In the last issue of Uncut, I reviewed Paul Weller's Classic Album Selection Volume 1; the first five solo albums in one handy box, in other words. It occurred to me, it might be a nice idea to subsequently post the full transcript of my interview with Weller, which formed the basis of our July 2014...
So who do you consider your peers these days?
I don’t really. I’ve got more in common with people who are much younger than me. Who would be my peers?
Who’s left from the class of 77? Lydon, Mick Jones, Siouxsie…
I don’t relate to any of those people really. Not because I dislike them, not because I don’t like their music, but they don’t feel like peers to me. They haven’t been consistent enough for me to regard them as peers, to be quite honest with you. I’ve always had to keep working as well. I’ve wanted to keep working, but from a very practical point of view I’ve had to keep working as well, just to keep things on the road, you know. I’ve never thought about not working. It’s not an option for me. And through work, you find yourself as well – or in my line of work anyway.
Would you ever consider touring specific albums?
Everyone’s doing that, aren’t they? Playing their classic album. The only time I’ve ever done anything like it, I played Sonik Kicks in its entirety at the Roundhouse for five nights, which was a strange experience. It was my reaction against all the people playing their classic album from 30 years ago, so I played my new one. It was alright, but there were points in the night where I thought, “This is either really brave or fucking stupid to do this.” It’s not an easy album to listen to anyway, but hearing it live for the first time, people don’t know the songs. But no, it wouldn’t interest me in playing a classic album, because so many people are doing it. It’s like people doing covers or Unplugged or whatever, it just becomes a trend.
Do you feel comfortable playing old songs in your sets?
When I first got back on track with trying to do my solo thing, I purposely went out of my way not to play Jam songs, because I wanted to claw my way back up just on my own merits. Which I did, I felt vindicated in some way. Then when I did an acoustic tour in the early Noughties, I was playing new songs and old songs next to each other but they were all stripped down, pared down just to an acoustic guitar, and I thought actually they felt alright next to each other. I just changed them a little bit. But I don’t play too many these days, just a couple of the old tunes.
It’s the 30th anniversary of Red Wedge next year…
Don’t tell me! There’s a box set coming out? A live album?! Sorry, go on…
… I wondered whether you thought there was a voice of protest in music today?
Not one that’s detectable to my ears. I’m not hearing it. Maybe the closest I hear it is some UK rappers or some grime artist or something.
As someone who once was a serious young man, does that trouble you?
We live in a different time though, don’t we?
