Introducing the Style Council

Introducing the Style Council Artist: The Style Council
Label: Polygram Int'l
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 042281527722
EAN: 0042281527722
ASIN: B00000747N


Release Date: 1987-03-19

Introducing the Style Council


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Tracks:

  1. Long Hot Summer
  2. Headstart For Happiness
  3. Speak Like A Child
  4. Long Hot Summer (Club Mix)
  5. The Paris Match
  6. Mick's Up
  7. Money-Go-Round

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Album Description

Budget reissue of sophisti-pop band's 1983 debut featuring Paul Weller. A solid EP collection of the band's initial British singles. Seven tracks. Polydor/Spectrum Music. 2004.

Album Details

The Debut EP of the Duo that Former Jam Frontman Paul Weller Formed with Former Merton Parka Mick Talbot. Critically Acclaimed at the Time of It's Release, it Includes Two Mixes of the Hit Single "Long Hot Summer".

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Weller Goes Soul.......2003-04-05

A rollicking fine debut which successfully launched Paul Weller's post-Jam foray into blue-eyed soul. While the formula would be refined and perfected before finally reaching an apex with "My Ever Changing Moods", the rawness and spontaneity of "Introducing" is hard to beat.

While "Introducing" picked up its share of devoted followers, it never reached a mass audience. Too bad, as several stand-out tracks would have made fine singles. The effortless groove of lead track "Long Hot Summer" conjures the romantic image of escaping the daily grind on a blistering July day. The acoustic sing-a-long "Head Start For Happiness", adeptly structured on a bed of minor-seventh chords, is an achingly sincere love-fest. Best of all is "The Paris Match", a soaring romantic epic, which rightfully earns its place among the upper strata of Weller's work. Really there a no duds on the disc. Even throwaway "Mick's Up", a bluesy send-up a la Booker T & the MG's, is worthy. Overall, a fine introduction to a vastly underrated band.

5 out of 5 stars Gem from My Youth.......2003-02-21

Oh, sweet memories! Long Hot Summer was the first song I ever heard from the TSC--I vaguely remember the video...I wore out the grooves on this album and later recorded it on a cassette which I carried with me everywhere for at least 10 years until I got the CD...This EP should've gotten more attention, but I think it was too eclectic even for the early 80's. If you enjoy quality pop music (no, it's not an oxymoron) with thoughtful, articulate lyrics, check this out! Mick Talbot's piano on Mick's Up is just too cool!! Enjoy (-;

4 out of 5 stars Stylish Sampler.......2003-01-07

The first track Long Hot Summer always reminds me of the type of early 80's American R&B groups like Mtume's Juicy Fruit or the same deep, synth soulful sounds of the S.O.S Band ! Headstart for Happiness with it's Hammond organ sound and cheerful acoustical style is sheer retro 70's, bluesy upbeat pop.Speak Like a Child, well just think late 60's pop. The mid-tempo balladry of The Paris Match would later be re-worked in a more torch, jazz like-feel on the next album Cafe Bleu/My Ever Changing Moods. Vocals would be sung by Tracy Thorn of Everything But the Girl fame...Even the album cover photos sport a true sign of the times fashion glimpse of the preppie and yuppie movement with a Euro flair...

Paul Weller always had the great artistic knack to take his own songs and do several different alternate versions of the same song in various musical styles! He did it without compromising the meaning or integrity of the song ! The tune Mick's Up is just a jazzy-swinging bluesy instrumental to show off band member's Mick Talbot's musical chops as a organ/piano keyboardist.The last track Money Go Round is campy and trite, yet very likeable, danceable as a funk/pop track !

The 7 tracks on this cd are well worth many spins to come! Introducing the Style Council served as an excellent sampler as to the great material the band would later produce before their breakup in the late 80's...

5 out of 5 stars Arguing with the Chorus.......2002-11-09

Guys/gals! Take it easy! Why reviewer two, seemingly dissed reviewer one, don't know, cause reviewer one liked what he was reviewing.

while i am not, as is apparently, reviewer 2, a world's authority on soul, i know great music when i hear it and play it, to wax egotistical for a moment. (i'm a musician.)

excepting that, sometimes weller's falsetto gives the game away, (white boy makin' black soul) generally, he can do the blue eyed soul thang perfectly and this record does indeed show him at the apex of his powers. (regarding talbot, actually, mick was essential to the council and while his instrumentals aren't for everyone, his arrangement and keys are vital "in de mix.")

a truly great LP from the cover art down, weller's urbane yet pensive expression on the sleeve says it all: ego, talent, fierceness, naked fear (at the reagan-thatcher world order). this album was actually played in REGULAR ROTATION by the world's greatest dj, big rick stewart in california in the sorely missed 80's, so great were the tunes and despite no american mtv or other commercial pumping.

as his melodic sense goes, so goes weller. he gets it, loses it, gets it, loses it. with the exception of money go round, all these songs are extremely melodic (and money go round was just fine, too). i agree with reviwer two, the the production was similarly fantastic - why such limited credit in this regard, i'll never no.

finally, weller says today, he merely 'likes' the council and finds them interesting. to be frank, at least from point of great melody, with few exceptions, the first three style council records smoke the jam. period.

drink your tea, kids, and stop fightin.' get on up!

5 out of 5 stars

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