FACES in the Crowd

 Near the top of the “under-appreciated” list resides the band FACES. These guys could rock your face off! And don’t they look like fun? Perhaps that was part of the problem; Rod, Ronnie and the boys could party with the best of ‘em and apparently did so before the shows as often as after. Hell, who didn’t? One thing is clear upon a listen to Faces: they had them a real good time. 

 The band came about in late 1969, the result of the breakups of two other great groups. Steve Marriot left The Small Faces (going on to form Humble Pie with Peter Frampton), while Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood departed The Jeff Beck Group and joined the remaining members of the former: bassist Ronnie Lane, keyboardist Ian McLagen, and drummer Kenney Jones. While Rod’s renowned gravelly vocals and stage antics gave Faces a certain presence, I’ve always felt that Ronnie Wood’s dirty and distinct guitar truly defined the Faces sound. And his slide work? My god…crank the song “Around The Plynth” and see if you’re the same person five minutes later! Stewart and Wood are one of the great rock duos at this point in time, 1970-75, right alongside Jagger/Richards, Plant/Page, and Daltrey/Townshend. 

Faces released four albums during the first half of the seventies, and toured worldwide much of that time. “A Nod Is As Good As A Wink (To A Blind Horse)” is probably the best of the studio efforts, but all of the disks contain several gems (not hits, gems!). Their official live album, Coast To Coast, Overture and Beginners was widely criticized for shabby sound production, but I feel really catches the Faces romping-good-time live sound. Better yet, the recent boxed set Five Guys Walk Into A Bar contains all sorts of never released numbers, both live and “outtakes”. It’s one of the better boxed sets I’ve come across(and one of the few worth the money.)

Faces final chapter? Seems it was Rod Stewart’s growing solo fame (along with the attendant ego problems within the band) that finished them. As you know, Stewart went on to long solo career that today includes fans like my 85 year-old mother as he reinvents the songs of the 1940’s. Woody joined a band called The Rolling Stones, where he’s never equalled the sound he gave Faces. Jones took over as The Who’s drummer in ‘78 after the death of Keith Moon. And we recently lost Ronnie Lane after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis. <To hear Ronnie at his best, check out his collaboration with Pete Townshend called Rough Mix>.

But wait! Faces final chapter?? Rod Stewart announced in June 2008 the intention for Faces to reunite for a possible album and tour. It’s a popular way to go these days, but I can’t think of a reunion I’d rather see/hear.

dve mpls mn

Lou & Cool

 Lou Reed had already been The Velvet Underground’s main man for half a dozen years when the 70’s rolled around. And while the VU was a ground-breaking force in music (and one of the most unique musical listens you’ll ever experience), their light was fading when Lou left in 1971 to pursue a solo career, one that continues today. 

 The 70’s were a good decade for someone as experimental and “out there” as Lou Reed. Releasing no less than eleven albums in ten years, he was probably at his creative zenith during this time (although 1984’s “New Sensations” showed Lou wasn’t yet ready to pack it in, and he still isn’t!). Two of rocks greatest albums, “Transformer” (‘72) and the live “Rock and Roll Animal” (‘74), combined with the 1971 single “Walk On The Wild Side” cemented Reed’s place in rock history right then and there. They also highlighted the fact that Lou was (and remains) one of the truly “cool” guys in rock ‘n roll, or anywhere. Give another listen to any of the above, or to the succeeding 70’s releases “Sally Can’t Dance”, “Coney Island Baby”, or “Rock and Roll Heart”, and you’ll understand. That unpretentious, understated monotone of his, those straightforward riffs, and those sometimes hard-to-swallow lyrics are not your typical “presentation”, they’re Lou. Remember kids, nobody who tries to be cool (“hip”, “phat” etc.) can ever be cool. Now go put “Sweet Jane” on the iPod, crank it, and absorb.

Some Lou Reed facts:

• in his teens, Lou endured a series of electro-shock therapy treatments for his “homosexual behavior”
• Lou attended Syracuse University and later received an honorary English degree from the institution
• Contrary to the popular belief that 1975’s “Metal Machine Music” album was an attempt to break his contract with RCA, Lou claims it was a “genuine artistic effort.”
• Lou is skilled photographer who has recently published his second book of images
• In April, 2008, Lou married longtime companion, musician Laurie Anderson (“Oh, Superman”)