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Fly on the Wall: B-Sides & Rarities 1991-2000

Paul Weller
3 discs

0. DISC 1: FLY ON THE WALL:
1. Here's a New Thing
2. That Spiritual Feeling
3. Into Tomorrow - (Demo Version)
4. Arrival Time
5. Fly on the Wall
6. Always There to Fool You
7. All Year Round
8. Ends of the Earth
9. This Is No Time
10. Another New Day
11. Foot of the Mountain
12. Wild Wood - (Portishead remix)
13. Kosmos - (Lynch Mob Bonus Beats' s remix)
0. DISC 2: FLY ON THE WALL:
1. Loved
2. Steam
3. It's a New Day Baby
4. Year Late
5. Eye of the Storm
6. Shoot the Dove
7. As You Lean Into the Light
8. So You Want to Be a Dancer
9. Everything Has a Price to Pay
10. Right Underneath It
11. Helioscentric
12. There's No Drinking After You're Dead
13. Riverbank
14. Science - (Lynch Mob remix)
0. DISC 3: FLY ON THE WALL:
1. Feelin' Alright
2. Ohio
3. Black Sheep Boy
4. Sexy Sadie
5. I Shall Be Released
6. I'd Rather Go Blind
7. My Whole World Is Falling Down
8. Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
9. Waiting on an Angel
10. Bang-Bang
11. Instant Karma
12. Don't Let Me Down
Code: QZZQ
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 0635272
Credits

Producer
Engineer
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. Given the patchwork nature of the set -- it's a hodgepodge of non-LP songs, live versions, demos, remixes, and covers -- it's not entirely surprising that it's a bit of an uneven listen, particularly when it bogs down in remixes, but there are a few small gems on the first two discs to keep interest. The standout, though, is the third disc, consisting entirely of covers Weller cut in the '90s, and given its own separate title ("Button Downs") and artwork (an allusion to David Bowie's Pin Ups, featuring model Kate Moss as the female). Weller's choice of covers is fairly predictable, fitting right into the vibe of Wild Wood -- Traffic's "Feelin' Alright," Tim Hardin's "Black Sheep Boy," the Beatles' "Sexy Sadie" and "Don't Let Me Down," Rod Stewart's interpretation of "I'd Rather Go Blind" -- but he gives impassioned performances, and sometimes changes the arrangements in subtle, satisfying ways. If the album was available separately, it'd be a four-star recommendation, but as part of Fly on the Wall it should be enough to convince those on the fence to commit to this collector-bait box set. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine