The Faces

Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners - 1974

Though the band lost its spiritual core when bassist and founding member Ronnie Lane left in 1973 to form his own group, Slim Chance, the Faces remained one of the few bands in town able to challenge the Rolling Stones' title of World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band up until they disintegrated in 1975. With four magnificent studio LPs under their belt, the band only released one official album that showcased where their bread was buttered, Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners, a live LP recorded at a pair of Los Angeles dates in 1973. The band is ragged and the tunes have a slower, almost molasses-thick drive to them, but all of these reckless elements are what coalesced to make this band the endearing and enduring live act that it always was. At this point in their evolution, not having Lane to share the mic and spotlight with brought Rod Stewart to full bloom, for better or for worse. The fact that so few high-quality live recordings exist of a band who staked their claim on the stage, makes this one all the better. The CD version of this classic is long out of print, but hopefully this means that a deluxe reissue is just around the corner. Best enjoyed with a bottle of Blue Nun, Rod's favorite.

Ron Wood

I've Got My Own Album To Do - 1974

Ranking right up there with Harry Nilsson's Pussy Cats LP in terms of the greatest "buddy" album of all time, Ron Wood's first solo effort was one that simultaneously showcased his immense talent as a guitarist and songwriter, as well as his seemingly endless pool of kick ass rock star friends that were willing to lend him a hand. Considering his reputation as one of the all around nicest guys in rock music, it's no surprise that the list of guest musicians here includes not only the majority of the Rolling Stones, half of the the Faces and George Harrison but a wealth of contributors that remain uncredited (although I swear I hear the voice and drums of The Band's Levon Helm on a couple of tracks). Such an immense pool of musicians and the egos that they carry could have easily overwhelmed the proceedings here, but the sense of camaraderie and unabashed joy rules over this album, and the result is a tight collection of tunes that sounds exactly as you'd expect it to when considering the participants. Equal parts Stones and Faces, the LP features duets galore, most notably Jagger and Wood on the opening track, Keith Richards is all over the place here, obviously enjoying the brief step away from the spotlight, and the Faces' Ian McLagan is an absolute monster on the Wurlitzer piano. Hell, even Rod Stewart took a break from chasing supermodels to join in on the action. Easily one of the finest off-the-radar albums of the decade.

Chuck Berry

The London Chuck Berry Sessions - 1972

This half studio/half live record spawned the surprise #1 hit "My Ding-A-Ling" and marked the pinnacle of Chuck Berry's commercial peak, but is often overlooked in favor of his golden-era late 50s LPs. What a shame. On the five studio tracks here, Berry is ingeniously backed by the Faces' Ian McLagen and Kenny Jones (on piano and drums respectively) for a set that simultaneously sounds as if it could stop on a dime or fall apart at the end of every bar. For a record that was aimed to be Berry's answer to the early 70s Rock n' Roll revival scene, there couldn't have been a more fitting pair to back him up. For me, the three live tracks are neither here nor there, though it's pretty entertaining to hear Berry's command over his audience.

The London Chuck Berry Session...