Has the “Voice of a Generation” (as he was dubbed by the British music press) mellowed out? A listen to former Jam and Style Council leader Paul Weller’s second solo album, the just-released “Wild Wood,” might indicate so. The acoustic, almost pastoral nature of much of the album is more reminiscent of the band Traffic than of anything Weller has done in the past.
Weller, a card-carrying member of Britain’s new wave class of ’76, bristles at the suggestion.
“The Jam and the Style Council were a long time ago,” said Weller, who will be performing Saturday at Metro in a 7 p.m. show. “We all grow up and move on. I think if people hear the album, they’ll like it. It’s just that getting people to hear it is the hardest part, especially getting it played on radio.”
It’s unfortunate, but Weller carries considerable baggage from his past with him. Leading the Jam from 1976 to 1982, Weller carved out a special place in the hearts of U.K. rock fans with manifestos like “That’s Entertainment” and “Town Called Malice” that articulated the growing disenchantment many of his generation felt about life in modern Britain. After the Jam came the Style Council, a group in more of an R&B vein that was equally successful in the U.K., though only moderately so in the U.S.
With “Wild Wood,” Weller hopes to raise his profile in the States. Released six months ago in the U.K., the album has already produced a couple of hit singles there. Weller makes no bones about wanting to achieve that same level of success here.
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“It matters to me a lot, because if you’re successful in America, then the rest of the world sits up and takes notice,” he said. “I also feel that some sort of success in the States is long overdue. I wouldn’t say that I’ve worked hard for it in the past, but from the gigs I’ve done in the States I feel like I’ve really connected with the audiences there. I think there’s some sort of bond between us.”
Unless you want to test that bond, don’t bother yelling out requests for old Jam and Style Council songs. Weller says his Metro show will feature material from his two solo albums exclusively.
While many of his British new wave contemporaries have since burned out creatively, Weller says that, if anything, he’s even more focused on his music these days.
“I love playing live more than I ever have,” he said. “Maybe it’s because I’m able to do things musically I wasn’t able to do before. I feel more connected with my playing and singing now, and I feel more a part of it rather than just sort of watching it like a spectator, as I sometimes used to do. I’ve stayed fresh because I still love music and I still love what I do.”
Opening is Los Angeles’ Sun 60, whose two songwriters, David Russo and Joan Jones, alternate turns in the vocal spotlight as they examine the soft white underbelly of their hometown on their fine new album, “Only.”
Other concerts of note
Blues Traveler, Soul Hat, Friday at the Aragon Ballroom: If you want to catch Blues Traveler in the relatively cozy confines of the Aragon (hah!) before they hit the outdoor amphitheaters this summer on the H.O.R.D.E. Festival tour, this is your chance. A bit less bluesy is opener Soul Hat, whose new “Good To Be Gone” album mixes Spin Doctors-style funk with some good old-fashioned crunch guitar.
Billy Joe Shaver, Friday at Schubas, Saturday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn: If you missed Billy Joe Shaver’s January gig at Schubas, here are two more chances to catch one of the most affecting singer-songwriters to ever emerge from the fertile musical state of Texas. The rough-hewn Shaver’s recent “Tramp On Your Street” album was a triumphant return to form for the writer of numerous hits for others (Waylon Jennings, John Anderson, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley). And Shaver’s band, led by his guitarist son Eddy, is as hot as a firecracker on the 4th of July.
Tool, Flaming Lips, Failure, Saturday at the Riviera Theatre: You might think of them as just another “guitar-noise” band, but headliners Tool on this sold-out show are one of the hottest acts currently on the rock circuit. Flaming Lips may be second-billed, but they have the distinction of having their “Transmissions From the Satellite Heart” album chosen as 1993’s best rock album by the rock critics for the Tribune and the Sun-Times. Yes, like Siskel and Ebert, occasionally they do agree.
Laurie Lewis & Grant Street, Saturday at the Old Town School of Folk Music: Fiddler and vocalist Laurie Lewis and her band play acoustic music that can best be described as “bluegrass and beyond.” She cites not only bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe as an influence, but such diverse artists as Billie Holiday, the Beatles and Aretha Franklin as inspirations. She’s also a fine songwriter, whose “Love Chooses You” has been recorded by country star Kathy Mattea.
Brand New Heavies, Saturday at Metro: Mix powerful American singer N’Dea Davenport with three British soul and funk fanatics and the result is the Brand New Heavies, whose current single, “Dream On Dreamer,” is one of the most refreshing sounds on the R&B and pop charts. Their sound incorporates the best elements of ’70s R&B a la Rufus and Earth, Wind and Fire, while eschewing drum machines and sampling in favor of more traditional instrumentation. Throw in some jazzy horns and you have the makings for some of the most infectious dance music since Sly and the Family Stone. This is an 11:30 p.m. show.
Salt-N-Pepa, R. Kelly, Kid Capri and Xscape, Sunday-Monday at the UIC Pavilion: More than any other hip-hop act, Salt-N-Pepa have proved that rap is not just a guy thing. Chicago’s own R. Kelly is almost of headliner status himself, thanks to lascivious odes like the current platinum single, “Bump N’ Grind,” while the young Atlanta female foursome Xscape has scored several hits from their debut album, “Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha.”
Michelle Shocked, Ted Hawkins, Tuesday at Park West: Her heart may be in the right place, but roots music revivalist Michelle Shocked is her own worst enemy, as her pretentious “Arkansas Traveler” roadshow proved when it stopped at Park West a couple of years ago. Perhaps of more interest is opener Ted Hawkins, a one-time itinerant street performer whose hardscrabble life inspired the sublime recent album, “The Next Hundred Years.”
Philip Bailey, Wednesday at Park West: If you’ve been wondering whatever happened to Philip Bailey-known to the pop crowd for his 1984 hit duet with Phil Collins, “Easy Lover,” and to the R&B crowd for his falsetto singing with Earth, Wind & Fire in the ’70s-he’s been branching out into gospel and jazz projects. Bailey is back in the R&B mainstream, though, with a new self-titled album whose initial single “Here With Me” shows that his four-octave voice is still potent.