For anyone who has bothered to keep track, the musical evolution of singer/songwriter and guitarist Paul Weller constitutes one of pop's more fascinating odysseys. Propelled by the momentum of the '70s punk movement, Weller's first group, the Jam, became one of the biggest bands in England but remained only a cult curiosity in the States. His '80s group, the Style Council, abandoned the Jam's postmod pogo pop and bittersweet Brit balladry in favor of jazzy cabaret and light funk, and again, he was largely ignored by Yanks. With his debut solo album, Paul Weller repositioned himself as the blue-eyed soulman he has always yearned to be, and he came up with a surprisingly credible collection of organic R&B that – not surprisingly – failed to make any significant impression in America.

Considering the profusion of marginal artists currently being immortalized via CD box sets, it's only right that the Jam receive some posthumous attention. Live Jam, a 24-song live album recorded at various locations in England during the peak of Jammania (1979 to 1982), is a good place to start for anyone looking for a taste of the Jam. Most of the classics are here: "Mr. Clean," a smoldering portrait of working-class resentment; "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight," a grim tale of racist violence; the anthemlike "Away From the Numbers"; and the bouncy, Motownflavored "Town Called Malice" – and you don't have to be English to love them. Also in evidence on Live Jam is Weller's love of black American pop – you have to admire the kid's cheek for even making an attempt to cover his idol Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up." He barks the lyrics as though he's hawking newspapers, but it's somehow more heartfelt and affecting than anything on that recent Mayfield tribute album.

Fast forward to the present and to Weller's second solo outing, Wild Wood. Resolutely pre-punk in its spirit, this album gives retrochic an unexpected twist. With its echoes of vintage Traffic, Dave Mason's Alone Together and the Small Faces, Wild Wood could have been recorded in 1970. It's chock-full of gorgeous tunes that are built on the foundation of Weller's acoustic guitar and tastily seasoned with organ, piano, flute, Moog synthesizer and Mellotron. "Has My Fire Really Gone Out?" has a recurring harmonica motif to die for; "Can You Heal Us? (Holy Man)" sounds like some weird hybrid of Marvin Gaye and the Band filtered through a British consciousness; and "Country" is a tender, acoustic ballad suffused with the warmth of homegrown soul. There is not a song on the album that won't have you shaking your head in wonderment. Wild Wood is charmingly anomalous, a smart, left-field stroke capable of transporting the listener to a dimly remembered land of pop delights. It would be a shame to overlook it. (RS 693)

TOM SINCLAIR