Paul Weller’s new album ‘Find El Dorado’ featuring Eamon Friel tune as title track set for release
Paul Weller’s new album, named after a song by Derry’s own Eamon Friel, is out on July 25 and has been getting glowing reviews in the music press.
‘Find El Dorado’ has been described as a deeply personal collection of covers by The Jam and Style Council legend and is named after a song written and recorded by the much-missed Derry singer-songwriter back in the 1980s.
Eamon originally wrote ‘El Dorado’ for Joe Mahon’s 1986 film ‘The Best Man’ starring Seamus Ball and recorded it again for his ‘Word of Spring’ album in 2000.
The ‘Journal’ has heard Mr. Weller’s version of the tune which features guitar from Noel Gallagher of Oasis and the High Flying Birds and feadóg stáin from talented Derry whistle player Ciaran Carlin.
A Derry inflection can almost be detected as the Woking singer intones Eamon’s plaintive lyrics. It’s nearly as good as the original!
The ‘Modfather’ visited Derry to meet Eamon’s family just over a month ago and touchingly paid a visit to his grave in the City Cemetery.
Produced by Steve Cradock of Ocean Colour Scene, the eclectic collection features covers of songs by Christy Moore, The Kinks, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Bee Gees.
It has been garnering positive review ahead of its release with Mojo giving it four stars.
Danny Eccleston, writing in Mojo, argues that superior cover albums are ‘palate cleansers or re-fertilisations of barren song-writing soil’ and the ‘best are things in and of themselves – artworks the performer has shaped just as surely and idiosyncratically as the writers...Find El Dorado is one of those’.