"Wild Wood"
Single by Paul Weller
from the album Wild Wood
B-side"Ends of the Earth"
Released23 August 1993 (1993-08-23)[1]
Length3:22
LabelGo! Discs
Songwriter(s)Paul Weller
Producer(s)Brendan Lynch
Paul Weller singles chronology
"Sunflower"
(1993)		 "Wild Wood"
(1993)		 "Hung Up"
(1994)
Music video
"Wild Wood" on YouTube

"Wild Wood" is a song by British singer-songwriter Paul Weller, released in August 1993 by Go! Discs as the second single from the singer's second solo album, Wild Wood (1993). The song was written by Weller and produced by Brendan Lynch, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Charts and being certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). A music video directed by Pedro Romhanyi[2] was produced to promote the single. Portishead remixed the song for the 1999 re-release.

Critical reception

David Beran from the Gavin Report described the song as "a laid back acoustic sojourn with a Neil Young feel". He added, "Weller's songwriting talents are hard to deny".[3] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian wrote in her album review, "The searching, almost spiritual title tune wafted along by barely-there bass and acoustic guitar, is nothing less than delectable".[4] Another editor, Alexis Petridis, ranked "Wild Wood" number four in his list of "Paul Weller's 30 Greatest Songs -- ranked!" in 2021. He wrote, "You could trace the roots of Weller's folky bent back to the Jam's "English Rose" and "Liza Radley", but "Wild Wood" remains its finest flowering. The gorgeously understated music suggests getting it together in the country, but — as on Weller favourite Nick Drake's Bryter Layter — the lyrical setting is distinctly urban. Killer Portishead remix too."[5] Taylor Parkes from Melody Maker declared it as "passionate and rural", [...] a heavenly mash of Nick Drake and the Small Faces, feeding off Weller's own startling rebirth."[6]

A reviewer from Music Week praised the song as "arguably the highlight" of the singer's 1998 album, Modern Classics, declaring it as an "acoustic belter".[7] Paul Moody from NME felt it "sets the tone" of its parent-album, "suggesting a pastoral take on Nick Drake's "Chime of the City Clock", all strummed guitars and world-weary melancholia."[8] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel wrote, "The haunting "Wild Wood" combines a sort of jazz-folk acoustic guitar style with bluesy organ and arty Mellotron while Weller's vocal has a country-soul-gospel feel. Weller's lyrics aren't as complex as his music, but his voice can make a line as ordinary as "Now you're gone, I feel so alone" resonate."[9] Uncut ranked it as Weller's ninth best ever song and the best of his solo career in 2015, with the Smiths' bassist Andy Rourke praising it as a "very easy, kicking-back sort of song".[10]

Track listings

  • 7-inch single, UK (1993)
  1. "Wild Wood"
  2. "Ends of the Earth"
  • CD single, Europe (1993)
  1. "Wild Wood" — 3:22
  2. "Ends of the Earth" — 2:27

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 51
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 14
Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[13] 84
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 38
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 35
Scotland (OCC)[16] 22
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 22

References

  1. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week. 21 August 1993. p. 23.
  2. ↑ "Wild Wood (1993) by Paul Weller". IMVDb. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  3. ↑ Beran, David (6 May 1994). "Gavin Alternative — New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 2003. p. 52. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (17 September 1993). "Music: Squeezing out familiar sparks – Rock/Pop". The Guardian.
  5. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (25 November 2021). "Paul Weller's 30 greatest songs -- ranked!". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Parkes, Taylor (25 September 1993). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 32. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Paul Weller: Wild Wood (Island CID734)". Music Week. 26 December 1998.
  8. ↑ Moody, Paul (4 September 1993). "Long Play". NME. p. 32. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  9. ↑ Gettelman, Parry (3 June 1994). "Paul Weller". Orlando Sentinel.
  10. ↑ "Paul Weller's 30 Best Songs". Uncut. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 37. 11 September 1993. p. 13. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Paul Weller: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 1–3. 16 January 1999. p. 7. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Paul Weller – Wild Wood" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
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