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As the leader of the Jam, Paul Weller fronted the most popular British
band of the punk era, influencing many English bands. During the final
days of the Jam, he developed a fascination with Motown and soul,
which led him to form the Style Council in 1983. As the Style Council's
career progressed, Weller's interest in soul developed into an infatuation
with jazz-pop and house music. However, this lead to the erosion of
his audience and by 1990 he couldn't get a record contract in the
UK. As a solo artist, Weller returned to soul music as an inspiration,
cutting it with a touch of hippie tendancies.
Weller's solo records were more organic and rootsier than the Style
Council, which helped him regain his popularity within Britain. By
the mid-'90s, he had released three successful albums which were both
critically-acclaimed and massively popular in England. Just as importantly,
many observers, while occasionally criticizing the trad-rock nature
of his music, acknowledged that Weller was one of the few rock veterans
that had managed to stay vital within the second decade of his career.
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