Sumptuous, inspiring and transformative, the new reissued release from Paul Weller is a career-spanning celebration of his prowess as a songwriter and musician. As the name suggests, this is a dazzling sonic navigation through the B-sides, remixes and rarities that takes the listener through Paul’s solo efforts.
From his eponymous debut in 1992 through to 2000’s ‘Heliocentric’ days, the album showcases the varied styles and eras of Paul Weller’s barnstorming career during that period and cements his reputation as the ‘Changing Man’ and as an artist not afraid to push musical boundaries.
Originally released as a collection in 2003, ‘Fly on the Wall’ brings together rarities from Paul’s time both at Go! Discs and then subsequently Island Records and has not been available since its original release in 2003.
The acclaimed collection has been re-issued over twenty years later, not just in the shape of a covetable triple vinyl offering, but also as a highly sought after digital release too. I remember buying the CD box set in 2003 complete with picture postcards back in the day and being thrilled with hearing rare Weller tracks that weren’t available in the mainstream.
The 2024 release remains faithful to the original with its striking Lawrence Watson design and includes demos and covers of The Beatles’ ‘Sexy Sadie’, John Lennon’s ‘Instant Karma’, Bob Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’, a gorgeous take on Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ and Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s ‘Ohio’ which was a Weller set list mainstay throughout the 90’s. Of the covers, the aforementioned ‘Ohio’ and Weller’s dynamic take on The Beatles’ ‘Don’t Let Me Down” feels like it could have been written for Paul’s gravely and impassioned vocals are standout highlights.
‘Fly On The Wall’ is a formidable collection that is full of style, confidence and shows Paul evolving from his brilliant yet carefree 1992 solo debut which reflected his personal journey at the time (Weller was without a record deal after disbanding The Style Council two years earlier) through the rest of the nineties and the first two years of the noughties.
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There was a real sense of liberation with Weller’s debut and the albums closing track is also included on ‘Fly on the Wall’, the electrifying ‘Kosmos ‘(Lynch Mob Bonus Beats Remix) which with its distorted guitars and crunchy drums feels intoxicating and makes you want to dance.
This revisited collection is a stellar document of Paul Weller’s astonishing solo career and sees his work mature as he delivers into a myriad of genres which encompasses his early noughties material still feels fresh and contemporary as ever.
Without a doubt, his mid-nineties albums ‘Wild Wood’ and ‘Stanley Road’ remain the apex of his 90s resurgence and this can be found in the shape of ‘Ends Of The Earth’ the original B-side to ‘Wild Wood’ and ‘The Loved’, the B-side of ‘Wild Wood’s lead ‘Hung Up’ single and ‘Steam’ the instrumental B-side to ‘Stanley Road’s ‘Broken Stones’ single.
The Portishead remix of ‘Wild Wood’ with its clashing drums and Portishead’s trip-hop stylings is a triumph as ‘The Riverbank’, which traces its roots back to the seminal classic from Weller’s day of The Jam’s classic B-side – ‘Tales From The Riverbank’.
From the opening track of the The Style Council sounding ‘Here’s A New Thing’ (the B-side to ‘Into Tomorrow’ of which the original demo also appears) and ‘Foot of the Mountain’ the live B-Side of ‘Hung Up’ to ‘It’s a New Day Baby’ [B-Side of ‘The Changing Man’ single] and ‘I Shall Be Released’ [the B-Side of the wonderful ‘Out of the Sinking’].
Without a doubt, Paul Weller remains in spectacular form throughout this period and ‘Fly On The Wall’ with its impressive B-side material effortlessly shows what a prolific and prodigious back catalogue he has. It’s a richly varied curation that highlights Weller’s range and creativity during a dynamic decade of his career.
8/10
Words: Emma Harrison // @emmahwriter
