Paul Weller - Modern Classics - The Greatest Hits (Music CD)

For the U.S. market, the word "classics" is perhaps employed here with a certain irony, given that the vast majority of American listeners continue to turn the proverbial deaf ear to Weller's work. (of course, back in England, where he's a god, of course, these songs really were hits.) In any case, MODERN CLASSICS collects the best cuts from Weller's four solo albums released between 1992 and '97, the period when the former Jam-meister finally forged a coherent style out of his love for late-'60s artists like Traffic, the Small Faces, the Move, et al. What's particularly impressive is how the whole thing coheres. Despite the varying recording locations, dates, and personnel, the songs here sound like they were all bashed at one marathon all-night session.