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Paul Weller / Classic Album Selection: 5CD box set

By Paul Sinclair

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Universal Music will issue a five-disc Paul Weller Classic Album Selection box set in September.

It will contain Weller’s first five solo records; Paul Weller (1992), Wild Wood (1993), Stanley Road (1995), Heavy Soul (1997) and Heliocentric (2000).

It’s a pretty strong selection. The first few albums certainly live up to the billing but whether even the most diehard Weller fan would describe Heliocentric as a ‘classic’ album with a straight face is debatable.

Nevertheless, if you’ve only ever bought one of the many Weller hits collections you’re in for a treat and at around £20 for five CDs in ‘vinyl replica’ wallets and an outer slipcase, it almost beyond criticism. No confirmation of the track listings, but don’t expect any bonus tracks (a pedant might suggest Hung Up is a bonus track on Wild Wood, since it wasn’t on the very original issue, but you know what I mean…).

‘Vol 1’ obviously suggests a second ‘Selection’ will follow, but it will not match this, despite the quality of 22 Dreams and (to a lesser degree) Wake Up The Nation.

Paul Weller’s Classic Album Selection is released on 8 September 2014.

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15 Comments

15 thoughts on “Paul Weller / Classic Album Selection: 5CD box set”

  1. I’ve been listening to this boxset and just checked online to see if there ever was a Vol 2 – it doesn’t appear so.

    Not that I expect anyone will be reading this nearly a decade on..time flies.

  2. Can anyone tell me if these have been remastered? Some of his earlier stuff was a bit muddy; I’m thinking Heliocentric and to a lesser extent Stanley Road.

  3. I’m actually rather partial to Heliocentric, which might just put me in the very clear minority. In truth, even at his weakest, Weller still had plenty of good stuff for each album. However, fans have their picks, and it’s always interesting to see and hear how others feel about our favourite artists. I mean, as a Bowie fan, for example, I never had much to complain about the Tin Machine period, which is a good point. The first album in particular still sounds good, as far as I’m concerned. But solo failures, although rare for people like David, include Never Let Me Down, and perhaps about half of Tonight–again, a record I still enjoy enough to not complain too much about!

  4. @Dave: Ditto. A box set of these titles on vinyl would make much more sense, and I was briefly excited that was finally coming to pass when I first heard about this.

  5. Would have been better with Live Wood over Heliocentric, that’s for sure. Heavy Soul is one of my favorite Weller albums and Stanley Road the most overrated. I have never understood why HS was so widely panned.

    The first four (and Live Wood) really need to be reissued on vinyl. That’s what I was hoping this box was until I re-read the post title.

  6. He nearly lost me mid-period. The first 3 albums are untouchable, “Heavy Soul” less so but still head and shoulders above the next few releases. He found his way back with “As Is Now” and has been on-form ever since. Unfair to stack “22 Dreams” against “Wake Up The Nation” as they are so different. But “Nation” is my favourite late-period album – it just kicks arse from beginning to end. And with some top guests thrown in – Bev Bevan, Clem Cattini, Bruce Foxton, Kevin Shields – how can it fail?

  7. I have the Weller Japanese mini LP CD box set in a Disc Union issued Stanley Road designed slip case. The titles are listed on the back of the box:

    Paul Weller
    Wild Wood
    Live Wood
    Stanley Road
    Heavy Soul
    Heliocentric
    Studio 150
    As Is Now
    Catch-Flame!

    To which I alsso added ’22 Dreams’ in the same SHM mini LP CD format which was issued after the box set I guess. odd that ‘Illuminations’ wasn’t included. That one doesn’t seem to have been issued as mini LP CD.

  8. Love Heliocentric, love all the others too. No ‘More Wood’ though unfortunately, great compilation cd from Japan which also turned up in the uk for a bit. No ‘Live Wood’ either…

  10. I agree with Mike. The Weller curation industry at Universal has shown great style in their consistency across his canon of work e.g. Box sets, deluxe editions and these classic album selections. The only thing I really miss is the Style Council equivalent of the 45 RPM singles set. Also am awaiting news of Setting Sons and the other TSC albums other than Our Favourite Shop on deluxe editions.

  11. It’ll very nicely match the Style Council set from last year. Hopefully they’ll keep dimensions and outer box designs the same!

    Illuminations / As Is Now / Studio 150 / 22 Dreams / Wake Up The Nation would make a decent Vol.2; I may be in the minority but his latterday albums have bucked the usual trend in established acts of slow decline.

    1. Definitely agree with Eric regarding his latter-day albums.
      As I said elsewhere on this site, Weller is one of the few artists whose releases I still look forward to with anticipation. 22 Dreams, Wake Up the Nation and Sonik Kicks have added some unexpected and, and to me welcome, elements of experimentation that have kept his output fresh.

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