Taken on 8th September 1975 at Peter Sellers birthday party. Some great pics of Bowie jamming on sax with Bobby Keys from this ‘session’.
A solid debut with a ridiculously talented group of players. No doubt very liberating for Ronnie and it layed the groundwork for Jagger knowing he would tow the line if a Stone. I like I Can Feel The Fire but It's Only Rock "n" Roll was the better vehicle for the Stones, Mick's no fool!
The Stones performed "Sure The One You Need" on a handful of occasions early in the 1975 tour in place of "Happy":
Great thread idea! Ronnie gets a lot of love on the forum and his albums are prime for appraisal. He’s such a desired guy for other musicians not only for his talent, but that he’s one of the nicest guys in rock; easy going and fun to work with.
Guess I was sleeping when The Ron Wood Show was first aired. But AXS TV has it on Wednesdays during the summer The Ronnie Wood Show | AXS TV Is it Ron or Ronnie? I think of Ronnie Lane and Ron Wood "Woody"
What can I say? As much as Keith Richards' guitar playing has been a huge influence on my own music, Ronnie's guitar playing has been almost as big an influence. Love both of those guys but there's just something about Ron's whole style of playing, his sound, his feel, that makes him one of the coolest guitar/bass players on the planet, in my not so humble opinion... Ronnie's work in the Faces and the Stones over the years has been great but you really have to hear the guy solo to fully appreciate his talent, not only as a musician but as a songwriter.
Wood seems to bounce between the two: Mostly, I think "Ron Wood", but I'll also use "Ronnie", "Woody", "RW", and so on. On one album he's credited as Romulus Woodworth -- not his real name!
Now Look is the second solo album by English musician Ronnie Wood, released in July 1975. In the United States, it peaked at number 118 on Billboard's top 200 albums listings, during a six-week chart run. Produced by Wood, Bobby Womack and Ian McLagan, the album also includes musical contributions from Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark – all of whom had played on Wood's debut, I've Got My Own Album to Do. The Faces worked the song "Big Bayou" into the setlist for their 1975 fall tour, which turned out to be the band's final tour. Faces vocalist Rod Stewart recorded his own cover of "Big Bayou" the following year for A Night on the Town. Wood remade "Breathe on Me" in 1991 for his album Slide On This. Track listing All tracks composed by Ronnie Wood, except where indicated. "I Got Lost When I Found You" (Wood, Bobby Womack) – 4:26 "Big Bayou" (Gib Guilbeau) – 2:42 "Breathe on Me" – 6:32 "If You Don’t Want My Love" (Womack, Gordon DeWitty) – 4:18 "I Can Say She's Alright" (Wood, Womack) – 6:22 "Caribbean Boogie" – 2:23 "Now Look" – 3:53 "Sweet Baby Mine" (Jim Ford, Womack) – 3:28 "I Can't Stand the Rain" (Donald Bryant, Ann Peebles, Bernard Miller) – 3:12 "It's Unholy" – 6:28 "I Got a Feeling" (Womack, Ian McLagan, Jean Roussel) – 3:21 Personnel Ronnie Wood – lead vocals, guitars (acoustic, rhythm, lead, slide and pedal steel) Bobby Womack – guitar, backing vocals on "I Got Lost When I Found You", "Big Bayou", "If You Don't Want My Love", "I Can Say She's Alright", "Sweet Baby Mine" and "I Got A Feeling" Ian McLagan – organ, piano, keyboards, backing vocals on all tracks Willie Weeks – bass guitar on all tracks Andy Newmark – drums, percussion on all tracks Jean Roussel – synthesizer, keyboards, piano, clavinet on "I Got Lost When I Found You", "Big Bayou", "If You Don't Want My Love", "I Can Say She's Alright", "Sweet Baby Mine" and "I Got A Feeling" Keith Richards – guitar on "I Can Say She's Alright" and "I Can't Stand The Rain", harmony vocals on "Breathe On Me" Kenney Jones – additional drums on "Caribbean Boogie" and "Now Look" Womack Sisters – backing vocals on "I Got A Feeling" Mick Taylor – slide guitar on "It's Unholy" Technical Keith Harwood - engineer Nigel Molden - coordinator AGI, Mike Doud, Ronnie Wood - cover design Chevy Kevorkian - front cover photography
Now Look is my favourite of Ronnie's albums- I love the whole mid 70's blue eyed soul/R&B vibe of the thing. Other than the three tracks I reckon are Got My Own Album... leftovers ("Breathe On Me", "I Can Say She's All Right" and "It's Unholy") it's more or less like a collaborative album between Ronnie and Bobby Womack. The "I Can't Stand The Rain" cover (which I also suspect is probably another IGMOATD leftover given Keith Richards' involvement) is the only track I'm not crazy about. "If You Don't Want My Love" and "It's Unholy" are my favourites here (some of my favourite Mick Taylor slide guitar work can be found on "It's Unholy"). If I had a quibble about Now Look it would be that, not its contemporary It's Only Rock And Roll, the three six minute songs didn't have to be six minutes, bit self indulgent there, but what the hell, they were undoubtedly having fun at the time. I think Now Look sounds great as well. Keith Harwood seemed to be the Stones' and Zeppelin's go to engineer in the mid 70's and he does fine work on this album too.
If you’re into the Stones, what’s not to like about Ronnie’s solo albums. Firstly, in 1974 Woody had had a pretty good run. Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and Rod Stewart’s excellent concurrent solo career. Rod the Mod’s right hand man was Woody. So a solo record was a natural progression. As far as I’m concerned, Woody has the best Stones solo catalogue, Woody started strong. Keith, Mick, Mick T, George, Rod, Mac, that great rhythm section of Willie Weeks (George’s fave bassist) and Andy Newmark. Two Keith originals one of which he sings and busts out next year on the Stones’ 1975 TOTA. I was in England in 1976 and my brother picked this up at Cheapo-Cheapo Records in Soho. Loved it then and I love it now. I think my faves are “Take A Look At The Guy” with a great Rod cameo and vintage Keith lead guitar and “Sure The One You Need” which Keith sings - my brother and his friend thought I was wrong but I knew I was right. It just sounds like a Stones record - not all of it mind you - and it’s just one of the best solo records by a Stone even though Woody was in his pre-apprenticeship stage. I like that The Faces played “Fire” and “Guy” live best heard on the San Bernadino 3/75 broadcast or on the box set. Now Look is a good follow up released as Woody toured as a temporary Stone (apparently an inside joke at the time). It’s more of the same, if a little less successful, but Ronnie’s “ Big Bayou” cuts Rod’s version and it too was featured in The Faces’ show - this time on the final tour in the fall of 1975.
It occurs to me that "I Can Feel The Fire" would have been a good choice for the Stones to play in 1975- it's a Mick and Woody duet for the most part, why the hell not? They played "Sure The One You Need" about twice, I think.
"the three six minute songs didn't have to be six minutes, bit self indulgent there, but what the hell, they were undoubtedly having fun at the time." I actually doubled the guitar solos in "IYDWML" so that when I am riding to work I get pumped up.
I like when the clavinet kicks in ad starts duetting with Ronnie's solo just before the fade. Ron gets some killer tones on Now Look as well, the intro to "Sweet Baby Mine" is a killer, for example- I'd love to know exactly what guitars/amps etc he used on each song...
Can't help but think that Warner Bros liked Now Look a good bit more than Woody's first, as evidenced by the fact they issued not one but TWO singles off the album, and also by the fact that they must have included a press kit along with promo copies for review. I've never seen the press kit, but I do have an "underground" paper from the time that includes, along with a pretty good review, an alternate photo of Wood and his musicians on the couch, obviously taken just before or after the one on the back cover. The paper could only have gotten that photo from WB. So the record company invested more promotional push in this one than the one before it, possibly because of Woody's bump in status as a Rolling Stone. Also, before we get too far from I've Got My Own Album To Do, I'd like to bring some attention to one of the best tracks from that lp, as redone by Izzy Stradlin, with help from Mac and the song's author himself, who contributes vocals and guitar. I love the extended guitar outro on this, and consider it to be an IMPROVEMENT on the original, which hardly needs improvement in the first place!
Ron wasn't "officially" in the Stones yet (at least not until the Faces formally dissolved later that year) but Now Look is a solid effort. I like the Ann Peebles cover, Woody does a more rocked up take on it, obviously. I have to wonder if he was inspired by this Humble Pie version from the previous year:
True that Wood wasn't officially a Stone when Now Look was issued, but he had toured with them, and most people realized that he was gonna be the new man. Faces' end was largely anticipated due to dissension in the band and Stewart's high profile as a solo artist. I love I Can't Stand The Rain, an excellent song choice on Wood's part. I also like the version by Lowell George, which was released a few years later, but may have (due to his album's long gestation period) been recorded contemporaneously.
Any more thoughts on Now Look before we move on to a soundtrack that if anything is less obscure than the movie it's a soundtrack for?
I like the Wood, Womack team and the soul quotient of the lp, plus also the tasty slide of Mick Taylor and Keith's assistance too. Heck Woody even tries to play a solo like Clapton! I can say he's alright!
I’ve Got My Own Album To Do: I Can Feel The Fire: What a killer opening track-killer groove and playing from all involved, love the vocal interplay between Ronnie and Mick, the two play off each fantastically. While It’s Only Rock n Roll made more dough, this made me grow chest hair, so this song wins! Far East Man: From a Stone To a Beatle, with a Song Ronnie wrote with George Harrison. This was also on Dark Horse (also one of the only good songs on that record), and this version is WAY better than that one, not as slick as George’s version, has more teeth to it, vocals are better (which considering the state of George’s voice at that time, that’s not really saying much). One of the best tracks on the album. Mystifies Me: Fantastic ballad, great organ and drumming, wonderful performance from Ronnie here, sweet guitar work here, I can easily hearing Keith singing this and KILLING it, f*** your technical bulls***, give me this kind of singing any day over Pavoratti. Take A Look At The Guy: I remember discovering this on Izzy Stradlin’s first record after leaving Guns, thought it was cool. Listening to it, I’ve grown to really enjoy it. I really like this song. Act Together: An awesome Jagger/Richards tune, I hear a little bit of Exile or even Goats, sort of like 100 Years Ago. I would love to have the Stones do a version of this, it would be a great addition to any Stones album (definitely would help some of those later albums). Fantastic song overall, tied with I Can Feel The Fire For my favorite. Am I Grooving You: Yes your are cause this song rules! Shirley: An awesome groovy tune between the electric piano and dirty, sleazy guitar playing, just a badass tune. Cancel Everything: Sweet licks from Ronnie and... Taylor is playing the electric piano? Huh, well he does a good job. I love this track as well. Sure As The One You Need: Jean Rousseau does some killer boogie woogie playing, and while I would never listen to this on its own, it’s still a very enjoyable album track. If You’re Gonna Make A Fool Of Somebody: Sweet ass tune, even the synth works perfect here, and the track is another nice tender tune, with some killer backing vocals from Rod. I really like it. Crotch Music: A cool jammy instrumental with some nice jazzy flairs. Not a bad way to close the album overall. Great album overall, although this is defintely a grower, as most of Ronnie’s solo albums are.
Keith comes up with another killer intro on "I Can Say She's All Right". Surprised that track isn't credited "Wood/Richards"... I've always gotten a bit of an Exile vibe from "Act Together". It reminds me of "Shine A Light", of all things- ironically, a song Keith Richards had nothing whatsoever to do with It's almost as though "Act Together" is Keith's version of "Shine A Light".
Best tracks on I've Got My Own Album To Do - I just got back from vacation and I have too much to do to post much now. I Can Feel The Fire Take A Look At The Guy Am I Grooving You
Before we get too far from I've Got My Own Album To Do, let me post yet another cool cover version of a song from that album: Not as good as the original (not even close), but not bad. Good a place as any to mention that Wood wrote this song for Patti Harrison (they were seeing each other for a while).
