Illumination

THE JAM, THE STYLE COUNCILなどを経た現在もブリティッシュ・アイコンとして輝き続けるポール・ウェラーの2002年にリリースの6枚目のソロ・スタジオ・アルバムが180g重量盤LPで登場。

2002年9月に発売された本作は、ウェラーのソロとしては2度目の全英1位を獲得した作品でヒット・シングル「It's Written in The Stars」(7位)と「Leafy Mysteries」(23位)を収録。カーリーン・アンダーソン、ジョセリン・ブラウン、ケリー・ジョーンズ、ノエル・ギャラールがゲストとして参加している。
今回の復刻盤では角丸のオリジナル・パッケージを忠実に再現したゲイトフォールド仕様で16のブックレットを封入。こちらもLPのカッティングはロンドンのメトロポリス・スタジオで Metropolis Studiosで行われた。

Paul Weller doesn't try anything explicitly new on his sixth solo album, Illumination, or at least it seems that way at first. It's firmly grounded in the soulful singer/songwriter style that he etched out on Wild Wood, but there are several subtle differences that give it its own character. As it turns out, Heliocentric was indeed a bit of a creative rebirth, signaling a return to stronger songwriting plus a willingness to play around with the arrangements. During the Stanley Road/Heavy Soul phase, it would have been unthinkable for Weller to loop a horn sample for a song's main hook as he does on "It's Written in the Stars," but he not only does that, he offers it as a lead single. And the horn sample is a good indication of where the sound of Illumination lies. There is little of the British folk and prog overtones of Heliocentric here, and soul takes the center stage; even when a track isn't explicitly soulful, it has a warm, welcoming vibe reminiscent of late-'60s/early-'70s soul. When the album drifts, as it does on the largely instrumental "Spring (At Last)," it's for atmosphere, enhancing the open, warm feel of the record. Even when Weller tears loose on occasion -- flashing violent rage on the rampaging "A Bullet for Everyone," for instance, or fiercely playing his guitar -- it functions as an effective counterpoint, emphasizing the comforting feel of the majority of the album. Best of all, it all feels effortless (unlike, say, the labored efforts of his peer, Elvis Costello, on his 2002 release When I Was Cruel), from the production to the songwriting. This is unlikely to be a huge hit, like Stanley Road, nor will it likely win many new fans, but that's not the point of Illumination. This, like any Weller album, is a snapshot of Weller's mood at the time, and it finds him aging gracefully and appealingly. Anybody who's gone this far with him will surely find it very satisfying. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

ＪＡＭ、スカタン時代のアルバムにも匹敵するポール・ウェラー、ソロ・キャリアでの最高傑作！！オリジナル・アルバムとしては『ヒーリオセントリック』以来２年ぶりとなる本作ではスカタン時代のスタイリッシュな編集感覚と、ソロのキャリアで培った魂溢れるヘヴィ・ソウルが渾然一体となったモッドファーザー節全開の素晴らしい内容。ソロになってからのアルバムを聴いてない人に是非楽しんでもらいたい１枚です。ＥＴＥＲＥＯＰＨＯＮＩＣＳのケリー・ジョーンズとのデュエット（１１）も聴き逃せない名曲です。オススメ→（１）（２）（３）（４）（９）（１１） (C)DaKaRa