I love Ronnie Wood's solo albums. Nowadays it is probably the section that gets the most play in my Stones world. His albums all have their own flavor, personnel and story. And they are all - to outsiders - surprisingly good. What all can we assemble?
He starts it out at the Wick; where HE HAS set up his house to become a gathering place. The great Weeks/ Newmark rhythm section. Keith moves in. Jagger, Bowie, Rod, George Harrison,...how did Ronnie do that? Clapton, Townshend, Moon, Starr - he was friends with everybody. Anyway - great album. Only klinker IMO is Crotch Music.
Now Look - the Bobby Womack album. The songs are a bit more groove oriented. Keith is still there. Very good album.
Gimme some Neck - at the height of Ronnie in the press. I think he made the front of RS in that time. It was the Some Girls/Barbarian time. Again - lots of Stones etc on album, and the tour. Great songs, and we all know that GSN could have been so much better with a different mix.
1234 - must have been in a druggy period. Scattered album, scattered songs. Lyrics that meander. It took a good talking-to from Stones Tod to make me re-visit the album, and know how good it is. Btw - Ronnie with Devo drummer?
Slide on This - the Bernard album. Probably the most accomplished solo album; good songs, good arrangements, good production. That was in the "Wandering Spirit - Talk is Cheap - Slide era. top notch.
Not For Beginners - the one that most don't like. It's the alcohol album to me.This is why I appreciate it. He seemed like in rough shape, yet he made the album.
I Feel Like Playing - big surprise.Only drawback: the same that many albums today have - it's too long. But there is a serious album buried in there.

Ronnie is the Stone that made the best solo albums.

I feel Like Playing still sounds great.

Crotch Music is my favourite Ronnie track, btw. A superb Wood/Taylor collaboration

There is great stuff in all the Ronnie albums.

Damn, the only tune I named by name in entire post was 'Crotch Music', and it ends up being you favorite track.

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Palace Revolution 2000
Damn, the only tune I named by name in entire post was 'Crotch Music', and it ends up being you favorite track.

Ha ha, I've always loved it. Don't know why - it's just so different and I love the guitars on it

I love Ronnie's solo career - For me it is surprising that someone like him has remained so unknown/underrated by the general public his whole career considering his achievements which include:
Jeff Beck Group
Faces
Stones
Rod Stewart's better quality solo work


And then aside from the above mentioned his solo career in it's own right is great and easily the best of all the stones. The live albums he did (especially live at kilburn) were great listens too.
It's still baffling to me that he could be with such successful groups for so long and go largely unnoticed.
I love his run from joining Jeff Beck up until tattoo you - nearly everything he was associated with had great musical success (at least for my tastes).

I think Ronnie has said in an interview before that IGMOATD is "the best of noone knows about them hits"

And don't discount Mahoney's Last Stand (w Ronnie Lane), that has some very good tunes, Tonight's Number, Mona "The Blues", country songs Chicken Wire(d).

Agree on everything is said here, save that I like the mix of Neck and I just hate the production on Slide on This (could be a Wondering Spirit pt 2)

Ronnie rules: such a talented musician!

C

Love Ronnie's solo works...way way better than anything Keith produced and I won't even mention Jagger's feeble attempts (well there were a couple of good tracks on Wandering Spirit to be fair).

I regularly listen to Now Look, and I've Got my Own ALbum and Slide on this, is a superb album....some of the songs on these recordings are masterpieces of groove and melody.

It saddens me that Keith couldn't produce anything close and whereas Ron manages to make each song and album unique, Keith is still reworking yet another 5 string suspended chord riff by and large. Yes, I know he ha great ballads in and amongst, but his albums are very similar in feel. His latest efforts do shake things up a bit which is good.

Ronnie is a great song writer and has been neglected in the Glimmer Twins projects much to the detriment of Stones albums...I doubt that will change, but I thank ROnnie for giving me those 70's and 90's recordings and even 1234 had some superb songs on it.

...and the live albums are pretty good too..!!!

I think hardly anyone outside the Stones-fanbase is interested in what Ron Wood is doing. Even most Stones fans aren´t much interested in his solo efforts. His songwriting and his singing voice IMO aren´t good enough for a career as a solo-artist. That´s one thing (maybe the only thing) he has in common with Mick Taylor.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-12-15 21:52 by HMS.

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HMS
I think hardly anyone outside the Stones-fanbase is interested in what Ron Wood is doing. Even most Stones fans aren´t much interested in his solo efforts. His songwriting and his singing voice IMO aren´t good enough for a career as a solo-artist. That´s one thing (maybe the only thing) he has in common with Mick Taylor.

He can actually sing a lot better than Mick Taylor....and writes songs that Mick Taylor could only dream of writing. All the while touring with the Stones, taking drugs, drinking, smoking, painting and hanging out with the World's top Rock musicians.....now, what did Mick Taylor ever do once he crawled away from the Stones because he couldn't hack it?

Lest we forget: Own Album and Now Look are coming out as 2cd reissues in Jan 2017

Have always loved Ron's solo albums; the first two in particular are excellent.

Not For Beginners is one I dont see a lot of love for but its one I play a lot. Saw him on the mini tour for that album with Slash joining him. Amazing gig! The album is full of soul and some deliciously ramshackle rock'n'roll.

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LeonidP
And don't discount Mahoney's Last Stand (w Ronnie Lane), that has some very good tunes, Tonight's Number, Mona "The Blues", country songs Chicken Wire(d).

I can't believe I forgot this one! From the late to the early is a great track on there too.

I think Ronnies first two albums were the balls-- especially the 1st one-- but be honest...better than Keith's ....? no way. Better than Wandering Spirit ? No.
Ronnie's done some terrific stuff, but it should be put into perspective. Better than Bill's and Carlie's and Mick T's solo material, but probably more because the material was solid, and the playing was tight with help from the Stones ( big time ), George Harrison, Rod Stewart, and others...
Ronnie is not a front man, and is at his best surrounded by great players.

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bob r
I think Ronnies first two albums were the balls-- especially the 1st one-- but be honest...better than Keith's ....? no way. Better than Wandering Spirit ? No.
Ronnie's done some terrific stuff, but it should be put into perspective. Better than Bill's and Carlie's and Mick T's solo material, but probably more because the material was solid, and the playing was tight with help from the Stones ( big time ), George Harrison, Rod Stewart, and others...
Ronnie is not a front man, and is at his best surrounded by great players.

Well, I wouldn't call Keith a front man either...especially in front of Mick.

Ronnie’s solo stuff is easier to praise because, unlike with that of Mick & Keith, nobody feels the need to compare it with the Stones’ work. Ronnie’s first album is lovely but it’s lightweight compared to Sticky, Exile and etc. (not that he was a member of the Stones at that point but still...)

Having said that though, I still think his solo work is better than Keith’s. Perhaps in the early or mid seventies Keith could’ve launched a truly interesting and ambitious solo project but by the time Talk Is Cheap comes along he’s a spent force. Which isn’t to say that TIC isn’t good – I give it ten out of ten because it perfectly captures Keith as the riffmeister (or whatever it is we call him) as well as his approach to songwriting which, compared to Ronnie, has severe limitations. Working within those limitations he produced a perfect record but it’s the kind of perfection that soon becomes tedious (a la Main Defender).

It’s hard (for me anyways) to compare Ronnie’s solo work with Mick’s because other than Wandering Spirit, which I find sterile, it’s like comparing different genres. She’s The Boss is probably the best of all of them but it’s obviously not a record I’m that fond of. (But I’ll play that before I play Blue and Lonesome – can’t understand the love for a bunch of blues covers. Next time, if they can’t craft anything decent by themselves, I hope they cover more modern tunes like My Sharona – that could be hot.)

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LeonidP
And don't discount Mahoney's Last Stand (w Ronnie Lane), that has some very good tunes, Tonight's Number, Mona "The Blues", country songs Chicken Wire(d).

Apologies to the two Ronnies; I can not believe I for got about this gem. ( Ronnie Lane sure put out some beautiful solo albums too).
I also think of "Slide on This" in relation to 'Wandering Spirit' always. They sound as if they went through the same mill. Even where Jagger heard 'Ragtime Annie' and then had to do 'Handsome Molly'.
Only thing I am not wild about is Bernard Fowler as lead singer on SOT. He is a very good BU singer to me, but no lead singer. Where I really don't like his stuff is on Charlie's albums.

I think for example that all Ronnie Wood's album outranks a band like Led Zeppelin all records ...



2 1 2 0

....so many great tunes on his solo records and so many great grooves for the Stones...Pretty Beat Up incl.!!

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crumbling_mice

He can actually sing a lot better than Mick Taylor....and writes songs that Mick Taylor could only dream of writing. All the while touring with the Stones, taking drugs, drinking, smoking, painting and hanging out with the World's top Rock musicians.....now, what did Mick Taylor ever do once he crawled away from the Stones because he couldn't hack it?

Search the internet and you'll be amazed.

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TheflyingDutchman


He can actually sing a lot better than Mick Taylor....and writes songs that Mick Taylor could only dream of writing. All the while touring with the Stones, taking drugs, drinking, smoking, painting and hanging out with the World's top Rock musicians.....now, what did Mick Taylor ever do once he crawled away from the Stones because he couldn't hack it?

Search the internet and you'll be amazed.

I have, and I wasn't. Taylor hasn't been in the Stones for 40 years or so and his work output since then has, for a man with his ability, been poor. In comparison, if you search the internet and see what Ronnie has done in that period...well, you'll be beyond amazed...the man is a workaholic in comparison to Taylor.

I should add that I'm not in either the Ronnie versus Taylor camp...both have made immense contributions to the Rolling Stones and if ever I choose to watch clips or DVD's of the Stones, it is invariably from 1972 when the band were, in my opinion, at their peak musically.

I just like to acknowledge the wonderful music Ronnie had produced over the years and his talents as a song writer...I could count on one hand, the number of Taylor songs that could be classed as good songs! He simply isn't a talented songsmith, but makes up for this with sublime guitar playing.

Crosseyed heart is the best solo album. It´s all in there. His love and life. Mr Soul. Mr rhythm. Mr melody.

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Bjorn
Crosseyed heart is the best solo album. It´s all in there. His love and life. Mr Soul. Mr rhythm. Mr melody.

No, it isn't. It's the best of Keith's solo albums, but Now Look is way better in every way.

No it isn´t. But...

You
Me

Two different people.

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Bjorn
No it isn´t. But...

You
Me

Two different people.

Nah, pretty much everyone is the same person.

But still, I agree with you. I have long said Ronnie had the best solo albums, and overall he has, but Crosseyed Heart is clearly the best of Stones solo albums (yes, much better than my loved Wandering Spirit too).

I love Ronnie's solo stuff....right through that tune he did with Mike Huckinal Coming Together. Slide on This is terrific and although short of songs 1234 is a blast. Ronnie is what I call a limited singer particularly in light of with whom he has played.

as an aside I found Crosseyed Heart very dull Only played it a couple of times with friends whereas I have loved all Keith's other solo stuff including the honeymoon tapes and other demos.

Speaking of Ronnies ... Lane and Wood, both the co-writers of Ooh La La ...

Here is Tim Timebomb's (of Rancid fame) cover of that:

[www.youtube.com]




I like it!

I actually like Ronnie's singing style. I love his singing on Fountain Of Love even tough his voice breaks here and there.

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MonkeyMan2000
I actually like Ronnie's singing style. I love his singing on Fountain Of Love even tough his voice breaks here and there.

I agree, I love his singing as well.

But for @#$%& sake...I´m not you!!! We dont like the same drink, have different women...have not the same upbringing...live in different countries...

Still...I SHOULD have the same taste in music, as you have!

Lord have @#$%& mercy!!!