A Man of Great Promise (02:30) 9 Down in the Seine (02:41) 10 The Lodgers (03:54) 11 Luck (02:32) 12 With Everything to Lose (03:45) 13 Shout to the Top (03:47) 14 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:11) |
 | Album: 6 of 26 Title: Our Favourite Shop Released: 1985-06-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 49:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Homebreakers (05:06) 2 All Gone Away (02:15) 3 Come to Milton Keynes (03:03) 4 Internationalists (03:12) 5 Stone’s Throw Away (02:18) 6 The Stand Up Comic’s Instructions (01:31) 7 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:15) 8 A Man of Great Promise (02:32) 9 Down in the Seine (02:44) 10 The Lodgers (or, She Was Only a Shopkeeper’s Daughter) (03:57) 11 Luck (02:36) 12 With Everything to Lose (03:54) 13 Our Favourite Shop (02:54) 14 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 15 Shout to the Top (USA remix) (04:21) |
| Our Favourite Shop : Allmusic album Review : Our Favourite Shop, the Style Councils second proper album, was still quite eclectic, but it didnt seem as schizophrenically diverse as Cafe Bleu. Paul Weller had been able to incorporate his soul and jazz experiments into his songwriting, writing the fine "Walls Come Tumbling Down," "Come to Milton Keynes," "Boy Who Cried Wolf," and "Down in the Seine," which were some of his best songs for the Style Council. The occasional misguided experiment remained -- the stiff funk of "The Internationalists" and the self-righteous "The Stand Up Comics Instructions" were particularly embarrassing -- but the record was more cohesive and stronger than the debut. In America, the album was released without "Our Favourite Shop" and retitled Internationalists. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 26 Title: Live! Home & Abroad Released: 1986 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 My Ever Changing Moods (04:30) 2 The Lodgers (04:37) 3 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 4 (When You) Call Me (04:24) 5 The Whole Point of No Return (03:20) 6 With Everything to Lose (04:09) 7 Homebreakers (05:07) 8 Shout to the Top (03:23) 9 Walls Come Tumbling Down! (03:37) 10 Internationalists (05:36) |
 | Album: 8 of 26 Title: The Cost of Loving Released: 1987 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 It Didn’t Matter (05:47) 2 Right to Go (05:15) 3 Heavens Above (06:14) 4 Fairy Tales (04:09) 5 Angel (04:32) 6 Walking in the Night (04:34) 7 Waiting (04:29) 8 The Cost of Loving (04:21) 9 A Woman’s Song (03:03) |
| The Cost of Loving : Allmusic album Review : A full-fledged soul album, The Cost of Loving illustrated why Paul Wellers star was rapidly declining in the late 80s. Filled with bland, professional soul-pop, few of the songs have memorable melodies and the band tends to meander through the slick arrangments. Wellers lyrics were self-important and under-developed, with only the hit single "It Didnt Matter" making a lasting impression among the undistinguished songs that comprised the majority of the album. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 26 Title: Confessions of a Pop Group Released: 1988 Tracks: 11 Duration: 57:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (04:18) 2 Why I Went Missing (04:43) 3 How She Threw It All Away (04:17) 4 I Was a Dole Dad’s Toyboy (04:24) 5 Confessions 1, 2 & 3 (04:43) 6 Confessions of a Pop Group (09:26) 7 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:32) 8 The Story of Someones Shoe (03:43) 9 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 10 The Little Boy in the Castle (03:03) 11 The Gardener of Eden (A Three Piece Suite) (10:30) |
| Confessions of a Pop Group : Allmusic album Review : If The Cost of Loving was a thoroughly mediocre affair, Confessions of a Pop Group was flat-out bad, without a single like "It Didnt Matter" to redeem its indulgences. Throughout the album, Weller engages in some of his most pretentious and mean-spirited lyrics but they are no match for the music hes written, which ranges from self-important jazz-pop fusions to an orchestral suite that finishes the album. The result was bad enough to leave him without a record contract in the U.K., where he was considered a god just eight years earlier. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 26 Title: Head Start for Happiness Released: 1989 Tracks: 16 Duration: 56:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Long Hot Summer (03:51) 2 Why I Went Missing (04:42) 3 Angel (04:32) 4 Waiting (04:29) 5 Move on Up (live Recording) (02:44) 6 Spring, Summer, Autumn (02:24) 7 Blue Cafe (02:21) 8 Come to Milton Keynes (03:03) 9 Wanted (03:24) 10 Heavens Above (06:14) 11 Everybodys on the Run (version One) (04:25) 12 Spin’ Drifting (03:11) 13 Francoise (02:46) 14 It Just Came to Pieces in My Hands (02:38) 15 Mr Cools Dream (02:31) 16 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) |
 | Album: 11 of 26 Title: The Singular Adventures of The Style Council Released: 1989-05 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:09:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youre the Best Thing (alternate mix) (04:35) 2 Have You Ever Had It Blue (12" Version) (04:48) 3 Money Go Round (Parts 1 & 2) (alternate mix) (07:48) 4 My Ever Changing Moods (12" Version) (05:44) 5 Long Hot Summer (12" Version) (89 mix) (05:32) 6 The Lodgers (alternate mix) (03:42) 7 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 8 Shout to the Top (single edit) (03:23) 9 Wanted (03:24) 10 It Didn’t Matter (04:51) 11 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 12 A Solid Bond in Your Heart (03:19) 13 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (04:26) 14 Promised Land (02:51) 15 How She Threw It All Away (04:14) 16 Waiting (04:25) |
| The Singular Adventures of The Style Council : Allmusic album Review : The Style Councils albums were always weighed down by their far-reaching musical ambitions, which meant that their ideas were usually best heard on their singles. And while this period of Paul Wellers career has been criticized heavily, he wrote several excellent songs during the Style Council, most of which are featured on the fine compilation The Singular Adventures of the Style Council. Not all of the 16 songs are first-rate, as it begins to lose steam toward the end of the bands life, but "My Ever Changing Moods," "Youre the Best Thing," "Long Hot Summer," "Shout to the Top!," "A Solid Bond in Your Heart," "Money Go Round," "Walls Come Tumbling Down," and "Speak Like a Child" are terrific, and make the collection worthwhile for fans of the Jam and Wellers solo career, as well as fans of New Romantic new wave and jazzy sophisti-pop. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 26 Title: Here’s Some That Got Away Released: 1993 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:11:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love Pains (03:24) 2 Party Chambers (03:22) 3 The Whole Point II (02:51) 4 The Ghosts of Dachau (02:50) 5 Sweet Loving Ways (03:34) 6 A Casual Affair (03:25) 7 A Woman’s Song (02:34) 8 Mick’s Up (03:11) 9 Waiting on a Connection (03:08) 10 Night After Night (03:01) 11 The Piccadilly Trail (03:46) 12 (When You) Call Me (02:58) 13 My Very Good Friend (03:41) 14 April’s Fool (03:04) 15 In Love for the First Time (03:41) 16 Big Boss Groove (04:42) 17 Mick’s Company (02:50) 18 Bloodsports (03:36) 19 Who Will Buy (02:44) 20 I Ain’t Goin’ Under (03:20) 21 I Am Leaving (03:38) 22 A Stone’s Throw Away (01:49) |
| Here’s Some That Got Away : Allmusic album Review : Since the Style Councils albums were either inconsistent or downright boring, the idea of a B-sides and rarities collection isnt exactly enticing. However, Heres Some That Got Away is surprisingly enjoyable, proving that Paul Weller was at his best when he wasnt trying to make serious, self-important music. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 26 Title: The Style Council Collection Released: 1995 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:14:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 2 Headstart for Happiness (02:50) 3 Long Hot Summer (03:51) 4 The Paris Match (03:46) 5 It Just Came to Pieces in My Hands (02:32) 6 My Ever Changing Moods (04:03) 7 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 8 Ghosts of Dachau (02:51) 9 You’re the Best Thing (04:29) 10 Big Boss Groove (04:42) 11 Man of Great Promise (02:34) 12 Homebreakers (05:08) 13 Down in the Seine (02:44) 14 A Stones Throw Away (02:17) 15 With Everything to Lose (03:54) 16 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:15) 17 The Cost of Loving (04:19) 18 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 19 Why I Went Missing (04:43) 20 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:32) |
| The Style Council Collection : Allmusic album Review : Not a strict greatest hits, The Style Council Collection balances some of the groups biggest singles with some relatively obscure album tracks. Like the band itself, the album loses steam toward the end but the best songs here -- "My Ever-Changing Moods," in particular -- prove that, contrary to popular belief, the Style Council wasnt a complete waste of Paul Wellers time and that he did explore some new territory with the group. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 26 Title: Master Series Released: 1998 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:11:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shout to the Top (04:17) 2 It Didn’t Matter (05:46) 3 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (04:26) 4 You’re the Best Thing (long version) (05:42) 5 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 6 Angel (04:32) 7 All Gone Away (02:18) 8 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 9 Blue Cafe (instrumental) (02:19) 10 Walls Come Tumbling Down! (live) (03:38) 11 Headstart for Happiness (live) (03:23) 12 The Cost of Loving (04:19) 13 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 14 The Story of Someone’s Shoe (03:46) 15 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:15) 16 Waiting (04:11) 17 How She Threw It All Away (04:14) 18 My Ever Changing Moods (live) (04:34) |
 | Album: 15 of 26 Title: Modernism: A New Decade Released: 1998 Tracks: 8 Duration: 49:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A New Decade (03:24) 2 Can You Still Love Me? (04:57) 3 The World Must Come Together (05:24) 4 Hope (Feelings Gonna Getcha) (07:17) 5 That Spiritual Feeling (05:44) 6 Everybody’s on the Run (07:37) 7 Love of the World (08:58) 8 Sure Is Sure (06:17) |
| Modernism: A New Decade : Allmusic album Review : The Style Council were one of the biggest bands of the 1980s (particularly in Europe and Japan), but over the course of the decade, Paul Wellers outfit was experiencing declining sales and a critical backlash from rock critics who felt that the group was becoming bloated and self-important. For whatever reason, Weller and company decided to combat their flagging fortunes by cutting an album for the then-underground club scene. (Weller, like many others, now likens the dance culture of the early 90s to the punk movement that originally motivated him to form the Jam.) So, the Style Council recorded Modernism: A New Decade, turned it in to their label, watched as Polydor refused to release it, and then disbanded. In the new millennium Polydor has seen fit to finally release the album and its easy to understand the labels initial negative reaction; the Style Council were famous for being musically eclectic, but they almost always retained a strong personal identity no matter what kind of musical genre they were exploring. But the dance music they created for this album revels in the fact that its rather faceless and more of a communal experience rather than a personal one. Modernism: A New Decade is not a bad album, just a rather pointless one and its dated much worse than most of the bands work from the 1980s. Thankfully, there are a few highlights on the album: the gospel-tinged "Promised Land" became the bands final single, "Sure Is Sure" went on to become a very big bootleg dance hit throughout Europe, and (best of all) the instrumental "That Spiritual Feeling" remains one of the key cuts of the then-new acid jazz scene. Modernism: A New Decade has also been released in its entirety on the Style Councils box set, but it should mainly be of interest to Paul Weller fanatics and those drug-addled few who are nostalgic for the rave scene of the early 90s. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 26 Title: The Complete Adventures of The Style Council Released: 1998-10-26 Tracks: 90 Duration: 6:23:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 2 Party Chambers (03:22) 3 Money-Go-Round (Bert Bevan’s Alternative remix) (07:29) 4 Headstart for Happiness (02:50) 5 Mick’s Up (03:13) 6 Long Hot Summer (07:03) 7 The Paris Match (03:46) 8 Le Depart (02:49) 9 A Solid Bond in Your Heart (03:19) 10 It Just Came to Pieces in My Hands (02:32) 11 My Ever Changing Moods (12″ version) (05:43) 12 Mick’s Company (02:49) 13 Spring, Summer, Autumn (02:24) 14 Mick’s Blessings (01:17) 15 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 16 Me Ship Came In! (03:07) 17 Blue Café (02:17) 18 The Paris Match (04:26) 19 My Ever Changing Moods (03:39) 20 Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse (03:15) 21 A Gospel (04:45) 1 Strength of Your Nature (04:21) 2 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 3 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 4 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 5 Council Meetin’ (02:31) 6 The Big Boss Groove (04:39) 7 Shout to the Top (04:15) 8 Ghosts of Dachau (02:51) 9 The Piccadilly Trail (03:46) 10 Soul Deep (Bert Bevan’s remix) (07:12) 11 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 12 The Whole Point II (02:51) 13 Bloodsports (03:36) 14 Spin’ Drifting (03:11) 15 Homebreakers (05:06) 16 All Gone Away (02:15) 17 Come to Milton Keynes (03:03) 18 Internationalists (03:12) 19 A Stone’s Throw Away (02:18) 20 The Stand Up Comic’s Instructions (01:31) 21 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:15) 1 A Man of Great Promise (02:32) 2 Down in the Seine (02:44) 3 The Lodgers (Or She Was Only a Shopkeeper’s Daughter) (03:57) 4 Luck (02:36) 5 With Everything to Lose (03:54) 6 Our Favourite Shop (02:55) 7 (When You) Call Me (03:16) 8 Have You Ever Had It Blue (uncut version) (04:50) 9 Mr. Cool’s Dream (02:20) 10 It Didn’t Matter (05:47) 11 All Year Round (02:18) 12 Right to Go (05:15) 13 Heavens Above (06:14) 14 Fairy Tales (04:09) 15 Angel (04:32) 16 Walking the Night (04:32) 17 Waiting (04:29) 18 The Cost of Loving (04:21) 19 Womans Song (03:04) 20 Francoise (02:43) 1 Wanted (03:24) 2 The Cost of Loving (12″ version) (03:49) 3 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (05:48) 4 Sweet Loving Ways (03:32) 5 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:32) 6 The Story of Someones Shoe (03:43) 7 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 8 The Little Boy in a Castle (03:05) 9 The Gardener of Eden (A Three Piece Suite) (10:30) 10 Why I Went Missing (04:43) 11 How She Threw It All Away (04:17) 12 Iwasadoledadstoyboy (04:27) 13 Confessions 1, 2 & 3 (04:43) 14 Confessions of a Pop Group (09:26) 15 In Love for the First Time (03:41) 16 I do Like to Be B-Side the A-Side (04:44) 1 Promised Land (Longer version) (07:07) 2 Can You Still Love Me? (04:21) 3 Long Hot Summer ’89 (05:31) 4 Everybody’s on the Run (07:59) 5 A New Decade (03:24) 6 Can You Still Love Me? (05:03) 7 The World Must Come Together (05:24) 8 Hope (Feelings Gonna Getcha) (07:17) 9 That Spiritual Feeling (07:34) 10 Everybody’s on the Run (05:44) 11 Love of the World (08:58) 12 Sure Is Sure (06:17) |
| The Complete Adventures of The Style Council : Allmusic album Review : Given the blockbuster success of the Jams exhaustive box set Direction Reaction Creation, perhaps it was inevitable that Polydor would give the Style Council a similar treatment, but the 1998 release of the five-disc box set The Complete Adventures of the Style Council was still a bit of surprise -- there never was much interest in their catalog following their 1990 disbandment. Fortunately, Polydor took a chance and assembled The Complete Adventures, a lavish box set containing all of the groups singles and albums, minus the live Home & Abroad but including the notorious unreleased 1989 record A Decade of Modernism, which the label allegedly rejected because it found Weller turning toward house music. As it turns out, A Decade of Modernism wasnt that far afield from what the Style Council was exploring from their inception, as the chronological running order of the set makes clear. The sequencing is a blessed occurrence, since its easy to trace their development over the years. Instead of an aberration, the Style Council seems like a natural extension of the Jams final record, The Gift, and every one of their subsequent records makes more sense than before. That doesnt mean the music is always compelling. No matter how interesting some of Wellers ideas were, they didnt always work, and he wrote way too many pompous, directionless songs to have The Complete Adventures rank with Direction Reaction Creation. (There are also too many Mick Talbot instrumentals, but thats another story.) For most listeners, including some serious Weller fans, the Style Council is best appreciated as a singles band, but for the dedicated, The Complete Adventures reveals that the Style Council, no matter how maddening they could be, were a group that continually reinvented themselves, occasionally making some remarkable music along the way. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 26 Title: Classic Style Council Released: 1999 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:11:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 You’re the Best Thing (05:42) 2 It Didn’t Matter (05:46) 3 Life at a Top People’s Health Farm (04:25) 4 Shout to the Top! (04:16) 5 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 6 Angel (04:32) 7 All Gone Away (02:17) 8 Changing of the Guard (02:51) 9 Blue Café (02:18) 10 Headstart for Happiness (03:22) 11 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:38) 12 The Cost of Loving (04:19) 13 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 14 The Story of Someone’s Shoe (03:45) 15 Waiting (04:10) 16 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:14) 17 How She Threw It All Away (04:12) 18 My Ever Changing Moods (04:35) |
 | Album: 18 of 26 Title: In Concert Released: 1999-12-28 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:18:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Meeting (Over) Up Yonder (03:14) 2 Up for Grabs (03:36) 3 Long Hot Summer (07:15) 4 One Nation Under a Groove (04:58) 5 Lédepart (02:36) 6 Spring, Summer, Autumn (02:52) 7 Hanging on to a Memory (05:16) 8 It Just Came to Pieces in My Hands (02:37) 9 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 10 My Ever Changing Moods (04:12) 11 A Man of Great Promise (02:24) 12 The Boy Who Cried Wolf (04:12) 13 A Stones Throw Away (01:57) 14 Speak Like a Child (03:14) 15 Mick’s Up (04:37) 16 Money Go Round /Soul Deep /Strength of Your Nature (05:56) 17 Move on Up (02:49) 18 Down in the Seine (02:52) 19 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:08) 20 Heavens Above (06:29) |
| In Concert : Allmusic album Review : The live album Home & Abroad, which the Style Council released at the height of their popularity, was rather boring and lifeless, showing that they could re-create their sophisticated studio sound on-stage, but it never conveyed how exciting the band could be in person. Released almost a decade after they broke up, In Concert actually does a much better job showing what a vital, unpredictable, and energetic live group the Style Council actually were than the earlier release. The tracks are culled from various concerts over a four-year period and highlight key album cuts, singles, B-sides, tunes they never captured in the studio, and classic soul covers. The group often changes the arrangements of songs, adds (or subtracts) instruments from certain numbers, or gets into extended instrumental jams. The Style Council were never thought of as a very exciting band, but this overview of their concerts shows that they were a unifying and crowd-pleasing live act that was much closer in spirit to a 1960s soul review than to other big 1980s pop groups of the time. Rather than being a cash-in project, In Concert is a must-have for Style Council and Paul Weller fans. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 26 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 2000 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:16:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 2 Money Go Round, Parts 1 & 2 (07:42) 3 Long Hot Summer (03:51) 4 A Solid Bond in Your Heart (03:19) 5 My Ever Changing Moods (04:03) 6 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 7 The Big Boss Groove (04:39) 8 Shout to the Top (04:15) 9 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 10 Come to Milton Keynes (03:03) 11 The Lodgers (04:56) 12 Have You Ever Had It Blue (cut version) (03:24) 13 It Didn’t Matter (05:47) 14 Waiting (04:29) 15 Wanted (03:24) 16 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (04:18) 17 How She Threw It All Away (04:14) 18 Promised Land (02:51) |
 | Album: 20 of 26 Title: The Collection Released: 2001-10-08 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:04:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 2 Shout to the Top (04:15) 3 My Ever Changing Moods (04:03) 4 The Wholepoint of No Return (02:50) 5 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 6 A Stone’s Throw Away (02:18) 7 Bloodsports (03:36) 8 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:32) 9 The Paris Match (03:46) 10 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 11 Luck (02:36) 12 The Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:09) 13 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 14 All Gone Away (02:15) 15 When You Call Me (03:20) 16 A Casual Affair (03:25) 17 Long Hot Summer (03:50) 18 A Solid Bond in Your Heart (03:19) |
 | Album: 21 of 26 Title: The Sound Of Released: 2003 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:17:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 2 Money Go Round (Part 1) (03:54) 3 Headstart for Happiness (02:50) 4 Long Hot Summer (03:51) 5 The Paris Match (04:26) 6 It Just Came to Pieces in My Hands (02:34) 7 My Ever Changing Mood (03:39) 8 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 9 You’re the Best Thing (04:29) 10 Shout to the Top! (04:20) 11 Ghosts of Dachau (02:51) 12 The Piccadilly Trail (03:46) 13 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 14 Spin’ Drifting (03:11) 15 Homebreakers (05:06) 16 A Man of Great Promise (02:32) 17 Have You Ever Had It Blue (04:48) 18 Waiting (04:23) 19 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:34) 20 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 21 Spring, Summer, Autumn (02:24) |
 | Album: 22 of 26 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Style Council Released: 2003-02-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 51:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 It Didnt Matter (05:43) 2 My Ever Changing Moods (single version) (04:01) 3 Youre the Best Thing (single version) (05:41) 4 Shout to the Top (extended version) (04:14) 5 The Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:15) 6 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 7 Money-Go-Round (parts 1+2) (07:41) 8 Long Hot Summer (single version) (03:49) 9 (When You) Call Me (live) (04:31) 10 Have You Ever Had It Blue (03:23) 11 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) |
 | Album: 23 of 26 Title: The Ultimate Collection Released: 2004 Tracks: 34 Duration: 2:15:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 2 Money‐Go‐Round – Part 1 (07:45) 3 Long Hot Summer (06:59) 4 A Solid Bone in Your Heart (03:17) 5 The Paris Match (04:24) 6 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 7 My Ever Changing Moods (03:37) 8 Shout to the Top (03:24) 9 Come to Milton Keynes (03:04) 10 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 11 The Lodgers (03:57) 12 Have You Ever Had It Blue (04:46) 13 It Didn’t Matter (05:44) 1 Waiting (04:25) 2 Wanted (03:25) 3 Life at a Top People’s Health Farm (04:26) 4 Promised Land (02:49) 5 Who Will Buy? (02:42) 6 Waiting for a Connection (03:05) 7 The Cost of Loving (12″ version) (03:48) 8 My Ever Changing Moods (12″ version) (05:42) 9 Shout to the Top (live) (03:23) 10 Walls Come Tumbling Down (live) (03:35) 11 The Lodgers (live) (04:38) 12 Our Favourite Shop (live) (03:22) 13 My Ever Changing Moods (live) (04:33) 1 Start (02:30) 2 Going Underground (03:12) 3 Town Called Malice (02:53) 4 Beat Surrender (03:24) 5 Wild Wood (03:22) 6 Sunflower (04:06) 7 Hung Up (02:41) 8 You Do Something to Me (03:39) |
 | Album: 24 of 26 Title: Gold Released: 2006 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:09:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 2 A Stone’s Throw Away (02:20) 3 Have You Ever Had It Blue (cut version) (03:24) 4 Blue Café (02:17) 5 Money Go Round, Parts 1 & 2 (07:42) 6 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 7 My Ever Changing Moods (04:03) 8 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 9 Long Hot Summer (03:51) 10 Internationalists (03:09) 11 Man of Great Promise (02:34) 12 Our Favourite Shop (02:56) 13 The Lodgers (03:59) 14 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 15 The Cost of Loving (04:19) 16 Wanted (03:24) 17 The Paris Match (04:26) 18 The Big Boss Groove (04:39) 1 It Didn’t Matter (05:47) 2 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 3 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 4 Why I Went Missing (04:45) 5 A Solid Bond in Your Heart (03:19) 6 Love Pains (03:21) 7 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (04:18) 8 Sweet Loving Ways (03:33) 9 Night After Night (02:59) 10 Promised Land (02:51) 11 Shout to the Top (04:15) 12 Who Will Buy? (02:43) 13 How She Threw It All Away (04:14) 14 Waiting (04:29) 15 (When You) Call Me (02:58) 16 Waiting on a Connection (03:06) 17 Come to Milton Keynes (03:03) |
| Gold : Allmusic album Review : After leaving one of punk rocks all-time greatest bands, Paul Weller took things in a very different direction with the Style Council, which led to a wave of groans and moans from Jam loyalists who hung on Wellers every lyric. But steer away from the sneers and jeers and there are more than a few selections that Style Council performed that match those of the Jam. Thankfully, Gold has all of those hits and then some. Its not as concise as the 20th Century Masters edition or even 2002s Cafe Blue collection, which means that casual listeners may find some filler here. But on the flip side of the coin, this could very well be all the Style Council die-hard fans could ever want or need all together on two discs. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 26 Title: Shout to the Top: The Collection Released: 2013 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:19:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Ever Changing Moods (04:03) 2 Party Chambers (03:21) 3 Mick’s Company (02:48) 4 Shout to the Top (04:19) 5 Luck (02:35) 6 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 7 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 8 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 9 Long Hot Summer (03:51) 10 The Piccadilly Trail (03:46) 11 Le Depart (02:48) 12 Ghosts of Dachau (02:49) 13 Homebreakers (05:07) 14 A Man of Great Promise (02:33) 15 The Gardener of Eden (A Three Piece Suite) (10:27) 16 Waiting (04:22) 17 Everybody’s on the Run (08:00) 18 Sure Is Sure (06:19) |
| Shout to the Top: The Collection : Allmusic album Review : In 1983, Paul Weller broke up the Jam at the peak of their success in order to form a new band that would give him more room to explore his interest in R&B;, soul, jazz, and dance sounds. The result was the Style Council, which Weller co-founded with keyboardist Mick Talbot; they recorded a series of ambitious albums that fused sophisticated sounds with incisive political and social commentary. Shout to the Top: The Collection features 18 of the best songs from the groups eight-year run, bridging the gap between the Jams run of hits and Wellers return as a solo artist. Selections include "Long Hot Summer," "My Ever Changing Moods," "Walls Come Tumbling Down," and "Youre the Best Thing." | ||
 | Album: 26 of 26 Title: Classic Album Selection Released: 2013-07-15 Tracks: 63 Duration: 4:37:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Long Hot Summer (07:03) 2 Headstart for Happiness (02:50) 3 Speak Like a Child (03:17) 4 Long Hot Summer (club mix) (06:57) 5 The Paris Match (03:46) 6 Mick’s Up (03:13) 7 Money-Go-Round (club mix) (07:44) 1 Mick’s Blessings (01:17) 2 The Whole Point of No Return (02:43) 3 Me Ship Came In! (03:07) 4 Blue Café (02:17) 5 The Paris Match (04:26) 6 My Ever Changing Moods (03:39) 7 Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse (03:15) 8 A Gospel (04:45) 9 Strength of Your Nature (04:21) 10 You’re the Best Thing (05:41) 11 Here’s One That Got Away (02:37) 12 Headstart for Happiness (03:19) 13 Council Meetin’ (02:31) 1 Homebreakers (05:06) 2 All Gone Away (02:15) 3 Come to Milton Keynes (03:03) 4 Internationalists (03:12) 5 A Stones Throw Away (02:18) 6 The Stand Up Comic’s Instructions (01:31) 7 Boy Who Cried Wolf (05:15) 8 A Man of Great Promise (02:32) 9 Down in the Seine (02:44) 10 The Lodgers (or, She Was Only a Shopkeeper’s Daughter) (03:57) 11 Luck (02:36) 12 With Everything to Lose (03:54) 13 Our Favourite Shop (02:54) 14 Walls Come Tumbling Down (03:24) 15 Shout to the Top (USA remix) (04:21) 1 It Didn’t Matter (05:47) 2 Right to Go (05:15) 3 Heavens Above (06:14) 4 Fairy Tales (04:09) 5 Angel (04:32) 6 Walking in the Night (04:34) 7 Waiting (04:29) 8 The Cost of Loving (04:21) 9 A Woman’s Song (03:03) 1 It’s a Very Deep Sea (05:32) 2 The Story of Someones Shoe (03:43) 3 Changing of the Guard (02:50) 4 The Little Boy in a Castle / A Dove Flew From the Elephant (03:03) 5 The Gardener of Eden (A Three Piece Suite) (10:30) 6 Life at a Top Peoples Health Farm (04:18) 7 Why I Went Missing (04:43) 8 How She Threw It All Away (04:17) 9 Iwasadoledadstoyboy (04:27) 10 Confessions 1, 2 & 3 (04:43) 11 Confessions of a Pop Group (09:26) 1 A New Decade (03:24) 2 Can You Still Love Me? (04:57) 3 The World Must Come Together (05:24) 4 Hope (Feelings Gonna Getcha) (07:17) 5 That Spiritual Feeling (07:34) 6 Everybody’s on the Run (05:40) 7 Love of the World (08:58) 8 Sure Is Sure (06:17) |
| Classic Album Selection : Allmusic album Review : Released in 2013 through Universal U.K., Classic Album Selection is a sharp, no-frills box set that contains the original U.K. versions of the Style Councils Introducing the Style Council (1983), Café Bleu (1984), Our Favourite Shop (1985), The Cost of Loving (1987), Confessions of a Pop Group (1988), and Modernism: A New Decade (recorded in 1989 but not released until 1998). The discs are packaged in simple LP replica sleeves that reproduce the original artwork. There are no bonus tracks -- no extra enticements. The box itself is compact but fairly sturdy. Casual fans can stick with either the brief 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Style Council or the relatively in-depth Gold. | ||