Paul Weller

This one lives up to its title, balancing a heavy, late-1960s blues rock sound with soul (if Weller were American, he'd probably have a big Jam Rock following). Best tunes include "Friday Street," "I Should Have Been There To Inspire You" and the fan favorite, "Peacock Suit."

It's like 1979 all over again. With its clenched-distortion guitar hook and airy come-hither
chorus, "The Next Right Moment" – the first song on the new solo album by the Cars'
main-wheel man, Ric Ocasek – is the spitting, turn-of-the-'80s image of that band's
black-pearl melodic polish and cat's-purr locomotion. And that's no bad thing. Ocasek's
biggest hits with the Cars were always catchy but disquieting things: airtight roc... More >

Forget the dance comps clogging the top 10 of a land that now believes 1989 was 1977. Never mind who the Lighthouse Family might be. If you want to know how little U.S. and UK share anymore, pull out your cherished copy of Weller's acclaimed 1993 comeback (wha?) Wild Wood and note that in its roots-AOR wake the artist to whom this minor punk is now compared is Neil Young. (Grade - C)