Ronnie Wood - I Feel Like Playing
by Dan MacIntosh
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Ronnie Wood has played with a few high profile bands over the years, including Faces and The Rolling Stones, yet he has never really created much of a profile for himself as a solo artist. Hopefully I Feel like Playing reverses that trend because it is an excellent new solo album.
Famous one-named guys, like Slash and Flea, are all over this new disc, but it is not merely one of those all-star tribute jobs. Instead, these high profile players contribute to the overall great sound of the recording. Upon the first listen or two, it seems like a loose throwaway session. But upon repeated listening, this smart recording begins to reveal its many charms.
The first cut that truly captures the attention is "Spoonful". "Spoonful" is a bit of a set list warhorse these days. Willie Dixon wrote it, and then every Chicago – and Chicago wannabe – bluesman recorded it. Yet this Wood version breathes new life into the tattered old thing. It's also funkier and more fun than ever. "Fancy Pants" is also a hoot. Based around a cool blues riff, along with harmonica coloring, the lyric speaks to those who constantly show off their wealth. "When I get the chance to flash my fancy pants/I do."
But Wood is no 'fancy pants' when it comes to making music. Instead, he goes for straight quality. Like the tasty reggae of "Sweetness My Weakness", or the pounding rock groove of "100%". He may be no great shakes a singer – he sometimes makes the modern day Bob Dylan seem smooth. But, like Dylan, he sings with a whole lot of emotion and character. And it doesn't hurt that he has a few high profile songwriters helping out. Kris Kristofferson assisted with the soulful "Why You Wanna Go and Do a Thing Like That", whereas Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder helped pen "Lucky Man".
Much of this music comes off like memorable Stones music from the '70s. It sounds easy, as though the musicians were simply born with these grooves in their genes. Let's hope Wood feels like playing more often, now that he's got this one under his belt. He still has plenty of great music left in him.
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Ronnie Wood - I Feel Like Playing
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