University of Virginia Library

'Faces,' With Stewart, To Appear In Concert

By DREW GARDNER

Performing at the Christmas
Concert this Wednesday will be
The Faces, Cactus, and
Audience.

The Faces, featuring lead
singer Rod Stewart, were
originally contracted to
perform for Openings
Weekend, but requested that
the date be changed. At that
time they were in the process
of cutting their newly released
album "A Wink is as Good as a
Nod to a Blind Horse".

The new album is a product
of the entire group. Unlike
Stewart's recent solo album
"Every Picture Tells a Story",
this is the effort of a five man
band. The fact that people
often think of The Faces as
Rod Stewart's band, has disturbed
the sandpaper voiced
singer. In an interview
appearing in The Rolling
Stone, he clarified this point
when speaking of live
performances, he said, "I hope
they're (the audience) not just
coming to see me. Because
we're a band, and I want
people to realize its a band up
there. The other guys in the
band are strong too.... equally
strong."

Wild Performer

Stewart is, though, a
dynamic and captivating
performer. One of the wildest
stage performers in the rock
world. The attention he draws
on stage in comparison to the
other members of the group,
Ronnie Wood, lead guitarist;
Ronnie Lane, bassist; lan
McLagan, keyboard expert;
and drummer, Kenny Jones;
could be responsible for the
misconception by audiences.

More than likely though, the
sounding success of Stewart's
two solo albums "Gasoline
Alley" and "Every Picture
tells a Story" in contrast to
the barely successful Faces
album, "The First Step", is the
reason Stewart has acquired
this solo singer image.

In Concert, The Faces
perform a majority of their
own things, with an occasional
number from one of Stewart's
solo albums. At a Thanksgiving
concert this year in Madison
Square Garden after being
introduced by four
trumpeters and Mickey Mouse
costumed extras, The Faces
produced a rousingly loud
performance. The bulk of that
show came from selections off
their new album.

"The group just never stands
still' on stage and actually
appears to enjoy playing for
the audience and each other.
The fact that The Faces are
good friends off stage might be
responsible for the cohesive
madness they exhibit on stage.

Stewart and lead guitarist
Ronnie Wood are former
members of the Jeff Beck
Group they both left that
group they had not planned to
work together regularly. Wood
was the first to join the then
Small Faces. He auditioned
with them and was accepted,
not for his musical brilliance,
but because the others liked
him and felt themselves no
better than he. Stewart would
often show up with Wood for
jam sessions. Eventually he was
asked to join the group. He did
so but kept his solo album
contract with Mercury
Records.

Stewart attempts to keep
this solo album work separate
from the group concert and
album work. He has said that
he will never perform in
concert alone. In The Rolling
Stone, he stated, "I am just not
responsible enough to put a
band together and keep it
together. I have enough time
keeping myself together."

Though preferring to do
slow songs. Stewart is said to
look for three things in a
composition song before he
chooses it for his albums. They
are: good melody, adaptability
to his voice, and the length of
time since the song's been done
well. He prefers a song that has
been forgotten. But when the
group does an album things are
different; the songs are a
composite of the members
talents.

Although Stewart writes
most of the lyrics, and Wood,
the majority of the music, the
other members of the group
change sections to their tastes
so that there is a constant
exchange of talent. This
exchange, not only, in the
studio but also up on stage,
produces a strong group effort
concert that people usually
don't expect from the Faces. It
is clear though that the
rocking type of music that
The Faces enjoy doing cannot
be performed well without a
decisively strong musical
group.

Strong Voice

"Faces play loud," and with
loud rock, a good loud voice is
essential. Rod Stewart more
than adequately fulfills this
requirements He is not merely
another lyric screaming
performer; he has developed
his voice into a strong and
effectively moving instrument
of the band. His wild, often
chaotic movements (like
swinging the microphone stand
over his head) seem more
significant of his enjoyment
than anything else.

The Faces do, unlike many
other groups today, enjoy
performing their music. This
enjoyment with what they are
doing enhances their talent and
the audiences response, and
succeeds in bringing off a good
dynamic rocking concert.

Stewart, Wood, And Company: Never Standing Still