Paul Weller

About this product

Named after the Woking-street Paul Weller grew up in, Stanley Road isn't as steeped in nostalgia as Peter Blake's sublime artwork might have you believe. It certainly hankers for the deep soulful sound of the 60s and 70s, but it happily embraces Britpop, the new musical direction of the mid-'90s. With the birth of a new scene, British music was suddenly cool again and they all looked to one Paul Weller for their guidance.

Stanley Road went to Number One upon release in 1995 when Britpop was just taking hold of the airwaves and everyone from rivals Oasis and Blur to The Charlatans and Ocean Colour Scene were citing Paul Weller as a major influence in their work. The rootsy, back-to-nature sound he created so beautifully in Wild Wood was developed in Stanley Road, which Weller describes as "the most complete thing I've ever done."

Once again, Brendan Lynch's inimitable production saw Paul return to his beloved Manor to record live for that rough-and-ready raw edge. "I always think if you want an urban record you have to make it in the city, but The Manor was just right for us at the time. It was pure." By enlisting the talents of Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Craddock, Oasis' Noel Gallagher, and the legend that is Steve Winwood, Stanley Road sat firmly at the centre of an exciting new scene emerging in the UK. British music was booming and The Modfather was born.