![]() ![]() ![]() Shout To The Top would not work without its effervescent strings, and continues to be a ray of light. While some of their songs are undoubtedly cheesy, the sense of musical freedom is invigorating, their clever use of instrumentation giving energy to the songs. Revisiting the collection confirms that time has been relatively kind to The Style Council. The dappled textures of Long Hot Summer are rather nice, and every bit as rebellious through its unexpected directions as The Jam were. Three of the four songs from that release are on this collection Long Hot Summer itself, Party Chambers and The Paris Match. Their demeanour could not be further removed from the coiled spring of The Jam, a fact confirmed musically by first EP À Paris in 1983. Looking outwards and upwards, the band did not take themselves too seriously. Looking back now, 30 years after their demise, The Style Council videos have a lot of smiles and understated humour, an indication of their freedom and positive state of mind. The time is right for a reappraisal of the band. The 37–song collection is complemented by an insightful documentary shown on the day of its release by Sky Arts, warmly recommended for fans that are able to see it. That explains the freedom felt throughout the band’s music, richly documented here in Long Hot Summers. Weller was adopting the ‘suck it and see’ approach, keeping an open mind to ensure the band was not placed under too much pressure. Critics, many of whom were still smarting in the aftermath of The Jam’s split, were undecided in some cases and openly hostile in others. They were not the stereotypical ’80s band, and stood out like a sore thumb on their Top Of The Pops appearances. He did this in the company of keyboard player Mick Talbot, vocalist Dee C Charles and drummer Steve White a cornucopia of talented musicians sharing a willingness to look beyond conventional pop song structures and harmonies. The Style Council were not the anticipated solution to his dilemma, but as they grew Weller set about revealing a warmer, more jovial side to his personality. He had already been exploring the fringes of what The Jam were capable of, branching out towards jazz and soul – and he found he was fast outgrowing their rhetoric. Here was a band at the height of its powers, with a dedicated fan base – yet Weller was musically restless, ready to forego all of that and move on. When Paul Weller announced he was breaking up The Jam on 30 October 1982, it seemed like lunacy. Sometimes the best artistic decisions can be the most poorly received. ![]()
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