Build Wall

Paul Weller wrapped up his contract with Go/Island/Universal Records with the release of 2000's Heliocentreic, leaving for the appropriately named indie label Independiente. There was one piece of unfinished business, however – a collection of the B-sides and rarities he released during his tenure at the label, hence the 2003 appearance of Fly on the Wall: B Sides & Rarities. Like any other popular or semipopular musicians of the '90s, Weller released a lot of material that never wound up on a proper album, as he had to populate the B-sides of multi-part singles in both his United Kingdom homeland and in parts of Asia and Australia, and he also contributed to many tribute and charity albums. So, there was a lot to round up, and Fly on the Wall gathers everything of note (there are few remixes that didn't make the cut) on a generous triple-disc, 39-track minibox set.

At the time Philip Bailey persuaded Phil Collins to produce his second solo album, Chinese Wall, Collins was among the hottest pop stars in the world. The advantage to that, of course, is the exposure it affords, and after the merely modest success of his debut solo album, Continuation, Bailey needed the reflected glory. On the other band, it's hard to shine yourself in such a glare, and although Bailey's name was on the gold-selling hit single "Easy Lover," a duet with Collins that helped the album take off, it's Collins' singing and drumming that one remembers.

The Smile’s new album Wall Of Eyes, will be released on 26th January on XL Recordings. The new album, was recorded between Oxford and Abbey Road Studios, and is produced and mixed Sam Petts-Davies. It features string arrangements by the London Contemporary Orchestra. Wall Of Eyes is the follow up their 2022 debut LP A Light For Attracting Attention.

Six scenes. Six years. Six moments that shaped the relationship of Jenna and Leon. Pink Wall examines what defines us, the pressures of gender expectations, and our perpetual struggle between life and ambition.