What a strange book. Journalist Paolo Hewitt was Weller’s closest friend for 25 years (the ‘Cappucino Kid’ of Style Council lore) until their relationship ended abruptly in 2006, for reasons unspecified in the book. Hewitt would therefore seem to be in the ideally placed to give insight into one of the UK’s foremost rock figures of the last thirty years, an act whose guarded media style over the years has meant real revelation was thin of the ground.
It’s just that….well, he does and he doesn’t. This is a book of contradictions. The book pertains not to be a linear biography, but an assesment of the man through short (1-6 page) analysis of songs selected by the author. What this means is that you get a very clear snapshot of what Weller was like when he wrote a piece, but you don’t get any insight as to why. And surely you don’t need access to the inner sanctum to figure out what was going on in the artist’s mind when he wrote the song – you only need to listen to it?
That’s not to say there aren’t some revelations in a grubby sense. The book is at its most compelling when Hewitt, in the style of a tabloid exposé, dishes the dirt. Stories about Weller’s meanness, arrogance, viciousness, selfishness, drunkeness and adultery luridly pass by, somewhat pissing on the author’s repeatedly stated assertion that he bears Weller no ill will. Indeed, as the book gets closer to it’s disappointing conclusion – Weller is a bit of an arsehole but has written some great songs, essentially – Hewitt appears more as Heather Mills to Weller’s Sir Paul, a bitter lover scorned and out for revenge.
So an entertaining read, no doubt, but at the end you won’t be any closer to understanding Weller than you were beforehand. Hewitt may believe that an opinion such as ‘The Weller of 1980 would have despised the current Weller’ to be a shocking bolt from the blue, but any Jam fan could tell you that. It’s bloody obvious. This is a man whose influence is so great that the rhythm section of his band can tour without him 25 years after the band split (and took his talent with him) and sell out a 3,000 capacity arena-sized tour. This is a man whose influence has fired British guitar bands since 1982 (current NME faves The Enemy sound like a bad Jam covers band; they weren’t born when he split the Style Council, never mind the Jam) and who stills appear to be contrary to what we expect our rock elder statesmen to be. Why? Don’t ask me. I don’t know. But neither, sadly, does Paolo Hewitt.
Filed under: Books, about music obviously Tagged: | Hewitt, Paul Weller, the Jam, the Style Council
Paul Weller is evil and should be buried alive.
An opinion, I have to say, shared by Paolo Hewitt!
I love the Jam but the hippy dadrock shit gets on my bellend. And not in a good way.
Saw the enemy on TV the other night – oh dear! Deformed midgets, who sound worse than deformed midgets would sound had they guitars. They are to The Jam what Aqua were to John Coltrane….in fact they are to The Jamm what Aqua etc etc…..
It’s almost as if they listened to ‘The Modern World’ and ignored all the other albums. That is not a good thing.
Still intrigues me though that probably the most popular young guitar band in the country (Arctic Monkeys apart) are in thrall to a band their dads would have been too young to see. While Weller may wish it wasn’t, his legacy is principally the Jam.
arrogant,vicious,selfish,drunkard,lord – he might just be human.
Cant think of any great song-writer whose work has stood the test of time,has longevity, and cut across generations who doesnt have such predilictions or frailties.
like all greats though,Weller describes his out-put in terms of work or a job he does. He,like others of his ilk,seems to see them as distinct from himself. What is clear is that his songs( as with any great writer) are a seperate entity from the person he is,or,more accurately an expression of but one small facet of that personality.
Are any of us really so naive as to expect that the creator of an illusion is like or indeed becomes that illusion?
Perhaps the Cappuchino kid is?
I suspect Weller just got sick of dragging a clone around on his coat-tails.
No mystery there.
It really does come across that Hewitt will miss Weller more than Weller will miss Hewitt.
I do have to say that reading the book it is very obvious what Hewitt got out of the friendship but unclear what he gave it. Indeed, he comes across as vain, needy, preening, deluded and rather pointless.
As I say, he really reminds me of Heather Mills. And that can never, ever, ever be a good thing.
Yeah,lets just hope Weller didnt pay 50 million quid to get rid of the parasite !
Cheeky cow wanted more! I mean, FFS!
Paul Weller: Just added some pics, set list & brief review of the last San Francisco show. http://bit.ly/SpiralScratchWeller