Avid fans are going to hate me for this one.

I actually genuinely enjoyed 22 Dreams as an album and it has some great atmospheric tracks on it (i.e. Weller playing piano), some absolute stompers (i.e. Weller playing guitar) and some strange but interesting stuff (i.e. a guy reading aloud while vaguely musical things happen in the background).

However, I would say this is probably the last banger of a song the great man accomplished. I realise some of you will probably question my taste after this. Most people stopped listening when the Jam broke up and the most hardcore probably still listen now. Drawing the line at 22 Dreams is a uniquely TC position I think

I don't listen now to his recent stuff except to the occasional single - the guy has left orbit as far as I'm concerned. Which is good, because it answers the lifelong question I had about how new kids are supposed to get into the charts if the old guys haven't died yet, which was never an issue until now. And I bet he doesn't care either. Wins all round.

Anyway, 22 Dreams seems to bring together all of the themes from his previous bands - the Jam, Style Council and his solo stuff and make it into a very listenable package.

I've always felt this Jam track to be unbelievably and weirdly true about every day life. Difficult to say for sure whether Weller is talking philosophically "in the crowd" as in "in a mindless mob" or whether he means just drifting randomly through a shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon buying random shit (as he mentions actually in the song).

Anyway good tune, bit souly I think. Also, as usual a great look from The Man.

This is a kind of fly-on-the-wall bit where the Big Man is talking about his latest album, generally being a grumpy old git and angrily spouting half-formed opinions on things at random, as we would all expect.

I will probably give the album a listen at some point, but I have long decided that although I quite like some of the stuff he's playing now, it doesn't really speak to me like his older stuff. I'm not just talking about the Jam - Style Council and his solo stuff have all had solid performances. But after 22 Dreams, I have to admit the general direction has slightly gone over my head.

There, I said it. It's another opinion that isn't allowed.

Anyway see what you think.

As any true Jam fan knows, this pic is actually from the Dreams of Children (poor choice of name I always thought) video, rather than from Going Underground. Although Weller is wearing similar gear.

See, I do know some things. Annoyingly though, I can't crow about this because I can't find the video on Youtube to show you all.

This is another oft-forgotten track from Weller’s Stanley Road album.
 
Quite an interesting one, lyrics-wise... perhaps Weller himself letting out some of his frustration about something at the time?
 
Quite a lot of stuff about being weak vs strong, a runt, small axe, etc.

I have literally no evidence for this, just speculating. But it was one of my favourites.

Image is a bit smaller than I'd like but still a good impression of the man.

Nice cuffs on that floral shirt too.

This is one of my favourite tracks. Not because it's necessarily the best song, but because of the stuff Weller is wearing.

Might do a Swipe The Style on this soon.

I bet they'd be well pissed off if someone shoved them in the drink.

I'm sure there are plenty out there...

This is epic - never seen the man in a Harrington jacket before, yet here he is, mid-sentence, thumb-in-pocket, looking swag.

Probably mouthing off about not being allowed to smoke or something.

Weller and Talbot pull of the Parisien look.

Use of Macs was a big thing for the Style Council - Weller would punish any parka wearers with death, I'm told by reliable sources.

Following from yesterday's Style Council sleeve - here's one from Weller's early (and successful) solo effort.

Weller tells new bands not to bother. Probably just pissed off that he got custard pied.
 
Foxton does not look happy – perhaps no-one told him to wear old clothes for the show?

If you're looking for the top tips on how to look Mod, you could do a lot worse than this video.

The style IS ON POINT

Atmospheric song, underrated.