Paul Weller - As Is Now (2006)

Given his recent glut of live albums, it's clear that Paul Weller has become quite keen on documenting his activities for the sake of his fans, and this DVD combines a live gig at London's 100 Club with footage of Weller in the studio recording his 2006 album As Is Now. Paul Weller: As Is Now features a 45-minute documentary on the making of the album, and if the overly busy camera work and the constant reminders of Weller's down-to-earth genius get to be a bit much, it does offer a welcome look at his studio technique, and makes clear one of the reasons As Is Now was so good is that Weller and his band knocked most of the tracks live in the studio with minimal overdubs, and the energy of the performances crackles onscreen as well as on the audio tracks. The ten-song live show included here features six songs from As Is Now, all sounding as tight but even more committed on-stage, as well as "Broken Stones" from Stanley Road, a previously unrecorded number ("Wild Blue Yonder"), and two Jam oldies ("In the Crowd" and "A Town Called Malice"), and while the abbreviated length of the set doesn't give this performance the same momentum as the full-length live set Catch-Flame!, it's still fun and impressive stuff. Also included with this disc are five full tunes performed in the studio by Weller and his band, an interview with the Modfather in which he talks about the album and his creative process (highlights of which are heard in the earlier documentary), interviews with fans who talk about Weller's work and what it means to them, and some footage of Weller and engineer Jan "Stan" Kybert relaxing and goofing off between mixing sessions in Amsterdam. Like Weller's recent live albums, this DVD is clearly meant for committed fans rather than casual observers, but it clearly delivers the goods for true believers, and it demonstrates that Weller still has plenty to say and the fire to make his music truly matter. ~Allmusic

Tracks:
- Documentary
1. As Is Now
2. Arriving At The Album
3. Recording
4. Writing
5. God's Invisible Scooter
6. Savages
7. Mixing
8. The Pebble And The Boy
- The Gig Live From The 100 Club
9. From The Floorboards Up
10. Broken Stones
11. Wild Blue Yonder
12. Paper Smile
13. Blink And You'll Miss It
14. Come On/Let's Go
15. All On A Misty Morning
16. I Wanna Make It Alright
17. In The Crowd
18. A Town Called Malice
- Bonus Tracks - 5 Studio Recordings + others
19. From The Floorboards Up
20. Here's The Good News
21. Come On/Let's Go
22. The Start Of Forever
23. Blink And You'll Miss It
24. The Interview - The Complete Paul Weller Interview
25. The Dam - Paul And Stan In Amsterdam!
26. The Stills
27. The Fans - Fans Of As Is Now Talk About Why The Album Is So Special To Them



Big thx to YWM1957