Classic Album Selection box set contain Paul Weller’s first five solo records; Paul Weller (1992), Wild Wood (1993), Stanley Road (1995), Heavy Soul (1997) and Heliocentric (2000).
It was a few years after disbanding The Style Council in 1989 before Weller released his first, eponymous, solo album for his new label Go! Disc in 1992. It was a Top 10 album in the U.K. and marked a return to his first love, ‘60s Soul and R&B. The follow up, Wild Wood, launched him on a run of critical and commercial success: The album went to No. 2 in the U.K. and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize; its multi platinum, million seller successor, Stanley Road (featuring guest appearances by Steve Winwood and Noel Gallagher), spawned two U.K. Top 10 singles (“The Changing Man,” No. 7, and “You Do Something to Me,” No. 9), went to No. 1 and he picked up BRIT Award for Best Male Artist (which he won again the following year). 1997’s Heavy Soul saw Weller twist his sound again to take him back to the top of the charts (No. 2 in the U.K.) and 2000s Heliocentric (erroneously rumoured to be his last album at the time), which was a much lighter affair, did the same and peaked again at No. 2 in the U.K.