 Ron
Wood - I Feel Like Playing
Rolling Stones and Faces veteran aims high, hits mark.
The idea that Ron Wood found the time to make an album at all is
amazing given the portion of his waking hours the media would have you
believe he spends satisfying other urges. Not only has he done one, it
just might bee the best solo recording to ever come out of the Rolling
Stones camp. And he even did the cover art himself.
I Feel Like Playing plays to Wood's strengths. It is
rootsy and unpolished, but at the same time finely crafted and brilliant.
He resists trying to force his raspy voice to go places it should not,
and does the same with the arrangements. The result is a recording that
fits like a good pair of jeans, not the fancy pants Wood often
cavorts around in - and pokes fun at in one of the new originals on the
album.
Inevitably, there are songs that draw on his recently collapsed marriage
and stormy relationships and addiction issues. The opening track, A
Thing Like That, and I Gotta See are especially
poignant. But his ever adolescent outlook drives most of the album, which
includes a couple of tunes with Billy Gibbons that would sound
right at home on a pre-Eliminator ZZ Top album.
Wood also makes good use of Slash, Eddie Vedder, Kris
Kristofferson, Bobby Womack and his keyboard partner in the
recently reunited Faces, Ian McLagan.
Wood's guitar work is in fine form throughout, full of the ballsy
swagger Stones fans have come to expect. While Mick, Keith
and Charlie seem content doing non-musical things between
Rolling Stones albums and tours, Woody always feels like
playing. This release will make you glad that's the case.
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