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Faces
Five Guys Walk Into a Bar...
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A million and one superlatives come to mind when talking about one of the most overlooked bands in rockdom, The Faces. Often called the poor man's Rolling Stones, The Faces delivered much, much more than that moniker would have you believe. Unfortunately, Rod Stewart's career led to the far too early demise of this band that few knew outside of "Stay With Me", their one high-charting single, and then they were mentioned as Rod Stewart and Faces. Shame! As a piece of trivia for you, Wood's solo album, I've Got My Own Album to Do, was a slap at Stewart's increasingly departing attitude as his own solo career was taking off. It's noted that in the midst of recording and when they could get Rod in the studio, he would remark that "I've got my own album to do."
The Faces grew out of The Small Faces and only by connection with the three remaining members, Ronnie Lane, Kenny Jones, and Ian McLagan. The rest of this band was rounded out by the extraordinary talents of vocalist Rod Stewart and one of the world's finest guitarist in Ronnie Wood (who was born to be a Stone but, thankfully, was a Face beforehand.) Re-born in 1969, and still named Small Faces due to panicky label execs, Faces immediately embodied the heart and soul of pure-bred rock and roll. We, of course, can spend the rest of the day talking about the band that was Faces and mourn their deservedly mournful, departure. But rather, it's better to introduce you to the band that was; the band that was rock n roll; the band that yielded extraordinary performers; and the band that was..The Faces.
Ian McLagan, the organ and piano parts of the band, worked on and released this definitive 4CD document called Five Guys Walk Into a Bar... Strange title, that! But not so strange for any who followed the band. It's no secret that the guys drank heavily and partied hardy. So, the title opens the set and sets the stage for the treasures found within. There are rehearsals takes, alternate mixes, live cuts, a wealth of previously unissued recordings, and intimate recording banter between the mates as heard on "Jealous Guy" (and also has the words written so that you can follow along.) This set is done so well that it should be looked at on how to do a great retrospective Box Set. McLagan's attention to detail is unmatched and adds to the allure of the set.
There are so many gems on this collection that you'll find yourself lost in time; lost in the warmth of true rocknroll while listening to the beautiful, and unreleased, "Come See Me Baby (The Cheater)"; lost in the incredible rawness of "Tonight's Number" with it's soulful sax, hard-edged guitar, and the purity of the structured jam. You'll revel in a slower alternate mix of "Cindy Incidentally" as well as the original issue of the song. You'll be treated to a live version of "Stay With Me" as well as a live cut of McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed". There's two live versions of "Miss Judy's Farm" and a live cut of Wood's fine slide guitar song, "Around the Plynth." Of course, all of these live cuts are accompanied by their original cuts elsewhere on the set as the set refuses to follow a chronology. But Five Guys Walk Into a Bar... is not hurt by this chronological departure but rather, ends up a complete celebration of the band without bringing notice to the short timeframe of the band. It's part of what makes this collection so spectacular.
There are several live Faces versions of Rod Stewart hits like "(I Know) I'm Losing You", "Gasoline Alley", and "Maggie May" included on this set as well as a live cut of "I Can Feel The Fire" that eventually ended up being re-recorded for a Wood solo album.
You'll enjoy the band's unissued cover of "If Loving You is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)", an outtake from the Ooh La La sessions. If you're a Faces fan, there isn't a song on this massive repository of 67 magical cuts that encompass over 5 hours of material that you'll be displeased with. This batch of songs have been remastered to bring a new level of quality to the sound. You'll not be disappointed with what you hear in most cuts. The box is presented in a library book style that houses discs in an interesting overlap, two to the inside front cover and two to the back. Sandwiched between all that audio goodness is a 62 page bound book complete with photos of the band, pictures of singles and album labels and covers, and detailed listings of the songs in several places.
Faces became a band of many hats as they strolled, no - stomped - through their years. Born in 1969 and ended in 1975 as Wood became a Stone, Lane quit amid furor, Jones replaced Keith Moon in The Who, McLagan made solos, working with other artists extensively, and Stewart became something else. But their legacy, as found on this set, is immutable, the concrete of the foundation of rock. The world has clear cut representatives and the least known but most complete representation emanates from the talents of the 5 boys, 6 if you allow for Tetsu Yamauchi, who took over for Lane. Texturally, there isn't a band that rocked as good as these guys. Stewart's cigarette-worn bluesy voice, McLagan's sassy command of his keys, Jones' excellent drumming, Wood's grasp of what rock guitar meant, and Lane's direction and bass became the legendary sound of rock, perhaps more than the Stones. Blasphemy? You'll need to hear a set like this before you condemn me to be hung on Rock's altar. And you may be surprised at what you conclude with.
