Paul Weller – Wild Wood (1993)

[Album 854/1001]

I’m a Jason Spezza fan.

True, he doesn’t skate as fast, or put up the same kind of numbers, as he did at the beginning of his career with the Ottawa Senators.

He plays a different game these days than he did during his years in Dallas, his transitional period from young star to NHL veteran.

But he’s found his niche with the Leafs as (the somewhat cringe-ily nicknamed) “Daddy Spezza” or (the considerably less cringe-y) “Vintage.”

And he’s not just earning a paycheque based on his reputation; he’s earned his spot on the team through his performance.

For reasons including (but not limited to) his sterling face-off percentages, his ability to chip in offensively (as demonstrated by his recent hat trick), and his leadership.

Like I said, I’m a fan!

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I’m also a Paul Weller fan.

True, he doesn’t play as fast, or put up the same kind of sales numbers, as he did at the beginning of his career with The Jam.

He plays a different style of tune these days than he did during his years in The Style Council, his transitional period from young star to mature artist.

But he found his niche as a key influencer of the ’90s Britpop movement, often referred to as (the aptly? cringe-ily? named), “The Modfather.”

Though his solo album, Wild Wood, from that period is not on the 1001 list purely because of his reputation; instead, Weller earned his spot on the list through his performance.

For reasons including (but not limited to) his talents on a variety of instruments, his continued ability to generate singles (as demonstrated by his a hat trick of UK hits, Sunflower, Hung Up, and the title track), and his overall songwriting proficiency.

Like I said, I’m a fan!

…..

Verbalize the Positive

This is one of those albums that I’ve enjoyed listening to over the past couple of years but until now, I was just unsure of what to say about it.

So thank you, Jason “Vintage” Spezza, for helping me organize my thoughts!