Café Bleu

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/caf%C3%A9-bleu-mw0000739268|title=Café Bleu – The Style Council|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=23 July 2017|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}

| rev2 = Number One

| rev2score = 4/5{{cite magazine|title=Albums|magazine=Number One|issue=46|date=17 March 1984|last=Swayne|first=Karen|page=47}}

| rev3 = Q

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|title=Vogue Trader|magazine=Q|issue=376|date=September 2017|last=Quantick|first=David|author-link=David Quantick|page=118}}

| rev4 = Record Collector

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|title=The Changing Man|magazine=Record Collector|issue=506|date=June 2020|last1=Wilson|first1=Lois|last2=Shirley|first2=Ian|pages=78–88}}

| rev5 = Record Mirror

| rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|title=No pop, no Style|magazine=Record Mirror|date=17 March 1984|last=Reid|first=Jim "Caveman"|page=16}}

| rev6 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev6score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite book|chapter=The Style Council|last=Coleman|first=Mark|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-link=Christian Hoard|publisher=Simon & Schuster|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/789 789]}}

| rev7 = Smash Hits

| rev7score = {{Fraction|8|1|2}}/10{{cite magazine|title=The Style Council: Cafe Bleu|magazine=Smash Hits|volume=6|issue=6|date=15–28 March 1984|last=Martin|first=Peter|page=27}}

| rev8 = Sounds

| rev8score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book|title=Mr Cool's Dream: The Complete History of the Style Council|last=Munn|first=Iain|publisher=Wholepoint Publications|edition=ebook|year=2011|isbn=9780955144332}}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XJj9SR3-aSgC&pg=PA88|title=Discography: Paul Weller|magazine=Spin|volume=24|issue=7|date=July 2008|access-date=2 November 2017|last=Duerden|first=Nick|page=88}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10score = 7/10{{cite magazine|title=The Style Council|magazine=Uncut|issue=245|date=October 2017|last=Troussé|first=Stephen|pages=42–44}}

}}

Contemporary critics were divided. Sounds dismissed the record as "dispensable dross", while others were more favourable.Steve Malins Paul Weller. The Unauthorised Biography Virgin Books 1997, p.128 In Smash Hits the album was given a {{Fraction|8|1|2}} rating out of 10, Peter Martin writing: "Paul [Weller] clearly wants to win fans not on reputation but on musical worth. Me I never liked the Jam but this, c'est magnifique."

In a retrospective review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic found that Café Bleu, although being indicative of "the group's fatal flaw – a tendency to be too eclectic and overambitious", is nonetheless "one of their better efforts", praising Weller's "solid soul-tinged pop songs, including 'My Ever Changing Moods,' 'Headstart for Happiness,' 'You're the Best Thing,' and 'Here's One That Got Away.'"

Café Bleu was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.{{cite book|chapter=The Style Council: Café Bleu|last=Welton|first=Jaime|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die|title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die|editor-last=Dimery|editor-first=Robert|publisher=Universe Publishing|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3|page=523}} Treble included it in a 2014 list of 10 essential sophisti-pop albums, saying that while it does not feature synthesisers like the other albums on the list, "a mix of blue-eyed soul, jazz, and modern influences (for the time at least) made this record a sophisticated, progressive piece of pop."{{cite web|url=https://www.treblezine.com/10-essential-sophisti-pop-albums/|title=10 Essential Sophisti-pop albums|website=Treble|date=24 April 2014|access-date=23 July 2017|last1=Terich|first1=Jeff|last2=Blyweiss|first2=Adam|last3=Bossenger|first3=A. T.|last4=Prickett|first4=Sam}}

All songs written by Paul Weller, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Mick's Blessings" (Mick Talbot) – 1:15
2. "The Whole Point of No Return" – 2:40
3. "Me Ship Came In!" – 3:06
4. "Blue Café" – 2:15
5. "The Paris Match" – 4:25
6. "My Ever Changing Moods" – 3:37
7. "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse" (Weller, Talbot) – 3:15

Side two

8. "A Gospel" – 4:44
9. "Strength of Your Nature" – 4:20
10. "You're the Best Thing" – 5:40
11. "Here's One That Got Away" – 2:35
12. "Headstart for Happiness" – 3:20
13. "Council Meetin'" (Weller, Talbot) – 2:29

Additional track listing

;The Style Council

• Paul Weller – vocals, guitar; bass guitar on "Me Ship Came In!", "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse" and "Council Meetin'", synthesiser on "Strength of Your Nature", flute on "Council Meetin'"
• Mick Talbot – keyboards, piano, Hammond organ; brass synthesiser on "Strength of Your Nature", bass synthesiser on "You're the Best Thing", brass sound on "Headstart for Happiness", Clavinet on "Council Meetin'"
• Steve White – drums, percussion

with:

• Billy Chapman – saxophone on "Me Ship Came In!", "You're the Best Thing" and "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse"
• Barbara Snow – trumpet on "Me Ship Came In!", "Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse", "A Gospel" and "Headstart for Happiness"
• Randy Anderson – guitar
• Tracey Thorn – vocals on "The Paris Match"
• Chris Bostock – double bass on "The Paris Match", bass on "Here's One That Got Away"
• Ben Watt – guitar on "The Paris Match"
• Dizzi Heights (Brian Beaton) – rap on "A Gospel"
• Hilary Seabrook – saxophone on "A Gospel" and "Headstart for Happiness"
• Dee C. Lee – backing vocals on "Strength of Your Nature" and co-vocals on "Headstart for Happiness"
• Bobby Valentino – violin on "Here's One That Got Away"
• Pete Wilson – drum programming on "A Gospel" and "Strength of Your Nature"

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|type=album|certyear=1984|id=1150-297-2|artist=Style Council|title=Cafe Bleu|access-date=30 October 2020}}

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{{reflist}}

• [https://archive.today/20130416111459/http://www.radio3net.ro/dbartists/supersearch/Q2FmZSBCbHVlIA==/Cafe%20Blue Café Bleu] (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)
• {{Discogs master|type=album|36703|name=Café Bleu}}

{{The Style Council}}

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Category:1984 debut albums

Category:The Style Council albums

Category:Polydor Records albums

Category:Progressive pop albums