That a song as brilliantly crafted as this one could stall at No. 29 on the U.S. pop charts and fare even worse in other English-speaking markets is a thorough but unsurprising travesty of pop music. After all, the standout track from Paul Weller's post-Jam undertaking The Style Council lays down an energizing, nearly perfect, soul-inflected groove that absolutely stands apart as an '80s original. Aside from Weller's obviously superlative songwriting and vocal talents, "My Ever Changing Moods" perhaps benefits most from a tasteful horn arrangement, something about as common during the '80s as understated style choices for aerobics participants.
Many music fans, including myself, will never quite forgive Weller for disbanding The Jam pretty much at the band's peak, but this song proves inarguably that he was right to think he had significant, very different music to make away from the punk rock umbrella. More than anything else, Weller should be applauded for not not using saxophone here, the somewhat horn-like instrument that was almost always the '80s kiss of death.
Album Cover Image Courtesy of Polydor
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