It’s usually a gamble to hear the solo work from an artist involved in a legendary band like the Rolling Stones. On the other hand, Ronnie Wood has been building his solo discography for decades now. His individual sound seems completely effortless, which is no surprise due to his deep rock ‘n’ roll roots. It seems Wood has been able to create two separate sets of fingerprints on the music scene.
Aside from “Catch You” and “Spoonful,” the rock guru himself crafted lyrics to each track. Although the raspy, southern blue vocals he delivers aren’t extraordinarily strong, the instrumentals almost completely make up for it. Conjuring up his best vocal delivery in “Spoonful,” there is real soul behind his voice.
This album brings in a bunch of A-listers such as Slash, Flea and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, to name a few. Sometimes this musical tactic can upset the balance of an album, but Wood pulls it off here. Each track meshes well with the last.
Owning this album is not crucial for the Rolling Stones obsessed out there. The sound is less antagonistic, as people usually find themselves to be after maturation. The electric guitar is used sparingly and there’s no Jagger-like oppression. His opening track, “Why You Wanna Go And Do A Thing Like That For” is a solid piece incorporating folk-like keyboards and Slash on an additional guitar. It gives you a good idea for what the rest of the album will be like.
A few tracks are a bit trite. “Sweetness My Weakness” is dragged out for entirely too many minutes with nothing interesting to offer. “Fancy Pants,” as if the title wasn’t a giveaway, is hard to take serious. But, if you strip away the lyrics, the piercing guitar riffs are incredibly memorable.
In A Word: Clean