It's never too long between Paul "The Modfather" Weller albums. Yet the starlet's prolific solo output over the last decade or so hasn???t often reached the artistic heights of his work with The Jam or The Style Council. While consistent enough, recent projects have been marred by a certain complacency - a tendency to settle for the middle ground instead of the soaring, surprising heights of yesteryear. But on 22 Dreams, some of the old punk fire returns. Buoyed by a stellar Britpop cast including former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and Oasis members Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer, 22 Dreams is the sound of Weller finally taking an unexpected artistic leap after a series of steady steps. Working across a wide range of genres--rock, funk, soul, free jazz, krautrock, classical music, electronica, even spoken word--Weller presents an hour-plus odyssey full of eccentric surprises and loveable chaos. From the blue-eyed soul of "Have You Made Up Your Mind?" and the eerily brilliant "Echoes Around the Sun" (a Weller/Gallagher collaboration), to experimental offerings such as "111" and acid-folk opener "Light Nights", Weller digs deep into his magician's hat, and pulls out rabbit after rabbit. Some of the more off-the-wall moments--"God" for example--won't be for everyone, but the way everything collides together in a haphazard, devil-may-care manner serves to remind us that we should never write off our beloved veterans ??? you never know when they???re going to take an unexpected artistic risk.--Danny McKenna

I had heard some very complimentary reviews of this album, and as I love his music anyway, I couldn't wait to hear this latest offering for myself.

I think that some of the negative, or rather, less than good, ratings received on here are from people who want to hear Paul Weller delivering Paul Weller as we know it.

This album will probably disppoint such people as it's a trip into other musical genres, such as Elvis Costello type heartfelt ballads; Invisible sounds EXACTLY like a Costello number, and folky-type sounds such as on Light Numbers.

There are still elements of "our" Paul, such as in 22 Dreams itself. I liked hearing Weller break free from the typecast we had him in and showing us he can turn his hand successfully to other kinds of music.

A great album; one of the best of 2008.

It strikes me how nobody is talking about how awful this record sounds. It is loud, compressed... It seems to have been mixed directly into an mp3 player; the saddest thing of all is that it has some of the better songs Weller has ever written... Someone has to do something with the awful sounding records released today, because nobody seems to notice.

This has been variously described by others as a concept album, theatrical, self-indulgent and rubbish. I don't agree with any of those descriptions (and certainly not the last one!).

While I don't like every track on this album, there are more than enough great songs for anyone. I can understand that it's not everyone's bag, but let's face it, PW can't just keep on recording new versions of the changing man and peacock suit! We went to Paul's Bristol gig earlier this year where we heard lots of these for the first time. Sometimes difficult to hear a song for the first time, but you could still tell they were quality!

Have you made up your mind? is, for my money, an absolute classic, and one of the stand-out tracks on the album. But sea spray is my personal favourite. It reminds me of when I moved back home to the seaside and always brings a tear to me old eye! For that alone, thanks Paul. See you in November!

This has been going around my stereo for the last six weeks which means it can't be at all bad. Infact once you get past the cover, which I thought resembled the set off of Teletubbies, there's some good stuff here. Catchy tunes and introspective poetry in abundance.

Opener 'Light Nights' has that 'Wickerman' soundtrack feel to it and works well as an intro track, before '22 Dreams' kicks in like a brass heavy soultrain to throw you completely off the scent. Singles 'Have You Made Up Your Mind' and 'All I Wanna Do' are simply structured pop songs with those catchy little riffs that Weller and his band of choice always seem to capture so effortlessly. 'Push It Along' and 'Echoes Round The Sun' are soul/psych babies and it comes as little surprise that they have appeared on the single releases from the LP as extra tracks or B sides.

The other side of the sixpence includes the acoustic drenched 'Why Walk When You Can Run', the Style Councilesque 'Cold Moments' and the very esoteric poem 'God' (which features a slightly disturbing narration from guitarist Aziz Ibrahim who contributes to several tracks on the collection). Not everything here sticks in the head instantly but I think that is to be expected. After all, how much of the 'White Album' (to which this LP has been constantly compared to, albeit 'Weller's White Album') was considered to be garbage before the Beatles Renaissance declared everything touched by the hand of the Fab Four musically and artistically infallible? 22 Dreams, like The White Album, works because the tracks belong together on it, in it and around it and nowhere else.

This is a hotch potch of styles stuck together on an LP made by a man whose music has guided a million once angry young men into worldly and mellow middle age whilst picking up younger affiliates on the way. To me this sounds like the creation of someone enjoying their work and it does indeed for the most part...work! Give it a blast on it's own merit as opposed to judging it on what's been before. Shame to cut one's nose off to spite the face, wouldn't you say?

Paul Weller seems to be back in favour after spending quite a few years being hailed as the nations leading perveyor of 'dad rock'. His last album was a distinct return to form, and, with the single 'From The Floorboards Up' he also scored a major top ten single.
22 Dreams is Weller's 'White Album'. A sprawling collection that visits many genre's - folk, rock, pop, country and spacey wigouts - to varying degrees of success. Both 'Have You Ever Made Up Your Mind' and the Style Councily 'All I Wanna Do' are amongst the Mod Father's greatest solo singles - accessible, catchy and huge of chorus. '22 Dreams' itself sounds like a prime Jam song whilst 'Invisible' is a lovely understated ballad with a terrific and touching Weller vocal.
As with all double albums 22 Dreams has it's share of filler and experimentation - 'Echo's Round The Sun' (a collaboration with Noel Gallagher) is dissapointing sub Oasis swamp rock and 'Push It Along' is a great groove in search of a tune.
With this release Paul Weller has undoubtabley flexed his creative muscles, for probably the first time since the majestic double whammy of Wild Wood and Stanley Road, but 22 Dreams would still have benefitted from being pruned to just 11 or 12 great songs.
Still with the man in such fine voice (his voice does just get better and better with age) it's hard to argue with a talent that still wants to push the boundaries after 30 years of making music.
Devoted Weller heads will lap it up.