Café Bleu

After dissolving the Jam, Paul Weller started this unit with keyboardist Mick Talbot. This 1984 record is their first full-length album. True to the name, meaning a council that refines style, Weller combines music beyond rock—specifically jazz, soul and funk—to create experimental work that seems to symbolize a new mood.

The varied numbers show something of a kaleidoscope. Many are chic, including ‘The Whole Point of No Return,’ with Ben Watt's outstanding guitar, ‘The Paris Match,’ with Tracey Thorn's languidly attractive voice, and ‘My Ever Changing Moods,’ differing from the version released as a single. As the title suggests, the jazzy, romantic mood suffusing the album looks towards France in particular within Europe. It can seem rather scattered, but is undoubtedly one of the finest works of Weller's career.