tonight, All Mod Cons since you ask and I couldn't help but thinking that I too must catch up on later Weller. I stopped at Heliocentric, I own 22 Dreams but have only listened to it once. I am at home decorating tomorrow, I am going to give it a proper listen.

"Frightened" (from Heliocentric)

Wake Up The Nation is brilliant, one of my albums of the year.

Be advised its much louder than Stanley Road/Wild Wood.

Lots of excellent records to choose from, Wake Up The Nation (2010, mentioned above) would definately be a good choice. There's a real mix of interesting stuff on it, including this:

I was also very taken with As Is Now (2005), this was the first single from it:

I've always liked Ocean Colour Scene too.

is a rarities and b-sides compilation; it features a lot of good stuff (some dull stuff too) but the good stuff is as good as anything Weller's solo career has put on the table.

Meanwhile As Is Now and Wake Up The Nation are probably my favourite Weller solo albums. I did like his first solo album too, because it's still quite soul/jazz influenced, sounding more like a lost Style Council album.

22 Dreams contains what it probably my all time favourite solo Weller track though Have You Made Up Your Mind, a beautiful Small Faces meets Berlin era Bowie song.

is great...some remnants of some funky Style Council end era stuff (Kosmos) along with great back to basics Rickenbacker heavy songs like Into Tomorrow.

Heavy Soul is pretty good in places (I Should Have Been There to Inspire You, Friday Street, Mermaids - stodgy in others (title track) - recorded at a time when he was held up as the "Modfather" by Gallagher et al and clearly his head was turned. Downhill then until 22 Dreams. Avoid the covers album like the plague.

NB - no kicking OCS from these quarters. Great band.

Stanley Road is my favourite album of all time. That whole album is amazing.

Have you heard Heavy Soul yet? That is a great album and also 22 dream is fantastic. Stay clear of Illumination.

which includes this little gem.

A tip of the hat to Steve White, Weller's long-serving drummer. Precise, funky and just perfect for Weller's early solo style.

...called Days of Speed which has songs from the first decade or so of his early career and the odd Jam number. Until his last two albums (both of which are great), this is the one I listened to most.

I'd recommend the first 3 solo albums (Paul Weller, Wild Wood, Stanley Road)and the last 3 (As Is Now, 22 Dreams, Wake Up The Nation). Also a shout for Heliocentric, which gets ignored, but I think's great.

The first solo lp's well worth a punt-features this gem!

a good album, though never thought much of Stanley Road apart from the cover art. His last two albums, especially Wake Up the Nation have been a return to the kind of music Weller does best and which re-ignites a flame that lies within any old Jam fans. I once saw Ocean Colour Scene supporting Weller in his 'I wish I was Neil Young' phase and they come over as a bit laughable really. They might as well call themselves a Weller tribute act and be done with it, no real identity of their own and calling one of their albums Moseley Shoals - for God's sake.

just always seemed eminently slappable to me.
File under unashamed bigotry.

under 'good taste'.

has to be 22 Dreams. Not everything works but mostly fantastic.

22 dreams was not just a return to form but included some his best work to day with an eclectic mix of styles and but less of the pub rock style and giutar noodling of the previous 2 or 3 solo albums(but then I am that most rare thing, a big Style Council fan).

22 Dreams is also very good but I would advise against the first solo album (Paul Weller) for an entry point (some good ideas but some of the songs seem a bit half formed and not easily accessible with a mix of jazz funk, acid jazz and small faces style R&B).

As others have noted, the 'Paul Weller' album is a gem. For some reason it is often overlooked but for my money is his best.

Paul Weller, Wild Wood & Stanley Road - the obvious place to start
Heavy Soul - As good as before, I just play it more often
Heliocentric - Enjoyable, but not as good as the last 4
Illumination & Studio 150 - OK, but I never thought of them as that great
As Is Now - Second Favourite (after HS)
22 Dreams - Took about 5 plays to get into it - glad I did
Wake Up The Nation - One of THE albums of 2010, containing one of the best PW songs 'No Tears To Cry'