REVIEW: Paul Weller Fly On The Wall reissue

Paul Weller’s career has seen more triumphant highs and lows than a Mary Quant mini skirt. Delving back into his fresh 90’s tentative solo beginnings before travelling onto early 00’s futuristic mod struts, Fly On The Wall is a glimpse through b sides, remixes and radio session tracks featured on the Modfathers singles that were compiled in a smart box set at the outset of its original release. Fast forward to 2024 and the mammoth box set sees a striking triple vinyl reissue and long warranted digital release which sticks faithfully to the stunning Lawrence Watson photography along with inserts featuring Kate Moss and other eye catching memorabilia from the period.

Of the original material featured Here’s A New Thing and That Spiritual Feeling hark back to the last moments of The Style Council, That Spiritual Feeling especially strikes all the right chords with a cool Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note San Francisco feel; Into Tomorrow demo sparks the start of the return of the woking wonder, Day Tripper guitar riff straight out the top draw with Steve White’s sparkling drum patterns; Fly On The Wall worked well in an acoustic live setting on tours of the time, the track is still timeless as it was on its original release as is Everything Has A Price To Pay.

Ends Of The Earth, b side to the legendary Wild Wood is a magical little ditty in a similar vein to Medicated Goo; The Loved, originally released on a flexi disc via the homeless magazine Big Issue, went on to be most notably cherished when unleashed on the Days Of Speed acoustic tour; This Is No Time, co written with Young Disciple Marco Nelson is a break beat addictive shuffle which went on to be a guitar solo work out on the Wild Wood tour; Lynch Mob Kosmos mix went on to be one of the most revered remixes way before the likes of Norman Cook started taking over the decks, a live version at the now defunct Phoenix Festival is still spoken of in hallowed terms.

Weller is often fond of a cover, this collection features some absolute Jacob cream crackers. Straight out rocker, Neil Young’s Ohio, was a staple number on set lists of the mid 90’s probably including a much talked about 1994 Glastonbury set; Tim Hardin cover Black Sheep Boy, originally taken from the Volume compilation series hits the spot; William Bell Stax cover My Whole World Is Falling Dow is quite simply breathtaking; with the covers of the fabs Sexy Sadie and Don’t Let Me Down plus the Lennon blitz of Instant Karma, just about all angles are covered here plus what was probably pleasing to many of his die hard fans a reworking of Tales From The Riverbank.

Whilst Weller forever moves onto new avenues and alleyways through music its been refreshing to listen to this full house of bingo winners, he was clearly in a rich vein of form throughout this period, sporting the classic Steve Marriott hairline, wearing supreme John Smedley polos, above the ankle Levi’s and Paul Smith loafers, not only did he look the part he had the tunes to match. A perfect combination rarely exists, but it does here.

Fly On The Wall can be pre-ordered via the following link