Another year, another live album.
Paul Weller has turned out to be as predictable as
the Rolling Stones in how he follows a new set of material with a live album, following every album since
Wild Wood with a live record. Because of this it's hard not to superficially see 2006's
Catch-Flame! Live at the Alexandra Palace as just another live album, but take the time to listen to
Catch-Flame! and it soon reveals itself as a surprise every bit as bracing as
Weller's 2005 studio album
As Is Now: a record that doesn't sound all that different from its predecessor, at least on the surface, but underneath that surface, it's apparent that
Weller's fire is again burning intensely. There's a vigor and vitality to this performance that eclipses all his other live solo albums; it's as kinetic as early
Jam, but without abandoning the
Traffic-inspired, jam-heavy aesthetic that marked his solo work. As such, it's satisfying both as an exciting, energetic live album and as one to savor, to really enjoy the interplay between the musicians, and it makes
Catch-Flame! something far more than another
Weller live album; indeed, it makes it closer to being the live
Weller album instead of just another live record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine