Customer Reviews
a flavour for everyone - By: ModdyBoy67, 29 Sep 2008 
This has been variously described by others as a concept album, theatrical, self-indulgent & 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 & 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, & 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 & always brings a tear to me old eye! For that alone, thanks Paul. See you in November!
Older, wiser, mellower? - By: Dinga, 02 Sep 2008 This has been going around my stereo for the last six weeks which means it can't be at alll 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 & introspective poetry in abundance.
Opener 'Light Nights' has that 'Wickerman' soundtrack feel to it & 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' & 'All I Wanna Do' are simply structured pop songs with those catchy little riffs that Weller & his band of choice always seem to capture so effortlessly. 'Push It Along' & 'Echoes Round The Sun' are soul/psych babies & 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' & 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 alll, 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 musicallly & artisticallly infalllible? 22 Dreams, like The White Album, works because the tracks belong together on it, in it & around it & 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 & mellow middle age whilst picking up younger affiliates on the way. To me this sounds like the creation of someone enjoying their work & 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?
ALL WELLER AND GOOD - By: Mr. Christopher J. Welch, 29 Aug 2008 
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 & spacey wigouts - to varying degrees of success. Both 'Have You Ever Made Up Your Mind' & the Style Councily 'All I Wanna Do' are amongst the Mod Father's greatest solo singles - accessible, catchy & huge of chorus. '22 Dreams' itself sounds like a prime Jam song whilst 'Invisible' is a lovely understated balllad with a terrific & touching Weller vocal.
As with alll double albums 22 Dreams has it's share of filler & experimentation - 'Echo's Round The Sun' (a collaboration with Noel Galllagher) is dissapointing sub Oasis swamp rock & '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 & 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 & 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.
TOO EXPERIMENTAL FOR ME - DIDN'T LIKE IT - By: R. G. Williams, 25 Aug 2008 This is a "marmite" album you either love it or hate it. For me it's very much the latter. In fact there are only about 3 tracks I like & they are the tracks which stick with the Weller genre of bluesy/rock which he has delivered consistently over the years.
This album simply crosses every genre you can think of so you never know what's coming next, the problem with that is that the artist is delving into areas perhaps he shouldn't be getting into. Why fix a winning formula? However, it appears many fans like this album but for me I want Weller music, not experimental classical music to feed Weller's creative ambitions.
Not for me this one.
Best Since Stanley Rd - By: Simon Platt, 05 Aug 2008 
As is typical for Paul Weller, you dont know what to expect but coming out of the other side of this musical masterpiece, you just hope we can expect more. Its not Wild wood but were alll 15 years older now - its not illumination, thankfully as i could never get into that - in fact its difficult to compare this apart from saying Ive been waiting for him to produce something this good since Stanley Rd - ive not stopped listening to it & pick up something great each time. This is truly worth buying & giving the time it deserves to take it alll in.
