Paul Weller [ tickets ] has assembled a late-summer US outing to support his just-released ninth solo album, "22 Dreams."The influential British singer/songwriter will sandwich the September trek between tours of Europe, Japan and Australia. US dates, which launch Sept. 2, include a two-night stand in Los Angeles and stops in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington, DC. The stateside itinerary is listed below and international dates can be found at Weller's website."22 Dreams," Weller's first release in three years, draws on numerous styles he has worked into his music over the past 30 years, including rock, funk, soul, free jazz, krautrock, classical, spoken word and electronica. The set, which debuted at No. 1 in the UK and is receiving critical acclaim in the US, also reflects a personal milestone in the former Jam frontman's life."I'm 50 this year, and I think that contributed to the sense of urgency," Weller said with a laugh, according to his bio. "But it also made me want to make something really special. I wanted to make an album with a beginning, a middle and an end. That's why the two songs 'Light Nights' and 'Night Lights' are at the first and last tracks. It's designed to be listened to in one sitting, in the same way that 'Pet Sounds' or 'Sgt Pepper' were."Guest appearances on the 21-track record include Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer from Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene's Steve Cradock, ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, Little Barrie and folk guitarist John McCrusker. A link to the video for the latest single, "Have You Made Up Your Mind?," can be found at Weller's website.In conjunction with "22 Dreams," the performer has also released a limited-edition book and 12-inch vinyl boxed set titled "A Thousand Things." The collection is a visual history of Weller's recording career presented in more than 350 photographs, including rare images from his own family archive. Weller wrote the text for the book and oversaw all stages of its production--from selecting the photographs to re-mastering four previously unreleased Jam demos, according to his website.
