faces-facts

Keith Moon, solo career could have been better

My favourite Derroll story is more of a Rod Stewart story but please bear with me. During the sessions for one of the two peerless Long John Baldry albums co-produced by Elton and Rod, John (Baldry) and Rod found themselves looking for inspiration and checked out their mutual hero Derroll Adams at a London folk club. Rod, in the flush of post Maggie mega stardom was keen to keep his head down and enjoy the master, enjoy a few drinks at the bar and stay incognito, but the ticket price included a raffle ticket and guess who won? A very shame faced Rod had to step up and take the raffle prize, a meat platter. And you can bet he kept it, too.

How much Faces is too much? Franky, I could have lived without some of the unreleased tracks on "Five guys". Rod and co doing "Jealous Guy"? Nah. "Wyndlesham Bay (Jodie)" ? Put it away love. However, this looks like a good package, the full albums + outtakes and session versions has piqued my interest. The definitive article here is the albums themselves, all worthy of any collection. The Faces (and Rod) were never a band that had huge vaults of material, just about everything of note is contained in these 4 albums. Perhaps even more interesting is Ronnie Lanes Island material being given the full vinyl reissue treatment, long deleted and obscure, I am hoping to order a box full of them on release. Let me know if you want a copy!

Ronnie Lane and Ron Wood, just for a moment

The Jeff Beck Group 1969.

Collective Consciousness Society is one of Alexis Korner's better efforts, perhaps more in line with his reputation for being "father of the British Blues". In future albums he would perform with Steve Marriott who would outshine him at every turn, giving rise to the myth Korner "was a shit singer" when in fact anyone who sings with Marriott is going to sound shit in comparison. The obvious exception to this being Ronnie Lane whom I feel actually managed to compliment Marriott.