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ROD STEWART AND THE FACES
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So it’s nice, in the ‘NOIIICE’ sense of the word, that there’s this round up of The Faces at their bar-tab bruising best. Taking the form of a quick lunchtime pint or two with a cheese n’ pickle sarnie this overview doesn’t hang about longer than necessary, often, I guess, at the lack of usable material what with the age and condition of it, skipping tracks for you half way through (makes the reviewing lark easier I must say!). Aside from the essential, and much seen, a sort of ‘Paranoid’ or ‘Ace Of Spades’ of video clips, Top Of The Pops performance of ‘Maggie May’ featuring John Peel the period live footage of tracks like ‘True Blue’, ‘That’s All You Need’, ‘(I Know) I’m Losing You’ and ‘Stay With Me’ (during which, in the crowd singsong, one desperate lady is heard wailing ‘Meeeeeeeeeee’ at the top of her little lungs) are of especial note as they display the intuitive interplay between Woody, Maclagen and Jones while Rod struts and chicken dances his way around in a succession of ludicrous get ups like the missing link between Tina Turner and Freddie Mercury. Indeed, the clip of their awful version of Hendrix’s ‘Angel’ could almost be a template for Queen, Rodders’ coke-enhanced cartoon cock of the walk persona to the fore with the band stripping Jimi’s rather beautiful paean into a shameful stadium terrace final whistle singalong. Released on a mid-price ‘classic’ series this is a splendid way to pass an hour in celebration of a squandered talent. ________________________________________________________ |
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- Stu Gibson |
Before
the brandy n’ coke complacency in what could be called ‘the laughing stock
years’ Rod ‘The Mod’ tousled his tonsils with The Faces, of course. Well,
saying ‘of course’ it’s simultaneously surprising and also alarming the
amount of people who are blissfully ignorant of Rod’s fantastic first
four, maybe five, solo albums and the hit n’ miss mélange that made up
much of The Faces albums, instead tittering at the general latter day
image of the man, in which they’re absolutely right, of course, but this
is simply cool without context and just won’t do.