Paul Weller - Catch-Flame!

The first-ever live, full band electric album from Paul Weller, and it's a corker! Includes 23 songs from all phases of his career, including three tunes from his former band The Jam and two from The Style Council. An absolute must have for anyone interested in anything this man has ever done (his songs fare even better in this live arrangement) or for any fan of classic, soulful, timeless rock music, in general. Paul Weller just gets better & better. Album Description

The Modfather in his natural element

For an artist who has been in the public eye for nearly three decades, Paul Weller sounds as fresh and vital today as he did when he burst onto
the musical stage with the Jam back in 1977. A very good live performance from one of Britain's best. May 5, 2008

Catch-flame

Live double CD, includes occasional covers and Jam/Style Council songs. (Personally I prefer the original versions of those). March 5, 2008

Blazing Hot Quality Rock and Roll

The industry reviewer has it right: Paul Weller just keeps getting better as he gets older. While I can't claim to have been a fan of his since the days of The Jam, I did come aboard several years ago and since that time have come to discover that Weller is one of the few musicians performing good, basic, solid, blazing hot quality rock and roll for the adult listener. Not that kids can't enjoy his music, they can and many do, but Weller's mature approach to his music is one that is rarely heard in the rock and roll genre.
My conversion has come gradually but became complete with the issue of Weller's As Is Now. Since then, I have been picking up others I have missed. On Catch-Flame, the listener is treated to live and powerful renditions of twenty four songs that span his career. There is nothing here that is not extremely entertaining, save the final song which one reviewer mocked for its "sing-along" segment. I concur on that.
Since there is so much that's good here, I will point out only those songs that particularly fired me up. They are: Blink and You'll Miss It, Paper Smile, Going Places, Up In Suze's Room, the Porcelain Gods/I Walk on Gilded Splinters segued medley, the supercharged rendition of In The Crowd, Come On/Let's Go, Wild Wood, The Pebble and the Boy, Long Hot Summer and the soulful Shout to the Top. If you like intelligent, high quality rock and roll, then Paul Weller is the man you should hear and Catch-Flame serves as the perfect vehicle for a broad overview of his abilities.
WARNING: I have been through three copies of this. In each package, the CDs' holes were too large for the tines to which they are supposed to be attached. I had a spare 2-disc holder laying around, but the holes are too big for it as well, so the problem appears to be a manufacturing defect. The playing surfaces of the CDs were undamaged so the "floating" discs are just an annoyance. February 6, 2008

Best live Weller work ever!

I've been a Paul Weller fan since The Jam. This is the best live work Paul's ever done. It's amazing how his voice improves with age. The version of Long Hot Summer is the best I've ever heard. I highly recommend Catch-Flame. March 11, 2007

Best Live Album I Have Ever Heard!

I saw Weller in L.A. for the "Hit Parade" tour, and this album expertly captures the spirit of the concerts. Weller is in top form here, and his updating of old Jam and Style Council classics is fantastic! His new stuff, especially the 3 best songs off of "As Is Now," "From the Floorboards Up," "Paper Smile," and "Blink") sound terrific, and really rock. The old songs, especially "Long Hot Summer," "That's Entertainment," and "Shout to the Top" have never sounded so good; the cover version of "Wishing on a Star" is so much better live than on the studio album. If you only buy one Weller album, I guess you go with "Hit Parade," but if you want to hear the genius live, this is a must-have! Anyone who doesn't love this album should have his/her hearing checked -- it is fantastic! February 24, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...